TROY, N.Y. – Junior Abbey Salvon recorded a game-high seven points to lead the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's lacrosse team to a Liberty League-opening 14-9 victory over Clarkson University on Saturday morning at Renwyck Field. With the win, the Engineers improve to 3-1-1 overall (1-0), while the Golden Knights drop to 3-2 (0-1).

RPI set the tone in the opening 30 minutes, holding Clarkson scoreless, while netting six goals at the offensive end. Salvon (Longmeadow, MA/Longmeadow) had a hand in four first half tallies.

Junior Maddy Aslansan (Philadelphia, PA/Springside Chestnut Hill Academy) opened the scoring just 12 seconds in, before setting up Salvon's first goal less than a minute later.

An Aslansan free position conversion made it 3-0 at 2:02 of the half.

The Engineers then snapped a 19:34 stretch without a goal either way, when junior Michelle Bolger (Willison, VT/Rice Memorial) buried a Salvon feed for a 4-0 with 8:24 left in opening period.

Two late first half goals from Salvon gave the hosts a 6-0 advantage at the break. RPI outshot the Golden Knights 16-8 in the opening 30 minutes, with Junior Aleena Milinski (Beaver Falls, PA/Blackhawk) stopping all five Clarkson attempts on goal.

The Golden Knights scored the first two goals of the second half to draw within 6-2. Sophomores Emma Andrews (Mexico, NY/Mexico Academy) and Abby Collins (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) tallied less than a minute apart.

Aslansan and Clarkson senior Taylor Collins (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) traded goals, before Andrews made it an 8-4 game with a little over 20 minutes to play.

???????Salvon netted a pair of goals, sandwiching a Taylor Collins marker to keep the Engineers in front, 10-5, with 16:40 left.

Golden Knights sophomore midfielder Katie Sergeant (Ontario, NY/Our Lady of Mercy) potted her seventh goal of the year to draw the visitors within 11-6, but Salvon and senior Morgan Doyle (Syracuse, NY/Corcoran) answered to give RPI a comfortable 13-6 advantage with under seven minutes left in regulation.

Clarkson's leading scorer, junior Jaid Baytos (Watertown, NY/Immaculate Heart Central) broke onto the board with three goals in the final five minutes, but it wasn't enough as Bolger's second of the game and 10th of the year kept the Golden Knights at arm's length.

???????Milinski (3-1-1) finished with 11 saves for RPI, while junior Samantha Gladd (Rensselaer, NY/Columbia) and freshman Caroylnn Pechmann (Cheshire, CT/Cheshire) combined for eight stops at the other end.

The Engineers are back in action next weekend, when they travel to 13th-ranked William Smith and Rochester on Friday (4pm) and Saturday (1pm), respectively. Clarkson takes on Farmingdale State on Monday in Englewood, Calif. (10am).