ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT women's hockey team (7-9-2, 2-3-2 CHA) snapped a five-game losing streak by defeating visiting Lindenwood University (1-14-0, 1-4-0 CHA) in a conference battle by a score of 5-1 at Ritter Arena on Saturday evening. It was RIT's first home contest in 35 days.

RIT scored more than two goals in a game for the first time since Oct. 25 vs. Penn State. #Celeste Brown (Great Falls, MT/National Sports Academy) scored a pair of goals and added an assist to lead the way offensively. (Woodstock, Ontario/Waterloo K-W Rangers)Ariane Yokoyama (Van Nuys, CA/LA Selects)#, #Jess Paton (Woodstock, Ontario/Waterloo K-W Rangers)#, and #Kourtney Kunichika (Fullerton, CA/LA Selects) scored for the Tigers. (Woodstock, Ontario/Waterloo K-W Rangers)Morgan Scoyne (Drumbo, Ontario/Stoney Creek Sabres)# tallied a pair of assists.

In net, #Ali Binnington (Oakville, Ontario/Mississauga Chiefs)# made 19 saves for her fifth win of the season. RIT was 1-for-4 on the power-play, while Lindenwood was 0-for-5. RIT out-shot the Lady Lions, 40-20.

Lyndsay Kirkham scored Lindenwood's lone goal. Taylor Fairchild started in net and made 35 saves.

RIT Head Coach Scott McDonald is glad to see his team back in the win column.

“I thought we played well tonight and it was nice to play in front of our home crowd at Ritter Arena,” said McDonald. “Our penalty-kill was big for us in the second period and we were able to get some big goals. We have to come out ready to get two more big points tomorrow.”

RIT scored the lone goal in a quickly played first period, out-shooting the Lady Lions, 13-5.

#Kourtney Kunichika (Fullerton, CA/LA Selects)# had a great chance just a few minutes in, when she attempted a wrap-around that Fairchild got just enough of to keep out of the net.

Yokoyama opened the scoring at the 12:20 mark, perfectly tipping a point shot from #Morgan Scoyne (Drumbo, Ontario/Stoney Creek Sabres)# in the slot past Fairchild for her career-best fourth goal of the season. Brown came into the zone with Yokoyama on a 2-on-1, but had her pass attempt blocked. Brown regained the puck and passed the puck back to Scoyne, whose low hard shot from the left point was deflected in by Yokoyama.

RIT nearly made it 2-0 later in the period, but Fairchild made a good save on a hard shot from the slot by Brown.

Binnington had to make her best save in the final minutes of the period, as a point shot from Sarah Oliphant went off #Ellesha Fortuna (Burlington, Ontario/Burlington Barracudas)# in the slot, changing directions. Binnington had to react quick and get her shoulder on the redirection, keeping it out of the net.

RIT out-scored Lindenwood 2-1 in the second period to up its lead to 3-1 after 40 minutes of play.

Paton gave RIT a 2-0 lead at the 10:44 mark, taking a pass from #Carly Payerl (Kitchener, Ontario/Resurrection Catholic)# in the neutral zone, skating into the Lindenwood zone, and firing a low hard shot past Fairchild and inside the left goal post for her first collegiate goal. Scoyne also assisted on the tally.

The Tigers got themselves into penalty troubles later in the period, but were able to kill off 1:13 of a Lindenwood 4-on-3 power-play, then 47 seconds on 5-on-3 time.

Kirkham cut the RIT lead in half at the 17:17 mark, as she intercepted a pass at the RIT blue-line, skated in and had a shot blocked. Kirkham gathered the rebound and put a shot past Binnington from in close for her fourth goal of the year.

Brown gave RIT its two-goal lead back just 1:12 later, as she took a feed from #Tenecia Hiller (Brampton, Ontario/Brampton Thunder)# in the neutral zone, skated over the line and ripped a rocket of a wrist shot over the shoulder of Fairchild and in for her fifth tally of the season. Fortuna also assisted on the goal, starting the rush with a pass to Hiller in the neutral zone.

Kourtney Kunichika (Fullerton, CA/LA Selects) gave the Tigers a commanding 4-1 lead on a power-play with 11:27 left in regulation. Moss fired a shot that #Katie Hubert (Burlington, Ontario/Burlington Barracudas)# tipped in front. Fairchild made the save, but the rebound came right to Kunichika, who slammed the puck over the fallen goalie for her fourth goal of the year.

Brown completed the scoring with 5:13 left, taking a long breakaway pass from #Lindsay Grigg (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Hornets)# and coming in alone on Fairchild. With a defenseman closing in, Brown was able to lift a perfect shot over Fairchild and in off the crossbar for her second goal of the game and sixth of 2012-13. #Emilee Bulleid (Waterdown, Ontario/Stoney Creek Sabres)# also assisted on the goal.

Tonight's game was the first ever meeting between the two schools. Lindenwood is in its second season as a Division I program.

The two teams return to action on Sunday afternoon to close out the weekend series at 2 p.m.