The women’s hockey team entered this weekend needing a pair of wins, but left with just a single point after facing top-ranked Harvard University and Dartmouth College. The Engineers are now at 12-12-5 overall, and 5-9-4 in the ECAC hockey league, just a mere point behind Cornell University, who is clinging to the last playoff spot. Harvard earned their 18th win in ECAC play, remaining undefeated, while improving to 22-1-0 overall. Dartmouth, holding the fourth spot in the league, improved to 13-7-5 overall, and 10-5-3 in ECAC action.
Friday night, the Dartmouth Big Green played host to the Rensselaer Engineers. The first period consisted of a lone penalty on RPI’s junior Jamie Lynn Stewart midway through the period for obstruction hooking. Dartmouth opened up scoring in the second on a power play goal by junior Shannon Bowman, with assists from classmate Maggie Kennedy and sophomore Sarah Parsons at 11:23. It would take until 5:56 of the third for RPI to answer, with their own power play goal by freshman Kendra Dunlop. Junior Melissa Boik and sophomore Laura Gersten assisted on the goal, which was Dunlop’s ninth of the year. Both teams were unable to convert during overtime, and each walked away with a point for the night. This was the first point the Engineers have registered against Dartmouth, holding a record of 0-4-0 in their previous four meetings, including a 6-4 loss at the Houston Field House earlier this season. RPI junior Ashley Mayr stopped 36 of 37 shots on the night, while Dartmouth junior Carli Clemis stopped 15 of 16 shots on net. Dunlop and Mayr left the game with the night’s second and third stars respectively.
In their second meeting of the season, No. 1 in the nation Harvard showed no mercy against the Engineers. Having previously won 5-2, the Crimson trounced RPI in a 5-0 shutout. Harvard started the game early when freshman Katharine Chute scored her first goal of the game and sixth of the season, with assists by fellow freshman Kate Buesser and senior Caitlin Cahow at 3:40 of the first. Nearly six minutes later, junior Jenny Brine scored her 13th of the year on a power play goal, with assists by Cahow and freshman Liza Ryabkina. At 13:30 of the second, Crimson junior Jenny Brine scored her first goal of the season with assists by the power-combo of Buesser and Chute. Junior Sarah Vaillencourt opened up the third with an unassisted goal at 5:42, bringing the score to 4-0, Harvard. The goal was her team-leading 15th of the season. Chute would close out a three-point night and the scoring at 12:05, with an assist by Buesser, who also left the game with three points. RPI would have the opportunity to capitalize on two more power-plays to finish the period, but were unable to convert. Sophomore Harvard goaltender Christina Kessler stopped all 18 of the Engineer’s shots to earn her 10th shutout of the year. Mayr, playing in her second game of the weekend saw 35 shots, but was only able to stop 30.
Next weekend, the Engineers return to Troy for their final two home games of the season against Colgate University and Cornell. A win against Cornell Saturday afternoon could be crucial in this tight play-off race, and would also be a good way to send off seniors Brooke Thompson, Kelly Barbera, Ellen McNamara, and Julie Aho in their final game on the Houston Field House ice. Friday night’s game will also showcase the Engineers in stylish pink jerseys, as part of the ECAC’s Coaches vs. Cancer campaign to benefit the American Cancer Society.
