Women's Hockey | 10/25/2011 9:27:00 AM

Click here for audio against Manhattanville

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ROCHESTER, NY - The RIT women's hockey team, ranked No. 2 in the first USCHO.com Division III National poll of the 2011-12 season, will open the regular season with a pair of tough contests this weekend.  On Friday, RIT will play No. 8 Manhattanville at 4 p.m. and on Saturday, play No. 1 Norwich at 6 p.m., both at Norwich.  Saturday's game is a rematch of the 2011 NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Championship game.  RIT is the preseason favorite to win the ECAC West, as voted on by the coaches.

The Tigers will look to take the next step towards winning a national championship after advancing to the NCAA Championship game for the first time in program history and setting several team records last season. RIT finished the 2010-11 season with a school record 26 wins, en route to a 26-2-2 mark.  The Tigers were the top-ranked team in the country for a majority of the season, outscoring foes, 152-31.

RIT opened last season with 17 consecutive wins and a 23-game unbeaten streak, both team records.  The Tigers finished 15-1-2 in ECAC West play and earned the right to host its first conference championship.  RIT used its home-ice advantage to defeat Utica, 2-0, and Plattsburgh, 2-1 to claim its first ECAC West Championship and an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in program history.  They are the preseason pick to win the 2012 ECAC West title.

This season, the Tigers jump right into their demanding schedule, traveling to Norwich for the ECAC East-West Challenge.  There, RIT will play NCAA Tournament participant Manhattanville and then face Norwich in a rematch of the 2011 NCAA Championship game.

RIT's non-conference schedule also includes road contests at nationally ranked foes Amherst and Trinity, as well as a pair of home games against 2011 NCAA Participant Adrian and perennial opponent Hamilton.

The Tigers, who will look to secure their second straight ECAC West Championship, play conference foes Utica, Chatham, Buffalo State at home, then travel to SUNY Potsdam, Neumann, SUNY Oswego, SUNY Cortland, and arch-rival SUNY Plattsburgh.

RIT will also play a home-and-home series with conference rival Elmira.

During the week of Thanksgiving, the Tigers will play four exhibition games against tough Canadian Universities Western Ontario, Brock, Wilfrid Laurier, and York.

Head Coach #Scott McDonald#, the 2011 ECAC West Coach of the Year and AHCA National Coach of the Year finalist, knows his team has one of the most demanding schedules in the country, but also knows his team relishes the opportunity.

“Our schedule, especially on the road is quite possibly the toughest we've ever had,” said McDonald, who is now 107-21-9 in his first five seasons behind the bench at RIT. “We play a lot of road games and it seems like they are all against ranked teams or quality opponents.  We will have to be sharp all season.”

Junior forward #Kim Schlattman (Stratford, Ontario/Cambridge Fury)# will be RIT's captain in 2011-12, and will be joined by assistant captains and classmates #Tenecia Hiller (Brampton, Ontario/Brampton Thunder) and Ariane Yokoyama (Van Nuys, CA/LA Selects)#. Schlattman, a strong two-way forward, tallied 26 points in 2010-11.  Hiller was fourth on the team in scoring with 37 points (10-27-37), while Yokoyama led the nation with 33 assists and was named to the ECAC West Championship All-Tournament Team.

“Each of these women leads by example and their play has earned them a role as captain,” said McDonald. “That leadership is what we've thrived off of in the past. ”

Up front, the Tigers will have to replace the voids left by #Sarah Dagg (St. George, Ontario/Hamilton Hawks)#, the 2011 Laura Hurd Award winner, given to the Division III Player of the Year, along with two-time All-American #Katie Stack (Batavia, NY/Rochester Edge)#.  Dagg finished as RIT's all-time leading scorer with 154 points, while Stack was RIT's career leader in goals with 81.  The duo combined for 292 points in four seasons.

RIT's cupboard is certainly not bare however.  Sophomore forward #Kourtney Kunichika (Fullerton, CA/LA Selects)# returns after leading the Tigers, and all first-year players nationally in scoring last season with 43 points (15-28-43).  She set a NCAA Championship record with 10 points in the tournament and was named the ECAC West Championship Most Valuable Player, and was an ECAC West All-Rookie Team selection. 

