#3 Robert Morris opens tourney with 6-0 win over Gophers!
Bensenville, IL - The #3-seeded Robert Morris Women's Hockey started first-day pool play in the American Collegiate Hockey Association 2008 Women's Division I National Championship with a convincing 6-0 win over the #6-seeded Golden Gophers of the University of Minnesota on March 6, 2008, at the Edge Ice Arena in Bensenville, IL.
The defending national champions found the net with just 59 seconds gone in the first period. Danielle Brady (Regina, Saskatchewan ) was perfectly set up at the right post to sweep in the rebound off a shot from Danielle McCutcheon (Calgary, Alberta).
Jackie Holmes (Carol Stream, IL) made it 2-0 with an unassisted power-play goal scored with just under six minutes left in the first. Holmes swept in on goal down the right wing and when Gopher goaltender Amanda Oliveriius (Arden Hills, MN) couldn't control the rebound off her glove save, the Eagles forward swept her own rebound into the back of the net.
RMC added to their lead at the 3:24 mark as two native Minnesotans teamed up for a classic two-on-one break. 2007 ACHA Player of the Year Savannah Varner (Centerville, PA) broke up a rush by Minnesota and found Bridget Katz (Cambridge, MN) in the neutral zone. She flew in on Oliverius's left and slipped a perfect pass to Katie Kosobucki (Birchdale, MN). The Eagles' captain wristed the puck past a kick save attempt. RMC took that 3-0 lead into the first intermission.
Not much time was gone in the second before the Eagles scored again. Savannah Varner got her first goal of the tournament with just 1:08 ticked off the clock, slapping in a rebound off a Katie Kosobucki shot. Shannon Nawoski (Aurora, IL) also earned an assist on that goal.
Bridget Katz slipped another rebound past Oliverius at the 14:55 mark. That came after the initial save on a try by RMC's Lindsey Fennell (Winnipeg, Manitoba).
The Eagles finished off their scoring on the day with a short-handed goal with a little less than four minutes left in the game. Katie Kosobucki got her second goal of the morning assisted by Danielle McCutcheon and Shannon Nawoski
RMC outshot the Golden Gophers 34-12 for the game as Ashley Miller (Estevan, Saskatchewan) earned the shut-out for the Eagles.
RMC improves to 25-13 overall, 22-3 in ACHA. The Gophers fall to 12-4-3 overall and in ACHA play.
The Eagles will continue their quest for their third national championship with another pool-play game at 4:10 PM on March 6, 2008, versus Western Michigan. Minnesota will also play Western Michigan on Friday morning, March 7, 2008, at 8:00 AM.