Women's hockey opens AHA play this weekend against Robert Morris

ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT women's hockey team begins this weekend playing Atlantic Hockey America against Robert Morris on Friday (November 1) at 6:00 PM and Saturday (November 2) at 3:00 PM

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Weekend Recap (RIT vs. No. 6 St. Lawrence)

RIT went 0-1-1 against No. 6 St. Lawrence in conference action last weekend, losing 4-1 on Friday and earning a 2-2 tie the next day.

Senior forward Bronwyn Khangsar scored in Friday's loss, scoring 5:25 into the third period on an assist from the senior forward Megan McCormick. Senior goalkeeper Sara Coe made 24 saves and freshman goalie Brenna McNamara made five saves in relief of Coe in her first collegiate minutes.

Senior forward Kylie Aquaro and graduate student moving forward Nicole Ness both scored in Saturday's draw. Aquaro tied the game at 1-1 after her power play goal at 16:48 of the first period on assists from senior defenseman Kyla Bear and freshman defenseman Madison Buziak. Trailing 2-1 in the third period, Ness tied the game at 3:01. Junior goalkeeper Sophia Bellina made a season-high 40 saves, including 15 stops in the third period and four in overtime.

Atlantic Hockey America Weekly Honors

Bellina was named AHA goalkeeper of the week on Monday. The junior goalie made a career-high 40 saves in Saturday's 2-2 game against No. 6 St. Lawrence.

Among All-Time Netminders

Coe enters the weekend first in career saves (2,199), third in games played (72) and minutes played (4,000) and 11th with a career .905 save percentage. Bellina ranks sixth all-time with a save percentage of .930, ninth in saves (822), tenth in games played (34) and minutes played (1,670) and 11th with a 2.23 goals-against average in her career.

Top 100 scorers

Three Tigers are in the top 100 all-time high scores. Senior forward Kylie Aquaro enters the weekend tied for 47th all-time with a score of 57 points (18g, 38a). Senior forward Athena Vasdani (14g, 22a) is a senior defender Kyla Bear (6g, 30a) are tied for 77th place with 36 points each.

Milestones

Senior defender Bailey Kehl blocked her 150th career shot last weekend against No. 6 St. Lawrence and Kyla Bear recorded her 30th career assist last weekend. Senior forward Athena Vasdani is four points (14g, 22a, 36p) shy of 40 for her career. Aquaro is two goals behind on twenty and goes into the weekend three points behind on 60.

Century Mark

Eight Tigers have surpassed the 100-match mark. Graduate students Mia Tsilemos (123) and Nicole Ness (118), senior forward Megan McCormick (110), Kehl and Vasdani (109), Kyla Bear (108) and Aquaro (103).

About RIT

RIT enters the weekend averaging 2.5 goals per game and allowing 2.3 goals per game. The Tigers are 8-for-37 (21.6%) on the power play and 22-for-25 kill-off penalties. RIT is 276 of 538 (51.3%) on faceoffs and has blocked 167 shots.

Eighteen Tigers have achieved at least one point in ten matches. Aquaro leads the team with eight points from four goals and four assists. Sophomore forward Addie Alvarezfreshman forward Brac Kelley And Kyla Bear are tied for second with six points each. Alvarez ranks first on the team with four goals, Kelley ranks second with four assists and Bear leads the team with six helpers. Sophomore defenseman Emma Pickering is fifth with five points and tied with Alvarez and Aquaro for team best with four goals.

Coe is 4-0-0 with a 1.93 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage, while Bellina is 1-2-2 with a 2.53 GAA and a .916 save percentage.

AHA Rankings

RIT leads Atlantic Hockey America in penalty kill percentage (88.0%). The Tigers rank second in power play percentage (21.6%), goals allowed (2.30) and face-off winning percentage (51.3%) and third in scoring (2.50 goals per match) and assists per match (3.60).

Alvarez, Pickering and Aquaro are tied for fifth in the league with four goals each. Kyla Bear is tied for third in the conference with six assists and tied for fifth with an average of 0.60 assists per game. Aquaro is seventh in the AHA with eight points, averaging 0.80 points per game and tied with Pickering with three power play marks.

Senior forward Jordyn Bear is fourth in the league winning 47.4 percent of her faceoffs and is seventh with 73 wins, while Kelley is fourth in the league with 86 faceoff wins. Pickering ranks fourth in the AHA with 23 blocked shots and Kyla Bear is tied for seventh with 19 blocks.