In addition to Hiller, Yokoyama, and Schlattman, sophomore #Kolbee McCrea (Wawa, Ontario/Burlington Barracudas)# returns after tying for the team lead with 20 goals last season.  Classmate #Erin Zach (Elmira, Ontario/Cambridge Fury)#, who battled a handful of injuries, added 12 goals.  Both will be expected to step their games up even more in 2011-12.

Seniors #Megan Kobar (Calgary, Alberta) and sophomore (Drumbo, Ontario/Stoney Creek Sabres)Hannah Epstein (Amherst, NY/Nichols School)# are capable of putting up gaudy offensive numbers. 

McDonald has brought in a stellar group of forwards.  The quartet of #Lindsay Grigg (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Hornets)#, #Marissa Maugeri (Ajax, Ontario/Durham West Lightning)#, #Julie Hall (Mississauga, Ontario/Mississauga Chiefs)#, and #Celeste Brown (Great Falls, MT/National Sports Academy)# all enjoyed strong junior careers and will be expected to see time in the lineup right away.

“We have relied on last year's senior class offensively for a while, so it will be interesting to see who emerges and steps into the limelight this year,” said McDonald.  “This is a brand new team who needs to create a new identity and not live off last season's success.  We have the potential to be as highly skilled offensively as last year and it will be exciting to see how the freshmen and upperclassmen gel together.”

On defense, RIT loses All-American #Traci Galbraith (Oakville, Ontario/Burlington Jr. Barracudas)#, but return the junior duo of #Kristina Moss (Webster, NY/Buffalo Bisons) and Danielle Read (Brantford, Ontario/Hamilton Hawks)#.  Both played big minutes last season and established themselves as two of the elite defensemen in Division III.  Moss played in all 30 games and tallied 19 points (5-14-19), while Read was right behind with 16 points (2-14-16) in 29 games.  Senior #Ali Hills (Honeoye Falls, NY)# moved to defense midway through last season and helped solidify an already strong unit.  Hills, along with classmate #Jamie Parhar (Calgary, Alberta)#, junior #Ellesha Fortuna (Burlington, Ontario/Burlington Barracudas)#, and sophomore #Melissa Bromley (Aurora, Ontario/Aurora Panthers)# will be expected to step up and play a greater role this season.  In addition, junior hockey teammates #Emilee Bulleid (Waterdown, Ontario/Stoney Creek Sabres) and Morgan Scoyne (Drumbo, Ontario/Stoney Creek Sabres)# will make their collegiate debuts and look to shore up a deep defensive unit. 

“Danielle (Read) and Kristina (Moss) have the potential to be the top defensive pairing in the country.” Said McDonald.  “Both emerged as a shutdown group last year and have strong offensive abilities.  Emille (Bulleid) and Morgan (Scoyne) play very similar to our top defensive pairing, which should make for two really good units.  We have a lot of experience returning to vie for the final two spots.”

In net, sophomore #Laura Chamberlain (Norco, CA/LA Selects)# returns after a brilliant debut season, going 18-2-2, while finishing second nationally with a 1.15 goals against average, third with a .944 save percentage, and .864 winning percentage, while recording six shutouts.  Chamberlain was a 2011 All-ECAC West honorable mention selection and was named to the All-Rookie Team, while earning ECAC West Championship All-Tournament Team honors.

Junior #Carley King (Tinley Park, IL)# won all eight of her starts in 2010-11 with a 0.72 goals against average, while recording four shutouts.  She recorded a big win over nationally-ranked Elmira.  Freshman #Ali Binnington (Oakville, Ontario/Mississauga Chiefs)# helped lead the Mississauga Chiefs to a PWHL Championship and will vie for playing time right away.

“This is the deepest we have been in goal since I've been here,” said McDonald.  “It is fun to watch the competition between the three goalies.  Laura (Chamberlain) emerged as one of the best goalies in the country last season.  Having three good goalies will keep each other sharp and competitive each week.”