The RIT women’s hockey team returns home for a pair of games against College Hockey America rival Penn State this weekend. On Friday, the Tigers and Nittany Lions play at 7:05 p.m. Saturday’s contest between the two schools gets underway at 3 p.m. On Friday, the first 1,000 fans will receive a white RIT hockey t-shirt to “White Out Ritter Arena,” sponsored by Dr. James Watters, Vice President of Finance and Administration.
Last weekend, RIT opened up CHA play with three points in a road weekend at Lindenwood. On Friday, the Tigers scored three third period goals in a 3-0 win. Mackenzie Stone (Kars, Ontario/South Carleton), Cassie Clayton (Pickering, Ontario/PEAC School), and Marissa Maugeri (Ajax, Ontario/Durham West Lightning) scored for the Tigers, while Ali Binnington (Oakville, Ontario/Mississauga Chiefs) made 23 saves for her third shutout of the season and 11th of her collegiate career. Taylor Thurston (Kanata, Ontario/All Saints Catholic) recorded her first collegiate point, an assist on Clayton’s goal. On Saturday, Kolbee McCrea (Wawa, Ontario/Burlington Barracudas) scored RIT’s lone goal, while Binnington made 21 saves in the 1-1 tie.
Binnington was named the CHA Goaltender of the Week on Nov. 11 and is 5-2-1 with a 1.73 goals against average and .937 save percentage over her last eight games. She has three shutouts over that span and now has 11 in her career.
Senior Kourtney Kunichika (Fullerton, CA/LA Selects) leads a balanced offensive attack with nine points on five goals and four assists. Morgan Scoyne (Drumbo, Ontario/Stoney Creek Sabres) has a team-best six assists, while seven players have at least five points. RIT has out-scored its opponents 25-18 over its last 10 games.
Penn State (2-9-1, 0-4-0 CHA) enters this weekend looking to snap a six-game losing streak. Last weekend, the Nittany Lions dropped a pair of one-goal home contests to Syracuse, 2-1 and 4-3 in overtime. Penn State is being outscored by its opponents, 44-21 this season. Taylor Gross and Shannon Yoxheimer lead the team in scoring with eight points apiece. Gross and Laura Bowman have a team-high four goals. In net, Nicole Paniccia and Celine Whitlinger have split time. Paniccia is 0-5-1 with a 3.82 goals against average and .900 save percentage, while Whitlinger is 2-4-0 with a 3.34 goals against average and .922 save percentage.
The Tigers lead the all-time series between the two schools, 5-0-1, with all games played last season. RIT went 4-0 against the Nittany Lions at Ritter Arena in 2012-13. Overall, RIT outscored the Nittany Lions, 17-6, out-shooting them 281-113. This is a rematch of the 2013 CHA First Round series, in which RIT won by scores of 1-0 and 3-2 in overtime.
Tickets for this weekend’s games are available at the Gordon Field House and Activities Center Box Office or by phone at (585) 475-4121. Fans can also purchase tickets at www.rithockey.com. Ticket prices are $5 for adults, $4 for faculty/staff/alumni and $3 for students and youth. RIT student admission is free with valid ID (ticket must be picked up at the box office, one per ID).
Both games will be streamed online at witr.rit.edu. Live stats will also be available here. Friday’s game will be aired on Time Warner Cable Sports Channel 98 in Rochester, with Gene Battaglia and former RIT women’s hockey standout Katie Stack (Batavia, NY/Rochester Edge) ’11 bringing you all the action.
This is the final season that RIT will play at historic Ritter Arena. In 2014-15, RIT will move into the Gene Polisseni Center, which is expected to seat 4,500 fans. Come out, support the Tigers, and “Rock the Ritter”.