Coe is second in Atlantic Hockey America with a 1.93 goals-against average, while Bellina is fifth with a GAA of 2.53. Coe is third in the league with a save percentage of .926 and Bellina is seventh with a save percentage of .916.

About Robert Morris

Robert Morris enters this weekend with a 5-5-0 record after a weekend sweep of Saint Anselm, winning 6-1, 7-1. Redshirt sophomore forward Calli Arnold scored two goals and promoted forward Mya Neugent and junior forward Morgan Giannon each had a goal and three assists in Friday's win. Redshirt second goalie Maggie Hatch made 39 saves to earn the win in net.

Giannone scored two goals and an assist while a sophomore Alaina Giampietro and sophomore forward Janelle Evans each had a goal and two assists in Saturday's win. Neugent and graduate student emerge Veronica Bac each scored a goal and an assist and redshirt freshman goalie Lucia Phillips made 19 saves in goal for the Colonials.

Robert Morris enters the weekend second in Atlantic Hockey America with an average of 2.6 goals per game and fifth in the conference with 3.5 goals per game. The Colonials rank fourth in the AHA, converting 16.2 percent of their power play chances and finishing fourth in killing 26 of their opponent's 39 power plays.

Giannone leads the team and is tied for third in Atlantic Hockey American with 10 points (4g, 6a). Neugent is second on the team and fifth in the AHA with nine points (3g, 6a) and Evans is third on the team and seventh with eight points (2g, 6a). Bac leads the team and is tied for first in the league with five goals, including a league-best four power play games, and Neugent and Giannone are tied for third in the AHA with six assists each .

Defender of graduate students Allyson Hebert leads the AHA with 34 blocked shots and second in defense Kaitlyn Scholey and freshman defenseman Shayne Desjardins are tied for second with 26 blocked shots.

Hatch ranks seventh in Atlantic Hockey America with a 3.03 goals against average and second with a save percentage of .927. Phillips is eighth in the league with a GAA of 3.14 and a save percentage of .912.

RIT vs. Robert Morris

Robert Morris is 30-15-5 all-time against RIT. The Tigers were 2-2-0 against the Colonials last season, including a 3-2 overtime win on Feb. 3. Trailing 2-1 in the third period, Nicole Ness The game was tied halfway through the third period Kylie Aquaro scored the game winner 1:07 into overtime.

National rankings

RIT ranks 10th in Division I in team saves (259) and is tied for 11th in goals (25) and tied for 11th in penalty kill percentage (88.0%). The Tigers rank 13th nationally at 8 of 27 (21.6%) on the power play, 15th with 36 assists and tied for 18th with an average of 2.50 goals per game.

Kyla Bear is tied for 25th with six assists. First year ahead Brac Kelley is tied for 15th with 86 face-off wins and Pickering and Aquaro are tied for third with three power play goals. Sophomore forward Addie Alvarez ranks fifth with two game-winning goals and Coe ranks fourth with two shutouts, 20th with a 1.93 GAA and 25th with a .926 save percentage.

They come from far and wide

The 26 tigers come from 11 states, two Canadian provinces and one country in Europe, with the largest groups coming from Ontario (6), Saskatchewan (4), Pennsylvania (3) and Illinois (3). Players come from as close as Rochester, NY to as far away as Pale, Latvia (4,192 miles).

Ranked opponents

RIT will play four teams ranked in this week's USCHO Division I Women's Poll. RIT is 1-2-1 versus ranked opponents. The Tigers split against No. 7 Colgate (Oct. 11-12) and went 0-1-1 against No. 6 St. Lawrence (Oct. 25-26). The Tigers will play No. 11 Cornell in a home-and-home series (Nov. 26 and Dec. 31). RIT plays No. 12 Penn State (Jan. 10-11, Feb. 14-15).

Atlantic Hockey America

Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) will begin its inaugural season in 2024-2025 following the merger between the Atlantic Hockey Association and College Hockey America. The conference features eleven men's teams (American International College, Bentley University, Canisius College, The College of Holy Cross, Mercyhurst University, Niagara University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Robert Morris University, Sacred Heart University, the United States Air Force Academy and the United States Military Academy) and six women's teams (Lindenwood University, Mercyhurst University, Penn State University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Robert Morris University and Syracuse University). In 2025-2026, Delaware University will join the women's league.