Box Score
TROY, N.Y. – Junior Melissa Boik’s (Allen Park, MI/Michigan Capitals) goal at 17:32 of the second period proved to be the game-winner and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women’s hockey team went on to defeat Quinnipiac University, 2-1, in ECAC Hockey action this evening.
The Engineers, who snapped a six-game winless streak with the victory, improve to 7-7-2 overall and 2-4-1 in conference play. The Bobcats fall to 1-11-2 and 0-8-2 in league play.
RPI found itself at a disadvantage early in the game after a five-minute major to junior defenseman Melanie Guillemette (North Bay, ON/Stoney Creek Jr. Sabres). Killing off the 5 on 4, the Engineers rebounded later in the frame for a tally by senior forward Brooke Thompson (Rochester, NY/Rochester Edge).
Sophomore Laura Gersten (Queensbury, NY/Troy-Albany IceCats) started the play after her initial shot from the point was blocked out to freshman Sydney O’Keefe (Prior Lake, MN/Prior Lake). O’Keefe corralled the puck and chipped it out to Thompson for the goal to the left of the Bobcats netminder at 16:51.
Quinnipiac tied things up at 8:39 of the second stanza after sophomore Janine Duffy (Toronto, ON/National Sports Academy) beat RPI goalie Ashley Mayr (Burnaby, BC/BC Breakers) five-hole from the far circle. Senior Vicky Graham (Glen Riddle, PA/National Sports Academy) earned the primary assist on the tally after passing the puck to Duffy from just inside the Bobcats own defensive zone.
Rensselaer wasted little time in evening the score, taking a 2-1 lead off a blast from the top of the slot from Boik. Sophomore Rossli Chace (Hampton Falls, NH/Governor Dummer Academy) and Thompson garnered the assists on the goal.
Mayr posted 24 saves in the win for RPI, which outshot Quinnipiac 36-25 in the game. Freshman netminder Jamie Miller (Richmond Hill, ON/Toronto Jr. Aeros) shouldered the loss for the Bobcats with 34 stops.
Rensselaer is back in action tomorrow when it hosts Princeton at 4pm. That game will be broadcast on campus in cooperation with RPI TV. The Bobcats travel to Schenectady to take on Union at 3pm.
