“Union was a tough team, they played us really hard,” said Head Coach Eric Miller of Friday’s opponent. The bigger and stronger Dutchwomen scored five goals in the first half, jumping out to a commanding lead that put the Red Hawks in an early hole.

Marissa VanWoeart scored twice in the early minutes of the game. Her first goal was a header off a corner kick with the assist coming from Molly Flanagan. Her second was shot from the center of the goalbox that found the back of the net just under the top left post, assists credited to Cassandra Mariani and Chelsea Hargis.

In the second half, Rensselaer fought hard to try and get back into the game. After switching formations, there was a little improvement in the play of the Red Hawks, who managed to slow down their opponent for a while.

Freshman forward Sarah Hinz scored at the 65:26 mark giving RPI a sense of pride. After receiving a pass from sophomore midfielder Kristen Kolb, Hinz dribbled down the right side, fought off three defenders, and scored the goal just inside the post past goalie Julie Gawronsk.

Union, however, would go on to score three more goals and seal the deal, improving their record to 6-0-1. The Dutchwomen out shot the Red Hawks 28-1, and had an 11-1 advantage in corner kicks.

Rensselaer then traveled to Saratoga Springs the next day to face Skidmore, who played most of the game in the RPI defensive zone.

With the score 0-0 for the larger portion of the first half, RPI gave up an unfortunate goal to Anna Cerio at the 34:21 mark off a pass from Morgan Cadwell, giving Skidmore the lead going into halftime.

To make matters worse, Caldwell would give a helping hand again just minutes into the second half, assisting Rachael Sushner for Skidmore’s second goal of the game.

Once again, the Red Hawks found themselves fighting from behind. At the 61:29 mark, freshman forward Kerry Reilly, assisted by senior Katie Lavelle, was able to score on the other end of a cross, and gave RPI a shot at coming back with the score now 2-1.

Rensselaer’s last chance would come late in the game with a good look at the goal, but the shot bounced off the goalie, and the Red Hawks once again fell just short. Skidmore took the win and improved to 8-1-0.

Giving up eight goals against Union was due largely to the fact that the Dutchwomen were simply a superior team. While it would have been easy to quit and remain defeated, the Red Hawks tightened up their defense the very next day, played better in the midfield, and were able to withstand pressure, showing that they have the ability to succeed, and are still fighting to try and break out.

As seen in many of their games this year, the Red Hawks are prone to giving up the first goal. They often begin games somewhat uneasy, waiting for something to happen before they retaliate.

Coming off a 2-11-1 season in 2004, confidence has been an issue at times with some players almost remaining in their shells and playing it safe. With better play in the backfield and midfield over the past few games, there is a sense of hope.

“We are trying to turn the corner, and we are getting there,” Miller would say of his dedicated players. He would add, “We’re playing well, but we’re still waiting for a lucky break…I told the players that it would take a month for us to settle in, and it’s been a month…it will feel good once we get another win and I am confident we can still finish the season around a respectable record of 6-10.”