-- The No. 9
team meets Penn State in the College Hockey America (CHA) Tournament Semifinal. The opening faceoff from the HarborCenter in Buffalo, New York is set for 12:30 p.m. Friday.
Robert Morris (20-7-4, 14-3-3) clinched its second straight regular-season College Hockey America title with a sweep in Syracuse Feb. 23-24. The Colonials earned a first-round bye in the CHA Tournament, which they won in 2017, as well as the third 20-win season of the
RMU can clinch a second straight NCAA Tournament berth with two more wins. The Colonials defeated Lindenwood at the HarborCenter, 2-1, Mar. 3, 2017 and Syracuse, 2-0, Mar. 4 to ensure the first in program history.
The Colonials edged the Nittany Lions (10-14-11, 6-7-7), the lowest remaining seed, in their regular-season series. Penn State rallied late for a 2-1 win over fifth-seeded Lindenwood in Thursday's quarterfinal round.
The teams skated to 3-3 and 2-2 ties Oct. 28-29 at Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pennsylvania, part of a 7-1-2 road swing for RMU that was both the longest and most successful of the Colontino era. They tied again, 2-2, at the RMU Island Sports Center in Pittsburgh Jan. 26, before Robert Morris prevailed, 4-2, in the last meeting Jan. 27.
led the Colonials with five goals in the season series, including both equalizers at Penn State. She scored both Colonials goals Jan. 26 and provided a key shorthanded goal in their Jan. 27 victory.
Robert Morris will try to advance to play either second-seeded Mercyhurst or third-seeded Syracuse in Saturday's 4:00 p.m. championship game. The Colonials split their season series with the Lakers, including a 2-1 win at Colonials Arena Dec. 2 on a late
goal, and a 3-2 win at the Mercyhurst Ice Center Feb. 17 behind two
On Feb. 16 at Mercyhurst,
set a new school record by going 181:09, dating back to her win over Penn State Jan. 27, without a goal. Milne-Price had made a career-high 36 saves against the Lions that day.
RMU took three out of four from the Orange this regular season, including a 5-2 win Jan. 5 and 4-0 and 5-0 decisions Feb. 23-24, respectively.
Key Notes
After being announced as a Patty Kazmaier Award top-ten finalist Feb. 22,
Brittany Howard scored two goals, including one on the power play, and an assist in her team's sweep at Syracuse Feb. 23-24.
Howard was named CHA Player of the Year for the second straight year Wednesday. She won back-to-back CHA scoring titles with 46 points (23 goals, 23 assists) and is second among active collegians with 77 career goals and 178 career points. She was named All-CHA First Team for the third year in a row. Howard was also named CHA Player of the Month after recording nine points and a .750 faceoff win percentage in February. She missed the last series against Penn State due to injury.
Joining her on the All-CHA First Team was first-time selection
Elijah Milne-Price, who broke two program records in the final regular-season series for Robert Morris. She became the first RMU netminder to post back-to-back shutouts twice in the same season, and her six shutouts on the year set a new mark. In addition, Milne-Price was concurrently named CHA Goaltender of the Week and Month.
Kirsten Welsh made All-CHA First Team for the second straight year and was named CHA Defender of the Year. She scored 12 goals, a single-season record for RMU blue-liners, led all CHA D-men with 30 points and the four goals allowed by the Colonials in February were the fewest in the nation. Welsh was also named CHA Player of the Week, as she registered a CHA-best four assists/points at SU Feb. 23-24, and the Robert Morris defense did not allow a goal for its last 128 minutes and 29 seconds of regular-season play.
Emily Curlett and
Lexi Templeman were named to the CHA All-Rookie Team. Templeman finished in a three-way tied for the team lead with five power play goals, and Curlett's eight goals were an RMU rookie D-man record.
Amber Rennie,
Jaycee Gebhard and
Brittany Howard have combined for 109 points (51 G, 58 A) on the top line. Rennie's 15 goals are a career high, Gebhard has nine in her last ten and Howard five in her last six. They have 14 power play points (8 G, 6 A) since Jan. 19, and the RMU power play is fourth in D-I at 28.0% (14-for-50) over that span.
