Friday night’s match-up featured the Engineers versus an undermanned Holy Cross team. With only 11 skaters, the Crusaders couldn’t keep up with the RPI offense. Holy Cross goalie Janelle DiSanto started the game strong with several big saves, but the Engineers wore down the Holy Cross defense, and Christin Sauca one-timed a shot through DiSanto’s legs for the first goal of the game. Less than four minutes later, DiSanto failed to cover a puck with RPI forward Andrea Poley crashing the net. Poley pushed the puck in for her first of three goals on the evening.

The Engineers came out of the locker room for the second period firing on all cylinders. It took them only sixteen seconds to find the net, with forward Kate Woodward following a shot from Kristine DeRosa. Two minutes later, DeRosa intercepted a Holy Cross pass and scored unassisted. The Crusaders couldn’t stop the breaking Engineers, who again lit the lamp on a two-on-none. Poley tallied her second goal of the evening in front of DiSanto, this time assisted from Deanna Dougherty and Jennifer Scammell. RPI wasn’t done scoring yet—with three seconds left in the period, Meredith Langille fired a shot past the discouraged DiSanto for RPI’s seventh goal of the evening.

In an effort to change their luck, Holy Cross pulled DiSanto and put in back-up Vanessa Jones. The Crusaders held the RPI offense at bay, but took an interference penalty at 5:50. With a player in the box, Holy Cross had little chance against the RPI power play. Allyn Cooper fired a shot from the point that got tipped up and over Jones by a Holy Cross defender. Paula Durham scored RPI’s ninth goal of the evening by corralling a rebound off of Jessica Malec’s shot that hit the post. The Engineer’s final goal of the evening came when Poley completed her hat trick with a wraparound goal with 5:44 remaining. Freshman Julie Vallarelli saved all fourteen shots she faced, tallying her fourth shutout of the season.

Saturday afternoon, the Engineers took on the Seahawks from Salve Regina. The teams traded shots and passes, both having trouble setting it up. RPI kept pressure on Salve Regina goalie Kristin Suslowski, keeping one or two forwards in front of the net. Kate Adams, Cooper, and Sauca all hit posts, and Sauca was stopped on a breakaway chance at 11:40. Woodward scored the first goal of the afternoon with a nifty deke and high shot. Salve Regina had chances, but RPI goalie Christina Fox was very solid. RPI’s second goal came when Adams hit Jennifer Janezic all alone at the side of the net with 1:05 remaining in the period.

The second period started with several RPI power play oppurtunities. The Engineers failed to convert a five-on-three, but the ice in front of Fox was left virtually unskated. The Engineers took a tripping penalty at 13:57, and Salve Regina capitalized. Seahawk forward Meaghan Toland found the goal after a tricky backhanded deke. The pressure on Suslowski didn’t let up, though, and RPI found the net with four seconds remaining in the period. Adams’ slapshot gave the Engineers a one-goal lead going into the third period.

RPI kept the shots coming during the third period, firing 26 times at the net. The first goal of the period came when Engineer defenseman Julie Durham scored on a nifty feed from Dougherty. After RPI’s fifth goal by Lane Dielwart, Salve Regina forward Danielle Darisse scored on a two-on-one break. It was all RPI from that point on, starting with Dougherty scoring at 10:33. Langille, Dougherty, and Malec all found the net within two minutes of each other to put the game away. Seahawks goalie Suslowski made 66 saves in the losing effort, and Engineer goalie Fox tallied her fifth win on the year.