MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The RMU women's hockey team continues its six-game road swing this weekend with a visit to conference opponent RIT. The Colonials and Tigers square off on Friday, November 28 at 2:00 PM, followed by the series finale on Saturday, November 29 at 2:00 PM. Both matchups will stream live on FloHockey.
 
RMU LATELY
RMU (6-11-1, 4-5-1 AHA) enters the series on the heels of a productive weekend at Lindenwood, collecting five of six conference points to climb in the Atlantic Hockey America standings. The opener saw the Colonials battle to a 2-2 tie before securing the shootout win, with forwards Jessica MacKinnon and Alaina Giampietro not only scoring in regulation but also burying their attempts in the shootout to capture the extra point.
 
In game two, redshirt junior goaltender Maggie Hatch delivered one of the top performances of the AHA weekend, stopping all 29 shots she faced for her second shutout of the season and the fifth of her career. Her effort backstopped RMU to a 3-0 victory—its third conference shutout of the 2025-26 campaign. Offensively, MacKinnon found the scoresheet again, while Mya Kearns netted her first collegiate goal and Rowyn Ringor scored her first goal in an RMU sweater.
 
Through 18 games, MacKinnon remains the engine of the RMU attack and one of the league's most dynamic forwards. She leads the Colonials in goals (8), assists (9), points (17), plus/minus (+7), power-play markers (2), and game-winning goals (2). On the blue line, Shayne Desjardins continues to be one of the conference's premier shot-blockers, ranking second in the AHA with 55 blocks. Freshman defenseman Linnea Misner has been a consistent playmaker, leading all RMU blue liners in points with eight (1g,7a).
 
Between the pipes, Hatch has now earned four wins this season and carries a .920 save percentage and 2.49 goals-against average. She's coming off earning her fourth career weekly honor from the AHA.
 
As a team, the Colonials enter the weekend operating at 15.2% on the power play and 76.3% on the penalty kill, while thriving in the faceoff department—winning 56.9% of their draws.
 
NCAA LEADER
A major driver behind the faceoff success is center Jessica MacKinnon, who currently leads the entire NCAA in faceoffs won with 245 victories. She enters the weekend with an impressive 63.3% win rate.
 
DID YOU KNOW?
RMU is 6-0 this season when scoring first and 6-0 when leading after two periods. All six of the Colonials' victories have followed this exact script.
 
ALL-TIME VS. RIT
Since the program's first met in 2007, RMU holds a 32-16-4 all-time advantage over RIT, including a 13-7-2 mark in Rochester.
 
The teams matched up earlier this season at Clearview Arena, where RMU earned two of three points with a 2-1 overtime victory on opening night—capped by a MacKinnon OT winner. The Tigers responded the following day with a 5-1 win, with Shayne Desjardins providing the lone goal.
 
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
RIT (8-10-0, 4-6-0 AHA) returns home after being swept in conference play for the first time this season, dropping two tightly contested one-goal games to No. 4 Penn State. The weekend prior, the Tigers split with Mercyhurst, earning a 1-0 shutout win and falling 1-0.
 
Junior forward Addie Alvarez leads RIT with seven goals and 15 points across 18 contests, while junior defenseman Emma Pickering is the team's top facilitator with nine assists and a team-leading 45 blocked shots. In goal, Sophia Bellina has carried the bulk of the workload with 15 starts, collecting six wins, two shutouts, and a .931 save percentage.
 
Special teams have been a clear strength for the Tigers. Their power play ranks among the best in the country at 33.8%, and their penalty kill stands strong at 84.7%. In the faceoff circle, RIT has won 50.4% of its draws on the season.
 
UP NEXT
RMU will close out its six-game road stretch next weekend at Syracuse. The Colonials face the Orange on Friday, December 5 at 6:00 PM and wrap up the series on Saturday, December 6 at 3:00 PM.
 
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