Engineers fall short to Mavericks in season opening double-header

The Rensselaer women’s hockey team fell short of the Mavericks this weekend, losing 0-3 and 3-5 in two well-fought games.

The first showdown was a learning curve for both teams. A total of eleven power-plays—six in just the first period—were given to both teams over the course of the game. Despite this, only one ended with a goal, scored by Maverick defender Lauren Goldsworthy fourteen minutes into the first period. The rest led to nothing, including the double power-play for Rensselaer in the first period that saw the Engineers tally nine shots over their two minutes. The game saw both teams play cautiously, taking few shots and focusing on forcing mistakes out of each other. Eventually this stalemate would wear thin, and both teams picked up energy going into the third period. The Engineers would take out their goalkeeper with three minutes left in the game to try and squeeze out one more goal, but the Mavericks capitalized and scored two goals on an empty net to bring the final score to 0-3 in Minnesota’s favor.

The next game would show the Engineers playing at a higher caliber. Standout for the Engineers was Charlotte Wensley, who netted two goals for Rensselaer and got them the lead in the first period. However, Minnesota also upped their intensity, taking more risks on the ice and running away with a 5-3 victory.

The Engineers are starting off their season with an 0-2-0 record. Their next games will be at Holy Cross this Friday and Saturday. The box score for Friday’s game can be found here, and the box score for Saturday’s game can be found here.