Friday evening, the Engineers came out strong, being the first on the board at 9:36 of the opening period. Junior Melissa Boik completed a pass from the top of the circle to sophomore Allison Wright, whose shot hit traffic in front of the net. Freshman Kendra Dunlop was able to control the puck at the goal line and send it past first-year Colgate net minder Lisa Plenderleith to score her tenth of the season.

Less than five minutes later, Colgate would answer with a goal by sophomore Evan Minnick, off a pass by senior Mallory Johnston. RPI’s Whitney Naslund quickly responded as she collected the puck on the RPI blue line, and drove a breakaway shorthanded goal past Plenderleith’s glove side. The goal was Naslund’s seventh of the season, and team-leading 21st point.

Colgate would score the only point of the second period, when junior Elin Brown took a shot from the slot, which deflected to sophomore Marissa Dombovy. Dombovy was able to direct the puck past junior goaltender Ashley Mayr to score her fifth of the year.

Senior Julie Aho would score the eventual game winner at 1:31 of the third. Aho took a quick wrist shot right inside the Colgate zone, which was collected by classmate Brooke Thompson. Thompson’s shot rebounded back out to Aho, who was able to bury the puck, her second goal of the season. Colgate would eventually pull Plenderleith with 55 seconds left in the game, but even with the man advantage the Raiders were unable to convert and couldn’t even get a single shot on net.

Saturday afternoon brought the Engineers back to the Houston Field House for an action-packed game against Cornell, as well as senior appreciation night. This would be the last game seniors Brooke Thompson, Kelly Barbera, Ellen McNamara, and Julie Aho would play on Rensselaer ice, each capping off their four year careers as Engineers.

Cornell opened the game at 13:41 of the first, when freshman Rebecca Johnston grabbed a loose puck from an RPI player, and backhanded a goal under Mayr while playing a skater down. The Big Red increased their lead to two after a penalty on RPI’s Nicole McDonald. Cornell hastily capitalized on this opportunity when senior Caeleigh Beerworth took a shot from the top of the far circle on a screened Mayr, to score her twelfth of the season, with assists from freshman Sam Wauer, and Johnston.

Aho kicked-off the start of the second with her third goal of the season, and second of the weekend. Junior Jamie-Lynn Stewart soared out of the RPI zone on a breakaway, but was unable to put the put in the net. Aho trailing close behind was able to bury the resulting rebound at 3:33.

The Big Red regained their two-goal lead at 11:19, when Beerworth grabbed the puck in the neutral zone and came down the far side, getting the puck to an open Brittany Forgues in the slot. Forgues was able to put the puck top-shelf to score her sixth of the year, and first of two of the game. Both Rensselaer and Cornell took two penalties apiece to close off the frame, but neither team was able to benefit from the man advantages.

Forgues sealed the Engineer’s fate with a power play goal at 15:55 of the third, off a redirected slap shot by sophomore Melanie Jue. With over three minutes left in the game, RPI pulled Mayr in favor of the extra skater, but was unable to score. Mayr stopped 24 of 28 shots on the night, while sophomore Cornell goalie Jenny Niesluchowski stopped 29 of 30.