Women's Hockey | 2/21/2019 11:47:00 PM
PITTSBURGH -- The
Robert Morris women's hockey team returns to Colonials Arena to conclude its regular-season series with the Lakers of Mercyhurst University Friday and Saturday. The opening faceoffs are scheduled for 7:05 and 3:05 p.m. ET, respectively, at the RMU Island Sports Center.
Fans can visit the ISC lobby for tickets, and both games can be seen live on the CHA Digital Network (subscription required). A free, continuous student shuffle running between the front doors and Lexington/Concord Halls will be available 6:00-10:00 p.m. Friday.
The first 200 to enter the rink Friday will receive an RMU winter hat courtesy of Peoples Natural Gas. In addition, fans are welcome to sign up for the Clearview Federal Credit Union "Penalty Box Trivia Challenge" before both games for a chance to win $50.
Robert Morris (12-12-6, 10-3-3) vs. Mercyhurst (12-12-5, 9-5-2) - Feb. 22-23
Fri., Feb. 22 (7:05 p.m. ET) - LIVE STREAM ($) | LIVE STATS
Sat., Feb. 23 (3:05 p.m. ET) - LIVE STREAM ($) | LIVE STATS
For Robert Morris this marks its fifth of six series in a row against College Hockey America opponents to wrap up the regular campaign. The Colonials hold a three-point lead over Mercyhurst in pursuit of their third straight regular-season title, and they are five above third-place Syracuse for a first-round CHA Tournament bye. Minimally, they need three points this weekend, plus a Syracuse tie, to wrap up the conference crown.
With its 5-1 win Oct. 20 in Erie, Pennsylvania, RMU earned its most lopsided win of the season until Feb. 8, also its largest victory margin in the history of its rivalry with the Lakers.
Natalie Marcuzzi scored with 4:54 left in the first period, which would prove to be her second career game-winner and first since the CHA Tournament Semifinal versus Penn State at the HarborCenter in Buffalo, New York Mar. 2, 2018.
The Colonials are 6-3-1 in their last ten regular-season meetings with Mercyhurst. Prior to October, their last six wins over the Lakers were all decided by one goal.
Key Notes
• The Colonials will be home for the remainder of the 2018-19 regular season, having wrapped the road portion of their schedule at Lindenwood Feb. 15-16. Robert Morris is unbeaten in ten consecutive home games (8-0-2) versus conference foes dating back to 2017-18. RMU edged Mercyhurst, 2-1, the last time it visited the Island Sports Center, Dec. 2, 2017, behind a
Kirsten Welsh power play goal and a go-ahead strike by
Amber Rennie with 6:07 to play.
• RMU split its 2017-18 regular-season series with the Lakers (2-2-0), allowing the Colonials to hold off Mercyhurst by two points for their second CHA regular-season championship in a row. They have an opportunity to win the season series for the first time since 2016-17, which was also their first time doing so in team history.
•
Maggie LaGue has moved past
Kirsten Welsh for the all-time RMU scoring lead among defenders, with 90 points, though Welsh has missed the past 13 games with a lower-body injury. LaGue leads all NCAA defenders with 14 power play points (2 G, 12 A) this season, and Welsh entered her senior year leading all active Colonials in career points against the Lakers. She has 15 (6 G, 9 A) entering Friday.
• The Colonials enter Friday tied for the nation's third-most productive PP at 26 goals in '18-'19. Three of the unprecedented four straight game-winning goals by
Emily Curlett Jan. 19-Feb. 8 came on the power play, and RMU has a PPG in six of eight since the holiday break.
•
Jaycee Gebhard led Robert Morris offensively with a goal and two assists in its Oct. 20 win at Mercyhurst. The goal began a career-long six-game goal streak (Oct. 20-Nov. 9, 2018). The two assists both came on power plays, and Gebhard leads D-I with her 22 power play points (5 G, 17 A). She is 12th among active collegians and fourth among NCAA underclassmen with her 128 career points, the third-most in RMU lore.
• Gebhard now has points in 21 of her last 23 games after setting a new RMU record with points in 14 straight Oct. 20-Dec. 7, 2018. She is eighth in the NCAA scoring race with a CHA-best 44 points and leads the conference with her 18 goals, the latest of which helped give RMU a season-long six-game unbeaten streak with its 2-2 tie Feb. 15 at Lindenwood. Gebhard is also fourth nationally with 395 faceoff wins this season.
• In partnership with Never Give Up Radio and The Goalie Guild, the Colonials played their first-ever Mental Health Awareness Game Jan. 25, during RMU's 13th annual "Skate For The Cure" weekend as a member of CHA. Robert Morris and RIT both wore special #EndTheStigma awareness patches on their uniforms in the 3-1 Colonial win. On Wednesday, the team announced its campaign raised $3,283 for three different mental health awareness programs: ADAA, AAAD and the Lift The Mask initiative.
