Women's Hockey closes 2024 hosting No. 7 Cornell

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The RIT women's hockey team hosts No. 7 Cornell in non-conference action on Tuesday (Dec. 31) at 2:00 p.m. at the Gene Polisseni Center.

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Weekend Recap (RIT vs. Lindenwood)
RIT swept a pair of Atlantic Hockey America games against Lindenwood winning 9-4 and 4-2 on Dec. 6-7. It was the first sweep of a conference opponent since the Tigers swept Penn State in 2020.
 
Senior forward Jordyn Bear scored her first career hat-trick and sophomore forward Addie Alvarez recorded a career-high four assists in Friday's 9-4 win. Senior forward Megan McCormick tallied a career-high three points and two goals, while first year forward Kailey Favro scored two goals. Junior goalie Sophia Bellina made 26 saves in net for the Tigers.
 
Alvarez had a goal and three assists and sophomore defendwoman Emma Pickering scored two goals in Saturday's come-from-behind win. Lindenwood took a 2-0 lead early in the second period, but RIT stormed back with three second-period goals. Alvarez tied the game on her goal at 13:21 and Pickering gave the Tigers the lead with a power play goal at 16:24 of the frame. Senior goalie Sarah Coe made 23 saves in net to earn the win.
 
Where They Stand (AHA)
RIT is third in the AHA standings with 13 points. The Tiger are one point ahead of Mercyhurst and three points behind second-place Syracuse.
 
Keep the (Point) Streak Alive
Alvarez has tallied at least one point (1g, 11a, 12P) in four straight games. She recorded three assists at Mercyhurst (Nov. 23) and assist at No. 7 Cornell (Nov. 26). She had four assists versus Lindenwood (Dec. 6) and a goal and three assists against the Lions (Dec. 7).
 
Power (Play) Surge
RIT is 8-of-14 (57.1%) on the power play in the last four games. The Tigers went 4-of-6 in a win at Mercyhurst (Nov. 23), 2-or-4 at No. 7 Cornell (Nov. 26) and 1-for-2 in two games against Lindenwood (12/6-7).
 
Among the All-Time Netminders
Coe enters the weekend first in career saves (2,322) and minutes played (4,303). She is tied for second in games played (77) and minutes played (4,243) and 11th with a career .905 save percentage. Bellina is seventh all-time with a .928 save percentage, eighth in saves (902) and tenth in games played (37), minutes played (1,850) and a career 2.27 goals-against average.
 
Top 100 Scorers
Four Tigers are ranked in the top 100 in all-time scoring. Senior forward Kylie Aquaro is tied for 36th all-time in scoring with 67 points (20g, 47a). Alvarez (14g, 26a) and senior defensewoman Kyla Bear (6g, 34a) are tied for 70th with 40 points and senior forward Athena Vasdani (16g, 22a) is 74th.
 
Career Milestones
Senior defensewoman Bailey Kehl blocked her 165th career shot against Lindenwood (Dec. 6-7). Senior forward Athena Vasdani (16g, 23a, 39p) is one point shy of 40, while Kyla Bear (6g, 34a) and Addie Alvarez (14g, 26a) each tallied their 40th career points against Lindenwood (Dec 6-7). Senior forward Kylie Aquaro (20g, 47a) is three points shy of 70 and graduate student defensewoman Mia Tsilemos is two blocks shy of 250 for her career.
 
Century Mark
Eight Tigers have surpassed the 100 games-played plateau. Graduate students Mia Tsilemos (132) and Nicole Ness (127), senior forward Megan McCormick (119), Kehl and Vasdani (118), Kyla Bear (117) and Aquaro (112).
 
About RIT
RIT enters the weekend averaging 2.8 goals per game while allowing 2.5 goals per contest. The Tigers are 17-for-67 (25.4 %) on the power play and 49-for-59 (83.0%) killing off penalties. RIT is winning 49.1% of its face offs and have blocked 313 shots.
 
