Andrea Poley scored three times and Julie Vallarelli recorded her first collegiate shutout as the Engineers defeated the Union Dutchwomen, 3-0, on Saturday. The win came on the heels of a 3-0 loss to RIT the day before.
Head Coach Bill Cahill was pleased with his team’s effort against RIT, saying that he was “thrilled” that the Engineers had held the Tigers to fewer than 20 shots on goal.
Sometimes, though, quality of shots is more important than quantity. Many of RPI’s 25 shots were right at the RIT goaltender, while the Tigers placed their shots very precisely, putting the puck just out of the reach of Vallarelli three times. The Engineers also missed on all six of their power play chances.
Saturday’s game was dominated by the Engineers, but Union Goalie Victoria Elkins fended off shot after shot through the first 39 minutes. Poley finally broke through with 24 seconds remaining in the second period on a pass from senior Julie Durham. Poley struck again midway through the third period, scoring shorthanded on assists from Kate Adams and Meredith Langille. At the 14:10 mark, Poley completed the hat trick on a power play, assisted by her co-captains, Durham and Adams.
RPI plays its next four games on the road, with games this weekend at St. Michael’s and Vermont, a Division I school. After the holidays, the Engineers return to action on January 5-6 with conference matches at MIT and Southern Maine. Cahill said that his players were looking forward to the road trip.
“It’s easy to focus on what you’re doing on the road. You just show up at the rink and play,” he said.
