MOON TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania – The Penn State women's hockey team mustered yet another third-period surge with goals from sophomores Rachel Weiss (Calgary, Alberta) and Julie Gough (Newcastle, Ontario) to spring past Robert Morris 3-2 in a matchup of the top two teams in the CHA standings Friday evening at Clearview Arena.
The win for Penn State (5-1-1, 5-1-1 CHA) snaps a 15-game streak without a victory against the Colonials (4-1-0, 4-1-0 CHA) dating back to the 2016-17 season.
Weiss, Gough and junior Amy Dobson (Hamilton, Ontario) were the goal scorers for Penn State while freshman Carrie Byrnes notched her first multipoint game with two assists, including a direct assist on Gough's game winner.
Juniors Rene Gangarosa (Rochester, N.Y.) and Jessica Adolfsson (Linkoping, Sweden) and sophomore Mallory Uihlein (Edina, Minn.) also had assists in the game.
In goal, freshman Josie Bothun (Wyoming, Minn.) improved to 5-1-1 on the season with a 28-save victory.
Robert Morris goals were scored by Marah Wagner and Michaela Boyle while Reagan Kirk made 27 saves between the pipes.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Robert Morris struck first at the 6:13 mark in the opening period just after Penn State successfully killed RMU's first power play of the evening. Wagner navigated in the slot and zipped a backhand shot into the net for the game's first goal.
Penn State did not take long to answer as the Nittany Lions quickly scored on their first power play. Dobson ripped a shot from a sharp angle in the right corner on the goal line for her third of the season to tie the game 1-1 at 11:06.
Penn State spent the first half of the second period thwarting off a pair of Robert Morris power plays after back-to-back infractions, but the Nittany Lions' penalty kill improved to 3-of-3 on the evening to keep the Colonials from retaking the lead.
Bothun stopped 11 shots in the second to bring her total up to 19 through 40 minutes.
The Nittany Lions' best scoring chance in teh second came shorthanded when Kiara Zanon (Fairport, N.Y.) sprung free on a breakaway, but Colonial goalie Reagan Kirk made a solid save to stop the chance and both teams went into the second intermission still tied 1-1.
Early in the third period, Penn State managed to snag its first lead of the game thanks to Weiss' speed goal down the right wing. The sophomore lifted the puck just under the crossbar to give Penn State its first lead of the game 1:27 into the third period.
Penn State's momentum continued at 6:59 in the period when Gough extended Penn State's lead to 3-1. Gough reached to redirect a great backdoor pass from Byrnes to score what proved to be a vital insurance goal.
Robert Morris struck back at 9:30 with a goal from Boyle at even strength to shrink Penn State's lead back to one, but the Nittany Lions continued their tenacious play on the puck. Penn State drew a pair of penalties and managed to limit Robert Morris' chances for the rest of the night to pick up the road victory in PSU's first game of the 2021 calendar year.
GAME NOTES AND STATS
- Shots were dead even for the game at 30-30 apiece, and Dobson's power-play goal was the only goal with an extra attacker for both teams. Penn State's penalty kill went a perfect 4-for-4.
- Penn State's offense was threatening all game long as 13 different skaters registered multiple shots on goal. Natalie Heising (Wayzata, Minn.) led the team with seven.
- Penn State's last win against Robert Morris was on Feb. 17, 2017 as the Nittany Lions downed the then-eighth-ranked Colonials 3-2 in Pittsburgh.
- The Gough-Weiss-Byrnes line combined for four points (2G, 2A) and 11 shot attempts.
NEXT UP
The Nittany Lions and Colonials finish the weekend series with a Saturday afternoon tilt at 2:05 p.m.