SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Robert Morris University women's hockey team pushed its win streak to two straight games Friday night with a win over the Syracuse Orange, 2-1.
Anjelica Diffendal and Maggy Burbidge each tallied for the Colonials in the road win.
A rested and energized Syracuse squad that hadn't seen game action since December 12th got the jump of the Colonials early in the first, peppering Raygan Kirk with eight shots in the first five minutes Friday night, including one that barely glanced off Kirk's shoulder and struck the cross bar.
Discipline issues from the Orange helped the Colonials find their footing, as back to back power plays for RMU produced their first great looks of the period.
Emilie Harley nearly made it 1-0 after she jumped into the rush, but her wrister from the slot was swallowed up by Allison Small.
Michaela Boyle drew a third power play for RMU with ten seconds left to set them up for an extended player-advance to start the second after she was hauled down from behind on a breakaway.
A third straight kill for the Orange to start the middle frame kept things scoreless for a time until Syracuse gave up another breakaway that proved to be costly.
Anjelica Diffendal collected a bank pass off the boards in the neutral zone before walking in with speed on Small and stashing a quick writer under the keeper's blocker to put the Colonials ahead, 1-0.
While RMU did a good job defensively of controlling the slot in front of Kirk and keeping most of the Orange shots to the outside, the sophomore keeper was still tested on a number of dangerous chances, including a huge stop on a short-handed breakaway with under five to play in the second.
The first power-play of the night for Syracuse proved to be all they needed to draw back even with RMU, opening up the third with a PPG after Hannah Johnson re-directed a point shot past Kirk to make it 1-1.
Undeterred by the momentum swing, RMU did not sit back on its heels but rather continued to press, putting pressure on the Syracuse defense with an aggressive forecheck in an effort to find a second tally.
With under ten minutes to play, the Colonials finally struck gold when Maggy Burbidge finished off a great individual effort, cutting in from the left circle and stick handling through a maze of bodies before letting go of a shot that snuck through the maze of bodies and beat Small top-shelf.
One final push with the extra attacker proved fruitless for Syracuse as RMU hung on for the 2-1 win.
SCORING PLAYS
Diffendal, 7:46, 2nd - Assists: Hanzlik
Johnson, 6:17, 3rd (PP) - Unassisted
Burbidge, 10:49, 3rd - Marcovsky, Hebert
QUCK HITS
Burbidge scored the game-winner, her first GWG of the season…Kirk made 31 saves in goal…RMU finished 0-4 on the power-play…Diffendal now leads RMU with four goals...Allyson Hebert picked up her first point of the year with an assist
NEXT UP
The Colonials return home to Clearview Arena for a pair against the RIT Tigers next Friday and Saturday afternoon.
