Box Score

TROY, N.Y. – Sophomore Chloe Hutchinson's late first half goal held up as the game-winner as the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) field hockey team edged 20th-ranked Rochester, 2-1, this afternoon in the Liberty League finale for both schools. With the win, the Engineers improve to 8-6 overall and 4-2 in the league, while the Yellowjackets drop to 13-3 (4-2 Liberty).

Hutchinson (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) powered the ball out of a scrum at the side of the Rochester cage and into the net for the eventual game-winning tally at 28:35 of the first half. The goal was her fifth of the season.

Rochester turned up the pressure in the second half, out-shooting the Engineers 11-5 in the stanza, but were unable to beat senior goaltender Katie Shea (Chevy Chase, MD/Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart), who made seven saves on the afternoon to pick up the win.

RPI senior Alissa Peterson (Gaithersburg, MD/Quince Orchard) netted the game's first goal at 14:43 of the opening half on a terrific feed from junior Jen Piselli (Branford, CT/Hamden Hall Country Day School), across the top of the scoring arc. Peterson beat Rochester junior netminder Madison Wagner (Cheswick, PA/Fox Chapel) to the near post for her team-leading ninth goal of the season.

The Yellowjackets tied the game (1-1) less than two minutes later, when junior Lindsey Randall (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Mendon) picked up the rebound of a shot by classmate Katie Flaschner (East Amherst, NY/Nichols School) and pushed it past Shea for her sixth of the campaign.

Rensselaer, which is in the Liberty League tournament, awaits the result of the Skidmore/St. Lawrence game to see where it finishes in the top four.

The Engineers are back on the field on Thursday, when they host Castleton State for a non-league contest at Harkness Field (6pm).