Box Score

TROY, N.Y. – Fourth-ranked St. Lawrence University used a three-goal second period to its advantage and held on for a 5-3 victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in ECAC Hockey action on Saturday. The Saints, who own sole possession of first place in the conference standings, improve to 17-5-3 and 11-1-1 in the league. The Engineers drop to 12-10-3 and 7-5-2 to drop into fifth place in ECAC Hockey.

Locked in a 1-1 battle after the opening period, the visiting Saints grabbed a two goal lead just nine minutes into the second frame as sophomore Karell Emard (Richelieu, PQ/Dawson College Blues) and senior captain Marianna Locke (Brasher Falls, NY/North Country Ice Storm) scored for a 3-1 advantage.

Positioned at the bottom of the near circle, senior Alison Domenico (Nepean, ON/Ottawa Raiders) passed the puck up to classmate Carson Duggan (Ma-Me-O Beach, AB/Edmonton Chimos). She took a shot which was slightly wide to the right of the net and Emard was there at the post to put it in on the power play for the 2-1 lead.

Locke, off assists from junior Tara Akstull (Clifton Park, NY/Troy-Albany Ice Cats) and Domenico, made it a two-goal advantage after she came into the zone and sent the puck top-shelf over the reach of RPI netminder Sonja van der Bliek (Toronto, ON/Toronto Jr. Aeros) at 9:18.

The Engineers cut the deficit less than four minutes later as senior captain Nicole McDonald (Ottawa, ON/Ottawa Raiders) took an off-balance shot at the top of the slot and roofed it over St. Lawrence goalie Brittony Chartier (Saskatoon, SK/University of Minnesota). Chartier, who had stopped a flurry of RPI shots moments before while on her stomach, was unable to recover as McDonald cut the deficit to one.

St. Lawrence regained its two goal lead at 13:28 as Akstull corralled a pass from senior Lisa Batchelor (Red Deer, AB/Edmonton Chimos) and took the shot on the RPI net. Dropping to her knees, van der Bliek thought she had it covered, but the puck trickled out behind her and into the net to make it 4-2.

Off her first goal of the season, senior Jamie-Lynn Stewart (Cambridge, ON/Cambridge Jr. Fury) pulled Rensselaer to within one with less than two minutes remaining in the period. Chartier blocked her initial shot on the left side, but McDonald picked up the puck and sent it behind the net to Kendra Dunlop (Granum, AB/Warner Hockey School). Dunlop moved behind the net and sent a shot out to Chartier's right as Stewart slid across the slot and banged it home.

The Saints ended the home team's comeback just 5:38 of the final period as junior Britni Smith (Port Perry, ON/Markham Stouffville Stars) sent a shot through a screen in front of van der Bliek for the fifth and final tally.

Chartier stopped 18 shots in the St. Lawrence net while van der Bliek posted 25 stops for RPI

Rensselaer is back on the ice next weekend against nationally-ranked Dartmouth and Harvard on Friday (7pm) and Saturday (4pm), respectively. St. Lawrence also in action next weekend at Colgate and Cornell.