TROY, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's lacrosse team continued their early season success, as a key 7-0 run in the second quarter helped lift the Engineers to a 16-10 victory over the Utica University Pioneers at ECAV Stadium Saturday afternoon. With the win, RPI improves to 5-1 on the season, while Utica falls to 4-2 overall.
 
The Pioneers drew the first scores of the game, putting up a pair early on courtesy of Mara Cunningham and Grace Stuhlman at the 10:26 and 6:23 mark of the first quarter. RPI battled back, scoring their opening goal with 4:25 left in the opening frame as Megan Shay scored. Then with four seconds to play in the quarter, Quinn Wollard finished a goal on a pass from Rylie Maready to make it 2-2 after the first 15 minutes of play.
 
Less than 30 seconds into the second quarter, both teams traded goals to push the score to 3-3. Maready scored RPI's third goal, which then began a run of seven goals – three of which were scored by Maready – as the Engineers built up an 9-3 lead. The Pioneers added a tally with 30 seconds left in the second while RPI took a 9-4 lead into the half.
 
Utica clawed their way back into the game in the third quarter, as a trio of goals gave the Pioneers a 4-0 run as they brought the score back within two at 9-7 after a goal from Ruby Ackerman at the 6:50 mark after an RPI yellow card. However, the Engineers worked the score back out to 13-7 with 2:46 remaining in the quarter after their own 4-0 run that was highlighted by a nifty goal from sophomore Lauren DeLeo. By the end of the third quarter, the score stood 15-8 in favor of the Engineers.
 
RPI continued the scoring in the fourth quarter, as DeLeo scored to make it 16-8 Engineers off a free position attempt at the 11:40 mark. Utica scored twice before the final horn, as the Engineers hung on for the 16-10 win.
 
Maready and Ella Graff each finished with four goals apiece, while Maready and DeLeo each chipped in with six points. DeLeo scored three goals and tossed out three assists in the game. Megan Shay added two goals and an assist for three points, while Olivia Kimball collected her first win of the season with five saves.
 
For Utica, Stuhlman led the way with four goals, while six others scored a goal apiece. Ackerman and Cunningham each added an assist with their goals for two points. Despite making 17 saves, Breese Burlingame took the loss in the cage for the Pioneers.
 
The Engineers return to action on Wednesday, March 29 at 6 p.m. when they head to Schenectady to take on Union in Liberty League action.