Women's Hockey | 3/6/2019 9:31:00 PM
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The
Robert Morris women's hockey team will take on the Nittany Lions of Penn State University in the CHA Tournament Semifinal Thursday. The opening faceoff from the HarborCenter is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET.
The game can be seen live on the CHA Digital Network (subscription required) and heard live on 970 ESPN Pittsburgh (online only).
Ticket prices for the tournament are $10 per day for adults and $5 for students. Adults can also purchase a full tournament pass for $25.
Fans are invited to the RMU pregame party on Thursday 2:00-4:00 p.m. at (716) Food and Sport Restaurant, attached to the HarborCenter. Cost to attend the pregame party is $20 per person with proceeds supporting RMU women's hockey.
Another pregame party open to RMU fans will be held Friday, same time, location and cover charge, in the event of a Colonials victory. Pregame parties include pizza, wings, and salad with drinks for all guests who support with a gift.
Contact
TJ Brown at 412-706-1800 or
brownt@rmu.edu for any questions.
Robert Morris (15-13-6) vs. Penn State (13-13-9) - Mar. 7, 4:30 p.m.
CHA Semifinal - WATCH ($) | LISTEN (Online Only) | STATS
Robert Morris enters the College Hockey America Tournament as the number one seed for the third season in a row. The Colonials, having earned a first-round bye, will face the lowest-remaining seed in the CHA Semifinals Thursday at 4:30 p.m. ET. A win will put them in their third consecutive CHA Tournament Final Friday at 4:30.
RMU is seeking its third CHA Tournament championship and second in three years. If successful, the Colonials would earn an automatic bid to their second NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Tournament in program history. On Mar. 4, 2017, they punched their first NCAA ticket with a 2-0 win over Syracuse at the HarborCenter. On Mar. 3, 2012, they celebrated their first-ever playoff crown with a 3-2 upset of top-seeded Mercyhurst at the RMU Island Sports Center.
The Colonials defeated Syracuse 5-0 on Mar. 1 to clinch their third straight CHA regular-season title and their first championship of any kind on home ice since 2012. Their previous crown was clinched with a 4-0 victory at Syracuse Feb. 24, 2018.
Key Notes
• The Colonials also won on Senior Day, 4-2, to complete a sweep of the Orange. Prior to the Mar. 2 game, the six members of their 2019 senior class were honored:
Kirsten Welsh,
Sarah Quaranta,
Maggie LaGue,
Caitlyn Sadowy,
Amber Rennie and
Lauren Bailey. Rennie had the game-winning power play goal 3:49 into last Friday's pivotal victory, and Welsh closed the scoring on a power play tally with 5:03 to play.
• Sadowy opened the Senior Day scoring with her career-high sixth goal of the season 3:20 into the second period, and Bailey made 30 saves for her 22nd career victory in net. She passed Elijah "E.J." Milne-Price '18 for fourth in team history in career wins. Bailey also recorded her first assist since setting up the overtime winner by Welsh Sept. 29 versus St. Lawrence at Colonials Arena.
•
Arielle DeSmet also flexed her muscles between the pipes in the final series of the regular campaign. With 25 saves in the opener, she picked up her first-ever shutout as a collegian in only her sixth start as a rookie. This was equal to the 25 stops DeSmet made in a key 4-1 win over Mercyhurst Feb. 23 that put the Colonials within one win of achieving their CHA regular-season three-peat.
•
Leah Marino scored her first two goals in 33 games at Robert Morris last Saturday. She gave RMU a 2-0 lead with 9:42 left in the second period, and she found the net again with 13:28 left in regulation.
Janey Sandoval, who did not play in 2017-18, scored with 1:22 to go in the second, her first collegiate goal, which proved to be the game-winner. Sandoval's first point in 31 games played was her assist on Marino's first marker.
• Four Colonials were named to the 2019 CHA All-Conference Teams, the most of any school in the conference:
Jaycee Gebhard (1st),
Maggie LaGue (1st),
Lexi Templeman (2nd) and
Emily Curlett (2nd). To date, 21 different Colonials have earned a total of 49 all-conference honors in team history, including 27 awards won by 14 student-athletes under head coach
Paul Colontino dating back to 2011-12, the start of his RMU tenure.
