The Rensselaer women’s soccer team headed up to Plattsburgh this weekend to compete in the Plattsburgh State Cardinal Classic, looking to keep the momentum they had from their dominating 3-0 victory in the season opener last week over Russell Sage.
The Red Hawks first match was against the Mount Holyoke Lyons on Saturday. The Lyons got on the scoreboard first after RPI committed a foul in the penalty area 20 minutes into the game. Karyn Austin put the ensuing penalty kick past Red Hawk keeper Regina Primm to put Mount Holyoke up 1-0.
The Lyons found the back of the net again about 17 minutes later when Eileen Dunn’s free kick from 25 yards out found its way past Primm. The half ended with Mount Holyoke holding onto their 2-0 lead.
The Red Hawks came out in the second half on fire, peppering Lyon goalie Tiffany Picard with 13 shots in the half. With 33 minutes left RPI’s pressure finally paid off when senior Laura Feeney headed in a Katie Fredlund corner kick. Thirteen minutes later the Red Hawks almost tied the game but Picard was able to tip the ball over the crossbar.
Even though RPI out-shot Mount Holyoke 20-4, the Red Hawks were unable to find the back of the net again and fell for the first time this season 2-1. Primm finished the game with two saves while Picard had 13 saves.
The Red Hawks returned to the field on Sunday for the consolation game against the St. John Fisher Cardinals. Nine minutes into the game freshman Katie Phillips scored her first collegiate goal when she put the ball past Cardinal goalkeeper Jacquelyn Gilmore off an assist from Fredlund.
RPI kept the pressure on St. John Fisher and with a little more than a minute left in the first half freshman Erin Dunbar put her first collegiate goal into the back of the net off an assist by fellow freshman Katherine Frank to put the Red Hawks up 2-0 at the half.
In the second half the Red Hawks continued their domination of the Cardinals getting two more tallies. Junior Anne Drames picked up her second goal of the season off an assist from Feeney with 30 minutes left in the game. Twelve minutes later, off an assist from Kerstin Kraft, Frank was the third RPI player to record her first collegiate goal in the game. The game ended with no more scoring and RPI had their second win of the year 4-0.
RPI out shot St. John Fisher 18-2. Primm and Tara Marandino combined for the shutout with Primm recording one save. Gilmore finished the game with eight saves.
Feeney and Fredlund were rewarded for their efforts this weekend by being selected to the All-Tournament Team. The Red Hawks return to action on Sunday when they play at New York University. Game time is 2 pm.
