PITTSBURGH, Pa- The Robert Morris University women's hockey team returns home this weekend for its first meeting of the season with RIT.

ROBERT MORRIS (7-2-1, 7-2-1 CHA) vs. RIT (1-6, 1-6 CHA)

Friday, January 29 at 3:05 p.m. in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Saturday, January 30 at 1:05 p.m. in Pittsburgh, Pa. 

STATS | VIDEO ($)

LAST TIME OUT

The Colonials swept the host Orange in their first trip to Syracuse last weekend with a pair of identical 2-1 wins. 

Anjelica Diffendal opened the scoring in both games while Maggy Burbidge and Ellie Marcovsky each came through with a timely goal with under ten minutes to play in the third to help seal the victories.

Raygan Kirk continued her usual superb play in goal, stopping 64 out of a total 66 shots  in two games. 

KNOW BOBBY MO

• Robert Morris is still receiving votes in the latest USCHO Coaches Poll. The Colonials earned ten votes in the poll on Monday after their weekend vs. Syracuse, the most of any team outside the Top-10.  
• Fifteen different members of the Colonials have recorded at least one point so far this season with a three-way tie in scoring currently being shared by Lexi Templeman, Ellie Marcovsky, and Joelle Fiala with seven points each. Anjelica Diffendal leads the team in goal scoring with five.
• The Colonials' five-girl senior class includes defensive stalwarts Emily Curlett and Emilie Harley, versatile forwards Anjelica Diffendal and Lexi Templeman as well as goaltender Molly Singewald.  Curlett's two goals are tied for the most among defenders with Wasyn Rice, while Harley leads all blue liners in overall scoring with six points.
• Templeman has been near-unbeatable in the face-off dot this year. The senior pivot and former CHA Best Defensive Player nominee has won an astounding 66.2% (172-260) of draws through ten games this season. 
• The RMU power-play has gone stagnant after humming along at around 20% following an 0-7 weekend against the Orange. The Colonials are just 1-11 on the player-advantage in their last four dating back to a 2-2 tie with Mercyhurst on January 15. Marcovsky, Rice, and Michaela Boyle each lead the team with two PP goals each. 
• RMU has been no stranger to dramatic wins this season.  Anjelica Diffendal and Joelle Fiala both sent RMU home with two points on overtime game-winners while Ellie Marcovsky and Maggy Burbidge each scored with under ten minutes to play against Syracuse to put RMU in line for the eventual win. 
• Playing with a lead has suited RMU well this year, as the Colonials are 6-1-1 overall when scoring first and 1-1 when giving up the opening goal. 
• Goaltending has been a significant factor in RMU's success in 2021. Arielle DeSmet's 1.34 GAA is lowest in CHA, while Raygan Kirk's .954 SV% is currently tops amongst CHA goaltenders and is tied for one of the best in all of NCAA Division I this season at fourth overall. 
• Kirk is following up an impressive rookie season in 2020 with an even more dominant effort in 2021.  The Manitoba native recently won her second consecutive and third overall CHA Goaltender of the Week award and has stopped 129 of her last 135 shots faced. 
• The Colonials welcome three newcomers to the squad this year in freshman Molly Pedone, Ellie Marcovsky and Chace Sperling. 
• Marcovsky 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. 
• With three goals and seven points so far this year, Marcovsky is tied for the team lead in scoring and has fired 28 shots on goal through eight games. Two of her goals have been game-winners.
• A few significant milestones have already been checked off this season for the Colonials. Anjelica Diffendal skated in her 100th career game for RMU against Lindenwood last month, while captain Lexi Templeman became one of six players in program history to score 100 career points in an RMU sweater with a two-point night on December 10. 
• Senior defender Emily Curlett is currently ten points away from breaking the all-time defender points record of 90 held by Maggie LaGue '18. 
• Due to restrictions placed on the season because of the ongoing COVID-19 virus, the Colonials will play a conference-heavy season made up mostly of CHA matchups.  The second to last weekend of the regular season sees RMU play host to Sacred Heart in their lone non-conference series of the campaign. 
• 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

Friday afternoon marks the first game of the season between RMU and RIT and their first in almost a full calendar year, having last met when RMU wrapped up a home sweep on February 22, 2020. 

RMU is 24-3-11 all time against the Tigers including a dominant 9-1 in their last ten.  The Colonials have not lost at home to RIT since a 3-2 overtime loss back on February 20, 2016. 

SCOUTING THE TIGERS 

RIT has had a tough go of things since the call to reverse the school's decision to shutdown both hockey programs back in the fall. 

After dropping their season opener 7-1 at Syracuse back on November 27, the Tigers played Mercyhurst in four straight, managing just one win against the Lakers. Due to schedule postponements, the Tigers have not been in game action since being swept by Lindenwood at home on January 10 and 11.

RIT has struggled offensively this year, averaging a lease-worst 0.75 goals per-game. Sophomore forward Hana Solinger leads them in scoring with two points, 

THE COLONTINO FILE

Returning for his tenth season in charge of the Colonials, Colontino boasts an overall record of 174-108-41, for a .662 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 are set for three road games next week when they head to Erie for a Tuesday night clash with the Lakers before heading east to State College for a pair against Penn State on February 5 and 6.