Engineers bring home gold from Big Green

One final goal at the end of the third period was the only thing keeping the Engineers from shutting out Dartmouth in their game on Friday. Efforts from Ellie Kaiser, Natalie Tulchinsky, and Aylah Cioffi all helped the Engineers reach a 3-1 victory.

The first period involved breakaways, turnovers, and several shots on goal for both Rensselaer and Dartmouth. However, the scoreboard stayed clean until nearly the 18-minute mark, despite a double power play for the Engineers at the eleven minute mark. During this crucial window of five-on-three, Rensselaer took six shots on Dartmouth’s net in less than a minute, with four coming from Andrea Trnkova and two from Aylah Cioffi. However, Dartmouth hunkered down their defense and deflected every shot until the power play ended and both teams returned to full strength.

Both teams continued to fight for the first goal on the ice, keeping Engineer goalkeeper Reese Keating and Green goalkeeper Michaela Hesová on their toes for the rest of the game. Finally, Kaiser snuck her way past the Green defense and buried the puck in the corner of the net, putting the first point on the board for Rensselaer.

Despite having ten shots on goal compared to the Engineers’ four, Big Green couldn’t seem to find the back of the net. Keating and the rest of the Engineer defense kept Dartmouth at zero, and the next goal scored would be one of their own ninety seconds into the third period. A hard shot from Gracyn Mackay was redirected by Tulchinsky at the last second, resulting in a second goal for Rensselaer.

The Engineer defense continued to hold fast despite a Dartmouth power play that allowed them six shots on goal. At twelve minutes, the Engineers netted their third and final goal when Cioffi netted a slap shot off of an assist from Trnkova and Kaiser. Rensselaer held Dartmouth until the last ten seconds of play, when Kenzie Bachelor scored a power play goal to bring the final score to 3-1 for the Engineers.

With this victory and a shutout against Harvard on Saturday, the Engineers now sit at a 6-3-1 record for the season and remain undefeated in their conference. Their next game will be away against Colgate on Friday, November 1. Click here for the box score.