Courtesy of RITAthletics.com
WORCESTER, MA – The RIT women’s hockey team (0-0-1) opened its 2017-18 regular season by skating to a 2-2 tie against host Holy Cross (0-0-1) from the Hart Center on Friday evening.
Juniors Kandice Sheriff (Brampton, Ontario/) and Logan Land (Turkey Point, Ontario/Holy Trinity Catholic) scored for the Tigers. Brittney Gout (Caledon, Ontario/Brampton Canadettes) picked up her first collegiate with an assist on Sheriff’s goal while Kendall Cornine (Kinnelon, NJ/Morristown Beard) drew an assist on Land’s goal.
Freshman goaltender Jessi O’Leary (Woodstock, New Brunswick/Athol Murray) made her collegiate debut in net for the Tigers, stopping 26 of 28 shots, including all 14 she faced in the second period.
Maeve Riley and Katie MacCuaig scored for the Crusaders, while Julia Pelletier made 24 saves on 26 shots.
Holy Cross out-shot RIT, 28-26. The Tigers were 1-for-3 on the power-play, while Holy Cross was 0-for-2.
“It was an up and down game,” said Bruce B. Bates Women’s Hockey Coach Scott McDonald. “Both teams had good momentum at each end. We have to learn to play with a lead and finish games the right way. We weren’t focused on the basic fundamentals of playing the game.”
Sheriff opened the scoring just 5:03 into the game, beating Pelletier from in close. The Crusaders would tie the game on Reilly’s goal just 1:28 later.
Land gave RIT its second lead of the game midway through the second period on the power-play. MacCuaig would net the equalizer with 5:17 left in regulation.
O’Leary had to be at her best in the overtime, as Holy Cross had a handful of great chances. About two minutes into overtime, she made a tremendous save on a skirmish in front as the goal light came on but the puck never crossed the line.
Holy Cross made its Division I debut tonight. The Crusaders are an independent for the 2017-18 season and will join Hockey East in 2018-19.
RIT leads the all-time series between the two schools, 10-3-2. The two teams last met in 2006-07, when both were members of the ECAC East.
First-year players Katie Carlson (Dalbo, MN/Minnesota Revolution), Gout, Stella Haberman (Golden Valley, MN/Minnesota Whitecaps), Kaelyn Johnson (Toronto, Ontario/Mississauga Chiefs), Ellie Larson(Hutchinson, MN/Hutchinson High School), Jordan Marchese (Mississauga, Ontario/Brampton Canadettes), O’Leary and Baylee Trani (Huntington Beach, CA/New England Hockey Club) all made their collegiate debuts this evening.
RIT and Holy Cross conclude the weekend series Saturday from the Hart Center at 6:05 p.m.
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