PITTSBURGH -- The
Robert Morris women's hockey team continued to flaunt scoring depth against Syracuse, but a pair of power play goals allowed the Orange (6-12-2, 5-4-1) to hand the Colonials (12-4-3, 6-2-2) a 4-2 setback at the RMU Island Sports Center Saturday afternoon.
Sophomore winger
Sarah Lecavalier, who has seen time on both their second and third lines since her off-season transfer from North Dakota, tied the game five-and-a-half minutes into the second period on her personal-best fifth goal of the season.
It was also a bright spot for Syracuse native
Emilie Harley, who got on the scoresheet against her hometown team with a shot on target that Lecavalier calmly put home on the rebound. In addition,
Aneta Ledlova equaled her first-year output with her fourth assist as a sophomore.
Fellow rookie
Emily Curlett played another rugged game on the Colonials' blue line, finishing with a team-best four blocked shots. Syracuse played sound positional hockey in its own end, blocking 24 as a team, but Curlett's one-timer from the left point at the outset of an RMU power play got through and gave the hosts new life with 14:33 left in regulation.
The goal came promptly off a faceoff win by
Brittany Howard, who notched her 90th career assist and College Hockey America (CHA)-leading 30th point of her final collegiate campaign. She finished a characteristic 10 of 16 on draws, and common linemate
Jaycee Gebhard, taking her own turn at center, was an even more impressive 14-for-16 on the day.
Howard, the reigning conference scoring champ and Dapper Dan Sportswoman of the Year nominee, tied for the most career assists among all active NCAA players with that helper, and she remains the nation's second-leading career scorer with 162 points at RMU.
Maggie LaGue, playing the right point on the aforementioned 5-on-4 advantage, also factored into Curlett's clapper. She furthered her spot in program history with her 51st career assist, still the most ever by a Colonials defender.
No. 9/8 Robert Morris looks to return to familiar form, and also echo one of its signature wins, when it travels to No. 7/6 Ohio State next weekend. The final non-conference series of 2017-18 for the Colonials commences Fri., Jan. 12 at 6:07 p.m. and Sat., Jan. 13 at 3:07 p.m. from OSU Ice Rink.
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