HENRIETTA, N.Y. -- The Gene Polisseni Center has been kind to the Robert Morris University women's hockey team over the past five years, but that trend didn't continue Friday afternoon, as the Rochester Institute of Technology defended home ice with a 2-1 win over the Colonials.

In what was just their second loss in nine all-time games at the five-year old facility, the Colonials (11-8-2, 5-2-0 CHA) trailed 2-0 after two periods and couldn't come back to force overtime. Sophomore forward Courtney Kollman scored a gorgeous goal early in the third period to provide life, but senior captain Jaycee Gebhard hit the post with under two minutes to play.

Freshman goalie Raygan Kirk got her third consecutive start, stopping 15 shots. However, RIT counterpart Terra Lanteigne denied 40 to hold off a potent RMU attack that entered the weekend averaging 3.25 goals per game -- ninth in Division I. Friday marked just the fifth time in 21 games this season that the Colonials were held to fewer than two goals.

The Colonials had won six straight games in suburban Rochester coming into the day, but the Tigers (9-10-2, 2-5-0 CHA) snatched an early advantage when Jade Mancini jammed in a rebound from the lip of the crease at 4:28 of the first period. RIT entered the game having won four straight, but all those victories were against non-conference competition: Sacred Heart and first-year program Long Island.

RIT climbed closer to its fifth consecutive win when Hunter Barnett cashed in 5 1/2 minutes into the second, with Abby Davies and Madison Itagaki earning the assists as they did on Mancini's tally. Barnett was the trailer on a rush chance, taking a centering pass from Davies and whipping a shot high into the net.

But Kollman's third goal of the year stole the show from an individual standpoint. The winger from Calgary stickhandled past a pair of Tigers on the right flank and sniped a wrister to the short side on Lanteigne. The unassisted goal at 2:17 gave the Colonials hope for their second multi-goal comeback of the season.

They nearly got it with Kirk off the ice for an extra skater late, but Gebhard missed the potential tying goal by less than an inch. Junior defender Emilie Harley fired a firm pass to the goal line, where Gebhard deflected it behind Lanteigne, but off the right post and out.

After suffering just its second loss in seven College Hockey America games, RMU will look to reclaim first place at noon Saturday in the rematch with RIT.