MOON TOWNSHIP, PA – RIT women’s hockey team (12-18-5, 5-12-3 CHA) scored a goal in all three periods to secure a 3-1 win over Roberts Morris (11-18-5, 8-9-4 CHA) in game one of the College Hockey America First Round series at 84 Lumber Arena on Friday night.
“I thought tonight was a very well played playoff game,” said RIT head coach Scott McDonald. “It was a hard fought battle and went back and forth between both teams.”
Senior Ali Binnington (Oakville, Ontario/Mississauga Chiefs) made 30 saves in net for the win, while Jessica Dodds stopped 18 shots in the loss for Robert Morris.
The Tigers got on the board first at 9:08 in the opening period with a goal by Emilee Bullied, her third of the season. Bullied snuck a shot past Dodds off of a faceoff in the offensive zone off an assist from Victoria Pitawanakwat (Manitowaning, Ontario/Sudbury Wolves).
Mackenzie Stone (Kars, Ontario/South Carleton) scored the eventual game-winner 4:19 into the second period to lift the Tigers to a 2-1 lead. Stone battled to connect for a shot in a big scramble in front of the Robert Morris net.
Caitlin Wallace (Brantford, Ontario/Assumption Collegiate) scored her fourth goal of the season with 16 seconds left in regulation on an open net to seal the win for the Tigers. Bullied knocked the puck up to Lindsay Grigg (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Hornets) who fired a shot from center ice that just missed the open net. The puck bounced off the boards and right to Wallace for the score.
Binnington made 13 big saves in the opening period as Robert Morris came out firing 14 shots. Maddie Collias tied up the game at one apiece with 5:15 left in the first. Rebecca Vint hit Collias who was open coming down the left side. Collias lifted the puck up over Binnington’s right shoulder for the lone Colonials goal.
Celeste Brown (Great Falls, MT/National Sports Academy) had a good look in the first, dangling past a Colonial defender and taking the puck to net for a one-on-one with Dodds. Brown blasted a shot that was blocked and was able to get a second look off the rebound but Dodds made the save on.
Late in the third, senior Marissa Maugeri (Ajax, Ontario/Durham West Lightning) created a huge opportunity skating past the Robert Morris defense for a breakaway. A colonial player was able to get back just in time to get a stick on Maugeri’s shot and Dodds made the save.
Robert Morris held a 31-21 advantage in shots, while both teams were 0-for-3 on the man-advantage.
“I thought offensively we came through when we had to,” said McDonald. “Our team defense limited them and played really strong to hold them in the end.”
RIT is 21-12 all-time in postseason contests at the Division I and III levels, since women’s hockey was recognized as a NCAA Championship sport in 2001. RIT is 18-7 in the postseason and 7-1 at the Division I level since Scott McDonald took over as the head coach in 2006.
Last season, RIT was the third seed hosting No. 6 Penn State in the first round of playoffs from Ritter Arena. The Tigers swept the first round with a 3-2 overtime victory on Friday night and a 3-0 shutout on Saturday. RIT went on to win the College Hockey America championship at the No. 1 seed Mercyhurst.
Tonight was the fifth meeting between the two schools this season, as RIT holds a 2-1-2 edge. The two split a series at RIT on Jan. 9-10 and played to identical 2-2 ties at Robert Morris on Feb. 13-14. The Tigers are 8-6-3 all-time against the Colonials.
Game two of the best of three series gates underway at 3 p.m. on Saturday at 84 Lumber Arena. If necessary, game three will be at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
