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TROY, N.Y. - In a game it had to win to qualify for the ECAC Hockey Playoffs, Colgate University got two goals from senior Brittany Phillips and 19 saves from freshman goaltender Ashlynne Rando on its way to a 2-1 win over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in the regular season finale for both teams. Rensselaer falls to 10-20-4 overall and 8-12-2 in the league. The Raiders improve to 11-19-3 and 6-13-3.

RPI will be the seventh seed in next week's first round and will travel to second-seeded Clarkson. Colgate is the eighth seed and will play the first seed, Cornell. The first round of the playoffs is a best-of-three series at the highest seed beginning on Friday.

Phillips (Lauder, MB / Westman Wildcats) scored once in the first period and again in the second, while Rando (Sugerland, TX / N.A.H.A) stopped four shots in the first period, five in the second and 10 in the third. The only goal she allowed came with 19 seconds left and RPI skating with an extra attacker.

Colgate took the lead at 13:35 of the opening period when Phillips, a right wing, scored unassisted from just outside the left side of the crease. She doubled the advantage with a power play goal from between the circles at 15:57 of the second period. Miriam Drubel (Hanover, NH / N.A.H.A.) had the primary assist, while Nicole Gass (Cookshire Eaton, PQ / Ontario Hockey Academy) picked up the secondary.

Rensselaer freshman Alexa Gruschow (Mechanicburgh, PA / Washington Pride) made a strong bid to pull the Engineers to within one goal with five minutes left in the third period but her rush down the left side was denied. RPI then pulled sophomore goaltender Kelly O'Brien (Sussex, WI / Madison Capitals) in favor for the extra attacker with nearly three minutes to play in regulation. Junior Jordan Smelker (Anchorage, AK / Team Alaska 19U) wristed in a shot from the right circle with 18.1 seconds to play. Senior Taylor Horton (St. Thomas, ON / Bluewater Hawks) then had a deflection stopped by Rando with just 3.5 remaining for the final margin. 

O'Brien finished with 23 saves in the loss, including 10 in the first period.