Box Score
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Senior captain Sarah Daniel (Calgary, AB/Bowness Bruins) tallied a goal and an assist and four other Engineers scored as Rensselaer defeated Union, 5-1 in ECAC Hockey League action at Messa Rink. With the victory, RPI improves to 8-11-0 overall with a 4-4-0 league mark. The Dutchwomen fall to 4-12-0 overall and 0-8-0 in the ECACHL.
Union opened the scoring in the first period on senior Elise Nichols’ (Pittsfield, MA/Troy Ice Cats) team-leading 11th tally of the season. Freshman Amanda Rucinski (Rochester, MN/Shattuck St. Mary’s) set up the goal, passing the puck up from behind the net to Nichols who was in the slot and shot past the left side of Rensselaer netminder Ashley Mayr (Burnaby, BC/BC Breakers).
The Engineers stormed back less than five minutes later when sophomore Jaime Jacquard-Sowa (North Vancouver, BC/BC Breakers) converted a pass from Allysen Weidner (Wichita, KS/Shattuck St. Mary’s) past Dutchwomen goalie Amanda Hansen (Brainerd, MN/Brainerd) at 14:40. From the left circle, Weidner corralled a pass from linemate Whitney Naslund (Bloomington, MN/Bloomington Jefferson) and sent it up to Jacquard-Sowa, who in front for the goal.
Rensselaer took a 2-1 advantage late in the period on a power play goal by junior Julie Aho (Ann Arbor, MI/Birmingham Rangers). Freshman Laura Gersten (Queensbury, NY/Troy-Albany Ice Cats) set up what proved to be the game-winner by sending the puck from the point to Daniel in the right circle. Daniel sent the puck off the boards behind the net and it went out to Aho at the left of the net.
RPI, which has won six of its last eight games, broke the game open in the second period with three unanswered goals, including two less than 30 seconds apart, for a 5-1 lead. Sophomore Melissa Boik (Allen Park, MI/Honeybaked U-19) got the flurry started at 8:29. Set up at the top of the right circle, Boik collected her own rebound and put it past Hanson for a power play marker. Sophomore Jamie-Lynn Stewart (Cambridge, ON/Cambridge Jr. Fury) made it a 4-1 lead less than 30 seconds later after converting a pass from defenseman Kelly Barbera (Nesconset, NY/Gunnery School) for the 3-1 lead at 8:56.
Daniel rounded out the scoring in the frame after taking a shot which sailed over the glove of Hansen at the 17:27 mark. Classmate Ciara Libaridian (Los Angeles, CA/U of Findlay) was credited with the lone assist.
Neither team found the back of the net in the third frame, which saw the Engineers outshoot the Dutchwomen, 6-3. For the game, Rensselaer posted 40 shots to Union’s 15.
Mayr posted 14 saves in the victory to improve to 7-9-0 , while Hanson, her counterpart, stopped 35 shots in the loss.
The Engineers are now idle until January 6-7 when they welcome ECACHL rivals Brown and Yale to the Houston Field House. Both games begin at 2pm. Union also returns to action on Jan. 6-7 when it hosts Yale and Brown.
