The women’s hockey team looked to continue their post-season run in the ECAC Division III East Tournament. The second-ranked Engineers faced off against the Southern Maine Huskies in the semi-finals. Rensselaer went into the game with momentum after an 11-0 drubbing of Salve Regina. Southern Maine squeaked by New England College to earn a berth in the semi-finals.
Both teams came out playing tight defense. The Huskies could not keep up with the Engineers, and took several sloppy penalties. The RPI power play capitalized on the second Southern Maine penalty when Lane Dielwart fired a puck past Husky goaltender Karen Jamnik. Engineer forward Katie Woodward took a cross-checking penalty 40 seconds later, but the Rensselaer defense was able to kill off the power play.
The Southern Maine offense tied the game with two minutes left in the first when Valerie Atkinson slid a puck past RPI goalie Rosina Schiff. The Engineers looked to regroup during the second period.
The Huskies’ defense held off the Rensselaer scoring drive for the entire period. Allison Malcolm took two penalties in the second, but the RPI defense crushed both of the man-advantages.
Southern Maine and Rensselaer traded opportunities throughout the third period, but neither team could convert. The Engineers got the chance they needed at 11:33 when Husky Tricia Kamp took a tripping penalty. RPI Coach Bill Cahill took a timeout 30 seconds later, and just before the penalty expired Kari Rabatin found the net with help from Woodward to put the Engineers up 2-1.
In the other semi-final, the fourth-ranked RIT Tigers looked to upset the defending champion Manhattanville Valiants. RIT was the only team to beat the Valiants in the regular season, but Manhattanville shut down the Tigers 5-0.
The Valiants and Engineers clashed two times in the regular season with the Valiants coming out on top in both games. The Engineers looked to change this trend in the finals.
Manhattanville came out of the locker room strong, but the RPI defense held stronger. Schiff held off the Valiants, but the Engineers could not get their offense going. The Manhattanville pressure paid off at 12:03, when Cherie Stewart slid a puck past a confused Schiff to put the Valiants up 1-0.
The second period started with another push from the Valiants, and Jami Grasby fired a puck to the back of the net, with help from Jessica Temesy and Nicole Blais. Cahill pulled Schiff in favor of Julie Vallarelli, and the move immediately paid off. Vallarelli made clutch saves, and the Engineers swept the puck in the Manhattanville zone, but could not manage to get a shot to Valiant goalie Renee Kirnan.
The pace of the game slowed down, and the penalties started being called in droves. The Valiants took three penalties in the last six minutes of the period, but the Engineer power play could not convert, even on the five-on-three at the end of the period.
The Valiants kept their hold on the neutral zone, often not allowing the Engineers through. Rensselaer finally solved Kirnan, when Christina Jankowski took a cross from Christin Sauca and fired it into the top of the net. The Manhattanville defense did not allow another chance for the Engineers, and the Valiants won the game 3-1.
This is the second straight year that the Engineers were bounced by the Valiants in the ECAC Division III East Tournament. The Valiants went on the NCAA Tournament, and won their first round match against Williams. They will play in the Division III Frozen Four this weekend.
The Engineers have enjoyed their most successful year, going 20-7 on the year and 17-3 in ECAC Division III East play and just missing an outright bid to the NCAA Tournament. With only three seniors leaving, the Engineers will look to be strong next year.
