PITTSBURGH -- Although the
Robert Morris University women's hockey team had a memorable first period Friday night, Mercyhurst ended up prevailing 5-2 in the opener of a weekend showdown at the top of the College Hockey America standings.
While RMU's eight-game unbeaten streak ended, senior captain
Jaycee Gebhard notched her 103rd career assist on
Michaela Boyle's early power-play goal, boosting November's national Player of the Month past
Brittany Howard '18 for first on the program's all-time assist list.
Not only was history made on the tally, which was also assisted by junior
Lexi Templeman, the red light triggered an avalanche of stuffed toys on the RMU Island Sports Center ice, making the fourth-annual Teddy Bear Toss another raving success.
The hundreds of stuffed animals donated by the fans in attendance will go directly to cancer patients at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Just as it has in the past, the promotion was put on by the student-athletes themselves, making the turnout even more impressive. The RMU football, rowing, volleyball and men's and women's lacrosse teams were well represented in the stands as well.
But while the start of the evening was storybook, Mercyhurst (10-4-1, 5-0-0 CHA) was determined to play spoiler. The Lakers did just that in the third, scoring four times to break open a 1-1 game and grab a two-point lead over RMU for first in the CHA.
Mercyhurst stalwarts Emma Nuutinen (power play) and Maggie Knott scored just 39 seconds apart shortly after the final frame started, then Emily Pinto netted another on a deflection at 7:08 to put the Colonials (9-6-2, 4-1-0 CHA) behind it.
Gebhard scored her third short-handed goal of the year -- and 11th overall -- to cut the margin to 4-2 with nine minutes to play, but RMU would get no closer, suffering its first conference loss in five tries.
"Momentum in games like this can sometimes be big," RMU head coach
Paul Colontino said. "You've got to have the maturity to just handle (it). We've got to find a way to regain composure and regain control of the game.
"In games like this, and truthfully a lot of league games, it's a 60-minute game. There are going to be swings. There are going to be highs and lows. You've got to manage them. You get back out there and get back on the page you want to be on and work toward that next opportunity."
Playing their first home game in nearly five weeks, the Colonials burst out of the gate with 13 shots on goal in the first, to Mercyhurst's seven. While it took RMU until 14 minutes in to dent Lakers goalie Blair Kennedy, the early lead was certainly earned.
Predictably, the nation's fourth-ranked power play took care of the first goal. Showing trademark patience, Gebhard dragged the puck into the left circle then tossed a pass to Templeman along the goal line. Templeman's initial centering dish was blocked before it got across the crease, but Boyle was there to deposit her team-leading 13th goal of the season, with seven of those coming on the power play.
Gebhard's secondary assist was her team-leading 17th power-play point and the 32nd of her senior year overall. But all those numbers took a back seat to 103.
"We're all so proud of her," Colontino said. "She works so hard day-in and day-out. You wish you could've gotten the win to go with it to make it a little more memorable, but it's an excellent achievement. There's no one more deserving. She earns everything she gets."
The Lakers gradually gained their footing, though, putting 13 shots on RMU sophomore goalie
Arielle DeSmet in the second. The only one to beat her was off the stick of Sarah Nelles, whose right-circle wrister off the rush went into the top-left corner of the net.
The Colonials did well to kill off the first three Mercyhurst power plays, but the visitors converted the fourth on Nuutinen's blast through traffic 70 seconds into the third. Knott buried an attempted clear from the slot moments later, providing all the offense the Lakers would need.
Gebhard's hard-working shorty off an assist from Templeman -- her junior playmaker's 19th helper of the season -- proved the Colonials had something left in the tank, even if the two points went to the Lakers.
For the first time since late October, the Colonials will have to regroup after a defeat. Adding to the urgency: Saturday's faceoff with Mercyhurst will be their final game of the fall semester.
"I think some of the little things are the focus for us right now," said Colontino, "from winning one-on-one battles to getting on loose pucks and creating some offense below the faceoff dots. I think if we do those things better, we're going to find ourselves in a better situation (Saturday)."
Faceoff in the rematch is set for 5:05 p.m. at the Island Sports Center.
