The Engineers skated strongly against the Lady Catamounts in Friday night’s contest. RPI skated nearly flawlessly in the first period, only taking one penalty at 15:27. The Engineers killed off the penalty, but just one minute after the penalty expired, Vermont’s Lindsey Tillbury beat RPI goalie Rosina Schiff up high to put the Lady Catamounts up 1-0.

Vermont found the net again just 2:19 into the second period, when Marla Straight wristed a puck into the RPI net. The RPI defense held strong for the rest of the period, and the score remained 2-0 going into the second intermission.

The Engineers found their best chance in the third period, with Vermont taking three penalties. The power play could not convert, and at 18:08, Head Coach John Burke called a time out.

Schiff came out of net with 1:25 remaining in the game, and Vermont found the empty net just three seconds later. The Engineers could not score with the extra skater, and the game ended 3-0.

After the impressive showing against a D-I opponent, Rensselaer came home to take on the MIT Engineers. MIT, who has improved vastly over the past two years, came into the Houston Field House thinking upset.

RPI came out of the locker room strong, scoring just 41 seconds into the game. Meredith Langille pushed a puck in after a scrum in front of the net. Rensselaer continued to out chance the over-matched MIT squad, and at 11:13, Bridget Rice pushed in a rebound off an Allison Malcom shot to put RPI up 2-0. The RPI defense was superb in the first period, not allowing a single MIT shot on goal.

RPI continued the pressure in the second period, and at 5:06, Dana Kerr skated from behind the MIT net and beat MIT goalie Regina Sullivan to put Rensselaer up 3-0. A minute and a half later, MIT’s Amanda Hunter beat RPI goaltender Julie Vallarelli up high to put MIT on the board.

Rensselaer fired right back, with Katie Temple firing a rebound off a Deanna Dougherty wrap-around to put RPI back up by three.

The start of the third period saw RPI take two penalties within a minute and a half of each other. MIT took a time out to try to take advantage of the five on three.

The RPI penalty kill effort was strong, and MIT could not convert on the penalties. RPI was not done scoring; Julie Welte tallied a pair of goals in the third period and the RPI Engineers won the game 6-1. Valarelli had an excellent game for RPI, only allowing one goal on eight shots.

On Sunday, the Engineers took on a D-I Clarkson Golden Knight team. Clarkson lost to Northeastern and Quinnipiac on Friday and Saturday, and looked to avoid a three loss weekend against the Engineers.

The Engineers and the Golden Knights skated evenly in the first period, but the Engineers drew first blood. Twenty-one seconds into an Emily Knutsen hooking penalty, Welte scored on the power play with help from Julie Aho to put RPI up 1-0.

The RPI pressure continued in the second period, and the strong fore checking effort paid off at 3:56. Dougherty intercepted an errant Clarkson pass in front of the net and shelved a shot to put the Engineers up 2-0. The Golden Knights closed the gap to one, scoring at 7:36. Despite a pair of power play opportunities, the Engineers could not convert and the score remained 2-1 at the end of two periods. Dougherty’s goal was the only shot on goal the Engineers could muster in the second.

The Golden Knights kept RPI off the puck in the third period, and tied the game up with eight minutes remaining. Neither team could manage another goal, and the game ended tied, 2-2. The tie against Clarkson was an impressive showing for RPI. Despite getting out shot 48-12, the RPI defense held strong, spearheaded by Schiff and her 46 saves.

RPI continues their ECAC D-III East schedule next weekend at St. Michael’s. Friday’s game begins at 7 pm, and Saturday’s starts at 3 pm.