PITTSBURGH, Pa- The Robert Morris University women's hockey team sets off for its 16th season in NCAA Division I action this weekend when it hosts College Hockey America rival Lindenwood for two games at Clearview Arena on Thursday and Friday. 

ROBERT MORRIS (0-0-0, 0-0-0 CHA) vs. LINDENWOOD (0-2-0, 0-2-0 CHA)

Thursday, December 3 at 6:05 p.m.

Friday, December 4 at 1:05 p.m.

STATS | VIDEO ($)

LAST SEASON

The Colonials wrapped up a 20-win season with their fourth consecutive trip to the CHA Championship game a year ago, dropping a heartbreaker in overtime to eventual Champions Mercyhurst, 2-1.  In the past four seasons the Colonials have posted an overall record of 62-22-12 (.777 points percentage), including the program's first ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017. 

KNOW BOBBY MO

• Robert Morris returns 18 members of last year's CHA Finalist squad, including three of their top four leading scorers in 2020. Senior Captain Lexi Templeman headlines the group after a superb junior campaign where she finished second on the Colonials with 41 points, including 32 points in 36 conference games.  She ranked second in College Hockey America in assists per game at .80, and also finished near the top of the national rankings tied for tenth in the nation in assists per game at .88. 
• The Colonials' five-girl senior class also includes defensive stalwarts Emily Curlett and Emilie Harley as well as versatile forward Anjelica Diffendal and goaltender Molly Singewald.  Curlett and Harley started numerous games for RMU a year ago together on the blue line and the Colonials will no doubt lean heavily on the veteran duo as they navigate through the 2021 campaign. 
• RMU's effective power play a year ago (39-157, 24.8%) should remain lethal in 2021 as they retain many of their weapons from the top unit last year. Michaela Boyle potted 11 PP goals, most for a forward, while Curlett finished the season as the NCAA Division NC leader in power-play goals after a remarkable season that saw her score 13 of her 17 tallies on the man advantage. She also fired a team-high 155 shots on goal.
• Speaking of Boyle, the redshirt junior transfer had one of the most prolific scoring seasons in Colonials history last year after coming to RMU from National Champions Clarkson in 2018. The winger scored a remarkable 22 goals in 36 games in 2020, most on the team and double the next-highest returning forward (Templeman, 11). 
• Sophomore Raygan Kirk returns to her crease after a superb rookie season in 2020. The Manitoba native enjoyed one of the strongest years for any goalie in NCAA and one of the best seasons for a keeper in Colonial program history.  She put together a 15-8-1 record while also posting a 1.58 GAA that ranked second among CHA goaltenders. She also ranked near the top in save percentage (.938), and shutouts (4, T-1st). Kirk was twice named CHA Rookie of the Week, was a three-time recipient of Goalie of the Week and was the CHA's Goaltender of the Month in January.  
• The Colonials welcome three newcomers to the squad this year in freshman Molly Pedone, Ellie Marcovsky and Chace Sperling.  Sperling provides a new option for RMU on the blue line, while Marcovsky and Pedone will help augment a forward corps that was one of the best in CHA a year ago.  Sperling spent last season playing for Pursuit of Excellence in the CSSHL, posting two goals and six points in ten games, while Florida native Pedone comes to Moon Township after four years at the famous Shattuck St. Mary's in Fairbault, Mn. 
• Marcovsky, meanwhile, is the latest in a long line of homegrown Western Pa. talents to continue their college hockey careers right in their own backyard.  The Mt. Lebanon native spent time with the Pens Elite program growing up, including a stint under head coach and former Colonial Cobina Delaney '13.  She joins Diffendal as one of two Pittsburgh natives on RMU in 2021. 
• The Colonials will have to replace the enormous contributions of the 2020 senior class after losing Jaycee Gebhard, Natalie Marcuzzi and Sarah Lecavalier to graduation a year ago. The loss of Gerhard in particular will be significant as the pivot led the CHA in overall scoring each of her last two seasons and retired as the RMU all-time points leader with 198 in 139 games. 
• Due to restrictions placed on the season because of the ongoing COVID-19 virus, the Colonials will play a conference-only season made up exclusively of CHA matchups.  So far, CHA has officially confirmed four games for the Colonials in the month of December, two this week against Lindenwood at Clearview and two next weekend in St. Charles, Mo. All games hosted in Moon Township will be played without fans at least through the end of December. 
• Familiar faces return behind the bench, led by tenth-year bench boss Paul Colontino. He's assisted by associate head coach Logan Bittle '08, who enters his 11th season behind the bench after four years playing for the RMU men's team. Fellow alum Jen Kindret '13 returns for her second year as an assistant, a former forward who played under Colontino and Bittle at the end of her tenure a Colonial. They are also joined in 2021 by volunteer Assistant Coach Ryan Gayso.

SERIES HISTORY

The Colonials own an impressive 30-7-1 all-time mark against Lindenwood in a rivalry that dates back to 2011.

What's more, they are currently riding a 12-game win streak against the Lions since their last loss way back on January 13 of 2017, their longest current win streak against any CHA foe. 

The Colonials outscored the Lions 7-1 in two games in Moon Township last year including a 3-0 win on January 24 backstopped by Kirk's third shutout of the season. 

SCOUTING LINDENWOOD 

The Lions are 0-2 to start the year after back-to-back losses to Penn State on opening weekend this past Sunday and Monday and will be playing in their fourth game in six days come Friday afternoon.  

Senior forward Sierra Burt led Lindenwood in overall scoring a year ago with six goals and eleven assists, and returns to St. Charles for her final year with the Lions.  Fellow senior Megan Wagner (four goals, nine assists) also returns for the Lions. 

They are backstopped once again by junior netminder Annika Asplundh, a 3X CHA Goaltender of the Week in 2020.

THE COLONTINO FILE

Returning for his tenth season in charge of the Colonials, Colontino boasts an overall record of 167-106-40, for a .661 points percentage. In his first year running the team, RMU claimed its first championship of any kind, the 2012 CHA tournament title, while improving by 13 victories. A two-time CHA Coach of the Year and a one-time USCHO National Coach of the Year, Colontino was also behind two 24-win seasons (2013-14, 2016-17) and the program's first NCAA tournament berth, in 2017.

Before coming to Robert Morris, Colontino had served as associate head coach at Mercyhurst since 2006. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach with the women's team at the University of North Dakota for four years. Colontino began his coaching career as an assistant with Mercyhurst in 2000. As a player at Mercyhurst, Colontino was the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) co-Defensive Player of the Year as a senior and an All-MAAC First Team selection.

MARCH WITH THE COLONIALS

In addition to reports and videos on RMUColonials.com, check out Twitter and Instagram for news and updates throughout the season.

NEXT UP

The Colonials finish out the season series with Lindenwood next weekend when they travel to St. Charles, Mo. for their first road test of the year on Thursday December 10 and Friday December 11.