ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT women’s hockey team (3-17-1) fell to visiting Bemidji State University (7-11-1), 3-1 at the Gene Polisseni Center on Friday afternoon.
Claudia Black (Newmarket, Ontario/St. Maximilian Kobe) scored the lone goal for the Tigers midway through the third period. In net, Jenna de Jonge (Abbotsford, British Columbia/George Elliot) made 35 saves.
Emily Bergland tallied a goal and added an assist for the Beavers, while Melissa Hunt and Emma Terres also scored. Brittni Mowat was strong in net, making 27 saves to earn her sixth win of the season.
Bemidji State held a 38-28 edge in shots, although RIT out-shot the Beavers 23-22 after the opening period. Bemidji State was 1-for-5 with the man-advantage, while RIT was 0-for-5.
“It was a weird game in the sense that I thought we were spectators for the first 15 minutes, but had the lead early and was able to squeak out of the first period tied,” said Bruce B. Bates Women’s Hockey Coach Scott McDonald. “We gave up a couple unfortunate goals early in the second, but overall, especially over the last two periods, we competed hard and skated right with them”
Both teams scored once in an action packed opening period, as Bemidji State held a 16-5 edge in shots.
De Jonge had to make a tremendous save just two minutes in, robbing Bailey Wright with a great pad save in close off a feed from behind the net.
RIT did not have a shot on goal over the first 9:37, but Lindsay Stenason (Oakville, Ontario/Appleby College) did hit the post on the rush about five minutes in. Stenason would use her speed to generate another great chance late in the period. Overall, Stenason would attempt seven shots and win eight face-offs. She was the named today’s third star.
RIT would get on the board first, as Black would pick up a rebound off her own shot that was blocked and from in close, fire a shot past Mowat for her second goal of the season at the 11:04 mark. Reagan Rust (Southaven, MS/Moon Area) would assist on the goal.
Bemidji State would tie the game later in the period on the power-play, as Bergland came out from behind the net and fired a low shot from a tight angle that eluded de Jonge for her sixth goal of the season.
Darcy Henderson (Burlington, Ontario/Burlington Barracudas) would just miss give the Tigers a 2-1 lead, as she came streaking in on a 2-on-1 rush late in the period, firing a high, hard shot that Mowat got a piece of with her shoulder to keep the game tied.
Bemidji State would score two times in the second period to take a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes of play.
Just 4:57 into the period, Hunt would take a feed from Haley Mack in the slot and rip a one-timer past de Jonge on the power-play for her second goal of the season to give the Beavers their first lead of the day, 2-1. That came moments after de Jonge made an excellent save on Madison Hutchinson on a one-timer from in tight.
Four minutes later, the Beavers would make it a 3-1 game, as Terres took a feed from Bergland on the rush and beat de Jonge to the short side for her fifth goal of the season.
RIT would generate plenty of chances in the period, firing 27 overall shots towards the Beavers net in the period, but Mowat and the defense kept everything out. Brooke Baker (Saline, MI/Saline) had three shots on goal in the period for the Tigers.
Both teams had chances in a quickly played third period, but both goaltenders were stout in net.
Today marked the first ever meeting between the two schools.
RIT and Bemidji State wrap up its regular season series on Saturday from the Gene Polisseni Center at 1:05 p.m. Fans can bring a new toy to receive free admission to the game. All toys will be donated to “Toys for Tots.”
