ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT women's hockey team opened the 2015-16 season with a resounding 9-0 win over the Ottawa Lady Senators in an exhibition contest at the Gene Polisseni Center on Friday evening.

RIT scored twice in each of the first two periods and exploded for five third period goals, out-shooting Ottawa 58-13. All three RIT goaltenders played a period to split the shutout. Brooke Stoddart (Elmvale, Ontario/Elmvale) earned the start and made three stops, while Jetta Rackleff (Bend, OR/Summit) made seven saves in the middle frame. Jenna de Jonge (Abbotsford, British Columbia/George Elliot) played the final period, stopping three shots.

Freshman defenseman Logan Land (Turkey Point, Ontario/Holy Trinity Catholic) tallied six points on a goal and five assists. Jess Paton (Woodstock, Ontario/Waterloo K-W Rangers) recorded the hat-trick with an assist, while Mackenzie Stone (Kars, Ontario/South Carleton) added a goal and two assists. Kandice Sheriff (Brampton, Ontario) scored twice, while Brinna Dochniak (Marine on St. Croix, MN/Stillwater) and Kendall Cornine (Kinnelon, NJ/Morristown Beard) added two helpers each, and Haley Northcote (Cumberland, Ontario/Minnesota State) was also a multiple-point scorer with a goal and an assist. Cassie Clayton (Pickering, Ontario/PEAC School) also scored for the Tigers.

RIT was 4-for-5 with the man-advantage, while holding Ottawa scoreless in two power-play chances.

Ottawa goaltender Tanya Winchcombe was under siege all evening, stopping 49-of-58 shots.

"Overall I thought we looked very good at times tonight and dominated puck possession," said Scott McDonald, the Bruce B. Bates Women's Hockey Coach. "We are very excited that the season is here and are ready to go. We have a young team and it looked like they adjusted pretty well tonight."

The Tigers came out and played an excellent first period, scoring the lone two goals, while out-shooting the Lady Senators, 21-3.

Clayton got the Tigers on the board 5:57 into the contest on the power-play, tipping in a Jess Paton (Woodstock, Ontario/Waterloo K-W Rangers)'s point shot from the slot. Logan Land (Turkey Point, Ontario/Holy Trinity Catholic) also assisted on the goal.

Sheriff made it 2-0 with 4:41 left in the period, slamming in a loose puck after great work down low from Kathryn Kennedy (Hamilton, Ontario) to keep the play alive. Dochniak fired a shot from the right point that Winchcombe stopped. The rebound squirted to Kennedy, who tipped a pass to Sheriff, who was all alone in front with an open net.

Stoddart was barely tested, but had to make a huge pad save on Katherine Chadwick on a breakaway with 14 seconds left in the period. Chadwick tried to deke Stoddart, but the junior goaltender was up to the task.

The Tigers continued their strong play into the second period, scoring two more times to lead 4-0 after two periods play, holding a 42-10 edge in shots.

Paton gave RIT a 3-0 lead with a power-play tally 4:56 into the period, firing a shot from the left point that caromed off an Ottawa player in front with Clayton setting a screen. Land and Cornine also assisted on the goal.

Sheriff made it 4-0 Tigers with 5:34 left in the period, as she buried a rebound in the slot after Lauren Carroll (Carlisle, Ontario/Oakville Hornets)'s shot was stopped by Winchcomb. Land also assisted on the tally, Sheriff's second of the game.

The Tigers poured it on with five third period goals to pull away.

At the 4:39 mark, Paton tipped home a shot by Northcote for her second of the game to make it 5-0. Just 44 seconds later, Northcote fired a shot from the high slot past Winchcombe for a power-play marker and a 6-0 lead.

Paton would complete the hat-trick with 8:23 left, completing a nifty passing play from Stone and Land, ripping a shot in from point-blank range to make it 7-0. Stone took a feed from Land on a power-play, cut to the net and went around Winchcombe to make it 8-0 with 5:35 left. Land would complete the scoring with 2:03 left in regulation firing a rocket of a slap shot over the glove of Winchcombe on the rush.

The nine goals sets a Gene Polisseni Center record for most goals scored in a game, men or women. This is the second season that the RIT teams will be playing in the 4,300-seat on campus arena.

RIT opens the regular season with a pair of home games against Minnesota State of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association next weekend. The Tigers play Minnesota State in the 2015-16 opener at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 2 and conclude the series at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3.