The Colonials are ranked in both major polls, the United States College Hockey Online (USCHO) Women's Division I Poll and the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll, for the 17th time this season.
An "A" for Effort
Jaycee Gebhard was second in CHA with an average of 0.77 assists per game, also 14th in Division I. Gebhard, now eighth in career apples at RMU (47), is one of only five NCAA players to have recorded four or more assists in two or more games this season.
Resume Builder
Robert Morris is No. 11 in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) and also No. 11 in the PairWise Rankings. Both rankings, which account for strength of schedule, help determine NCAA Tournament seeding.
Worth The Wait
RMU is 3-0-4 in overtime this season. Two OT winners belong to
Brittany Howard, the first two of her career. The Colonials are unbeaten in their last 12 sudden-death appearances (4-0-8), dating back to last year's CHA title run. Nine of its 39 all-time meetings with Syracuse have gone to OT, and at least one has in each of the last four seasons.
Chasing History
Brittany Howard topped a number of other statistical categories in CHA while on her way to another conference scoring crown. She also led CHA in points per game (1.59), shots per game (5.52), plus/minus ( 27) and her CHA-best seventh game-winning goal Feb. 17 tied an RMU single-year mark. Those seven GW's tied for the second-most in the NCAA, and her three shorthanded goals tied for third. She also shared the CHA lead in power play points (13).
With her "Teddy Bear goal" Jan. 27,
Amber Rennie tied Kelsey Thomas '12 for seventh all-time at RMU.
Jaycee Gebhard caught up to her with her Feb. 10 and has since pulled ahead with 35 (7th) to Rennie's 34 (8th). Also on Jan. 27,
Kirsten Welsh tied Class of '08 teammates Morgan Beikirch and Megan Picinic for tenth all-time.
The 112 goals netted by the Robert Morris offense thus far are a new single-season record. It scored 108 in 2015-16. Pittsburgh native
Anjelica Diffendal scored the record-breaker Feb. 24.
Achievement Unlocked
Brittany Howard became the first Robert Morris student-athlete named Dapper Dan Charities Pittsburgh Sportswoman of the Year Feb. 21. In the 2017 calendar year, she put up 43 points (24 G, 19 A) en route to the RMU single-season assist record (30), first-ever CHA points crown (50), first-ever CHA Player of the Year award, first-ever regular-season CHA title and first NCAA Tournament berth.
"Skate for the Cure" Jan. 26-27, aided by
Amanda Pantaleo, raised 412 teddy bears for UPMC Children's Hospital and $2,322 for Our Clubhouse. On Nov. 10,
Jessica Gazzola and
Natalie Fraser, in a senior project for Colonial Leadership Academy, raised $588 in a gift basket auction for the Children's Institute of Pittsburgh.
Kirsten Welsh's insurance goal against Penn State Jan. 27, her 12th goal of the season, set a new RMU single-year record for defenders.
Mikaela Lowater '17 had 11 in her own junior campaign.
In Our Defense...
The Robert Morris defense has combined for 25 goals and 97 points, making it the highest scoring defensive unit in the NCAA.
Leah Carey, who assisted on the CHA Tournament-clinching goal against Syracuse Mar. 4, 2017 at the HarborCenter in Buffalo, NY, assisted on the GWG vs. Mercyhurst Dec. 2 in her 100th career game, and she added a helper on Senior Day vs. Lindenwood Feb. 10.
Kirsten Welsh remains fifth in the nation in points by defenders with 30 (12 G, 18 A), and she has the second-most in Division I by an underclassman at her position.
Katherine Murphy matched her career best by blocking a game-high eight shots versus Mercyhurst Dec. 2, the most by any Robert Morris player in a single game this season. The previous high was the seven blocked by
Maggie LaGue at Penn State Oct. 29.
