Box Score

TROY, N.Y. – Powered by a three-goal first period and goals from four different players, Harvard University defeated Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), 5-2, in ECAC Hockey action this evening. The second-ranked Crimson, who remains the nation’s only undefeated program, improves to 8-0-0 overall and in league play. The Engineers fall to 6-6-2 and 1-3-1 in the league.

Sophomore Anna McDonald (New Brighton, MN/Totino-Grace) got things going early after she put the rebound of a Kate Buesser (Wolfeboro, NH/Brewster Academy) shot past RPI netminder Ashley Mayr (Burnaby, BC/BC Breakers) at 3:18. Junior Sarah Wilson (Avon, CT/Loomis Chaffee) was also credited with an assist.

Less than five minutes later, Harvard grabbed a 2-0 lead on a power play effort from junior winger Sarah Vaillancourt (Sherbrooke, PQ/Pomfret School), who stole the puck off an RPI stick and split the defense for a quick shot between the legs of Mayr. Freshman Deborah Conway (Toronto, ON/Forest Hill Colegiate) pushed the differential to three goals less than 45 seconds later after stripping the puck off an Engineers defenseman in the zone for the unassisted tally.

Vaillancourt made it 4-0 for the visiting Crimson less than four minutes into the second period with her second power play goal of the evening. Off a pass from junior Jenny Brine (Truro, NS/Cobequid), Vaillancourt ripped a shot from the top of the near circle past Mayr.

The Engineers finally cut the differential as sophomore Whitney Naslund (Bloomington, MN/Bloomington Jefferson), chipped the puck through the legs of a Harvard defenseman before backhanding it past Crimson netminder Christina Kessler at 11:12. But Harvard found the back of the net yet again less than two minutes later after Vaillancourt took a shot from the top of the circle into traffic, which was tipped by Brine and put into the net by freshman Liza Ryabkina (Kharkiv, Ukraine/Berkshire School).

Junior Nicole McDonald (Ottawa, ON/Ottawa Raiders) added an unassisted tally at 2:52 of the third period, but the Engineers could not overcome the difference.

Harvard, which outshot RPI, 35-28 in the game, saw Kessler post 26 saves in the win. Mayr made 30 stops in the loss.

Both teams return to action tomorrow afternoon. Rensselaer hosts eighth-ranked Dartmouth while Harvard heads to Union. Both games are at 4pm.