Box Score
TROY, N.Y. – Freshman Allison Wright (Oakville, ON/Oakville) tallied two goals, including an empty-netter with time winding down, to lead the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women’s ice hockey team to a 5-3 victory over tenth-ranked Princeton in ECACHL action this afternoon. With the win, the Engineers improve to 9-12-1 with a 5-5-1 league record. The Tigers are now 11-9-2 and 9-5-1 in the ECACHL.
Wright helped secure the victory in the final period, which saw Princeton’s Marykate Oakley (Buffalo, NY/Nichols School) tie the game 3-3, less than four minutes in. Oakley came down the slot, breaking through the RPI defense for an open shot at Engineers goalie Ashley Mayr (Burnaby, BC/BC Breakers).
Just under five minutes remained in the period when junior Julie Aho (Ann Arbor, MI/Birmingham Rangers) broke the tie, tipping a Melanie Guillemette (North Bay, ON/Stoney Creek Jr. Sabres) shot from the point past Brittnay Parisi (Clinton, NJ/Hotchkiss School) for the 4-3 lead.
A checking call on senior Dina McCumber (North Tonawanda, NY/Oakville Ice) would leave Princeton a man-down and the Tigers pulled Parisi to keep it 5x5 through the final minute. Wright sealed the victory for Rensselaer, breaking through two Princeton defenders in the neutral zone for the empty-net goal.
After a scoreless first period, both teams came out dominant in the second frame. Rensselaer got two quick goals from freshman Whitney Naslund (Bloomington, MN/Bloomington Jefferson) and senior Sarah Daniel (Calgary, AB/Bowness Bruins) beginning at the 1:26 mark. Naslund corralled the rebound on a shot from Wright in front before Daniel made it a two-goal advantage at 3:21.
Princeton refused to back down and capitalized mid-way through the frame with a power-play goal tipped in from in front of the net by freshman Melanie Wallace (London, ON/London Jr. Devilettes) at 10:38. The Tigers wasted little time in making it a 2-2 game with sophomore Annie Greenwood (New Canaan, CT/Hotchkiss School) putting her own rebound past the reach of Mayr at 13:11.
Wright would give the Engineers the 3-2 advantage heading into the explosive third period. Princeton, which outshot RPI, 33-21 in the game saw Parisi make 16 saves in goal.
Mayr posted 30 saves in the win for the Engineers, who moved into a tie for seventh-place with the victory.
Rensselaer closes out its four-game homestand tomorrow afternoon against Quinnipiac (2pm). Princeton heads to Union for a game against the Dutchwomen (2pm).