On Dec. 9 at No. 4 Colgate, LaGue became the first defender in Robert Morris history to reach 50 career assists. LaGue's 21 helpers this season were a new career high and just three off the NCAA lead (7th overall).
Apple Fest
Kirsten Welsh chipped in four assists at Brown Oct. 20, a personal single-game high. That was her best effort since her three assists in a 3-3 tie with Mercyhurst Jan. 21, 2017. Dating back to last season, Robert Morris is unbeaten in 20 of the past 22 games in which Welsh has registered a point.
"The Third Period Is Our Period!"
For the 2017-18 squad this commonly-used phrase by Colonials Arena P.A. announcer Larry Snyder has rung particularly true. Robert Morris has outscored CHA foes 24-11 in third periods, and its 38 third-period goals overall are the fifth-most in the nation.
Brittany Howard has 22 of her 46 points (12 G, 10 A) in the third, tied for second-most in D-I.
Kirsten Welsh (4 G, 7 A) and
Jaycee Gebhard (5 G, 6 A) each have 11, and
Amber Rennie (5 G, 5 A) has ten.
RMU is unbeaten in 20 tries (17-0-3) this year when tied or ahead entering the third. Its 11 third-period goals allowed in conference play are tied for sixth-fewest in the NCAA. The Colonials lead CHA with their 17 goal margin in third periods, which ranks eighth in D-I.
Elijah Milne-Price has a 1.51 GAA in third periods that ranks second in CHA and eighth among all NCAA goalies.
Take My Puck, Please
Jaycee Gebhard went 14-for-16 (.875) on faceoffs Jan. 6 against Syracuse. It was one of the best single-game efforts by an RMU player from the dot this season.
Brittany Howard won 12 of 13 draws (.923) on Senior Day versus Lindenwood Feb. 10, and Howard holds the season single-game high in faceoff wins: 24, versus No. 5 Ohio State Nov. 24. Also of note,
Natalie Marcuzzi won all five of her faceoffs at Lindenwood back on Nov. 4.
Paying The Price
Elijah Milne-Price, named CHA Goaltender of the Week twice in February, has lowered her GAA to 1.64, good for second in the conference, eighth in the nation and second in the NCAA among seniors. Her .933 save percentage was fourth-best among Division I upperclassmen. "E.J." has a chance to surpass the single-season record established by
Jessica Dodds '17 as a rookie in 2013-14, when Dodds registered a 1.66 GAA and .932 save percentage.
New Kids On The Block
Emily Curlett blocked a series-high eight shots versus Syracuse Jan. 5-6, finishing the series a plus-1 and adding a power play goal in the finale. She led all CHA defenders with 68 blocks, second among NCAA rookies, and her 20 topped the plus/minus ratings of all first-year players in the conference. Her goal Feb. 10 set a new RMU single-season record for rookie blue-liners.
With an assist on
Brittany Howard's record-breaking goal Feb. 10, and a pair of goals at Syracuse Feb. 23,
Lexi Templeman (9 G, 10 A) jumped over Curlett (8 G, 9 A) for second in CHA rookie scoring. Her .563 faceoff win rate was third among CHA rookies, and she finished second in rookie power play points, with eight (5 G, 3 A).
You Feel Shame For Two Minutes, And Then You Get Free
Robert Morris killed off all six of its penalties at Syracuse Feb. 23-24, limiting the Orange power play to seven shots on goal. Since Jan. 19, the RMU penalty kill is 41-for-45, a .911 success rate that tops CHA over that span and ranks eighth in the nation. When the Colonials defeated Syracuse Jan. 5, it was their first win in program history that came without committing a penalty.
Thunder And Lightning
The first two career goals versus Syracuse for Thunder Bay, Ontario native
Jessica Gazzola were game-winners, including one in last year's CHA Tournament Final that led to her all-tournament team selection. She picked up a third Feb. 23 and assisted on the game-winner versus Syracuse Jan. 5. Her 15 assists in conference play were the second-most in CHA this season.
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