Box Score

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Senior netminder Brianne McLaughlin (Sheffield, Ohio) stopped 56 of the 58 shots she faced to help backstop Robert Morris to a 2-2 tie against Rensselaer in non-conference action on Friday night. With the draw, the Colonials are now 5-7-1 while the Engineers move to 7-5-2 on the season.

Tied 1-1 entering the third period of play, the visiting Engineers pulled ahead for the 2-1 advantage at 4:11 after freshman Alisa Harrison (Vienna, Va.) tallied her third goal of the season off assists from fellow rookies Laura Guillemette (Ste-Marie-de-Beauce, Que.) and Amanda Castignetti (Anchorage, Alaska).

But the Colonials refused to back down late in the game as they pulled McLaughlin in favor of the extra attacker. Senior Kristen Miles (London, Ont.), who scored the game's first goal in the opening period, tied things at 2-all with just 16 seconds remaining in regulation to force the extra session. Maria Stoa (Bloomington, Minn.) and Whitney Pappas (Evergreen, Colo.) earned the assists on Miles's game-tying tally.

Neither team lit the lamp in the extra session as the Engineers put up three shots to none by the Colonials.

Robert Morris got things going early as Miles converted a pass from Sara O'Malley (Guelph, Ont.) at the 12:35 mark of the first stanza. She was also assisted by Samantha Ullrich (St. Louis, Missouri).

Senior defenseman Melissa Boik (Allen Park, Mich.) pulled Rensselaer even at 5:06 of the second period as she put one past McLaughlin for her third goal of the season. She was assisted by sophomore Sydney O'Keefe (Prior Lake, Minn.) and Whitney Naslund (Bloomington, Minn.).

In the nets, McLaughlin had an outstanding night with 56 saves. She stopped 17 in the first period, 23 in the second, 13 in the third and three in overtime. The Engineers, which were backstopped by sophomore Sonja van der Bliek's (Toronto, Ont.) 16 saves, held a 24-0 shot advantage in the second period of the game.

The Engineers wrap up their two-game set against the Colonials on Saturday evening with another 7:35pm tilt at the RMU Island Sports Center.