Box Score
TROY, N.Y. – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) scored five consecutive goals, including four in the second period to erase a deficit and defeat Boston University, 7-3, in a women’s ice hockey game between two first-year Division I programs at the Houston Field House. With the win, the Engineers improve to 6-0-1. The Terriers are now 4-3-3.
Boston University jumped out to a 2-0 lead with two goals in the first 12:46 of the first period. Terriers’ freshman forward Nicki Wiart (Queensbury, NY/Berkshire) poked a rebound into the goal at the 5:25 mark for the 1-0 lead. Cara Hendry (Calgary, AB/Minnesota St.) and Laurel Koller (St. Paul, MN/Minnesota Thoroughbreds) earned the assists on the play. BU’s second goal, an unassisted power play marker, came on a slapshot by freshman Sarah Russell (Tewksbury, MA/Cushing Academy) from the top of the left faceoff circle at 12:46. Rensselaer pulled to within one when freshman Jaime Jacquard-Sowa (North Vancouver, BC/BC Breakers) took a pass from Julie Welte (Pueblo, CO/Colorado Xtreme) and wristed a shot into the back of the net from between the faceoff circles. RPI’s goal, which was also assisted on by Laura Menken (Meadowbrook, PA/Culver Academy), came at 16:45 of the first period.
Freshman Nicole McDonald (Ottawa, ON/Ottawa Raiders) tied the game with a shorthanded, breakaway goal just 3:52 into the second period. McDonald, a forward, got her sixth goal of the season when she intercepted a BU pass and broke in alone on the goalie. Her initial shot was stopped but she was able to stuff in the rebound. Junior Sarah Daniel (Calgary, AB/Bowness Bruins) put RPI ahead when she scored on a wristshot into the upper left corner from the right faceoff circle on a 2-on-1 with Welte. Jacquard-Sowa had the lone assist on the goal, which came at 6:10. The Engineers made it 3-1 just 1:20 later when freshman Emily Donowick (West Seneca, NY/Nichols School) tallied off assists from Kari Rabatin (Brookhaven, NY/Tabor Academy) and Jennifer Onksen (Germantown, MD/Washington Little Capitals). Onksen and Rabatin combined to make it 5-1 at 15:02 with Onksen getting the goal. BU’s Erin Seman (Ramsey, MN/Anoka) tallied with just 41 seconds left in the second period to make it 5-3. Wiert earned the only assist.
Donowick scored an unassisted shorthanded on a wraparound at 12:34 of the third period to make it 6-3. Sophomore Brooke Thompson (Rochester, NY/Rochester Edge) scored from just outside the crease at 14:15 for a four-goal margin for the Enigneers. McDonald earned the lone assist on the goal.
“The shorthanded goals were huge,” Rensselaer head coach John Burke said. “They really took the wind out of BU’s sails when they had a lot of momentum in their favor.”
Freshman Ashley Mayr (Burnaby, BC/BC Breakers) stopped 17 shots for the win in goal. BU freshman Karilyn Pilch (Salem, NH/Salem Boys’) stopped 14 of the 19 shots she faced in 35:55 before being replaced by freshman Allyse Wilcox (Grand Blanc, MI/Honeybaked). Wilcox finished with three saves on five shots.
Rensselaer and Boston University faceoff against one another on Saturday afternoon at 4pm at the Houston Field House.
