ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT women’s hockey team (3-11-0, 0-6-0 CHA) continued its slow start to the 2015-16 season, losing at home to College Hockey America rival Syracuse (6-7-1, 4-1-1 CHA), 5-1 in front of 933 fans at the Gene Polisseni Center on Wednesday.
Brooke Baker (Saline, MI/Saline) scored her first collegiate goal to break up the Syracuse shutout with 9:26 remaining in regulation on a delayed penalty. Logan Land (Turkey Point, Ontario/Holy Trinity Catholic) kept the play alive down low, flipping a pass to Kendall Cornine (Kinnelon, NJ/Morristown Beard) down low. Cornine fed a perfect cross ice feed to Baker, who was all alone in front for the tap-in goal.
Jessica Sibley led the Orange with two goals and an assist, while Stephanie Grossi and Allie Munroe had a goal and an assist apiece. Munroe’s goal was the first of her collegiate career, as she was plus-4 on the evening. Nicole Ferrara also scored, while Nicole Renault had two assists.
Syracuse held a 22-13 edge in shots overall. RIT was 0-for-6 with the man-advantage, while Syracuse was 1-for-3. Syracuse goaltender Jenn Gilligan made 11 saves in the win, while RIT goaltender Jenna de Jonge (Abbotsford, British Columbia/George Elliot) took the loss, stopping 18 shots.
“To come out and put that effort forth tonight was embarrassing,” said Bruce B. Bates Women’s Hockey Coach Scott McDonald. “We struggled in all aspects tonight and need to be much better this weekend.”
The Orange led after one period of play, 1-0, holding a scant 5-2 edge in shots.
de Jonge made a nice save on Melissa Piacentini just a few minutes in, sliding her left pad along the ice in tight.
Syracuse would get on the board 9:13 into the contest, as the Orange caused a turnover in the RIT zone, with Grossi sending a feed over to Ferrara on a 2-on-1 in deep. Ferrara would lift the puck over the glove of de Jonge for her seventh goal of the season, giving Syracuse a 1-0 lead.
RIT had a great chance to tie the game 5:14 into the second period on its first shot of the period, as Logan Land (Turkey Point, Ontario/Holy Trinity Catholic) came flying into the Syracuse zone on a 2-on-1 rush with Kandice Sheriff (Brampton, Ontario). Land was shooting the whole way, cut to the middle and tried to go back against the grain, but Gilligan was there to make the big save.
Sibley made it 2-0 just before the halfway point of the season, as he walked out from the corner to the front and slid a backhander between the legs of de Jonge for her third goal of the year. Heather Schwarz and Emily Costales assisted on the goal.
The Orange upped their lead to 3-0 right after a RIT power-play expired, as Grossi took a feed from Nicole Renault in the neutral zone, came in on a breakaway and beat de Jonge with a nifty backhander for her sixth goal of the season.
Syracuse scored with five seconds left in the period to make it 4-0 on the power-play, as Sibley tipped in a point shot by Renault.
Munroe made it 5-0 early in the third period on a pass from Sibley.
Wednesday’s game was the second of four meetings between the two schools this season. Syracuse won the first meeting on Oct. 21 by a score of 7-1, as Grossi had five points on three goals and two assists. Land scored her first collegiate goal for the Tigers in the loss.
Syracuse leads the all-time series between the two schools, 9-6-1. Eleven of the 16 meetings have either ended in ties or a one-goal difference, with seven going to overtime. RIT won the 2015 CHA Championship over Syracuse at Mercyhurst, 2-1 in double overtime on a goal by Carly Payerl (Kitchener, Ontario/Resurrection Catholic).
RIT is right back in action at home this weekend, as non-conference foe Brown University of the ECAC comes to the Gene Polisseni Center on Friday and Saturday. Friday’s contest begins at 7 p.m. and Saturday’s starts at 3 p.m.
