Box Score | Season Preview Video

ONEONTA, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) field hockey team amassed 25 shots with 18 on goal, but the Engineers fell at Hartwick College, 2-1 in a non-league road game. The Engineers, who are 0-1, make their home debut on Saturday at 1pm against No. 20 Mount Holyoke College.

Hartwick, which improves to 1-0, got 16 saves from Shannon Carter and a defensive save from Maggie Stauble to thwart RPI's attack. Sophomore Taylor Clink scored RPI's lone goal, tying the game at 1-1 in the first half, and classmate Mikaela DiBello had seven shots, four of which were on goal. 

Hartwick came out fast, putting pressure on the Engineers defense with three consecutive shots within the first two minutes. It was approximately 12 minutes later when the Hawks took the lead. With 14:10 to go in the first stanza, senior captain Maxine Dunn rattled off a shot that found its way through sophomore goalkeeper Kayla Bell. Marissa Downes had an assist on the play.

Clink and the Engineers battled back and tied the game at 22:39. Off of a Megan Jones' penalty corner, Clink sailed a shot in from the top of the circle to deadlock the score.

The Hawks held off an RPI surge early in the second half with Stauble, a freshman midfielder, swooping in and cutting off a shot by sophomore attacker Cristina Tellez to collect the defensive save three minutes into the frame. Just a minute later, Hartwick landed another goal, this time to the credit of Allyson Quirk. Senior forward Sarah Ryan drove hard and hit Quirk with a spot-on pass as she was cutting  down the middle and the freshman forward broke the tie.

Playing from behind with much of the half in front of them, RPI continued to rally back, but the Carter and the Hawks were equal to the task. Ten of Carter's 17 saves came in the second half, while Bell made three first half stops with none in the second.