Box Score
TROY, NY -- Ali Svoboda scored the first and last goals of the game to lead Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) to a 4-1 victory over Union in women's ECAC Hockey action on Friday evening at Houston Field House. With the win over their Route 7 rivals, the Engineers improve to 9-11-2 overall, with a 5-5-2 mark in ECAC play, while Union drops to 8-14-1 and 3-8-0 in the league.

Svoboda (Arlington Heights, IL / Chicago Mission) kicked off the scoring 12:32 into the first period, with the assist going to Mari Mankey. The Engineers doubled their total at the 16-minute mark, as Laura Horwood (Belleville, ON / Durham West Lightning) took an assist from Hannah Behounek (Minnetonka, MN / Minnetonka). Horwood took control of the puck at the top of the near circle and carried it towards the net before taking a hard shot past Union goaltender Shenae Lundberg (Peterborough, NH / Deerfield Academy).

The Dutchwomen took advantage of a late power play opportunity, and with just 15 seconds to play in the first period, Stefanie Thomson (Port Perry, ON / Trinity) took assists from Maddy Norton (New Canaan, CT / Choate Rosemary Hall) and Kathryn Tomaselli (Cranston, RI / Williston-Northampton).

The teams played a scoreless second period before Rensselaer's Madison Marzario (Prior Lake, MN / Shattuck-St. Mary's) capitalized on a power play opportunity just 46 seconds into the third stanza. Heidi Huhtamaki (Espoo, Finland / Espoo Blues) and Jordan Smelker (Anchorage, AK / Team Alaska 19U) assisted on the goal.

Svoboda notched her second goal of the game, and fifth of the season, at 3:31 of the third, as Smelker recorded her second helper of the game, setting the final score.

RPI controlled the majority of the game, out-shooting Union, 41-11, and holding a 32-22 advantage in faceoffs. Kelly O'Brien (Sussex, WI / Madison Capitals) recorded 10 saves for the Engineers. Lundberg, the Dutchwomen starter, took the loss after just one period of action, making 12 saves. Backup netminder Madeleine Dahl (Edina, MN / Edina) finished with 25 saves, including a game-high 18 in the second period.

The Engineers and the Dutchwomen will face off again on Saturday, as RPI makes the short trip to Schenectady to take on Union on their home ice at 4 p.m.