TROY, N.Y. – A dominant first-half surge powered the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) field hockey team to a commanding 9-1 victory over SUNY Brockport this afternoon at Harkness Field. Fueled by a four-goal performance from Ella Pasquarelli and supported by a balanced offensive attack, the nine goals from RPI represented the team's highest scoring single-game output in four seasons.
Pasquarelli opened the scoring just over four minutes into the contest and then added back-to-back goals in the ninth and eleventh minutes to complete a first-quarter hat trick. Her early outburst staked RPI to a 3-0 lead after one.
The Engineers continued to roll in the second quarter, with Sophia Brown finishing off a setup from Ria Patel to extend the advantage to four. Pasquarelli struck again just over a minute later with her fourth goal of the evening, and Val Palmiotti followed shortly after with RPI's sixth goal. The Engineers capped the seven-goal first half with a tally from Emily Dubord, who found the back of the cage with just under a minute remaining in the quarter.
The offensive momentum carried into the second half, as Patel added a goal of her own in the third period to make it 8-0. Palmiotti notched her second of the game early in the fourth quarter, converting a pass from Lindsay Dunbar to push the lead to nine. Brockport spoiled the shutout in the 56th minute, when Cassidy Pado scored off a penalty corner for the Golden Eagles. RPI finished the game with 30 total shots, including 15 on goal, and earned 12 penalty corners.
Pasquarelli led the way with four goals on five shots, while Palmiotti and Patel each registered multi-point games. RPI's offensive output marked their highest scoring performance since a 9-0 victory over Manhattanville in October 2021. The victory moves the Engineer's winning streak to five in a row, which marks just the second time since 2011 that RPI has posted five consecutive victories.
RPI will look to maintain its momentum with a Friday home tilt against Liberty League rival Union. The action is set to begin at 4pm on Harkness Field.
