Balanced Attack Leads RPI to Sweep Over North Dakota

TROY, N.Y. - Four players tallied multiple points to lead Rensselaer to a 6-1 victory over North Dakota in non-conference action at the Houston Field House. With the victory, the Engineers complete a two-game sweep against the Fighting Sioux and improve to 2-1-0 on the season. UND is now 0-2-2 overall.

The Engineers came out flying in the first period, taking a 2-0 lead behind goals from Nicole McDonald (Ottawa, ON/Ottawa Raiders) and Melanie Guillemette (North Bay, ON/Stony Creek Jr. Sabres), pictured. McDonald gave RPI the early lead after capitalizing on a turnover in the North Dakota zone just 1:48 into the frame.

Guillemette pushed the lead to 2-0 at 11:52, scoring her second goal in as many days. Volleying back and forth with senior Kelly Barbera (Nesconset, NY/Gunnery School) at the point, Guillemette unleashed a hard shot from high between the circles and over the left shoulder of UND netminder Brittany Kirkham (Nepean, ON/NCCP Junior Raiders).

A goal by sophomore Rossli Chace (Hampton Falls, NH/Governor Dummer Academy) in the second period pushed Rensselaer's lead to 3-0, before the Engineers broke open the game with three tallies in the final frame.

In the third period, freshman Kendra Dunlop (Granum, AB/Warner Hockey School), who assisted on Chace's goal in the second, gave RPI a four-goal cushion after capitalizing on an empty UND net at 11:40.

Sophomore Whitney Naslund (Bloomington, MN/Bloomington Jefferson) made it a 5-0 lead after converting a pass from classmate Allysen Weidner (Wichita, KS/Shattuck St. Mary's) past Fighting Sioux goalie Grace Edgar (Plano, TX/North American Hockey Academy) and Weidner rounded out the scoring less than three minutes later off a pass from Naslund and junior Jaime Jacquard-Sowa (North Vancouver, BC/BC Breakers).

North Dakota finally got on the scoreboard with less than two minutes remaining on an extra-attacker tally by sophomore Ashley Paulson (Onalaska, WI/Culver Academies), but the Engineers held strong in the final minutes for the win.

Freshman Sonja van der Bliek (Toronto, ON/Toronto Jr. Aeros) picked up her first career victory in the Rensselaer net, posting 18 saves. For North Dakota, Kirkham shouldered the loss, stopping 23 shots in 40 minutes before giving way to Edgar who made one save in 11:33 of relief.

Rensselaer returns to the ice next weekend when it hosts Maine for a two-game set on Friday (7pm) and Saturday (4pm) at the Houston Field House. North Dakota also returns to action next weekend when it hosts Bemidji State.