Women's Hockey | 9/25/2014 10:42:00 AM

Click here for complete 2014-15 season schedule

ROCHESTER, NY - The RIT women's hockey team is poised for tremendous success in 2014-15, with 16 players returning from last season's College Hockey America Championship squad. In addition, RIT is eligible for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 2014-15 and will play its inaugural season at the 4,300-seat Gene Polisseni Center, a state-of-the-art rink on campus.
 
"Our excitement level is at an all-time high," said head coach Scott McDonald, now in his ninth season at RIT. "To be able to play in a sparkling, state-of-the-art arena and defend our league championship is something we are really looking forward to. We know we will have to give our best effort every night."
 
RIT, who earned two first place votes, was picked third in the 2014-15 preseason CHA poll, one point behind Mercyhurst and Robert Morris. The Tigers open the season with an exhibition contest against Pursuit of Excellence from British Columbia on Sept. 29, and break in the Gene Polisseni Center with a two-game series against Union on Oct. 3-4.
 
RIT will host New Hampshire and Northeastern the following weekend and go out to Vermont and Brown for two weekend series before opening up CHA play with a pair of home contests against Lindenwood. RIT will also travel to non-league foes Princeton and Rensselaer and close out 2014 with two home contests against nationally-ranked North Dakota on Dec. 12-13.
 
RIT will play its final 13 games against CHA foes. The 2015 CHA playoffs begin with a best-of-three series for the third through sixth place finishers from Feb. 27 – March 1. The top two teams get a first round bye. The CHA Tournament Semifinals and Championship will be held on March 6-7 at the home of the regular season champion.
 
"As always, the CHA is fast, physical, and we expect a lot of close games," said McDonald, who has 171 career wins at RIT. "We have a very challenging non-conference schedule with at least one team from every conference in the country. We will be tested right away, home and away, with some long road trips, which will really prepare us for our tough league schedule.
 
We open with fellow Liberty League opponent Union and get two big tests against New Hampshire and Northeastern of Hockey East. We also have some long road trips, going to Vermont, and Ivy League opponents Brown and Princeton. North Dakota is a top-10 team who we played out there two years ago and I am excited to see how we have developed over that time."
 
RIT returns captains Lindsay Grigg (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Hornets) and Celeste Brown (Great Falls, MT/National Sports Academy), along with assistant captain Morgan Scoyne (Drumbo, Ontario/Stoney Creek Sabres), three of the team's seven seniors. In addition, sophomore Taylor Thurston (Kanata, Ontario/All Saints Catholic) will serve as an assistant captain, giving RIT a strong leadership core.
 
"We return captains Lindsay (Grigg), Celeste (Brown), and Morgan (Scoyne) and add Taylor Thurston (Kanata, Ontario/All Saints Catholic), who really emerged as a leader," said McDonald. "We have a big senior class, who are all proven winners with tons of big-game experience. That class has evolved over the last year like no other we've had. Our leadership will be tremendous."
 
Up front, RIT returns six of its top eight scorers from last season. Senior Marissa Maugeri (Ajax, Ontario/Durham West Lightning) had a breakout season in 2013-14, leading the team with 28 points, while classmate Kolbee McCrea (Wawa, Ontario/Burlington Barracudas) had a team-high 16 goals. She has 60 career goals in three seasons. Grigg, who scored the game-winning double overtime goal in the CHA Championship last season, moves back to forward from defense this season, while Brown returns after scoring 11 goals in 2013-14.
 
Juniors Jess Paton (Woodstock, Ontario/Waterloo K-W Rangers) and Carly Payerl (Kitchener, Ontario/Resurrection Catholic) will be expected to step up into a great offensive role, while sophomores Mackenzie Stone (Kars, Ontario/South Carleton), Cassie Clayton (Pickering, Ontario/PEAC School), and Lindsay Stenason (Oakville, Ontario/Appleby Collegiate) will team up to form a line that will be counted on to stop the opponents leading scorers, while chipping in offensively. Stone scored five goals last season, all game-winners.
 
Sophomore Caitlin Wallace (Brantford, Ontario/Assumption Collegiate) had a strong end to the 2013-14 season and will be counted on to play a greater role. Freshmen Darcy Henderson (Burlington, Ontario/Burlington Barracudas) and Victoria Pitawanakwat (Manitowaning, Ontario/Sudbury Wolves) will look to step in and contribute right away.
 
"We return a lot offensively from last year and will move Lindsay Grigg (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Hornets) and Lindsay Stenason (Oakville, Ontario/Appleby Collegiate) from defense to their natural forward position, giving us even more firepower," said McDonald. "We feel we have three real strong lines, two scoring units and our sophomore group that emerged as a shutdown defensive unit."
 
Defensively, RIT returns Scoyne and Emilee Bulleid (Waterdown, Ontario/Stoney Creek Sabres), two seniors who have played an integral role since arriving on campus in 2011. Both have played over 100 games in their RIT careers. Thurston played in all 38 games as a first-year standout last season and will be counted on to play in all situations. Junior Haley Northcote (Cumberland, Ontario/Minnesota State) joins the squad after playing two years at Minnesota State University and will be expected to step right in and provide strong play and leadership. Freshmen Lauren Carroll (Carlisle, Ontario/Oakville Hornets) and Christa Vuglar (Crystal Lake, IL/Chicago Mission) will be expected to step in and play right away, while classmate Maddie Grisko (Buffalo, NY/Buffalo Bisons) will vie for playing time and add depth on the blue line.
 
"We return three strong, experienced defensemen and add four to the lineup, including our first Division I transfer in Haley Northcote (Cumberland, Ontario/Minnesota State)," said McDonald. "Our newcomers come in from highly regarded junior teams, giving us a nice mix."
 
In goal, Ali Binnington (Oakville, Ontario/Mississauga Chiefs) returns for her final season after enjoying an incredible year for the Tigers in 2013-14. Binnington was named the 2014 CHA Tournament Most Valuable Player, Regular Season Goaltender of the Year, and garnered 2013-14 All-United States College Hockey Online (USCHO) Third Team honors. In addition, Binnington was named a Co-SIDA/Capital One Academic All-American for the second straight season, finishing 16-9-2 with a 1.72 goals against average, .944 save percentage, and six shutouts. She ended the season by winning seven straight contests, allowing just six goals on her last 240 shots faced.
 
In addition, junior Jetta Rackleff (Bend, OR/Summit) and sophomore Brooke Stoddart (Elmvale, Ontario/Elmvale) return and will vie for playing time. Both goalies shined at various parts of the 2013-14 season and will push Binnington for playing time in 2014-15.
 
"Having Ali (Binnington) back is a huge piece to the puzzle," said McDonald. "The way she ended last year showed everyone that she is one of the top goalies in the country, as evidenced by her consideration for the Canadian National Team over the summer. Jetta (Rackleff) and Brooke (Stoddart) will continue developing and push for playing time, giving us a strong group."
 
McDonald and the Tigers are excited to defend their CHA Championship and possibly advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time at the Division I level.
 
"We want to compete at a high level game in and game out, play a tough physical game and compete until the final whistle," said McDonald. "As the defending conference champions, we know everyone will be prepared to give us their best games. With the league now receiving an automatic bid (to the NCAA Tournament) we know this is going to be an exciting year and we look forward to the challenge of defending our CHA title."