Women's Hockey | 3/12/2012 10:35:00 AM

ROCHESTER, NY - The RIT women's hockey team (26-1-1) will host the 2012 NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Championship with the semifinals on Friday, March 16, and championship/third place games on Saturday, March 17 at Ritter Arena. RIT will host SUNY Plattsburgh (19-6-3) in the first semifinal at 3:30 p.m., while Gustavus Adolphus (24-2-2) will face defending National Champion Norwich (26-2-1) in the second semifinal at 7 p.m.  The third place game will take place at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, with the championship getting underway at 7 p.m.  

RIT advanced after defeating Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.) 5-2 in first round action on Saturday, March 10. Norwich defeated Amherst, 5-0, while Plattsburgh rallied to defeat Middlebury, 4-2 and Gustavus Adolphus defeated Wisconsin-River Falls, 4-2, all on March 10

RIT, in its third trip to the NCAA Tournament (2007, 2011), is host for the second straight year. #Kolbee McCrea (Wawa, Ontario/Burlington Barracudas) tied a single-game NCAA Tournament record by recording the hat-trick in Saturday's win over Concordia. She also added an assist. (Drumbo, Ontario/Stoney Creek Sabres)Tenecia Hiller (Brampton, Ontario/Brampton Thunder)# added a goal and two assists, as the Tigers scored three straight goals in the third period to snap a 2-2 tie.

Sophomore forward #Kourtney Kunichika (Fullerton, CA/LA Selects)# leads the team and is fifth nationally this season with 41 points (19-22-41) and leads Division III with 11 power-play goals. McCrea is tied for second nationally with 24 goals, while junior defenseman #Kristina Moss (Webster, NY/Buffalo Bisons)# is second nationally with 27 assists. RIT leads the nation in scoring defense (1.00 goals per game) and penalty-killing (94.1 percent) and are second nationally in scoring (5.04 goals per game) and power-play percentage (30.1 percent).

Freshman goaltender #Ali Binnington (Oakville, Ontario/Mississauga Chiefs)# leads the nation with a 0.95 goals against average, while sophomore #Laura Chamberlain (Norco, CA/LA Selects)# is second with a 1.10 goals against average and first with a .948 save percentage.

Plattsburgh is making its eighth NCAA Tournament appearance, winning back-to-back National Championships in 2007 and 2008.

The Cardinals earned one of the three at-large berths into the NCAA Tournament after falling to RIT in the ECAC West Championship. Last weekend, Teal Gove scored a pair of power-play goals in the third period as Plattsburgh rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Middlebury, 4-2. Gove, the ECAC West Player of the Year, leads the way for the Cardinals with 40 points on 20 goals and 20 assists. ECAC West Rookie of the Year Emma Rutherford has added 15 goals. Nine players have at least 20 points. In net, ECAC West Goaltender of the Year Sydney Aveson is 17-5-2 with a 1.56 goals against average and .930 save percentage.

Norwich, the defending national champions and 2010 National Runner up, is making its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The Cadets earned their way into the tournament with an automatic bid after capturing the ECAC East Championship. On Saturday, Norwich rolled to a 5-0 win over Amherst behind two goals and an assist from Jillayne DeBus.

The Cadets are the highest scoring team in the nation, averaging 6.14 goals per game and have the second best defense, allowing just 1.14 goals per contest. Norwich also has the best power-play in the nation, converting at a 35.8 percent rate (53-for-148). Senior Julie Fortier leads the nation with 53 points on 30 goals and 23 assists, while DeBus and freshman Kaycie Anderson are second and third nationally, with 48 and 46 points, respectively. Norwich has eight players with at least 30 points and 16 in double figures. In goal, Kelly Fisk is 19-1-0 with a 1.33 goals against average, and .923 save percentage.

Gustavus Adolphus, the 2010 NCAA National Championship host, is making its eighth straight NCAA Appearance and 10th in 11 seasons. They have advanced to the national semifinal weekend for the sixth time in program history. The Gusties have won at least 22 games in nine straight seasons and are 246-50-20 over the last 11 seasons. Gustavus Adolphus won the MIAC Championship and defeated Wisconsin-River Falls, 4-2 in a NCAA first round game on March 10. Allie Schwab scored a pair of goals to lead the Gusties.

The Gusties are out-scoring its opponents 131-42 this season. In goal, senior Danielle Justice is 18-0-2 with a 1.19 goals against average, and .927 save percentage. Offensively, Schwab leads the way with 24 goals and 43 points, while Mollie Carroll has 16 goals and 22 assists for 38 points, and Carolyn Draayer has 18 goals. Schwab is tied for second nationally with her 24 goals and fourth in points.

The Norwich-Gustavus Adolphus contest is a rematch of the 2011 NCAA National Semifinal, won by the Cadets, 5-4. If RIT and Norwich advance, it will be a rematch of the 2011 NCAA National Championship game, also won by the Cadets.
 
ECAC West rivals RIT and Plattsburgh will meet for the fourth time this season on Friday, with the season series knotted at 1-1-1. The two teams skated to a 1-1 draw in Plattsburgh on Jan. 13, while the Cardinals skated to a 3-1 win the following afternoon. RIT won its second straight ECAC West title by defeating Plattsburgh, 2-1 on March 4. Plattsburgh leads the all-time series between the two schools, 9-4-3, but RIT is 2-1-3 against the Cardinals over the last two seasons.
 
The Tigers defeated Norwich in the only meeting between the two schools, 4-1 in Norwich on Oct. 29 and hold a 2-1 edge in the all-time series. RIT has never faced Gustavus Adolphus. Norwich defeated Plattsburgh twice this season, both in overtime, 3-2 at home on Dec. 7, and 8-7 on Feb. 8 and are 4-2 all-time against the Cardinals. Gustavus Adolphus is 1-1 all-time against Plattsburgh.

Tickets go on sale Tuesday at the Gordon Field House box office at 10 a.m. Tickets can be purchased in person, by phone (585) 475-4121, or at ticketmaster com. Single-day (Friday or Saturday) ticket prices are $12 for adults, $6 for students, and $4 for children under 12. Weekend passes (all four games) are $18 for adults, $10 for students, and $7 for children under 12.