PITTSBURGH -- The
Robert Morris women's hockey team put forth the kind of defensive effort that will earn it plenty of wins in 2018-19, but St. Lawrence capitalized on two of its few mistakes to spoil the regular season opener at the RMU Island Sports Center Friday night with a 2-0 result.
Senior tri-captain
Maggie LaGue, the all-time program leader in assists by a defender, returned to help shore up that unit, her first competitive game since an off-season surgery.
When the Colonials (0-1-0) got into penalty trouble when the intensity picked up in the first period, their penalty kill, which went through its share of up and downs last season, showed poise. Junior
Sarah Lecavalier, playing her first official game on defense since transferring into the program prior to '17-'18, blocked a shot late in the first period to keep the game scoreless with
Caitlyn Sadowy in the box for hooking. RMU would finish 3-for-3 on the PK, limiting the Saints (1-0-0) to three combined shots on power plays.
Moments after the penalty expired, however, St. Lawrence took a Robert Morris turnover in the neutral zone the other way, and Natalie Wozney deflected a cross-crease pass from Dakota Golde under the crossbar with 2:10 left in the first.
The Saints doubled their lead with 8:28 left in the second period. Another RMU breakdown was quickly turned the other way, as
Lauren Bailey left her net to poke away a puck that Kayla Nielsen chased. She overpursued, and Rachael Smith, trailing the play, escorted the loose puck into the vacant cage.
Bailey was sharp otherwise, making her first start since Jan. 13 at Ohio State. The senior goaltender turned aside 19 SLU shots to give the Robert Morris offense, which scored a team-record 122 goals last season, a chance to come back.
St. Lawrence maintained solid gap control throughout the contest, often stunting the development of the RMU attack before it hit the blue line and leaving it without much room to operate otherwise. The Colonials tried generating offense from defense, for that matter, as the top pairing of Lecavalier and senior tri-captain
Kirsten Welsh fired three shots on goal apiece.
Robert Morris finished with 25 total, including a team-high four by junior assistant captain
Jaycee Gebhard, but it could not crack Grace Harrison, who pitched a 25-save shutout. Dating back to '17-'18, it is only the fourth time the Colonials have been blanked.
The strength of the team's '18-'19 schedule was on full display, as this marked the first of ten non-conference games this season against opponents ranked in last season's final national top ten.
Meanwhile, five members of its six-player rookie class saw ice time for the Colonials, and all six dressed.
Courtney Kollman, as in last Saturday's preseason win over UOIT, started and skated on the top line with Gebhard and senior tri-captain
Amber Rennie.
Fellow forwards
Mackenzie Krasowski and
Leah Marino, as well as defenders
Gillian Thompson and
Wasyn Rice, made their collegiate debuts in Friday's curtain-raiser.
RMU looks for a series split with the Saints at Colonials Arena Saturday at 3:05 p.m. EDT. Fans can call 412-397-4949 for ticket information or visit the Island Sports Center front desk.
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