Women's Hockey | 3/7/2011 10:24:00 AM
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ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT women's hockey team (24-1-2) advanced to the 2011 NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Tournament and will play Adrian College (19-7-3) in a first round game at Ritter Arena on Saturday at 3 p.m. It is RIT's second trip to the NCAA Tournament. If the Tigers win, they will advance to the NCAA National Semifinals on March 18-19.
On Sunday, the Tigers scored two power-play goals 3:58 apart late in the third period to erase a 1-0 deficit and defeat SUNY Plattsburgh, 2-1 to claim its first ECAC West Championship. Freshman #
Kourtney Kunichika (Fullerton, CA/LA Selects)# scored the game-winning goal with 2:26 left in regulation and was named the ECAC West Tournament Most Valuable Player.
RIT's 24 wins are a program record for victories in a season. Head Coach #
Scott McDonald#, the 2011 ECAC West Coach of the Year, is now 105-20-9 in five seasons behind the bench at RIT.
The senior duo of #
Sarah Dagg (St. George, Ontario/Hamilton Hawks) and
Katie Stack (Batavia, NY/Rochester Edge)# has combined for 74 points on 35 goals and 39 assists. Dagg was named the 2011 ECAC West Player of the Year and has a chance to earn her third straight All-American honor. She has team-high totals of 18 goals and 39 points this season, and has 151 career points, two shy of the school record. Stack has 78 career goals, one shy of the RIT career mark.
In goal, freshman #
Laura Chamberlain (Norco, CA/LA Selects)# is 16-1-2 and leads the nation with a 0.90 goals against average, and .951 save percentage. She was named to the ECAC West All-Tournament Team.
The Tigers reclaimed the top spot in the current USCHO.com Division III poll, while Adrian jumped into the top-10 for the first time this season at No. 9.
RIT and Adrian met twice earlier in the season, with the Tigers defeating the Bulldogs, 4-2 on Jan. 7, and 8-0 the following afternoon. RIT is 4-0-0 all-time against Adrian. RIT also defeated Adrian twice at Ritter Arena last season, 6-1 and 4-0.
Adrian advanced to the NCAA Tournament by winning the NCHA Championship, defeating No. 1 Wisconsin River Falls, 4-3 in the title game on Saturday to earn the automatic bid. The Bulldogs come into Saturday's game having won five straight and nine of their last 10 contests. Stacey Kempson leads the team in scoring with 16 goals and 26 points. In net, Emily Michelin is 16-7-2 with a 1.72 goals against average and .933 save percentage.
Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for students and children over 12, and $2 for children under 12, and will go on sale Wednesday at the Gordon Field House box office or by calling (585) 475-4121.
