TROY, N.Y. – Sophomore Taylor Marchin and senior Aurora Kennedy each scored power-play goals in the second period to lead the Yale University women's hockey team to a 3-2 victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), this afternoon at the Houston Field House. With the win, the Bulldogs improve to 6-6-1 (3-3-0 ECAC Hockey), while the Engineers drop to 3-12-2 (1-5-0 ECAC Hockey).
 
Yale opened the scoring at 1:40 of the first period on a shot from the left point by freshman Mallory Souliotis (Acton, MA). Senior Jackie Raines (London, ON) picked up the lone assist on Souliotis' first collegiate tally.
 
Rensselaer pulled even at 14:51 of the opening stanza on a solid second effort by sophomore Laura Horwood (Belleville, ON/Durham West Lighting). Senior captain Ali Svoboda (Arlington Heights, IL/Chicago Mission) broke into the zone on the right, before sending the puck towards Horwood, who missed wide. Freshman Shayna Tomlinson (Gilford, NH/Assabet Valley) sent a pass back in front of the net for Horwood to tap in from close range.
 
The Bulldogs took advantage of a pair of RPI penalties late in the second period, to take a 3-1 lead. Marchin (Algonac, MI) gave the visitors a lead they would not relinquish at 17:48, ripping a shot into the top right corner of the net, off a feed from junior Jamie Haddad (Wilbraham, MA). Sophomore Phoebe Staenz (Zurich, Switerzland) earned the second helper on the 5-on-3 tally.
 
Kennedy then scored the eventual game-winning goal at 19:01 of the second, firing a low shot from the right point that found its way into the left side of the cage. The goal, which was her fourth of the season, was assisted by junior Janelle Ferrara (Winthrop, MA) and sophomore Krista Yip-Chuck (Whitby, ON).
 
RPI pulled senior netminder Kelly O'Brien (Sussex, WI/Madison Capitals) with just over two minutes to play and capitalized with 1:18 to go. Junior Alexa Gruschow (Mechanicsburg, PA/Washington Pride) stuck home a rebound at the doorstep to draw within 3-2. Despite more pressure in the offensive zone, the hosts were unable to find the equalizing goal.
 
Yale senior goaltender Jaimie Leonoff (Montreal, PQ) finished with 26 saves, while O'Brien had 19. The Bulldogs were 2 for 5 on the power-play, while Rensselaer went 0 for 4.
 
The Engineers are now idle until January 2 and 3, when they host Princeton (7pm) and fourth-ranked Quinnipiac (4pm) at the Houston Field House. Yale hosts Dartmouth and 10th-ranked Harvard on January 2 and 3.