SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Robert Morris University women's hockey team completed a road sweep of Syracuse Saturday with a 2-1 win at Tennity Ice Pavillion.
Ellie Marcovsky scored the go-ahead goal with just over five minutes to play to secure the victory for RMU.
Game two from Upstate N.Y. started off like a carbon copy of the first game Friday night as both teams fought to control the neutral zone with aggressive forechecks that prevented either side from establishing a good rhythm in the offensive zone.
After another scoreless power-play, Lexi Templeman nearly put RMU up 1-0 short-handed after being sprung on a breakaway, however Syracuse keeper Allison Small made an incredible save to wait her out on the backhand, stopping the RMU captain with a glove save along the ice.
Much like game one, Anjelica Diffendal opened up the scoring again on Saturday, playing her normal role of net-front presence with a perfectly-tipped deflection of an Anna Fairman point shot.
Syracuse managed a nice pushback to start the second, but RMU was able to weather the storm thanks to more steady goaltending from Raygan Kirk who turned aside a number of solid chances.
The sophomore continued to stymie the Orange on chance after chance through the middle frame, including a fantastic blocker stop on Abby Moloughney off of a point-blank look in the slot.
RMU buzzed the net coming out of the final intermission, nearly earning some breathing room with a quick goal, however good looks from Emily Curlett and Ellie Marcovsky were snuffed out by Small to keep it a one-goal game.
An unfortunate bounce for the Colonials helped tie things up for Syracuse late in the third after a shot from defected off of Kirk's stick, bouncing up high in the air and landing behind her in the crease for an SU tap-in.
The Colonials would not remain tied for long however as minutes later Ellie Marcovsky restored the Colonials lead, swiping home a loose puck off a broken play in front of the to put them back in the driver's seat.
They survived another dangerous extra-attacker situation as time wound down to complete the seep of the Orange.
SCORING PLAYS
Diffendal, 16:39, 1st - Assists: Fairman, Fiala
Leschyshyn, 14:23, 3rd - Assists: Polaski
Marcovsky, 14:55, 3rd - Unassisted
QUICK HITS
Ellie Marcovsky scored the GWG, her second of the season…Raygan Kirk made 35 saves to earn the win…first road sweep over Syracuse since February of 2018…Anna Fairman picked up her first point of the year with an assist
NEXT UP
The Colonials return home to Clearview Arena next weekend for a two-game home stand against the RIT Tigers on Friday and Saturday afternoon.
