Box Score
TROY, N.Y. – Sarah Daniel (Calgary, AB/Bowness Bruins) tallied two goals to lead the Rensselaer women’s hockey to a 5-1, non-conference victory over Union. With the victory, the Engineers are now 11-1-2 overall. The Dutchwomen fall to 2-12-0.
Senior Jennifer Onksen (Germantown, MD/Washington Little Capitals) put Rensselaer up 1-0, with her second goal of the season at the 9:01 mark. Freshman Emily Donowick (West Seneca, NY/Nichols School) lifted the puck over the back of the net to Onksen, who puck the in the net through a pile-up of skaters.
Union wasted no time battling back, scoring just under forty seconds later to tie it 1-1. Junior Elise Nichols (Pittsfield, MA/Troy Ice Cats) collected a pass from Molly Garrett (Ridgely, MD/University of Connecticut), skated down the slot, breaking through the RPI defense for the goal.
The Engineers would respond late in the period when Nicole McDonald (Ottawa, ON/Ottawa Raiders) tallied her third goal of the weekend. Off a back-handed rebound shot by Jamie-Lynn Stewart (Cambridge, ON/Cambridge Jr. Fury), McDonald took the shot from the bottom of the left circle, scoring her team-leading 12th goal of the season. Daniel put Rensselaer up 3-1 less than a minute later skating around the back of the net, pushing the puck through the left side of Union goalie Alex Zirbel (Clearwater, FL/Shattuck St. Mary’s Prep).
The two teams skated through a scoreless second period which saw the Engineers freshman goalie Ashley Mayr (Burnaby, BC/BC Breakers) post several beautiful saves, including a 2-on-1 diving effort, to preserve the lead heading into the third stanza.
In the third period, Stewart extended the Rensselaer lead putting the rebound of a McDonald shot into the net at the 2:04 mark. Daniel added an insurance goal mid-way through the period back-handing the puck from the left side of the net past Zirbel.
Mayr stopped 18-of-19 shots and is now 4-0-1 overall. Zirbel finished with 29 saves.
Up next for the Engineers will be its longest road trip of the season, playing nine games over the next month. Their first stop will be at the University of Connecticut on Thursday for a 7pm match-up with the Huskies. Union returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Robert Morris at 3pm.