Six Tigers have at tallied at least 10 points through 19 games led by Alvarez who has 20 points on six goals and a team-high 14 assists. Senior forward Kylie Aquaro is second with 18 points (5g, 13a. Sophomore defensewoman Emma Pickering and first year forward Brac Kelley are tied for third with 12 points apiece. Pickering leads the team with nine goals, including a team-high six power play tallies. Kyla Bear (0g, 10a) and first year forward Kailey Favro (5g, 5a) are tied for fourth with 10 points.   
 
Senior goalie Sarah Coe is 6-3-1 with a 2.06 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage, while junior Sophia Bellina is 3-3-2 with a 2.59 GAA and a .914 save percentage.
 
AHA Rankings
RIT leads Atlantic Hockey America in power play percentage (25.4%) and is second in goals per game (2.84), points per game (7.26), assists (84), assists per game (4.42) and penalty-killing percentage (83.1%). The Tigers are third in goals allowed per game (2.47), and blocked shots per game (16.47).
 
Alvarez is second in the league averaging 1.11 points per game and 0.78 assists per game. She is third in the league in points (20) and assists (14) and tied for sixth with six goals. Aquaro is fourth in the AHA in points (18) and assists per game (0.68) and tied for fourth with 18 points. She is fifth in the league with 13 assists and tied for fifth with three power play tallied. Pickering is fourth in goals (9) and goals per game (0.47), tied for first with six power play goals and sixth with 40 blocked shots.
 
Kyla Bear seventh in the AHA with 10 assists, averaging 0.53 per contest and tied for seventh with Tsilemos with 38 blocks. Kelley is seventh with 151 face-off wins and sixth in the league winning 57.6 percent of her face-offs. Senior forward Megan McCormick is seventh winning 50.3 percent of her draws and senior forward Jordyn Bear is eighth in the league with 144 face-off wins.
 
Coe is third in Atlantic Hockey America with a 2.06 goals-against average, while Bellina is fifth with a 2.59 GAA. Coe is sixth in save percentage (.922) and Bellina is seventh (.914).
 
National Rankings
RIT is fifth in Division I with 17 power play goals and seventh converting 25.4 percent of its power play chances. The Tigers are 10th with 55 goals, 12th in scoring offense (2.84) and assists (84) and tied for 20th in penalty-killing percentage (83.1%).
 
Alvarez is tied for 15th nationally averaging 0.78 assists per game and tied for 21st averaging 1.11 points per game. Pickering is tied for second in Division I with six power play goals. Coe is 16th with a .650 winning percentage and 25th with a 2.06 GAA.
 
About Cornell
Cornell enters the game ranked No. 7 in the USCHO Division I Women's Poll and are 8-3-2 overall. The Big Red defeated RIT, 5-2 on Nov. 26. Senior defender Ashley Messier tallied two goals and an assist, while junior forward McKenna Van Gelder scored two goals. Sophomore goaltender Annelies Bergmann made 10 saves in net.
 
Cornell enters the game averaging ninth in Division I averaging 3.1 goals per game and seventh allowing 1.7 goals per contest. The Big Red is ninth in nationally converting 24.1% of their power plays and 16th stopping their opponents power play 84.5 percent of the time.
 
Junior forward Avi Adam leads Cornell with 13 points on six goals and seven assists. Messier is second on the team with nine points, including a team-high nine assists. Van Gelder (4g, 5a), junior defender Alyssa Regalado (1g, 8a) and senior forward Gabbie Rud (0g, 9a) are tied for third with nine points.
 
Bergmann has seen the majority of the minutes in net this season and enters the game with an 8-3-2 record. She is 11th in Division I with a 1.70 goals-against average and 14th with a .931 save percentage.
 
RIT vs. Cornell
Cornell is 13-8-1 all time against RIT. The Big Red defeated the Tigers 5-2 back on November 26.