ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The RIT women's hockey team plays a pair of non-conference games at Union this Friday and Saturday (Oct. 4-5).

Weekend Recap (RIT vs. Assumption)
RIT swept a pair of games against Assumption last weekend by scores of 3-0 and 5-0. Sophomore forward Addie Alvarez scored a career-high two goals and first year forward Ireland Stein scored her first collegiate goal in Friday's win. Graduate student defensewoman Mia Tsilemos and first year forward Kailey Favro each had two assists, while junior goalie Sophia Bellina made 11 saves in net to record her second career shutout.

Senior defensewoman Kyla Bear tallied a career-high three assists in Saturday's victory. Senior defensewoman Jessie Burks and senior forward Kylie Aquaro each had a goal and an assist and Stein and senior forward Megan McCormick each scored a goal. Senior goaltender Sarah Coe made 11 saves in net to record her second career shutout.

AHA Weekly Honors
First year forward Ireland Stein was named Atlantic Hockey America Rookie of the Week, Monday. She scored two goals and won 12-of-17 playoffs to help lead the Tigers to a pair of wins over Assumption. Kyla Bear was a Defenseman of the Week Honorable Mention selection, while Sarah Coe and  Sophia Bellina were Goaltender of the Week Honorable Mention picks.

Milestones
Seniors Athena Vasdani and Bailey Kehl played in their 100th career games on Friday (Sept. 27) against Assumption, while Kyla Bear played her 100th game on Saturday. Six Tigers, including Vasdani, Kehl and Bear have played in 100 or more games (Megan McCormick, Nicole Ness and Mia Tsilemos).

Kehl needs six blocks to reach 150 for her career, while Bear is three blocks short of 170. Vasdani tallied her 35th career point and handed out her 20th career assist last weekend, while senior Kylie Aquaro is three points shy of 55 career points.

About RIT
RIT enters the weekend averaging 4.0 goals per game and have yet to concede a goal in two games. The Tigers are 3-for-11 (27.3%) on the power play and 4-for-4 killing off penalties. RIT is 69-of-102 (67.6%) on face offs and have blocked 25 shots.

Aquaro, Tsilemos, Jessie Burks and Kyla Bear are tied for first on the team with three points apiece. Burks and Aquaro each have a goal and two assists on the season, while Bear and Tsilemos have three assists. Alvarez and Stein lead the team with two goals apiece, while Favro has two assists.

Neither Coe nor Bellina have yet to concede a goal this season.

About Union
Union enters the weekend with a 1-1-0 record after a split at Robert Morris last weekend. The Garnet Chargers lost game one, 3-1 and rebounded with a 4-2 win the following day. 

Senior defender Maren Friday scored Union's lone goal in Friday's loss and senior goalie Sophie Matsoukas made 23 saves in net. Friday tallied a goal and an assist in Saturday's win and sophomore forward Maddie Leaney had two assists. Matsoukas made 22 stops to earn the win in net. 

Union averages 2.5 goals per game and allow 2.5 goals per contest. The Garnet Chargers are 4-of-9 on the power play and are 8-for-11 killing penalties.  Friday (2g, 1a) and Leaney (3a) lead Union with three points apiece. First year forward Karianne Engelbert is third with two points (1g, 1a). Matsoukas has a 2.5 goals against average and a .900 save percentage.

RIT vs. Union
Union is 14-10-4 all time against RIT. The Tigers swept a pair of games at the Gene Polisseni Center last season by scores of 4-1 and 2-1. Aquaro and sophomore defender Emma Pickering each tallied a goal and an assist in game one, while Alvarez and McCormick each scored a goal. Bellina made 21 saves in net to earn the win.

Iliano Smith gave Union a 1-0 lead midway through the second period of game two. Emma Roland tied the game later in the period and junior forward Jaidan Fahrny scored the game-winner at 9:38 of the third period. Coe made 21 saves in net.

Coe has a win in four starts against Union with a 3.02 goals against average and .915 save percentage. Bellina is 1-0 versus the Garnet Chargers with a 0.95 goals against average. McCormick has four points (3g, 1a) and nine blocks all-time against Union, while Vasdani has three points (1g, 2a) against the Garnet Chargers.

National Rankings
RIT is sixth in Division I in goals (8) and assists (14). The Tigers are seventh nationally in scoring offense, averaging 4.0 goals per game and are tied for ninth in the nation on the power play (3-of-11).

Four Tigers are among the top-20 in assists per game. Tsilemos and Kyla Bear are tied for 7th (1.50) and Favro and Jessie Burks are tied for 19th (1.00).

First year forward Brac Kelley is tied for 21st in the country with 20 face off wins and Alvarez is tied for 11th with two goals. Bellina and Coe are tied for second with a shutout win apiece.

Ranked Opponents
RIT plays four teams ranked in this week's USCHO Division I Women's Poll. Cornell is sixth, Colgate is seventh, St. Lawrence is eighth and Penn State is 12th. RIT hosts Colgate on Oct. 11-12 and St. Lawrence Oct. 25-26. 

The Tigers play a home-and-home series against Cornell beginning with a road game (Nov. 26) followed by a home game on Dec. 31.  RIT plays at Penn State Jan. 10-11 and hosts the Nittany Lions Feb. 14-15.