The Engineers set the tone early in their weekend set against the Salve Regina Seahawks. Senior Meredith Langille scored just 15 seconds into the game with help from Jennifer Onksen to put RPI up 1-0. Katie Temple and the second line found the back of the net at 11:30, and freshman standout Ellen McNamara tallied an unassisted goal at 14:14 to extend the Engineers’ lead to 3-0.

Temple capped off the scoring in the first period with her second goal of the game, with helpers coming from her line mates Brooke Thompson and Julie Aho.

The second period went much the same way as the second for RPI. Julie Welte roofed a pass from Onksen at 7:28. Kelly Barbera scored her first collegiate goal at 8:18, just five seconds into the RPI power play with help from Kari Rabatin and Sarah Daniel. The Engineers skated into the second period break with a 6-0 stranglehold on the game.

Senior Bridget Rice continued the scoring early in the third, scoring a goal off assists from Rabatin and Daniel. McNamara capped off the scoring at 14:42, to push the score to 8-0.

The plethora of goals continued Saturday night, with the Engineers putting up nine goals against the hapless Seahawks. Onksen scored the eventual game-winner at 14:57 in the first, with help from Welte and Barbera.

The RPI offense poured on the pressure in the second period, putting up six goals in the period. Aho started off the scoring by using a power move to score a shorthanded goal at the 43 seconds mark. Less than two minutes later, freshman Kristen Schoeninger scored her first career goal by muscling through the Salve center and pushing the puck into the net.

Co-captain Allie Cooper tallied her first goal of the year 33 seconds later, taking a huge shot from the point that got deflected by a Salve defenseman. Salve took a penalty 41 seconds later, and the Engineers capitalized. Sondra Sherman, the team’s other co-captain, wristed a shot from the slot to put the Engineers up 5-0.

Schoeninger scored her second goal of the game off a nifty move from the goal line. Paula Durham and Allison Malcolm got assists on the goal. The sixth goal of the game was enough to chase Salve goaltender Sarah Kuecher, who allowed six goals in 25 minutes.

Aho capped the goal scoring in the second with her second goal of the game, her ninth of the season.

The Engineers held Salve without a shot in the second, and coach John Burke pulled starter Julie Vallarelli in favor of playing time for Christina Johnston.

Johnston held strong in net, and the offensive onslaught continued. Welte leaned into a wrist shot with just 12 second left in an Engineer power play to give RPI the 8-0 lead. Rabatin capped off the scoring with a shorthanded goal at 16:57.

After the dust settled from the Salve weekend, 11 Engineers had multiple point weekends, with Onksen’s five points leading the way. Vallarelli made four saves in Friday’s shutout, and her single save combined with Johnston’s six kept the Seahawks off the scoreboard on Saturday.

The Engineers faced their first real challenge when the Williams Ephs traveled to Troy. The pressing Ephs played even with the Engineers in the first period, out-shooting RPI 7-2. Rosina Schiff responded to the challenge, stopping all seven shots she saw.

The tides changed in the second period, with the Engineer offense taking control of the game. At 12:15, Williams’ Sarah Nowakowski took a body checking penalty, which proved to be the spark that the Engineers needed. McNamara blasted a shot from the left point that skidded across the ice and past Ephs goalie Kristin Sundet.

The Engineers’ power play connected again less than four minutes later. Daniel scored her sixth goal of the season with help from Langille and Malcolm to put the Engineers up 2-0.

Williams peppered Schiff throughout the third period with shots, but the RPI goaltender held strong during the barrage. Schiff finished the period with 10 saves, 23 overall. The shutout was her first of the year.