Box Score
PRINCETON, N.J. – Freshman
Alisa Harrison's (Vienna, VA/Washington Pride) goal at 19:34 of the second period proved to be the game-winner as the Rensselaer women's hockey team held off Princeton University for a 3-2 win at Hobey Baker Rink on Saturday.
The Engineers, who are now undefeated in 11 of their last 12 games and have won each of their last three contests, improve to 10-5-2 overall and 6-1-1 in ECAC Hockey. It is also the third weekend sweep of a league opponent for RPI this season. The Tigers fall to 6-7-1 and 4-5-0 in conference play.
The teams traded goals in the opening period as freshman Danielle DiCesare (York, ME/Assabet Valley) gave Princeton a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute and Rensselaer's
Whitney Naslund (Bloomington, MN/Bloomington Jefferson) answered two minutes later. DiCesare scored after junior Melanie Wallace (Toronto, ON/London Devilettes) chased down the puck in the offensive zone and made a centering pass to DiCesare who was crashing the net.
Naslund evened the score for the Engineers at 8:00 when she scored on the rebound of a Harrison shot as RPI took advantage of a Princeton turnover at the blueline. Naslund gave the Engineers their first lead of the game two minutes into the second period when she came off the wall and scored on the back hand, and Harrison extended the lead to 3-1 with 26 seconds left in the period on her own rebound attempt.
Princeton looked to climb back into the game and used a 16-shot third period to move back within one. The goal came at 7:09 on the power play as Wallace deflected sophomore Sasha Sherry's (Lehighton, PA/Shattuck St. Mary's) point blast for her third goal of the season. Princeton continued to pressure following the goal, but could not crack Engineer goaltender
Sonja van der Bliek (Toronto, ON/Toronto Jr. Aeros).
Princeton's pressure included nearly a full two minute power play at 6 on 4 with the goaltender pulled, but could not pull even.
Van der Bliek made 34 saves for the win while senior netminder Kristen Young (Calgary, AB/Bowness Bruins) stopped 25 shots for the Tigers. Princeton outshot RPI, 36-28.
The Tigers visit Minnesota-Duluth next weekend while the Engineers are idle until January 2 when they face North Dakota in the Easton/St. Cloud Showcase.
