Box Score Box Score

TROY, N.Y. – Junior midfielder Alissa Peterson had a goal and an assist and senior goalie Briana Earle notched her second shutout of the season to lift the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) field hockey team to a 2-0 victory over Vassar College in Liberty League action at Harkness Field.  With the win the Engineers are now 5-2 overall and 2-1 in conference play.  The Brewers slip to 4-4 and are now 1-1 in the Liberty League.
 
Vassar came out dominant through the first ten minutes of the opening half, testing Earle (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker) early with a pair of shots off the stick of senior forward Emily Maier (Poughkeepsie, NY/Spackenkill).  Her first attempt, just 59 seconds into the contest, sailed in from just inside the top of the arc, but the RPI keeper made a heads-up play to kick the ball out of the zone.
 
Despite the early surge, momentum quickly shifted in the Engineers' favor as the home team controlled most of the final minutes of the half with 14 shots, including seven turned aside by Brewers goalie Maggie Brelis (Cambridge, MA/BB&N). 
 
Many of the attempts came in a flurry, including at the 15-minute mark as Peterson fired in a hard shot from high in the circle.  The ball settled at the feet of junior Tori Elliott (Hampstead, NH/Pinkerton Academy), who quickly turned to make the shot, but it was kicked saved by Brelis.
 
It was the Engineers who finally broke onto the scoreboard in dramatic fashion, taking a 1-0 lead off a goal by rookie Liana Viaggio (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) – the reigning Liberty League Rookie of the Week.  Peterson (Gaithersburg, MD/Quince Orchard) earned the assist after she fired a shot in on goal that was initially stopped.  Corralling the rebound, she shifted the ball left to Viaggio, who buried it in for the halftime lead.
 
Rensselaer continued to dominate as the second half got underway.  Viaggio nearly grabbed her second of the day with a wide open shot just 1:11 into the stanza, but Brelis got back to make a spectacular kick stop.
 
Peterson came through for the Engineers just minutes later as she punched the ball in through traffic off a pass from sophomore Jen Piselli (Branford, CT/Hamden Hall Country Day School) for a 2-0 advantage at 39:15.
 
The RPI defense was key down the stretch for the Engineers as a number of Vassar attempts over the final 20 minutes were blocked and kept out of the offensive zone.  The Brewers still continued to fight and the hard work nearly paid off with 18 minutes left to play as Maier carried the ball into the arc. 
 
Her shot was blocked as she got tangled up with a defender, but rookie Dara Davis (Guilford, CT/Guilford) was there for the loose ball.  Despite a heads-up play, Davis was unable to catch Earle off guard as she ran out for the stop to preserve the lead.
 
The Engineers, who were backstopped by a four-save effort from Earle, outshot the visitors 27-8 and held a 10-3 advantage in penalty corners.  Vassar saw Breslis make 10 saves.
 
RPI is back in action on Saturday as it travels to #7 Rowan for a 6pm contest.  Vassar returns to the field on Friday with a 4pm match at Morrisville State.