ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT women's hockey team (2-1-0) had its nine-game winning streak dating back to last season snapped, falling to the University of New Hampshire (1-3-0) by a score of 1-0 at the Gene Polisseni Center on Friday afternoon.
Jonna Curtis scored the game's lone goal, shorthanded with 3:34 left in the second period. New Hampshire goaltender Vilma Vaattovaara was excellent in goal, stopping all 32 shots she faced for the shutout. Sixteen of her 32 saves came on eight RIT power-play attempts.
New Hampshire's penalty killing unit was tremendous, killing off all eight RIT power-play attempts, including two long 5-on-3 attempts. The Wildcats were 0-for-2 with the man-advantage.
RIT goaltender
Ali Binnington (Oakville, Ontario/Mississauga Chiefs) stopped 17 shots in defeat. She had her personal nine-game winning streak snapped today. Despite the loss, Binnington has been incredible for the Tigers, stopping 302 of her last 310 shots faced dating back to last February.
"We carried the play 5-on-5, but not scoring on eight power-play attempts and giving up a shorthanded goal was the difference," said RIT head coach
Scott McDonald. "I thought we were the faster, quicker team today, and I like our progression as a team, but we need to focus on some of the finer details."
RIT had three third period power-plays and had several chances in the final period, but could not get the tying goal.
Jess Paton (Woodstock, Ontario/Waterloo K-W Rangers) was all alone on the doorstep with three seconds left, but Vaattovaara made her 32nd and final save a dandy to preserve the shutout.
Neither team scored in an opening period that picked up pace as it went on.
New Hampshire had a handful of good chances on its lone power-play of the period, but Binnington and the RIT defense held firm. Her best save came on a tip attempt from the slot by Nico Jensen.
RIT's
Victoria Pitawanakwat (Manitowaning, Ontario/Sudbury Wolves) had the best chance of the period, firing a hard wrist shot from the right side on a 2-on-1 rush that went off the glove of Vaattovaara, off the crossbar and out. At the next stoppage a few minutes later, the play went under review, but was deemed no goal.
Mackenzie Stone (Kars, Ontario/South Carleton) had an excellent chance in front on a RIT power-play later in the period, but was denied by Vaattovaara.
RIT had a plethora of chances in the second period, including two long 5-on-3 power-plays, but could not convert. New Hampshire would get the only goal of the period, shorthanded, despite being out-shot 13-6 to take a 1-0 lead after 40 minutes of play.
RIT had 1:43 of a two-man advantage early in the period, but could not get much through. Moments later, Amy Schlagel had an open net from the slot after Binnington made an initial save, but could not get a shot off.
RIT's
Darcy Henderson (Burlington, Ontario/Burlington Barracudas) had a partial breakaway later in the period, intercepting an errant Wildcats pass and fired a shot from the slot that Vaattovaara gobbled up.
With 5:31 left in the period, RIT went up two players from over a minute but could not score, despite generating some chances. At the tail end of the power-play, New Hampshire's Kayla Mork came down the left wing and fired a shot that Binnington stopped, but Curtis beat everyone to the loose puck and put the rebound past the RIT goaltender for the shorthanded goal with 3:34 left in the period.
Paton blocked a shot at her own blueline and raced in alone on Vaattovaara late in the frame. Paton tried to deke to the backhand, but Vaattovaara held her ground and made the great save, keeping it 1-0 Wildcats.
Last season, RIT traveled New Hampshire, defeating the Wildcats by a score of 3-2, on a third period goal by
Jess Paton (Woodstock, Ontario/Waterloo K-W Rangers) with 8:21 left. It was RIT's first win in 14 all-time meetings against the Wildcats. New Hampshire is now 14-1 all-time against RIT.
RIT is right back in action on Saturday, hosting Northeastern University from the Gene Polisseni Center at 3:05 p.m. Saturday is also RIT's inaugural One SpiRIT Global Hockey festival, which gets underway at 12:30 p.m. and goes through the men's contest vs. Clarkson.
"We have to put the sting of today's loss away and get ready for a very good Northeastern team tomorrow," said McDonald.
In a global celebration of RIT hockey, RIT's main campus will be connected with its international campuses in Croatia, Dubai and Kosovo via advanced Cisco Systems telecommunications technology. This technology will allow students from around the world to interact with each other in real time.
On the main campus in Rochester, festival-goers will be treated to an assortment of food, tailgating games, giveaways, live music and much more prior to Tigers' men's and women's hockey games.
