With a pair of convincing non-conference wins over the University of North Dakota, the women’s hockey team drives forward into the season as it improves to 2-1-0 on the season. It was good to get wins over a struggling team as last season, two of the Fighting Sioux’s three wins came over RPI. UND isn’t doing much better this year as it has already fallen to 0-2-2 overall.
Saturday afternoon’s 6-1 victory saw four different players with multiple points. The first period was all RPI’s as juniors Nicole McDonald and Mel Guillemette put the Engineers up 2-0. McDonald scored just 1:48 into the game when she gained a hold of the puck on a North Dakota turnover. Guillemette scored 10 minutes later off a pass from senior Kelly Barbera at the point.
The second period was relatively quiet save for when sophomore Rossli Chace increased the lead to 3-0 just under nine minutes into the frame.
RPI went for broke in the third and first scored an empty-net goal at 11:40 by freshman Kendra Dunlop. Making it 5-0, sophomore Whitney Naslund caught a pass from classmate Allysen Weidner and sent it to the back of the net. Minutes later, Naslund and junior Jamie Jacquard-Sowa got the puck to Weidner to put the last goal by the home team on the board.
North Dakota pulled its goalie in the final minutes and managed to get one past Engineers freshman goalie Sonja van der Bliek, who also picked up her first collegiate win with 18 saves.
The night before, RPI took down the Fighting Sioux for the first time in team history in similar fashion, 3-1.
Naslund was first to score, receiving a pass from junior Melissa Boik at 16:18 when North Dakota was changing it up and unable to stop the attack.
Just 45 seconds into the second frame, the Sioux tied things at one when sophomore Randi Motsko scored her first of the season and got the puck over RPI goalie sophomore Ashley Mayr.
Dunlop scored the first of the season and put RPI up 2-1 less than six minutes later when she found McDonald’s rebound just outside the crease in heavy traffic. Guillemette got some help from Sioux goalie Brittany Kirkham and gave RPI a cushion at 13:54 while on a 5-3 power play.
RPI outshot the visitors 33-23, while Mayr had 22 saves for the win.
The Engineers return to action next weekend, hosting Maine on Friday at 7 pm and Saturday at 4 pm. Maine is currently ranked last in the Hockey East preseason coaches’ poll with just 16 points.
