GAME NOTES IN PDF FORMAT

GAME STORYLINES
After two idle weekends, the Wayne State University women's hockey team (4-4-0, 0-0-0 CHA) will open its conference schedule and end its eight-game road swing with a weekend series at Robert Morris University (1-8-0, 0-1-0 CHA). The puck drops at 3:00 p.m. ET both Friday and Saturday at the RMU Island Sports Center in Pittsburgh, Pa.

In their most recent competitive action, the Warriors swept Colgate on Oct. 22-23 by scores of 4-0 and 5-3. The Colonials' 7-3 loss on Oct. 29 at fourth-ranked Mercyhurst to start College Hockey America play was RMU's eighth straight setback. Robert Morris was idle last weekend.

Wayne State will return to Detroit for two consecutive home series including Skate for the Cure, Nov. 19-20 against Mercyhurst. The Warriors will also host Minnesota State on Thanksgiving weekend.


BEHIND THE BENCH
Jim Fetter is 113-106-22 in his eighth season at the helm of the WSU women's hockey program. He is a three-time College Hockey America (CHA) Coach of the Year and was named Women's Division I Coach of the Year by the American Hockey Coaches Association in 2008.

Nate Handrahan has a career record of 47-96-7 in his fifth season at Robert Morris.


THROUGH THE YEARS
Wayne State leads Robert Morris, 19-4-0, in the all-time series dating back to RMU's inaugural 2005-06 season. The Warriors are looking to avenge a 3-1 loss to the Colonials in the quarterfinal game of the CHA Tournament last year in Detroit. The teams split the most recent regular-season series Feb. 26-27, 2010, in Pittsburgh.


IN THE POLLS
Robert Morris and Wayne State were predicted to finish in fourth and fifth place, respectively, by the CHA head coaches in the 2010-11 preseason poll.


SCOUTING ROBERT MORRIS
The Colonials have been on a downward spiral since defeating Providence, 5-4, in the season opener on Oct. 1. Robert Morris has been outscored, 42-17, during its current eight-game skid. This weekend's series marks the beginning of a six-game homestand for the Colonials, who like the Warriors have been idle for a significant period time, having last played on Oct. 29.

Senior forward Sara O'Malley leads Robert Morris with five goals and 11 points. Her six assists are tied for second-most on the squad, one behind sophomore forward Dayna Newsom who also has three goals. Forward Thea Imbrogno ranks second among all CHA rookies with eight points.

Goaltenders Kristen DiCiocco (1-3-0, 4.73, .860) and Daneca Butterfield (0-5-0, 5.36, .859) are among the bottom four nationally in both goals-against average and save percentage. Only Sacred Heart (6.00) has allowed more goals per game than Robert Morris (5.11).


LAST TIME OUT
Junior defenseman Jill Szandzik tied a school record with four assists, and junior Delayne Brian made 31 saves for her second shutout of the season as Wayne State defeated Colgate, 4-0, on Friday, Oct. 22 at Starr Rink.

Szandzik became the fourth Warrior with four assists in a game and the first since Lindsay DiPietro, who did it twice in her career – most recently on Jan. 25, 2008 at Robert Morris.

Brian, who made 15 of her 31 saves in the second period, held the Raiders to 0-for-5 on power plays and earned her sixth career shutout.

Wayne State went 3-for-8 with a skater advantage. Alyssa Baldin and Gina Buquet each had a power-play goal and an assist. Julie Hebert and Lauren Ragen also lit the lamp.

In the series finale, Wayne State scored three goals in the first period and put the brakes on a Colgate comeback to defeat the Raiders, 5-3, and complete the sweep.

Three Warriors – Buquet, Szandzik and Julie Ingratta – finished with a goal and two assists each. Hebert had a pair of assists, Veronique Laramee-Paquette scored a goal and added a helper, and Brian collected 40 saves.

Szandzik, who finished with seven points in the series, scored the game-winning power-play goal with 3:50 remaining in regulation after the Raiders tied it up at 3-3. She later assisted on Ingratta's power-play goal to seal the sweep.


CONFERENCE KUDOS
Szandzik was named College Hockey America Player of the Week on Oct. 25 for her performance in the Colgate series, while Brian was awarded the CHA Goaltender of the Week honor for the third consecutive week.

Five of Szandzik's seven points against the Raiders came on power plays. She factored into the game-winning goal both days and posted a +3 plus/minus rating.

Brian made 71 saves in the series and held Colgate's power-play unit scoreless in nine chances on the weekend. Brian, who has started all eight games this season, ranks sixth in the nation with 272 saves and has the 11th-best save percentage (.932).

Supplementing her weekly awards, Brian was also named the CHA Goaltender of the Month for October. This season marks the first in which the conference issues monthly awards in addition to weekly honors.


WARRIORS MOVING UP RANKS
Szandzik made significant moves in the WSU record books with her performance in the Colgate series. She is tied for ninth all-time with Kim Spaulding (2000-04) in career assists (29), tied for eighth with Laura Monk (2004-07) and Baldin in power-play points (20), and tied for 11th with Jessica Snelgrove (2002-06) in game-winning points (8).

Szandzik is third in points (35) and assists by a defenseman, and tied for eighth with Christine Jefferson (2006-10) for goals by a blueliner (6).

Baldin ranks 12th all-time in points (44) and took sole possession of ninth place in career goals (22). She also passed Chelsea Burnett (2006-10) for fifth place in power-play goals (10).

With her 24th career win on Oct. 23, Brian tied Anna VanderMarliere (2000-04) for second place on the all-time wins list. Brian also passed Tina Thibideau (2001-05) for third place in career saves (1,231).


ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Wayne State is in the final weekend of an eight-game road trip, the longest for the Warriors since taking an eight-game trip in the second half of the 2006-07 season. WSU is 3-3-0 on this trip.


CONFERENCE OPENERS
Wayne State is 3-6-1 all-time in conference openers. The Warriors lost each of their opening Great Lakes Women's Hockey League (the predecessor to College Hockey America) contests to Mercyhurst in 2000 and 2001.

Since the CHA women's league came into existence, Wayne State has won three of its league openers - a 1-0 victory in 2003 against Niagara, a 6-1 triumph at Robert Morris three years ago and a 5-3 win in WSU's first-ever meeting with Syracuse in 2008-09.


LOOKING AHEAD
The Warriors will play back-to-back home series against Mercyhurst (Nov. 19-20) and Minnesota State (Nov. 26-27). The series against the Lakers will be Skate for the Cure Weekend, raising money and awareness to fight breast cancer.

Wayne State will then travel to Syracuse (Dec. 3-4) and, following a break for exams and holidays, will close out the 2010 calendar year with a Dec. 30-31 series at Ohio State.