PITTSBURGH, PA – The RIT women's hockey team (7-25-1, 3-15-1 CHA) couldn't overcome a tough second period, falling 2-0 to Robert Morris (15-13-5, 7-8-4) in a College Hockey America matchup at the 84 Lumber Arena on Friday evening.
 
Robert Morris' Brittany Howard tallied both goals, 2:45 apart in the second period for the scoring advantage. Maeve Garvey, Jessica Dodds, Sarah Quaranta, and Maggie Lague each tallied an assist. Jessica Dodds stopped all 16 shots she faced for the victory.
 
Jetta Rackleff (Bend, OR/Summit) had another strong outing, stopping 39-of-41 shots. The Tigers went 4-for-5 on the penalty kill, but were unable to tally a goal in four power play chances. RIT was outshot on the evening, 41-16.

"We were outworked tonight," said Bruce B. Bates Women's Hockey Coach Scott McDonald. "We were standing around too much in our defensive for long portions of the action. Offensively, we were unable to get on track all night."
 
Rackleff was stellar early, helping to keep the game scoreless in the first, despite a 13-4 shots on goal advantage for Robert Morris. About four minutes into the period, the Colonials had a golden opportunity on a 2-on-1 in Rackleff kicked away the Robert Morris opportunity for the save. On a penalty kill later on in the first, Rackleff and the RIT defense stayed strong as an aggressive power play Robert Morris unit crowded the net, keeping the puck away.
 
In the second period, the Colonials finally converted on its chances. With the man-advantage on the power play, Howard played a rebound off a shot by Quaranta at the doorstep, and converted on the open net, with 4:43 elapsing in the period. Just a few minutes later, Howard struck again, as Garvey fed Howard from the boards off a Robert Morris rush. Howard made a solid individual play, beating the last defender, then making a move to her right, finishing low past the glove of Rackleff.
 
The Tigers had solid chances in the third period on power plays. Jess Paton (Woodstock, Ontario/Waterloo K-W Rangers), Reagan Rust (Southaven, MS/Moon Area), and Kendall Cornine (Kinnelon, NJ/Morristown Beard) each had a shot on goal on the first RIT chance, but was turned away from Dodds each time. Later on in the period, Logan Land (Turkey Point, Ontario/Holy Trinity Catholic) had a 1-on-1 chance on a brief power play chance after the 4-on-4 but the shot was denied by Dodds, going up the ladder to make the glove save. RIT finished with eight shots on goal in the period and three power-play chances, but were unable to reduce the deficit.
 
The loss ties leads the all-time series between the two teams at 9-9-4. Robert Morris has won all three matchups so far this season, the first two coming at the Gene Polisseni Center on Nov. 6-7.
 
The Tigers will finish play in the regular season against Robert Morris tomorrow at 3:05 p.m.