TROY, N.Y. –  Sophomore Claire Dalton recorded a goal and an assist to lead the Yale University women's hockey team to a 4-1 victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), on Friday night at the Houston Field House. With the win, the Bulldogs improve to 10-8-0 overall (7-4-0 ECAC Hockey), while the Engineers drop to 0-23-1 (0-13-0 ECAC Hockey).

RPI got the scoring started at 12:05 of the first period, when freshman Maddy Peterson (Princeton, MN/Princeton High School) stuck home a rebound at the edge of the crease for her second goal in three games. Assists went to sophomore Mikayla Capelle (Dawson Creek, BC/Okanagan Hockey Academy) and freshman Hannah Price (Canonsburg, PA/Pittsburgh Pens Elite).

Dalton (Toronto, ON/Bishop Allen Academy) pulled the visitors even with just 20 seconds left in the opening frame, just moments after Peterson was denied on her second breakaway of the period. Dalton blocked a shot in her own defensive zone and skated up the left wing boards, before cutting across the slot and beating RPI freshman goaltender Ena Nystom (Stavanger, Norway/Ontario Hockey Academy) five-hole. The unassisted tally was her seventh of the season.

Yale took the lead for good at 7:38 of the second period an even-strength tally from junior Tess Dettling (Wilmette, IL/Loyola Academy). Dalton set up the play by stealing the puck on the left side of the RPI zone. Dettling stepped into the slot and wired a shot into the top right corner of the net for a 2-1 Bulldogs advantage.

Sophomore Rebecca Vanstone (Mississauga, ON/St. Martin Secondary School) pushed the Yale advantage to 3-1 at 5:22 of the third, when a shot from the top of the left circle by freshman Sofie Zander (Bara, Sweden/Kent School) hit her in the back and trickled over the goal line. Zander picked up her first collegiate point with the helper on Vanstone's eighth tally of the season.

The Bulldogs capped the scoring just over two minutes later on a crisp passing play on the rush. Senior Sophie Veronneau (Ottowa, ON/Franco-Cite) sent a pass from left to right finding classmate Laura Anderson (Lino Lakes, MN/Hill-Murray), who delivered a one-time feed to the left post for fellow senior Kirsten Nergaard (Stamford, CT/Philips Exeter Academy) to finish for her first of the year.

Junior goaltender Gianna Meloni (Washington, DC/Georgetown Visitation Prep School) finished with 23 saves, while Nystrom had 31 at the other end of the ice. Yale went 0 for 3 on the power play, with the Engineers winding up 0 for 2.

RPI is back on the ice tomorrow afternoon, when it hosts Brown (3pm). The Bulldogs visit Union tomorrow (3pm).