WENTZVILLE, Mo. -- In its latest effort to cross the College Hockey America finish line first for the third year in a row, the
Robert Morris women's hockey team did everything but finish.
Lindenwood goaltender Sophie Wolf made 41 saves to help the Lions rope-a-dope the Colonials into a 6-1 loss at the Lindenwood Ice Arena Saturday afternoon, their final regular-season road game of the 2018-19 campaign.
Robert Morris attempted 76 shots on goal and limited Lindenwood to 15 total pucks on target, but the visitors had trouble getting quality chances through all day. The Lions defense, particularly on special teams, did exceptionally well to support Wolf, blocking a staggering 25 attempts.
Sarah Lecavalier did finally find the net for RMU with 12:06 left in the second period to make it a one-goal game with Erin Near in the box for an illegal check. She blasted a shot from the high slot area past Wolf for her first goal since converting to defense and first since Jan. 19, 2018 at RIT.
Fellow junior
Jaycee Gebhard picked up the primary assist. The assistant captain now has a point in seven of her last eight outings since her team-record 14-game streak was halted Dec. 8, 2018, and in 21 of her last 23 overall.
Additionally, Gebhard continues to lead the NCAA in power play helpers (17) and power play points (22). The 5'3" Plenty, Saskatchewan native and Notre Dame Hounds product, still very much in the driver's seat of the CHA scoring race, sits eighth in all of Division I with 44 total points.
Sitting behind her in the conference points column with 27 is sophomore forward
Lexi Templeman, who got the secondary apple on the Lecavalier goal. Templeman concluded the Colonials' last CHA road stretch with six points (G, 5 A) over her last four games.
The 5'2" Staffa, Ontario native and former KW Rangers standout also won six of eight faceoffs, and she remains second nationally with her .685 success rate.
Rookie goaltender
Arielle DeSmet relieved
Lauren Bailey after Sierra Burt scored a power play goal of her own to make it a 4-1 game with 2:31 left in the second. It was her sixth appearance in goal and first since Nov. 23 versus No. 7 Cornell.
DeSmet stopped two of three shots faced, yielding a breakaway goal to Burt with 2:17 to play. Lindenwood scored into an empty net three minutes earlier and barely over a minute after DeSmet had been pulled.
The Colonials, as a team, are allowing an average of just 23.70 shots on goal per game through Saturday, putting them atop CHA in that category and eighth in D-I.
Kayla Martinez and Jada Burke scored in the first period for the Lions (7-18-3, 3-11-2).
Robert Morris (12-12-6, 10-3-3) returns to the RMU Island Sports Center next Friday and Saturday for the first of two home series to wrap up its regular season, against arch-rival Mercyhurst.
The Colonials are three points ahead of the Lakers for the CHA lead after the latter skated to an eventful tie at Penn State Saturday. They are five points clear of third-place Syracuse for one of two first-round byes in the CHA Tournament after the Orange tied RIT.
Minimally, RMU needs a win, plus a tie, plus a Lindenwood tie with Syracuse next weekend to clinch its third consecutive CHA regular-season title.
The opening faceoffs are scheduled for 7:05 and 3:05 p.m. ET, respectively, at Colonials Arena.
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