Women's Hockey | 1/6/2015 8:05:00 AM

Click here for RIT Game Notes --- Click here for Robert Morris Game Notes

ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT women's hockey team opens the 2015 calendar year this weekend, as College Hockey America rival Robert Morris comes to the Gene Polisseni Center on Friday and Saturday, with both games starting at 3:05 p.m. On Friday, it is Youth Hockey Day. Any child who wears his or her youth hockey jersey gets in free. On Saturday, it is Kids Day. Children can meet and greet the queen and princess of the ice after the game.
 
RIT begins a stretch of 13 straight CHA contests to end the regular season. The Tigers are currently sixth in the CHA standings with three points, but could make up ground with a strong final push. RIT was 11-5-2 after Jan. 1 in 2013-14 and 9-7-2 in 2012-13.

Tickets for both games are $5 for adults, $4 for RIT staff, faculty, and alumni, and $3 for youth. RIT students receive free admission (one ticket limit per valid RIT ID). Tickets are available at the Gene Polisseni Center and Gordon Field House Box Offices, by calling (585) 475-4121 or by visiting www.rithockey.com.
 
The Tigers (7-11-3, 1-5-1 CHA) are back in action for the first time in 27 days after its final two non-conference regular season games of the 2014-15 season, falling to North Dakota by scores of 3-1 and 6-1 on Dec. 12-13. On Dec, 12, the game was knotted at 1-1 before North Dakota scored two late third period goals. Mackenzie Stone (Kars, Ontario/South Carleton) scored RIT's lone goal, a power-play marker, while Jetta Rackleff (Bend, OR/Summit) made 33 saves. The following afternoon, North Dakota jumped out to a 4-0 first period lead and never looked back. Marissa Maugeri (Ajax, Ontario/Durham West Lightning) scored RIT's lone goal, a power-play marker in the second period. RIT finished its regular season non-conference schedule with a 6-6-2 record. 
 
Celeste Brown (Great Falls, MT/National Sports Academy) currently leads the team in scoring with 12 points on seven goals and five assists. She has four points over her last two games and is RIT's all-time leader at the Division I level with 27 goals since they moved up in 2012. Rackleff has started four of RIT's last five games in goal and has a 1.79 goals against average and .929 save percentage this season.
 
Robert Morris comes to RIT with a 5-11-3 overall record and 2-4-2 mark in league play. The Colonials rang in the New Year with a 4-1 win over the University of Windsor of Ontario in an exhibition contest on Saturday. Katie Fergus leads the team in scoring with nine points on two goals and seven assists, while Rikki Meilleur has a team-high seven goals. The Colonials are being outscored, 61-34 this season. In net, Jessica Dodds is 3-8-2 with a 3.36 goals against average and .890 save percentage.
 
RIT leads the all-time series between the two schools, 6-5-1. The Tigers eliminated Robert Morris from the postseason in 2013-14 with a 4-1 win in the CHA Semifinals. The two teams will also meet on Feb. 13-14 at Robert Morris.
 
Both contests will be broadcast online at witr.rit.edu and on America One. Live stats are also available for both contests.
 
Come out and support your Tigers in their first season at the Gene Polisseni Center, as they look to defend their College Hockey America title.