Box Score | Purchase Photos

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Seniors Jordan Smelker and Madison Marzario each netted power-play goals to lead the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's hockey team to a 2-1 victory over St. Cloud State University, this afternoon in non-league action from the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center. With the win, the Engineers complete a two-game sweep and improve to 6-8-1 overall. The Huskies drop to 2-11-3.

Junior netminder Kelly O'Brien (Sussex, WI/Madison Capitals) was superb for the second straight day, stopping 31 of the 32 shots she faced. She made a combined 75 saves in the two games this weekend.

The Engineers netted power-play goals in their first two opportunities of the game, including Smelker's (Anchorage, AK/Team Alaska 19-U) second tally of the season at 6:21 of the stanza. Freshman Heidi Huhtamaki (Espoo, Finland/Espoo Blues) moved the puck to the left circle for junior Kathryn Schilter (Aurora, ON/Toronto Jr. Aeros), who found Smelker all alone in the right circle. Smelker settled the puck before ripping a shot past St. Cloud sophomore goaltender Katie Fitzgerald (Des Plaines, IL), glove side.

Marzario (Prior Lake, MN/Shattuck-St. Mary's) made it 2-0 RPI at 10:18 of the opening period, when her slap shot from the left point found its way inside the right post. The power-play tally, which was assisted by Huhtamaki and sophomore Mari Mankey (Coon Rapids, MN/Hopkins), was Marzario's second of the year.

After a scoreless second period, St. Cloud found the back of the net at 4:54 of the third, on senior Molli Mott's (Colorado Springs, CO) fifth marker of the season. The shorthanded goal was assisted by classmate Julia Gilbert (Hermantown, MN).

O'Brien (6-7-1) came up with a number save big saves in both the second and third periods to keep the Huskies at bay. She stopped 13 in the second stanza alone, while making 10 save in the third. Fitzgerald (1-4-1) finished with 18 saves for St. Cloud.

Rensselaer continues its season-long six-game road trip next weekend, when it visits Princeton and eighth-ranked Quinnipiac on Friday (7pm) and Saturday (4pm), respectively.