Women's Hockey | 11/18/2014 3:31:00 PM
RIT Game Notes -- Mercyhurst Game Notes
ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT women's hockey team goes on the road for the first time in conference play this weekend to play a pair of games against No. 8 Mercyhurst University in a rematch of the 2014 College Hockey America Championship game. The two teams meet at the Mercyhurst Ice Center on Friday at 3 p.m. and close out the weekend series at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
RIT (6-5-2, 1-2-1 CHA) went 1-1 last weekend, defeating Penn State, 3-0 on Friday, while falling 3-2 in overtime on Saturday. On Friday,
Mackenzie Stone (Kars, Ontario/South Carleton),
Caitlin Wallace (Brantford, Ontario/Assumption Collegiate), and
Jess Paton (Woodstock, Ontario/Waterloo K-W Rangers) scored, while
Ali Binnington (Oakville, Ontario/Mississauga Chiefs) stopped all 22 shots she faced for her third shutout of the season and 17th of her collegiate career. On Saturday,
Celeste Brown (Great Falls, MT/National Sports Academy) and Paton scored less than a minute apart in the second period, but RIT could not hang on. Binnington made 28 saves in the loss.
Defensively, RIT is fifth nationally, allowing just 1.43 goals per game. Binnington is second nationally in save percentage (.957) and third in goals against average (1.09). She is now RIT's all-time leader in saves (1,822) and minutes played (4,357) passing RIT Hall of Famer Melissa Norris (now Wilkins) '01. Her next shutout will tie the school record of 18, also held by Norris.
Kolbee McCrea (Wawa, Ontario/Burlington Barracudas) and
Mackenzie Stone (Kars, Ontario/South Carleton) are tied for the team lead with eight points apiece. McCrea has a team-best five goals, while Stone leads the way with six assists. McCrea is also four points shy of 100 for her career at RIT.
Mercyhurst enters the weekend with a 10-2-1 overall record and leads the CHA with six points (3-1-0), having won seven of its last eight contests. On Nov. 11, Mercyhurst defeated Ohio State on the road by a score of 3-0. Emily Janiga leads the team in scoring with 15 points on nine goals and six assists. Jenna Dingledein is right behind with five goals and eight assists. Mercyhurst is out-scoring its opponents, 35-16 this season. In goal, Amanda Makela has appeared in all 13 contests with a 1.00 goals against average and .951 save percentage. Makela is second nationally in goals against average and third in save percentage.
The Lakers are 399-110-35 since becoming a Division I program in 1999. Mercyhurst has made 10 straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including back-to-back Frozen Four appearances and are 162-13-11 in CHA play.
It is a rematch of the 2014 CHA Championship won by RIT in double overtime, 2-1, behind a career-high 62 saves from Binnington. Mercyhurst leads the all-time series between the two schools, 7-2. RIT went 2-3 against the Lakers last season.
Both games will be aired
live here and have
live stats.
