Women's Hockey | 2/26/2012 7:39:00 PM
Click here for the 2012 ECAC West Program
ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT women's hockey team (23-1-1, 16-1-1 ECAC West), ranked first in Division III, will host the 2012 ECAC West Tournament semifinals and championship on March 3-4 at Ritter Arena. RIT will host sixth seed SUNY Potsdam at 2 p.m. Saturday, while second seed SUNY Plattsburgh will play No. 4 SUNY Oswego in the second semifinal Saturday at 5 p.m. The two winners will meet for the ECAC West title Sunday at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students per game and go on sale Monday, February 27, at the Gordon Field House Box Office or by calling (585) 475-4121. As always, children five and under get in free.
Potsdam advanced after defeating third seed Elmira, 2-1 in an ECAC West first round game on Feb. 25. Oswego advanced after defeating fifth seed Neumann, 3-0, also in first round action on Feb. 25. RIT and Plattsburgh received a first round bye. The two semifinal winners will meet for the 2011 ECAC West Championship on March 4 at 2 p.m. The ECAC West Champion will receive an automatic berth into the 2012 NCAA Division III Women's Hockey Championship Tournament.
RIT, the nation's second-highest scoring team (5.12), and top defensive squad (0.96), has six players with at least 20 points, and 15 in double figures. Sophomore forward #
Kourtney Kunichika (Fullerton, CA/LA Selects) leads the team with 37 points in 17 goals and 20 assists. She tied a RIT team record and leads the nation with 10 power-play goals. Kunichika earned All-ECAC West first team honors. Junior defenseman (Drumbo, Ontario/Stoney Creek Sabres)Kristina Moss (Webster, NY/Buffalo Bisons)#, an All-ECAC West first team selection, is second nationally with 26 assists and is third among all defenseman with 32 points.
Sophomore forward #
Kolbee McCrea (Wawa, Ontario/Burlington Barracudas)#, an All-ECAC West second team selection, leads the team with 19 goals and is tied for second with 32 points. Junior forward #
Ariane Yokoyama (Van Nuys, CA/LA Selects)# has 23 assists, while junior forward #
Tenecia Hiller (Brampton, Ontario/Brampton Thunder)#, an All-ECAC West honorable mention selection, has 13 goals. Junior captain #
Kim Schlattman (Stratford, Ontario/Cambridge Fury)# has 28 points on 11 goals and 17 assists. RIT outscored foes 103-16 in league play and have outscored opponents, 128-24 overall this season.
In net, sophomore #
Laura Chamberlain (Norco, CA/LA Selects)#, an All-ECAC West second team selection, leads the nation with a .951 save percentage and is second with a 1.04 goals against average, while compiling a 13-1-1 record. Freshman #
Ali Binnington (Oakville, Ontario/Mississauga Chiefs)# is 9-0-0 and leads the nation with a 0.94 goals against average, and is fifth with a .940 save percentage. Binnington was named to the ECAC West All-Rookie Team.
Plattsburgh (17-5-3, 15-1-2 ECAC West), the second seed in the tournament, enters the tournament ranked No. 5 nationally, with a 17-5-3 record. Junior forward Teal Gove, the ECAC West Player of the Year, leads the way for the Cardinals, who have won two ECAC West Championships, and will attempt to play in its 11th straight conference championship game. Gove leads the way with 38 points on 18 goals and 20 assists. ECAC West Rookie of the Year Emma Rutherford has added 14 goals. In net, ECAC West Goaltender of the Year Sydney Aveson is 15-4-2 with a 1.59 goals against average and .929 save percentage. She was 13-1-1 with a 1.04 goals against average and .951 save percentage in league play.
Oswego (11-13-2, 8-8-2 ECAC West) out-shot Neumann 34-18 in ECAC West first round win. Mackenzie Lee recorded three assists, while Melissa Seamont added a goal and an assist. Bridget Smith stopped all 18 shots she faced to earn the shutout. Lee leads the squad in scoring with 18 points on 10 goals and eight assists. Defenseman Jillian Bergeron leads the team with 11 assists, while Megan Howe was an All-ECAC West honorable mention selection. Smith is 6-4-1 with a 2.25 goals against average and .912 save percentage for the Lakers.
Potsdam (12-9-3, 7-8-3 ECAC West) defeated Elmira in the ECAC West first round game despite being out-shot 47-13. Breanna Roy and Jenn Crawford scored for the Bears in the win, while Jen Conophy made 46 saves. Annmarie Lewis leads the team in scoring with 17 goals and 32 points, while All-ECAC West second team selection Roy leads the way with 20 assists from the defense. Conophy is 8-4-2 with a 2.90 goals against average and .911 save percentage this season.
RIT has suffered its only blemishes of the season against Plattsburgh this season, tying 1-1 on Jan. 13, then losing 3-1 on Jan. 14, both in Plattsburgh. The Tigers swept Oswego on the road, 4-0, and 2-1, on Feb. 3-4, and swept Potsdam, 4-2, and 6-0 on the road on Nov. 11-12.
2011-12 ECAC Women's West Tournament Schedule
Saturday, February 25:
No. 6 SUNY Potsdam 2, at No. 3 Elmira 1
No. 4 Oswego 3, No. 4 Neumann 0
No. 1 RIT and No. 2 Plattsburgh receive byes
Semifinals: Saturday, March 3
No 6 SUNY Potsdam vs. No. 1 RIT – 2 p.m.
No. 4 SUNY Oswego vs. No. 2 Plattsburgh – 5 p.m.
Championship: Sunday, March 4 – 2 p.m.
