Box Score
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Union freshman Marissa Gentile (Groton, MA/Tabor Academy) netted the game-tying goal with 3.9 seconds remaining in the contest to force overtime as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and Union College skated to a 4-4 draw in ECAC Women’s Hockey action this afternoon. The Engineers are now 8-8-3 overall and 3-5-2 in conference play. The Dutchwomen improve to 1-15-2 and 0-8-2 in the league.
With the game netted at 3-3 all heading into the final period, Rensselaer grabbed the lead off a breakaway by sophomore Whitney Naslund (Bloomington, MN/Bloomington Jefferson) just 51 seconds in. Classmate Allysen Weidner (Wichita, KS/Shattuck St. Mary’s) earned the lone assist after stripping the puck off a Union stick in the neutral zone.
Union gambled in the closing minute, pulling goaltender Lundy Day (Calgary, AB/University of Maine) in favor of the extra attacker with 44 seconds left. The Dutchwomen capitalized off an RPI miscue as senior Courtney Chais (Plaintation, FL/North American Hockey Academy) flipped the puck to Gentile on the right side for the goal.
Day finished with 48 saves in the draw, including 12 in the first, 14 in the second and third, and eight in overtime. Mayr stopped 13 shots for Rensselaer.
After battling through two scoreless periods in Friday night’s victory, the Engineers wasted little time in getting on the board in game two. Naslund put RPI on the board at 4:20 of the opening frame after she skated into the offensive zone and split the defense for a backhanded shot at Day. Junior defenseman Melanie Guillemette (North Bay, ON/Stoney Creek Jr. Sabres) earned the lone assist.
Rensselaer took a two-goal advantage later in the frame when freshman Kendra Dunlop (Granum, AB/Warner Hockey School) recorded her fifth goal of the season. Off a pass from the far point from senior defenseman Ellen McNamara (Macomb, MI/Little Caesars U19), Dunlop rifled a shot from the right circle over the shoulder of Day at 14:57.
Sophomore Allison Wright (Oakville, ON/Oakville Ice) put RPI up 3-0 at 8:17 of the second period, after her shot from behind the net, banked in off of Day’s pads. The Engineers lead was short-lived though as the homestanding Dutchwomen scored three unanswered goals to tie things up at 3-3. Guillemette and senior defenseman Kelly Barbera (Nesconset, NY/Gunnery School) notched the assists on the tally.
Union got onto the scoreboard at 9:57 after sophomore Brenna Malnar (Soughgate, MI/Honeybaked AAA) threw the puck up into the faceoff circle to Gentile, who sent a quick wrist shot over the glove side of Mayr. Junior Suzy Pocock (Sterling Heights, MI/Honeybaked AAA) was credited with the second assist.
Chais narrowed the visitors lead to 3-2 after finding the rebound of a Courtney Kerslake (Sarnia, ON/Bluewater Jr. Hawks) shot in traffic for the goal at 15:48.
Pocock evened the score at 19:21 when she capitalized on another loose rebound in front of the net for a 5 on 3 goal past Mayr. Gentile, who took the initial shot at the goal, and Malnar were credited with the assists.
Rensselaer, which outshot Union, 52-17, in the game, also saw senior Brooke Thompson (Rochester, NY/Rochester Edge) play in her 100th career game.
Both squads return to action next weekend as Rensselaer heads to Cornell for a 7pm matchup on Friday. Union is at Colgate, also at 7pm.
