Box Score
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Behind a pair of goals in the second period, Yale held on to defeat Rensselaer, 3-2, in the final game for both teams in ECAC Hockey regular season. The Bulldogs improve to 11-12-6 and 8-10-4 in conference play, while the Engineers drop to 13-15-5 and 6-12-4 in the league.
With today’s victory, Yale has secured the final playoff seed in the upcoming ECAC Women’s Hockey Tournament. Rensselaer, which needed a win in this afternoon’s contest, does not advance to the playoffs in its second season of ECAC Hockey play.
Holding an early 1-0 lead after the opening period, the Engineers quickly found themselves in a hole to open the middle frame. Junior Sarah Tittman (Chilton, WI/Wisconsin Wild) knotted things at 1-1 just 54 seconds into the period, converting a pass from sophomore Berit Johnson (Wayzata, MN/The Blake School) for the tally. Junior Maggie Westfal (New Caanan, CT/Connecticut Stars) was also credited with the assist.
Yale sophomore Alyssa Clarke (Donkin, NS/Team Nova Scotia) propelled the Bulldogs ahead at the 6:40 mark after a face-off win by junior Crysti Howser (Wilmette, IL/Assabet Midget) slid back to the defenseman at the point for the even-strength goal past RPI netminder Ashley Mayr (Burnaby, BC/BC Breakers). The momentum shift reflected not just on the scoreboard, but in shots as well as Yale rebounded for a 19-3 advantage over the visiting Engineers.
In the third period, the Bulldogs made it a two-goal advantage on the power play off a shot by freshman Samantha MacLean (Mississauga, ON/Oakville Ice). With a goal that eerily resembled Yale’s second tally, junior Danielle Kozlowski (Melrose, MA/Chelmsford Midget) won the face-off and chipped the puck back to MacLean, whose shot got through traffic past Mayr at 2:05.
RPI pulled to within a goal (3-2) at the 11:31 mark after sophomore defenseman Laura Gersten (Queensbury, NY/Troy-Albany Ice Cats) put an unassisted shot past Yale goalie Jackee Snickeris (Dowington, PA/Connecticut Polar Bears).
The visiting Engineers pulled Mayr with 1:38 remaining but were unable to tie things up as time wound down, sealing the Bulldogs victory.
The Engineers opened the game with the early lead after sophomore Allison Wright (Oakville, ON/Oakville Ice) found the puck in a scrum in front of the net. Junior Nicole McDonald (Ottawa, ON/Ottawa Raiders) and senior Ellen McNamara (Macomb, MI/Little Caesars U-19) were credited with the assists.
Snickeris posted 17 saves in the win for Yale while Mayr stopped 31 saves for RPI.
