ROCHESTER, NY – For the second straight day, the RIT women's hockey team (7-5-1, 3-0-1 CHA) rallied from a third period deficit to defeat the Penn State Nittany Lions (2-11-1, 0-6-0 CHA) 3-2 at Ritter Arena on Saturday afternoon. RIT is now riding a four-game unbeaten streak.
 
#Marissa Maugeri (Ajax, Ontario/Durham West Lightning)# had a career-high three points, scoring two goals and adding an assist for the Tigers, while #Erin Zach (Elmira, Ontario/Cambridge Fury)# scored the game-winning goal on a power-play with 12:25 left in regulation. RIT withstood a furious rally from the Nittany Lions in the final minute, with goaltender #Ali Binnington (Oakville, Ontario/Mississauga Chiefs)# making three huge saves to secure the win.
 
Binnington stopped 21 shots to pick up her seventh win of the season. She now has a six-game unbeaten streak between the pipes for the Tigers.
 
Jill Holdcroft scored a pair of first period goals, one on the power-play and one shorthanded for the Nittany Lions, who have now lost eight straight games. In net, Celine Whitlinger made 37 saves for Penn State.
 
RIT was 2-for-7 with the man-advantage, while Penn State was 1-for-3. The Tigers outshot Penn State, 40-23.
 
"We had two really strong penalty kills late in the second period that seemed to energize us," said RIT head coach McDonald. "We found a way to win, grinding it out, and chipping away. We should our great conditioning and competitiveness in the third period to rally. Ali (Binnington) was great in the final minute, showing why she is one of the best goalies in the nation."
 
Holdcroft gave Penn State a 1-0 lead 8:01 into the game on the power-play, tipping in a point shot in the slot from Emily Laurenzi that bounced past Binnington for her second goal of the year.
 
Just 5:23 later, Holdcroft stripped the puck off a Tiger player while shorthanded and in close, beat Binnington over the glove just off the right post for her second goal of the period and third of the season to make it 2-0.
 
Whitlinger made the save of the game midway through the second period, with her team on the power-play. RIT's #Kolbee McCrea (Wawa, Ontario/Burlington Barracudas)# intercepted an errant clearing attempt and came in all alone. McCrea faked forehand and went to the backhand and looked to have an open net, but Whitlinger pushed across and made a brilliant glove save.
 
Down 2-0, the Tigers scored a 5-on-3 power-play goal late in the second period, as Maugeri was able to slam home a rebound after #Celeste Brown (Great Falls, MT/National Sports Academy) had her original shot stopped by Whitlinger. (Brantford, Ontario/Assumption Collegiate)Dakota Waites (Whitby, Ontario/Sinclair)# made a great pass to Brown in the slot. Maugeri was able to follow the rebound and slip it past Whitlinger in close for her second goal of the season.
 
Just 1:43 into the third period, #Emilee Bulleid (Waterdown, Ontario/Stoney Creek Sabres)# made a great individual effort to set up Maugeri's goal. Bulleid carried the puck into the Penn State zone, faked a shot, cut to the right face-off circle and made a brilliant pass across the crease to Maugeri, who freed herself from a defender. Maugeri was able to redirect the pass from Bulleid into the open goal to tie the game at 2-2.
 
With 12:25 left, Zach redirected a centering pass from Maugeri on a power-play to give RIT the lead. #Mackenzie Stone (Kars, Ontario/South Carleton)# also assisted on the goal.
 
RIT now leads the all-time series between the two schools, 7-0-1. Last night, RIT scored two goals in the final six minutes to rally from a 1-0 deficit and defeat the Nittany Lions, 2-1. The two teams meet in Penn State on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1.
 
The Tigers are right back in action next weekend, with a pair of home contests against perennial CHA power Mercyhurst on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 22-23. Both games from Ritter Arena get underway at 2 p.m.