NEVILLE TWP– Robert Morris women’s hockey (9-2-1, 9-2-1 CHA) was seeking their fifth straight win Saturday as they finished their weekend series against RIT (1-8, 1-8). Robert Morris blanked the Tigers by a score of 5-0 in game one, and in game two the story wasn’t much different as they defeated the Tigers 7-0.
The first period was all Colonials. In the first minute of the game, a shot from Maggy Burbidge rang off the pipe, leading to a groan by the artificial crowd.
Later in the period, Colonials captain Lexi Templeman scored the first, second, and third goals of the game, picking up the natural hat trick. A shot from Colonials Allyson Hebert was deflected by a Tigers defender and went right to the tape of Templeman to open the floodgates.
Her second goal was a tap-in as a shot from Michaela Boyle hit the crossbar and landed at Templeman’s feet.
Templeman’s hat trick goal came at 13:52 where a rebound came right to her and she had an empty net to shoot at.
In the second period, it took just 40 seconds for the Colonials to get another one on the board. Marah Wagner was left open in front of the RIT net and backhanded her first of the game.
RMU continued to dominate the game, and right before the midway point of the period, Leah Marino tipped a wrister from Gillian Thompson putting the Colonials up 5-0. This goal would be the last we saw of Tigers goaltender Emma Stephen. Taylor Liotta would come in and play the rest of the game.
Liotta’s start was not easy as the first shot she faced was a wrap-around from Kyleigh Hanzlik that got past her.
That wasn’t it for the Colonials, less than a minute later Ellie Marcovsky and Wagner went in on a two-on-one where a beautiful saucer pass from Marcovsky and blast from Wagner put the Colonials up 7-0.
In the final 20 minutes of the game, both teams’ fates were sealed. RMU controlled the puck for the majority of the period but were a little undisciplined as they took two penalties, which added to their total of four taken during the game.
RIT’s best chance in the third period came when a Tiger got loose in the slot on the power play, but DeSmet, just like the rest of the shots she faced, turned it away. Colonials outshot the Tigers 45-14 and no team could capitalize on the player-advantage on the day.
Robert Morris will take a day trip up I-79 to take on Mercyhurst on Tuesday in preparation for the battle to come against CHA leading Penn State (9-1-1, 9-1-1 CHA). The next time the Colonials will see the Tigers will be in New York on February 12-13 at times yet to be determined.
