PITTSBURGH, Pa- The Robert Morris University women's hockey gets back into action following the holiday break this weekend when they host the Penn State Nittany Lions for a pair at Clearview Arena. 

ROBERT MORRIS (4-0-0, 4-0-0 CHA) vs. PENN STATE (4-1-1, 4-1-1 CHA)

Friday, January 8 at 7:05 p.m.

Saturday, January 9 at 2:05 p.m. 

STATS | VIDEO ($)

LAST TIME OUT

Robert Morris faced Division III Adrian College in an exhibition game Monday night at Clearview, a 7-0 win that featured a combined shutout from all three RMU goalies. 

The last official games for the Colonials came almost a month ago when RMU traveled to St. Charles, Mo. to close out the season series against Lindenwood on December 10 and 11. 

The Colonials completed the season sweep of the Lions in overtime of game four, following up a 4-0 shutout Friday with Anjelica's Diffendal's overtime winner on Saturday night to close out 2020 at 4-0. 

KNOW BOBBY MO

• Twelve different members of the Colonials have recorded at least one point so far this season, and four different Colonials all currently share the team scoring lead with four points each. RMU has scored 14 goals through four games, coming off the sticks of nine different goal scorers. 
• Robert Morris received three votes in the most recent USCHO National Poll, one of three CHA teams to receive votes along with Mercyhurst and Penn State. 
• The Colonials' five-girl senior class includes defensive stalwarts Emily Curlett and Emilie Harley as well as versatile forwards Anjelica Diffendal and Lexi Templeman and goaltender Molly Singewald.  Curlett and Harley have started all four games so far this year for RMU 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%) has been just as lethal through four games in 2021.  Robert Morris scored on the player-advantage against Lindenwood in their last game, going 1-2 on the day to bring the Colonials up to 5-22 (22.7%) through four games in 2021. 
• Pittsburgh native Diffendal is the leading goalscorer for the Colonials through four games with three goals, including the OT game-winner against Lindenwood. Templeman, Boyle, and Marcovsky are all tied for second with two a piece. 
• Robert Morris has gotten superb goaltending performances so far from both sophomore Raygan Kirk as well as junior Arielle DeSmet, who each posted a shutout against Lindenwood.  The duo have combined to give the Colonials an incredible .971 team save-percentage and 0.75 goals-against average. 
• 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. 
• With two goals and four points so far this year, Marcovsky currently leads all freshman in scoring and has fired 13 shots on goal through two games. 
• 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. 
• 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-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

The Colonials are riding a remarkable 15-game unbeaten streak against the Nittany Lions, owning a superb 10-0-5 record against PSU dating back to their last loss on February 17, 2017. 

At 23-4-7 all-time, the Colonials have traditionally fared well against their interstate rivals, including a 3-0-1 clip last season.  The Colonials swept the Nittany Lions in Pittsburgh last season, outscoring them 10-2 in two games.  

SCOUTING LINDENWOOD 

At 4-1-1 so far this year, the Nittany Lions currently sit atop the CHA Standings with nine points, one ahead of the second-place Colonials with eight. 

Following a sweep of Lindenwood to start the year, PSU faced off against Syracuse four times in seven days, going 2-1-1 against the Orange who handed them their first loss of the year in their final game of 2020. 

Freshman forward Kiara Zanon currently leads CHA in scoring with 14 points in eight games (1.75PPG), while senior Natalie Heising sits second overall at 1.25 PPG. 

THE COLONTINO FILE

Returning for his tenth season in charge of the Colonials, Colontino boasts an overall record of 171-106-40, for a .665 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 take on Mercyhurst in their first meeting since the 2020 CHA Championship game next week in a home-and-home on Friday, January 15 in Erie and Saturday, January 16 in Pittsburgh.