Dec. 6, 2014
2 Penn State (8-7-3, 3-4-1 CHA) |
Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF) Pittsburgh, Pa. • 84 Lumber Arena • Attendance: 201 | 4 Robert Morris (5-11-3, 2-4-2 CHA) |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; Dec. 6, 2014 - Despite two special team goals, including their second shorthanded goal in as many games, Penn State women's hockey dropped its series finale with Robert Morris, 4-2, on Saturday.
After scoring the second shorthanded goal in Penn State history the day before, the Nittany Lions continued the trend in the second game of the weekend. Eighteen seconds into a penalty kill just under five minutes into the first, Penn State (8-7-3, 3-4-1 CHA) cleared the puck and as a Colonial player picked it up just past her blueline, Laura Bowman (Minnetonka, Minn.) skated in, pressured the player and was able to strip the puck. She skated in alone on Jessica Dodds and lifted it below the crossbar gloveside for the 1-0 lead.
The Nittany Lions nearly doubled their lead with 9:16 left in the first period. Just over one minute into their first power play of the day, Bella Sutton (Shoreview, Minn.) sent a one-timer to the net. On the ensuing scramble, the puck went past Dodds but the goal was waived off.
The Colonials (5-11-3, 2-4-2 CHA) took advantage of the break by tying up the score. With three seconds left in Penn State's power play, Mikaela Lowater cleared the puck and Katie Fergus retrieved it in the corner. She made a quick turn and flipped it to Rikki Meilleur, who streaked through center ice and scored from the front of the net.
But Penn State's special teams struck again with eight minutes left in the second period. Remi Martin's (Littleton, Colo.) slapshot from the blueline resulted in a perfectly placed rebound to Hannah Bramm (Tampa, Fla.). The junior tapped it in for her second goal of the season and the 2-1 lead.
However, the Colonials scored three unanswered goals to get the series split. With 20 seconds left in the second, Jessica Gazzola snapped an unassisted goal top shelf to tie the game, 2-2. With four-and-a-half minutes left in the third, Mackenzie Johnston crashed the net and cashed in on a rebound for the 3-2 score. Robert Morris added an empty net goal with 30 seconds left in the game for the final 4-2 count.
The Nittany Lions return home next weekend to host nationally-ranked CHA foes Mercyhurst. The teams play on Fri., Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. and Sat., Dec. 13 at 2 p.m.