The Oswego State women’s ice hockey team and top-ranked RIT showed just how much the two teams don’t like each other, combining for 33 penalty minutes in a all-out brawl that took place with just 15 seconds remaining in a 2-1 victory for the Tigers on Saturday afternoon at the Campus Center Ice Arena.
The Tigers (19-1-1 overall, 12-1-1 ECAC West) enacted some revenge against the Lakers on Saturday, defeating Oswego State on its Senior Day in much of the same fashion as the Lakers did last year to RIT. The victory for the Tigers completed the series sweep, as RIT shut out Oswego State, 4-0, on Friday night.
Saturday’s game started just like Friday’s, as the Tigers jumped out to a one-goal lead on the power play. The Lakers found themselves down two skaters after an interference penalty to sophomore defender Chelsea Hunt and a cross checking penalty to sophomore forward Olivia Boersen. At the tail end of Hunt’s penalty, RIT’s Kim Schlattman found Kourtney Kunichika with a cross-ice pass, who just slipped the puck past the outstretched stick of Oswego State freshman goaltender Bridget Smith.
The Lakers (9-10-2 overall, 8-6-2 ECAC West) responded with their first goal at home since Jan. 17 against Hamilton to tie the game at 12:00 of the first period. Sophomore forward Melissa Seamont deflected a shot from the blue line by junior defender Breanne Reith past RIT goaltender Ali Binnington. The two teams went to the first intermission tied at one.
RIT’s Ali Hills scored the game-winning goal at 13:15 of the second period with a shot through traffic that beat Smith top shelf. Danielle Read and Kristina Moss were credited with the assists.
The Lakers recorded just two shots on net in the second period, but came out in the third period firing, desperately looking for the game-tying goal. The goal would not come, but the Lakers’ frustrations with the Tigers boiled over with 15 seconds remaining in regulation while Oswego State was on the power play and also had an extra attacker with the goaltender pulled.
In a last-ditch effort for a goal, the Lakers registered a shot on net and crashed the net, bowling over Binnington in the process. RIT retaliated and wrestled the Laker skater to the ice, sending all 10 players on the ice into a massive squirmish that resulted in 33 penalty minutes and a lengthy delay. All 10 players, minus the RIT goaltender, were accessed roughing penalties except for freshman forward Carly Marchment, who received a 10-minute game-misconduct penalty and a five-minute major for contact to the head.
Binnington earned the victory in net with 15 saves on 16 shots faced. Smith recorded 28 saves on 30 shots faced.
Friday’s match up between the two teams was much more lopsided, as the Tigers scored twice in the first period and coasted the rest of the way, defeating the Lakers, 4-0, at the Campus Center Ice Arena in the annual “Pink at the Rink” night.
The Tigers scored on three of their five power play opportunities and limited the Laker offense to just 15 shots, including three in the second period.
RIT took the lead at 10:21 while on the power play on a goal by Kolbee McCrea after Reith took a penalty for interference. Kristina Moss and Kourtney Kunichika were credited with the assists.
McCrea recorded her second goal of the game on the breakaway, beating sophomore goaltender Catherine Cote with a series of dekes while skating in on net. Ariane Yokoyama and Kunichika were credited with the assists.
The Tigers capitalized on two of their final three power play opportunities, as Lindsay Grigg scored at 12:26 of the second period and Kunichika scored at 19:00 of the third period.
RIT goaltender Laura Chamberlain earned the shutout with 15 saves, while Cote took the loss with 29 saves on 33 shots faced.
The Lakers take to the road for the final four games of the regular season, starting against Division I Sacred Heart on Friday, Feb. 10 and continuing on Saturday, Feb. 11.
