Box Score

TROY, N.Y. – Four players scored at least three goals, including a game-high four by senior Alissa Peterson, as the 18th-ranked Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's lacrosse team defeated Skidmore College, 16-9, in Liberty League action from Renwyck Field. With the win, the Engineers improve to 7-2 overall (3-0 Liberty), while the Thoroughbreds drop to 1-7 (0-3 Liberty).

RPI senior captain Shannon Maguire scored 1:06 into the first half, but the visitors quickly countered to take a brief 2-1 lead, as senior Lexi Melville (Syosset, NY/Syosset) and freshman Emma Harris (Mountain Lakes, NJ/Mountain Lakes) tallied four minutes into the contest.

Maguire set up junior Marissa Page (Schenectady, NY/Guilderland) for her sixth goal of the season, which tied the game at 2-2. The Engineers then ran off six straight goals for an 8-2 half time advantage. Peterson (Gaithersburg, MD/Quince Orchard) and junior Rachel Scofield (Albany, NY/Shaker) each had two goals during the spurt.

Melville scored the first goal of the second half to draw within 8-3, but a 4-0 run from Rensselaer pushed its advantage to 12-3, with 23:10 remaining in the game. Peterson had half of those tallies, while Maguire and sophomore Erin Riley (West Nyack, NY/Clarkstown South) bagged the other two.

Skidmore then scored three straight – including two from Melville – to cut the RPI lead to 12-6, but the Engineers matched to run as Riley netted a pair and classmate Jamie Wakefield (Windsor, CT/Windsor) scored her ninth of the year.

Trailing 15-6 with 14:02 to play, the Thoroughbreds came up with a 3-0 run to make it 15-9, but Scofield halted the comeback effort with her 10th tally of the season to cap the scoring for the game.

Aiding Peterson offensive was Maguire and Riley, who had three goals and an assist each. Scofield also finished with three goals. Senior goaltender Allie Arnal (Lakewood, NY/Phillips Exeter Academy) made 11 saves to improve to 7-2 on the year.

Skidmore was led offensively by Melville, who finished with four goals on seven shots. Morgan, sophomore Peggy Healy (Northborough, MA/Algonquin Regional) and junior Robin Fetterolf (Huntington, NY/Cold Spring Harbor) had a goal and an assist apiece, while sophomore netminder Shelby Witheford (Wellesley, MA/Wellesley) had 10 stops.

The Engineers are back in action next Friday and Saturday, when they host Bard (4pm) and Vassar (2pm), respectively. Skidmore travels to Hamilton on Tuesday (5pm).