After falling to the Niagara Purple Eagles the previous night, the Robert Morris University women’s hockey team scored a third period goal to give them the win Saturday night at the Island Sports Center.

The first two periods of the match were all about the goalies, as Kristen DiCiocco turned away 10 shots and Sarah Moses of Niagara turned away 20.

Early in the third period it looked as if the Colonials had taken a one-goal lead off a shot from freshman Becca Vint, however the referee said the puck never crossed the line.

“We’ll be watching that one over again on video, but it sounds like it didn’t go in,” said first year head coach Paul Colontino. “I’m not sure from the bench, but the ref said he had a clear view and was 100% confident in it so that’s good that he was just in good position and felt good about it.”

Minutes later freshmen Katie Fergus and Maddie Collias battled along the boards and found senior Brianna Delaney who beat Moses for the only score of the game.

“Maddie Collias and Katie Fergus were battling hard in the corner and Fergus found me on the side of the net,” recalled the assistant captain. “With all our shots we had as a team tonight, one was bound to go in.”

One goal was enough to seal the deal for the Colonials as DiCiocco, and the defense played shut down hockey the rest of the way.

“Sometimes it’s one goal, literally, that you’re working for,” said Colontino. “We might not win games 5-1, 5-2, 4-3, it might be the 1-0’s or the 2-1’s and you’re spending 60 minutes grinding away looking for one play.”

DiCiocco turned away 19 shots throughout three periods, and earned her third shutout of the season. Along with the shutout, the junior goalie was also named the second star of the night.

The Colonials were excited to avenge the 1-0 loss from the night before and earn an important two points in the College Hockey America standings.

“We had a tough loss last night, and everyone knew we had to refocus and come out a lot harder,” Delaney said. “I think everyone did a great job in preparing for the game. We needed the win to jump up in the standings, so everyone was ready and it paid off in the end.”

The team will have a quick turn-around as they travel to New Jersey to take on Princeton for the first time in program history on Monday, January 30 at 3:05 p.m.