ERIE, Pa. (Interstat) — Greta Brezenski had three goals and two assists, and Robert Morris pulled away for an 8-3 victory over Post in a women’s NCAA Division I hockey game Friday at Mercyhurst Ice Center. The Colonials improved to 1-0, while the Eagles fell to 0-3. Attendance was 250. The game was the season opener for Robert Morris and the third game of the season for Post.

Robert Morris, the home team, trailed early in a back-and-forth opening period. Post struck first at 1:26 when Celena Mickevicius scored with assists from Kingston Golding and Lily Zohner. Alaina Giampietro answered for the Colonials at 2:07, converting feeds from Jessica MacKinnon and Brezenski. The Eagles regained the lead at 4:21 on Flora Hanga Pasztor’s goal, assisted by Peyton Tully and Golding. From there, Robert Morris scored three straight goals to seize momentum. Mya Kearns made it 2-2 at 8:14 with help from Rowyn Ringor and Hannah Thornton. MacKinnon put the Colonials ahead at 9:53, assisted by Taylor Storey and Kearns. Giampietro added her second goal of the period at 11:39, with Mary Snyder and Brezenski assisting, giving Robert Morris a 4-2 lead. Post cut the deficit to one at 17:39 when Rylie Griffiths scored, assisted by Golding and Zohner, but the Eagles would not score again. Robert Morris led 4-3 after a first period that featured seven goals.

Brezenski took over in the second period. She scored three consecutive goals to turn a one-goal lead into a four-goal cushion. Her first came at 25:48, with Thalia D’Elia and Giampietro assisting. She struck again at 29:37, assisted by MacKinnon and Caroline Aufiero. Brezenski completed her hat trick at 39:56, with Giampietro and Ashlyn Ham earning assists, making it 7-3 after two periods. Her three goals came in a span of 14:08. Brezenski finished with five shots on goal. Her five-point game paced Robert Morris in the win.

Hannah Thornton capped the scoring at 48:44 of the third period with an unassisted goal, setting the final at 8-3. Giampietro, a Strongsville, Ohio, native, finished with two goals, two assists, and five shots on goal. MacKinnon, from Clarks Harbour, Canada, had a goal, two assists, four shots on goal, and a two-minute penalty for slashing. Kearns, a Canonsburg, Pa., native, added a goal, an assist, and three shots on goal. Thornton, from Whitby, Canada, had a goal, an assist, and one shot on goal. Maggie Hatch made 13 saves on 16 shots to earn the win in net for Robert Morris. D’Elia, Aufiero, and Ham each recorded an assist, while D’Elia also had one shot on goal. Hatch and the Colonials kept Post off the scoreboard in the third period.

For Post, Griffiths scored once and recorded four shots on goal. Mickevicius and Hanga Pasztor also scored, while Golding finished with three assists and Zohner had two. The Eagles remained winless on the season and were unable to recover after Robert Morris’s second-period surge. Penalties included crosschecking minors on Shayne Desjardins in the first and second periods, a tripping call on Georgia Stevens, a slashing call on MacKinnon, and a bodychecking penalty on Ava Vrana in the third. Post entered the game after season-opening losses to Lindenwood by scores of 7-0 and 5-0.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Robert Morris 2, Post 1. Interstat’s ELO system had given Robert Morris a 65.1 percent probability to win. Robert Morris is scheduled to host Post again in the teams’ next game. The Colonials then visit Penn State.