Box Score
TROY, N.Y. – Backed by two first period goals, the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women’s hockey team completed a weekend sweep of Robert Morris University with a 3-1 win this afternoon. The Engineers improve to 11-8-4 overall while the Colonials fall to 10-13-1.
Junior Melanie Guillemette (North Bay, ON/Stoney Creek Jr. Sabres), who tallied the game-winner in Friday’s victory, got the Engineers on the board early in the first period when she converted a pass from defenseman Laura Gersten (Queensbury, NY/Troy-Albany Ice Cats) just 22 seconds into the game. Junior Melissa Boik (Allen Park, MI/Michigan Capitals) was credited with the secondary assist.
The Engineers took a 2-0 lead with 36 second on the clock after Guillemette’s shot from the center slot was re-directed through traffic and tipped in by senior Julie Aho (Ann Arbor, MI/Birmingham Rangers) for her first goal of the season. Sophomore Rossli Chace (Hampton Falls, NH/Governor Dummer Academy) earned the other assist on the tally.
Robert Morris finally broke through in the second stanza after junior forward Kristen Miles (London, ON/London Devilettes) corralled a pass from classmate Samantha Ullrich (St. Louis, MO/Team Illinois U-19) and took a shot from the far circle which trickled underneath RPI goalie Sonja van der Bliek (Toronto, ON/Toronto Jr. Aeros) and in at 7:21.
Boik regained the two-goal advantage for the homestanding Engineers with less than three minutes remaining in the frame after her slapshot from the top of the left circle sailed through traffic and past Colonials netminder Brianne McLaughlin (Sheffield Village, OH/Ohio Flames) at 17:11.
Rensselaer, which outshot Robert Morris, 35-21, in the contest, saw van der Bliek post 20 saves. Her counterpart, McLaughlin stopped 32 shots in the loss.
The Engineers return to action next weekend when they host North Country rivals St. Lawrence and Clarkson on Friday (7pm) and Saturday (4pm) at the Houston Field House. The Colonials also returns to action next weekend with a two-game series against Wayne State.