• Gebhard, bringing the CHA scoring title to RMU for the third year in a row, topped the conference in goals (18), assists (31) and points (49). She set a team single-season record for assists and was a four-time CHA Player of the Month (Oct.-Dec., Feb.) and WHCA December Player of the Month. Gebhard led the NCAA with 18 helpers and 23 points on the power play, and she ranked second nationally with 444 total faceoff wins. Her five game-winning goals and plus/minus rating of +14 both led CHA.
• LaGue received the 2019 CHA Individual Sportsmanship Award, and the '18-'19 squad won the Team Sportsmanship Award for being assessed the fewest penalty minutes in conference games (173). LaGue served only 12 regular-season PIM, and the Colonials won their first Sportsmanship Award since the 2012-13 season. She enters the postseason right behind Gebhard with 79 career assists. Her 92 career points, eighth overall in RMU history, are also the most by a defender.
• Curlett set career highs in goals (11), assists (10) and points (21). She enters the CHA playoffs one goal away from tying the RMU single-season record for defenders, which was established by Welsh just last season.
• Templeman exceeded her first-year total with 31 points, good for second in CHA. Her 25 assists were also second, and her 14 power play points tied for ninth in D-I.
Chasing History
•
Jaycee Gebhard became the fifth Robert Morris player to amass 100 career points with her power play goal Nov. 9. With her next goal, 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, entering the postseason, needs only two points to become the sixth Colonial to reach 100.
• Gebhard and Rennie are among the top five in RMU history in game-winning goals. Gebhard pulled ahead of Brianna Delaney for third all-time with her tenth career GW Dec. 1 versus Penn State. Rennie tied for fourth with career game-winner No. 9 on Mar. 1.
Bobby Mo To Pro
• The Connecticut Whale made
Maggie LaGue the second NWHL draftee in RMU history Dec. 20, 2018 with the 22nd overall pick in the fifth round of the NWHL Draft. LaGue, who scored a goal in four straight games Nov. 3-16 to establish a new single-season high, also set a new career high in blocked shots prior to the announcement, recording nine versus Penn State Dec. 1.
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 109 (41 G, 68 A) of the team's 238 points (45.8%) entering Thursday.
All's Well That Welsh Ends
•
Kirsten Welsh scored 2:51 into overtime for a 3-2 win over St. Lawrence Sept. 29, and she scored with :20.9 left to force OT versus Minnesota State Nov. 16. Dating back to the 2016-17 season, RMU is unbeaten in 27 of the past 32 games in which Welsh has recorded at least one point.
Achievement Unlocked
• For the second season in a row, an
Amber Rennie goal led to a Teddy Bear Toss at Colonials Arena. Her opener Nov. 30 versus Penn State helped the team collect 332 stuffed animals, on top of $300 in ticket sales, for the Autism Society of Pittsburgh.
Once More, With Feeling!
•
Emily Curlett enjoyed her fourth career game with multiple goals in RMU's Feb. 8 win over Penn State.
Jaycee Gebhard had her second multi-goal game of the year. Curlett's previous two-goal effort in 2018-19 came in the team's come-from-behind tie with No. 7 Cornell Nov. 24 at the RMU Island Sports Center. Behind the 13 from
Brittany Howard '18, the 12 from Rebecca Vint '15 and the ten by RMU Athletics Hall-of-Famer Brianna Delaney '12, Gebhard is next in line in Robert Morris history with nine multi-goal games all-time, and
Amber Rennie matches the four by Curlett.
The Third Period Is Our Period
The Colonials have a goal margin of +13 in third periods that is tied for tenth in D-I. They have an NCAA-best 12 power play goals and 34 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 142 after ending up second among D-I rookies in blocks.
•
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 completed its final regular season game Mar. 2 without being assessed a single penalty. This was only the second penalty-free game in program history, with the first coming in a 5-2 win over visiting Syracuse Jan. 5, 2018. The six power play goals allowed by RMU since Jan. 18 are the second fewest in College Hockey America over that span.
In Our Defense...
•
Wasyn Rice got her first NCAA goal 6:08 into the second period of the team's 3-2 win over Penn State Nov. 30, the seventh time in nine November games Robert Morris got a goal from a defender. The 2018-19 squad has combined for 23 goals from its defensive corps, which is tied for the fourth-most in Division I through Mar. 2. Individually,
Emily Curlett is tied for third among Division I defenders with her 11 tallies, while
Maggie LaGue ranks among the nation's top 15 blue-liners with her 18 assists.
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