ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT (3-3-1, 1-0-0 CHA) women’s hockey team picked up its first College Hockey America victory of the season with a 4-3 win over Lindenwood University (1-5-1, 1-2-0 CHA) from the Gene Polisseni Center on Friday evening. Trailing 2-0 after the first period, RIT outscored the Lady Lions 4-1 in the final two periods.
“We overcame a really slow start,” said Bruce B. Bates Women’s Hockey Coach Scott McDonald. “We showed a lot of guts coming back and chipping away at the lead. As the game went on it showed our heart, determination and grit to come away with the win.”
Tori Haywood (Pickering, Ontario/St. Mary’s Catholic) led RIT with a career-high three points on a goal and two assists, while Kendall Cornine (Kinnelon, NJ/Morristown Beard) dished out a pair of assists, while Kaelyn Johnson (Toronto, Ontario/Mississauga Chiefs), Brooke Baker (Saline, MI/Saline) and Mallory Rushton (Amherst, Nova Scotia/New Hampton Prep) each scored a goal. Terra Lanteigne (Hatchet Lake, Nova Scotia/Charles P. Allen) got the win in net, making 28 saves. Johnson’s goal was the first of her collegiate career.
Hannah Alt led Lindenwood with a goal and an assist, while Ally Larson and Christiana von Aulock each scored a goal. Jolene DeBruyn made 12 saves in net for Lindenwood.
RIT trailed 2-0 after the first period. The Tigers had two early chances on shots from Cornine and Rushton from close range, but could not light the lamp.
The Lady Lions took a 1-0 lead on a power play goal by Alt, as she poked home a loose puck in front of the RIT net off a scramble. It looked to be kicked in, but was reviewed and deemed a good goal.
Lanteigne, who had 11 first-period saves, made a key save late in the frame on a shot from in close by Lindenwood. The Lady Lions took a 2-0 lead on a Larson goal late in the period.
RIT stormed back in the second period, tallying three goals. Baker, Haywood and Rushton each scored to give the Tigers a brief lead.
Baker cut the Lindenwood lead to 2-1 on her first of the season at 5:43 on assists from Cornine and Haywood. The Tigers tied the game on Haywood’s goal at 12:45 of the second on an assist from Cornine. Rushton gave RIT its first lead of the game on her first of the season at 15:02. Gout and Black had the assists.
Lindenwood tied the score with a goal late in the second. Paisley scored at 18:28 on assists from Ganske and Girard.
Johnson gave RIT its first lead of the game on her first collegiate goal at 6:27 of the third period. She scored on assists from Kandice Sheriff (Brampton, Ontario/) and Ellie Larson (Hutchinson, MN/Hutchinson High School).
Lindenwood had a power play late in the third period, but Lanteigne and the Tigers defense made some key stops to keep it a one-goal game.
Shots were 31-19 in favor of Lindenwood. The Tigers took five penalties for 10 minutes, while Lindenwood took four penalties for eight minutes. The Lady Lions went 1-for-4 on the power play, while RIT went 0-for-3.
