Box Score  | 2013-14 Schedule & Results | 2013-14 Statistics

TROY, NY -- Lauren Wash scored the gamewinner in the third period to lead Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) to a 2-1 victory over #7 Harvard in ECAC women's hockey action on Friday evening at Houston Field House. The win, which was the first for the Engineers over Harvard since Jan. 11, 2011, ended a five-game win streak for the Crimson. RPI moves to 2-5-1 overall, with a 1-0-0 record in conference play, while Harvard drops to 2-1-0, both overall and in the ECAC.

Wash ( Belle Mead, NJ / New Jersey Rockets) scored the go-ahead goal at 10:03 of the third period. The Engineers were pelting Harvard goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer (Bruderheim, AB / Lloydminster Comprehensive 1) with shots, before Wash finally redirected the puck into an open net. Katie Rooney (Buffalo, MN/Buffalo) and Taylor Mahoney (Cary, IL / Chicago Mission) each recorded their third assist of the season on the goal.

RPI took a 1-0 lead during a penalty-filled first period. Each team had three penalties in the stanza, and Rensselaer was the only team that was able to take advantage, as Laura Horwood (Belleville, ON / Durham West Lightning) found the back of the net on a tipped pass from Alexa Gruschow (Mechanicburgh, PA / Washington Pride) at 16:50. Brandi Banks (Burlington, ON / Stoney Creek Jr. Sabres) got the secondary assist on the score. The Engineers outshot the Crimson, 8-6, in the period.

Harvard tied the game at 1-all early in the second period with a goal from Dylanne Crugnale (Laguna Niguel, CA / N. American Hockey Acad.). Crugnale took assists from Hillary Crowe (Eden Prairie, MN / The Blake School) and Samantha Reber (Edina, MN / Edina) at 4:47. The teams battled through the remainder of the stanza, but the Crimson held most of the advantage, outshooting the Engineers, 12-4. 

Harvard outshot Rensselaer, 30-15, for the game, and held the advantage in face offs, 26-22. Neither team was able to connect on a power play opportunity, as RPI went 0-for-3 and Harvard was 0-for-4. Engineer goalie Kelly O'Brien (Sussex, WI / Madison Capitals) played all 60 minutes between the pipes for RPI, making a season-high 29 saves. Maschmeyer stopped 13 shots for the Crimson.

"Our kids deserved it," said RPI head coach John Burke, whose team ended a six-game winless streak dating back to Oct. 5. "Last week was a little bit of a bump in the road. We didn't play very well at UConn, but we worked extremely hard. Even at the end when we were kind of bumping the puck around, I give them credit for fighting and battling away. Kelly O'Brien played well in the net. We found a way to get two goals there. As we tell the kids, it wasn't a Picasso win, but we're not a Picasso team."

The Engineers will return to action on Saturday afternoon, hosting Dartmouth in ECAC action at 4 p.m. at Houston Field House.