2004-2005 News
Lady Eagles Win American Collegiate Hockey Association National Championship!
Lady Eagles defeat Michigan State University-Green 7 - 1 in Sunday afternoon championship tilt!
Leah Johnson chosen Tournament MVP! Savannah Varner & Ashley Boye selected to All-Tourney Team!
The Robert Morris Women's Ice Hockey team led the field from first face-off to final horn--beginning the regular season ranked Number One in the Nation and ending the season with the American Collegiate Hockey Association National Championship. The Lady Eagles Ice Hockey team--with a record of 37-6-1, many of those 37 wins coming against NCAA Division III competition--were ranked #1 in the nation in the final ACHA poll. On Sunday afternoon, they fulfilled the mission set by Coach John Burke in September and won the national title, defeating Michigan State University-Green, 7 - 1. The Lady Eagles set the tone early, scoring twice in the first minute of action. They never looked back as Goalie Crystal Zace (Sophomore, LaGrange Park, IL) allowed only a single power play goal to the #3-seeded Green. Tournament Most Valuable Player Leah Johnson (Captain, Sophomore, Becker, MS) tallied a goal and First-Team All-Tournament selection Savannah Varner (Freshman, Centerville, PA) lit the lights for a hat trick. Second-Team All-Tournament selection Ashley Boye (Freshman, Cape Coral, FL) scored, as did Jennifer Norris (Junior, Roselle, IL) and Jessica Zalesky (Freshman, Farmington, MN). The game completed a scoring barrage that left the rest of the field reeling: the Lady Eagles scored 35 goals in their five games in the tournament. For all the details, you can visit the ACHA Women's Tournament Website.
On Thursday, March 10, Coach John Burke led the Lady Eagles as they began their quest for the national championship with a shutout! The #1 seeded Eagles came out strong against #12 University at Buffalo with a goal by Ashley Ackerman (assisted by Jessica Zalesky and Krista Sleen) a mere 1:47 into the game. Leah Johnson owned the second period scoring unassisted at 1:43 and again at 11:32. Now with a comfortable lead, the Eagles really took charge scoring another 5 goals in the third period. Ashley Boyle's hat trick (goals at 1:01, 4:11, and 15:22) and goals by Nicole Flanagan (assisted by Jennifer Norris at 5:57) and Jennifer Norris (unassisted at 6:14) brought the final score to RMC 8 - Buffalo 0. Goalie Lori Barton got her second shutout of the season stopping Buffalo's 3 shots on goal as compared to RMC's 43. You can check the box score by clicking here. On Friday, March 11, Robert Morris sealed their first place position for Pool A of the tournament with a 7 - 2 win over #8 North Country Community College. The Eagles' true talent shined as they scored 4 of their 7 goals short-handed! With Goalie Crystall Randall (Junior, Charlotte, NC) in the net and Robert Morris strong on offense and defense, the Eagles were up 4-1 at the end of the first period. Goals were scored by Nicole Flannagan (at 1:30 - unassisted), Savannah Varner (at 2:58 - assisted by Ashley Boyle and at 13:18 - unassisted), and Leah Johnson (at 3:54, unassisted). Savannah Varner upheld her reputation as one of the leading scorers in the league, completing a hat trick at 16:34 in the second, putting one more in the net at 13:50 in the third period, and assisting Lisa Gens for her goal at 8:12 in the third. Check out the box score by clicking here.
On Saturday morning, March 12, the Lady Eagles trailed a team for the first time in the tournament. #5 Western Michigan took the lead 1 - 0 when WMU's Jennifer Goscicki scored the first of her three goals in the game on a power play eight minutes into the first period. But the lead was short lived as RMC kicked into high gear. Mindy Shelton (Sophomore, Kentwood, MI) and Leah Johnson (Sophomore, Becker, MS) both found the net in a thirty-second flurry of action that moved the Lady Eagles from a one-goal deficit into a lead they would never relinguish. Ashley Boye (Freshman, Cape Coral, FL) and Savannah Varner (Freshman, Centerville, PA) each added a pair of goals, while Jennifer Norris (Junior, Roselle, IL), Captain Krista Sleen (Sophomore, Park Rapids, MN), and Ashley Wehnes (Freshman, Middleville, OH) all tallied singletons. Captain Leah Johnson added a pair of assists to go with her first period goal. The final buzzer came with an RMC victory 9 - 3. Click here to view the box score.
Saturday evening, RMC faced the #4 ranked Rhode Island Rams in the semifinals. The first period remained scoreless as Rhode Island focused on their defense. This strategy did not pay off for the Rams, as the Eagles put away three in the second period. The final score, 4 - 0 marked the second shutout for RMC against the Rams this season. While the Rams went heavy on defense, they still gave goalie Crystall Randall the opportunity to make some great saves. This game marks her 5th shutout of the season. Click here to view the box score.