Box Score

TROY, NY -- Back-to-back goals by Alexa Gruschow (Mechanicburgh, PA/Washington Pride) capped off a three-goal second period, leading Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) to a 3-2 victory over #10 Quinnipiac in women's ECAC Hockey action on Friday evening at the Houston Field House. With the win, the Engineers improve to 8-11-1 overall, with a 4-5-0 mark in conference action, while the Bobcats drop to 15-3-5, and 6-3-4 in league play.

After the two teams skated to a scoreless first period, the Engineers came out firing in the second, scoring three goals in the stanza. Freshman Lauren Wash (Belle Mead, NJ/New Jersey Rockets) tallied her eighth goal of the season at 12:15, picking up assists from Ali Svoboda (Arlington Heights, IL/Chicago Mission) and Heidi Huhtamaki (Espoo, Finland/Espoo Blues).

Two and a half minutes later, Gruschow struck for her first goal, finding her way around a Quinnipiac defender and sneaking a shot just past Bobcat goaltender Chelsea Laden (Lakeville, MN/Lakeville South). Svoboda picked up her second assist of the day on the goal, while Wash was also credited with a helper. Coming off the ensuing faceoff, Rensselaer regained control, and Gruschow took a hard wrist shot from the high slot, zipping the puck straight into the net. Taylor Mahoney (Cary, IL/Chicago Mission) and Katie Rooney (Buffalo, MN/Buffalo) recorded assists on the score.

The tenth-ranked Bobcats would not go down without a fight, however, as Shiann Darkangelo (Brighton, MI/Syracuse) scored for Quinnipiac just 52 seconds into the third period, taking assists from Amanda Colin (Burnsville, MN/Burnsville) and Kristen Tamberg (North Toronto, ON/Mississauga Jr. Chiefs). Darkangelo would also tally the Bobcats' second goal of the game at 16:31, to cut the Engineer advantage to 3-2. Cydney Roesler (Stittsville, ON/Ottawa Senators) and Taryn Baumgardt (Innisfail, AB/Warner Warriors) were credited with assists on the second Quinnipiac tally. 

The Bobcats continued to battle through the last few minutes of the final period, coming away with a 12-4 shot advantage in the stanza, but Rensselaer's Kelly O'Brien (Sussex, WI/Madison Capitals) held strong between the pipes to secure the win for the Engineers.

O'Brien finished with 19 saves, including a game-high 10 in the third period. Laden stopped nine shots for Quinnipiac, before coming out in the second period. Laden was replaced in net by Sydney Rossman (Excelsior, MN/Minnetonka), who finished with four saves for the Bobcats. Quinnipiac outshot the Engineers, 21-16, in the game, but Rensselaer held a 22-18 advantage in faceoffs. 

RPI will return to action on Saturday, hosting ECAC foe Princeton at 4 p.m.