PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Five members of the Robert Morris University women's hockey team were honored by College Hockey America Monday night by being named as finalists for multiple conference awards ahead of the 2020 CHA Tournament this weekend in Buffalo.
Senior Jaycee Gebhard, juniors Emily Curlett and Lexi Templeman, freshman Raygan Kirk and head coach Paul Colontino were all named as one of three contenders to take home the conference-wide honors when they are handed out at the annual CHA Awards Ceremony Wednesday evening.
A finalist for Player of the Year, Gebhard has put together her best season in a Colonials uniform in what has been one of the greatest careers in program history, leading the entire CHA in scoring with 51 points in 36 regular season games. She became RMU's all-time leading scorer on January 25th after a three-point performance against Lindenwood, and her current point per-game mark of 1.76 ranks fourth in the country. She also leads the conference in power play points this season, averaging a power play point a game in CHA play.
Up for Defender of the Year, Curlett is enjoying one of the most productive seasons for a defender in Colonials history, and is one of the most dynamic blue liners in all of CHA.  The Michigan native leads the conference in power play goals with seven on the season, a mark which also ranks tied for first nationally. She has been a driver from the back end on the power play with 13 goals on the man-advantage, and also ranks fourth in the nation in points per game among defenseman at 1.03. Curlett is tied for second in the conference in defenseman scoring at .85 points per game and earlier this season became the program's all-time leader in goals by a defender when she scored her 35th.
Junior Lexi Templeman is a nominee for best defensive forward and is one of the most complete, two way players in the conference, enjoying a strong year at both ends of the ice. She ranks second on the Colonials in scoring with 41 points, including 32 points in 36 conference games. She ranks second in the league in assists per game at .80, and is also near the top of the national rankings, tied for tenth in the nation in assists per game at .88. Her +10 rating is also the best of any skater on the team.
Rookie of the Year nominee Freshman Raygan Kirk has been a revelation for the Colonials in her first season on The Island, going 10-4-0 in 16 CHA starts. Kirk's 1.58 GAA this season ranks second among CHA goaltenders, and she boasts a remarkable .938 save percentage that ranks third. Her four shutout victories are tied for the most shutout wins in the conference as well. The rookie has been no stranger to CHA accolades already, having twice been named CHA rookie fo the Week, as well as a three-time recipient of Goalie of the Week and the CHA's Goaltender of the Month in January.
Finally, head coach Paul Colontino is enjoying one of his most successful seasons since taking the reins of the RMU program nine years ago. Colontino led the Colonials to a 13-5-2 record in conference play, and has put together one of the top power play units in the nation, as the Colonials currently third in the nation in power play percentage at .250 and first in the conference in that category at .265. He also led Robert Morris to their fourth-straight bye in the 2020 CHA Tournament this weekend, and will bet searching for his second tournament championship in the last four years as well as his third career Coach of the Year win.
The Colonials return to action, this Friday, March 6 in the CHA Tournament semi-finals at 4:00 p.m.