•
Lexi Templeman ranks second in the conference with her 23 assists and is tied for second in CHA with her 27 points, exceeding the 21 she finished with as a member of last year's All-CHA Rookie Team. Templeman concluded the Colonials' last CHA road stretch, Feb. 8-16, with six points (G, 5 A) over those last four games.
• As part of Concussion Awareness Week, Robert Morris is one of a number of NCAA teams sporting helmet stickers bearing the logo of the Headway Foundation.
•
Sarah Lecavalier scored 7:54 into the second period at Lindenwood Feb. 16. It was her first goal since moving to defense and first since Jan. 19, 2018 at RIT.
In Our Defense...
• The 2018-19 squad has combined for 20 goals from its defensive corps, which is the fifth-most in Division I entering Thursday. Individually,
Emily Curlett ranks third among NCAA defenders with her ten tallies, while
Maggie LaGue is tied for ninth nationally among defenders with her 17 assists.
Chasing History
• With her next goal,
Jaycee Gebhard will pass Brianna Delaney '12 for third on the all-time chart.
Amber Rennie became the eighth player in Robert Morris history to reach the 40-career goal plateau versus No. 7 Cornell Nov. 23. Rennie, with four regular season games left, needs only four points to become the sixth Colonial to 100.
•
Lauren Bailey has climbed into a tie for fourth place in team history, moving past Daneca Butterfield '11, with 21 career wins in net, tying her with former teammate
Elijah Milne-Price '18. Bailey became the fifth in RMU lore to collect 1,000 career saves Jan. 19.
Take Your Pick
• Robert Morris was picked second to Mercyhurst in the 2018-19 College Hockey America Preseason Poll. The Colonials, the two-time CHA regular-season champs, received one of six possible first-place votes. This marked the sixth time in the
Paul Colontino era that RMU was tabbed to finish within the conference's top three in its annual preseason poll.
Achievement Unlocked
• Gebhard and
Kirsten Welsh were reunited with
Brittany Howard in August of 2018, when they were among the 92 invitees to Team Canada National Women's Development Camp. Gebhard earned a goal and an assist in exhibition play and made the roster for its Summer Showcase series Aug. 16-19 versus Team USA in Calgary, Alberta. Howard got her first-ever Team Canada nod Jan. 23 for its Rivalry Series with Team USA in Southern Ontario and Michigan Feb. 12-17.
Oh Captain, My Captain
•
Amber Rennie,
Kirsten Welsh and
Maggie LaGue are the first tri-captains in program history. Ten different players have now worn the "C" under
Paul Colontino, while
Jaycee Gebhard was named the lone assistant captain. The 2018-19 leadership group has combined for 98 (38 G, 60 A) of the team's 198 points (49.5%) entering Friday.
The Third Period Is Our Period
The Colonials' goal margin of +13 in thirds ties for ninth in D-I, and they have scored an NCAA-best 11 PPG's and 32 power play points in third periods.
Second Helpings
•
Emily Curlett set a career high with her eight blocked shots against Penn State Dec. 1. The 2018 All-CHA Rookie Team selection led all CHA defenders in 2017-18 with 70 blocks and she now leads the NCAA with 123 after ending up second in D-I in blocks as an RMU newcomer. Curlett blocked a team-best seven shots for the series when the Colonials visited Mercyhurst Oct. 19-20.
•
Lexi Templeman finished the 2017-18 season with a .559 faceoff win rate, third among CHA rookies, and also made the All-CHA Rookie squad. Templeman has maintained the CHA lead (.685) through Tuesday and remains second in the NCAA. Her .703 clip in conference play leads Division I.
You Feel Shame For Two Minutes, And Then You Get Free
• Robert Morris has allowed only four power play goals since Jan. 18, the second-fewest in College Hockey America over that span. Since resuming regular-season play Jan. 18, the Colonials have been on the PK 20 times and taken 26 penalties, the fewest in the conference in both categories.
Patience Is A Virtue
•
Sarah Quaranta scored with 9:29 left in the second period at Mercyhurst Oct. 20, assisted by
Anjelica Diffendal and
Emily Curlett. It was her first goal since Jan. 29, 2016, versus Lindendwood. That goal was the game-winner in a 5-2 Robert Morris victory, assisted by
Maggie LaGue and
Amber Rennie.
An "A" For Effort
• Assistant captain
Jaycee Gebhard led College Hockey America with her 25 assists in 2017-18, tying for 14th nationally. Gebhard, once again, leads College Hockey America entering Friday, and she is tied for seventh on the NCAA chart with her 26 apples this season. Gebhard, who moved past Thea Imbrogno into third in career assists Jan. 25, needs to pick up four more helpers tie the RMU single-season record of 30 set by
Brittany Howard in '16-'17.
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