ERIE, Pa. - The Robert Morris University women's hockey team punched its ticket to its fifth straight College Hockey America Championship with a 3-2 overtime win against the Mercyhurst Lakers Friday night in the CHA semi-finals.
Maggy Burbidge scored at 2:37 of overtime to secure the win and lock up another championship berth for the Colonials, the first postseason win over the Lakers in program history.
The hundred or so fans in attendance at Erie Insurance Arena did not have to wait long for the fireworks to start Friday night between the Colonials and Lakers.
Though a penalty 40 seconds into the game put RMU at an early disadvantage, the Colonials PK unit came up with quite possibly their biggest moment of the season 1:13 into the kill when a great read by Lexi Templeman to disrupt a breakout pass led to a turnover deep in the Mercyhurst zone.
The senior captain collected the puck before hitting a trailing Ellie Marcovsky coming down the slot, whose shot just barely trickled through Ena Nystrom for RMU's first short-handed goal of the season.
Despite the incredible break for RMU, an undeterred Lakers squad managed to tie things up just 40 seconds later on the same power-play courtesy of Alexa Vasko on the doorstep, kicking off a physical and penalty-filled first period of play.
With only ten of the game's opening 20 minutes played at even-strength, the Colonials tried to build momentum with two solid kills as they hunted for a second goal. Emilie Harley earned a last good look with a long range blast but Nystrom was able to make the save.
It took more time in the second for either team to settle into much of a rhythm as the two squads skated end with neither generating much in the way of quality scoring chances.
Mercyhurst managed to make it 2-1 with under ten to play in the middle frame after Grace Nelles tucked a loose puck around the pad of a sprawling Arielle DeSmet in the slot, giving the Lakers their first lead of the game and putting RMU in the hole for the first time all tournament.
A huge stop from DeSmet on a short-handed chance helped keep the deficit to just one goal ahead of the final frame.
Michaela Boyle finally came through with the equalizer RMU had been searching for just 2:23 into the final frame, stuffing home a loose puck in the crease to even things up at two and igniting a furious final push for the Colonials.
Anjelica Diffendal nearly ended things in regulation with a tap-in on the back-door, however the Mercyhurst defender did a nice job to tie up her stick and prevent the chance as RMU and Mercyhurst reached overtime for the third time this year and the second straight post-season.
Less than three minutes into extra time, Burbidge stepped up and delivered the game winner for RMU, a wrister from the slot on a delayed penalty that beat Nystrom high and sent the Colonials to their fifth straight title game.
SCORING PLAYS
Marcovsky, 1:57, 1st (SH) - Assists: Templeman
Vasko, 2:37, 1st (PP) - Assists: Dobson, Boucher
Nelles, 11:06, 2nd - Assists: Vasko, Cole
Boyle, 2:23, 3rd (PP) - Assists: Marcovsky, Templeman
Burbidge, 2:37, OT - Assists: Wagner, Thompson
QUICK HITS
Fifth consecutive CHA Championship appearance for RMU...third goal of the tournament for Burbidge...Marcovsky scored first SHG of the season for RMU
QUOTABLES
"It's been an incredible series this year. Every game we've played with them has been extremely close, so we knew the game was going to be close today. We're pretty proud in the sense that every player really believes that they're responsible and accountable to bring something. We always say create the opportunity to play for a championship because not everyone gets the chance to do that." - Head Coach Paul Colontino
"It was amazing, honestly it was a little bit of a blur out there. I can't say enough about the girls that worked hard in the corners to push the puck out front, and once I got it one my stick I saw net and just put it in." - Maggy Burbidge
NEXT UP
RMU faces Syracuse tomorrow in the CHA Championship at 6:00 p.m.
