Fast Start Pushes Harvard Past RPI

Boxscore

TROY, N.Y. -- The second-ranked Harvard women's hockey team scored three goals in the game's first nine minutes on the way to a 5-2 win against Rensselaer Friday night at Houston Field House, extending the Crimson's season-opening win streak to eight games and maintaining its status as the nation's only unbeaten team.

Junior Sarah Vaillancourt notched two goals and an assist, three other Crimson players scored and junior Jenny Brine recorded two assists. Sophomore Christina Kessler made 26 saves and helped Harvard (8-0-0, 8-0-0 ECAC Hockey) kill all three power plays by the Engineers (6-6-2, 1-3-1). Harvard's top-rated power play was 2 for 5 on Vaillancourt's two scores.

Sophomore Anna McDonald started the decisive run by banging in the rebound of a shot by freshman Kate Buesser, with junior Sarah Wilson also assisting, at 3:18 of the first period. The goal was McDonald's third of the season.

Less than five minutes later, the Crimson tripled its lead with two goals in 46 seconds on unassisted goals after steals from Engineers. Vaillancourt scored first at the 8:01 mark after taking the puck and scoring five-hole. Freshman Deborah Conway notched her first collegiate goal at 8:47 of the first after stripping an RPI defenseman.

Harvard held a 12-8 shot advantage in the first period but did not strike again until Vaillancourt made it 4-0 scored her second power play goal of the game early in the second. Vaillancourt took a feed from Brine and ripped a shot from the top of the near circle past RPI goalie Ashley Mayr. It was her team-high sixth goal of the season.

Whitney Naslund got the Engineers on the board at 11:12 of the second period, but freshman Liza Ryabkina answered 90 seconds later. She finished off the play after Brine tipped a Vaillancourt shot. Rensselaer held a 13-12 edge in second-period shots, but Kessler made 12 saves to hold the Harvard lead.

Despite an 11-7 advantage in shots for Harvard, Rensselaer had the only goal of the third period. Nicole McDonald scored the unassisted goal with less than three minutes remaining.

Harvard remains in the Albany area to play Union Saturday at 4 p.m. in Schenectady, N.Y.