Engineers stalemate with Saints

Coming off a 6‒2 victory over Ramapo College three days earlier, Rensselaer hosted the St. Lawrence Saints in their opening Liberty League matchup.

The Engineers had an early chance 12 minutes into the first half. Forward Gwen Barnes won the ball after a St. Lawrence throw-in and spotted Bryanna Swinson at the edge of the box. Swinson took a touch toward the center of the field. She whipped a curling shot, which dipped too late and rattled off the top of the crossbar and out of play. The Engineers’ passing and movement in midfield created several scoring opportunities from crosses, but struggled to convert them into shots on target. Luckily for RPI, the back line, specifically Tulsi Pari, neutralized the Saints’ offensive threats at every opportunity.

St. Lawrence took control of the game in the second half and nearly scored 24 minutes in. Saints’ forward Zoe Rogan held up her run to stay onside a teammate played her a through ball, penetrating the RPI back line and putting her in on goal. Goalkeeper Megan Wampner rushed out of net, closing down the angle and catching the point-blank shot. The Saints continued their dominance, coming close to scoring again with five minutes remaining on the clock. A Saint arced a cross into the box, unintentionally kicking it toward the far side-netting. The cross flew over Wampner, but was cleared off the goal line by RPI defender Keleigh Nihart.

The game ended scoreless, giving each team a point in the Liberty League standings. The tie makes the Engineers’ record 4‒0‒3 on the season. Click here for the box score and here for the RPI TV broadcast. The Engineers return to Liberty League action on the road against Union College on September 30.