Box Score

Montclair, NJ  - Senior midfielder Michelle Hagel collected her second consecutive hat trick while junior Sierra Rauchbach did the same as ninth-ranked Montclair State scored five times in the first half en route to an 8-2 win over Rensselaer at Sprague Field on Sunday.

Senior forward Kate Norgard had a goal and three assists as the Red Hawks improved to 2-0 on the year while also topping the Engineers (0-1) for the seventh time in eight all-time meetings.

Sophomore midfielder Chloe Hutchinson (New Hartford, NY / New Hartford) scored a pair penalty stroke goals for RPI, which got 21 saves from senior keeper Katie Shea (Chevy Chase, MD / Stone Ridge School).

Montclair State jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first 6:30 of the contest with two goals in a 2:26 span. Hagel put the Red Hawks on the boar at the 4:02 mark knocking in a tipped ball for the first of her three scores. Senior Frances Schafer (Egg Harbor City, NJ / Holy Spirit) banged home her own rebound as MSU led by two.

Rauchbach added her put back goal herself a second shy of the 10-minute mark for a 3-0 lead.

Rensselaer would break the run in the 15th minute as Montclair State was whistled for a foul. Jennifer Tafro made a defensive save off a shot by the Engineers' Alissa Paterson (Gaithersburg, MD/ Quince Orchard) however the ball bounced up and hit off her after the stop and RPI was awarded a penalty stroke. Hutchinson converted the opportunity as Rensselaer closed the gap to 3-1.

Montclair State answered back quickly as Norgard set up Hagel for the latter's second goal of the game and a 4-1 Red Hawks advantage with 17:51 left in the opening half. Hagel, who finished with 12 goals in 2011, then got the hat trick for the second straight contest with 1:58 left. Tafro ripped a pass 35 yards to Hagel who then riffled in a shot from five yards out past Shea as Montclair led 5-1 at halftime.

In the second half, Hutchinson added another penalty stroke goal to make the score 5-2. Norgard then collected a goal of her own at 49:43 and then assisted on Rauchbach's second less than four minutes later as MSU led 7-2. Rauchbach capped the scored with 3:04 left tipping in a shot attempt by Abby Erler (New Hampton, NH / Newfoundland Regional).

Goalkeeper Megan Bosland stopped two shots in 56 minutes of action before giving way to Laura Cummings, who had two saves, and Rebecca Brattole as each closed out the final 14 minnutes.

Montclair State outshot RPI 36-11 in the game and also had 19 penalty corners to the Engineers' five.

The Red Hawks now head out on the road for the first time this season beginning Wednesday. Montclair State meets Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA at 7:30 pm. RPI is also on the road that same evening in Oneonta, NY versus Hartwick College (7:00 p.m.)