STUDENT-ATHLETES NAMED TO LIBERTY LEAGUE FALL ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM

TROY, N.Y. – The 2010 Liberty League Fall All-Academic Team has been announced
and 68 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student-athletes were honored. Studentathletes
must have at least sophomore athletic and academic standing with a minimum
grade point average of 3.20 to be selected. The fall sports include men’s and women’s
cross country, field hockey, football, men’s golf and men’s and women’s soccer.
Below are Rensselaer’s Liberty League All-Academic student-athletes,

FIELD HOCKEY
Julie Campbell Jr. Pittsburgh, PA Biomedical Engineering
Jessica Corrigan Sr. S. Burlington, VT Business and Management
Holly Dupuis So. Brookfield, MA Biomedical Engineering
Briana Earle Jr. Baldwinsville, NY Civil Engineering
Sage Foley Sr. Sturbridge, MA Biology
Erika Hawksley Jr. Windsor, ME Civil Engineering
Alex Lamparski Gr. Malvern, PA Mechanical Engineering
Audrey Newcomb Sr. Southwick, MA Electric Power Engineering
Carlie Newcomb So. Southwick, MA Biomedical Engineering
Alissa Peterson So. Gaithersburg, MD Mechanical Engineering
Katie Shea So. Chevy Chase, MD Biomedical Engineering
Sandy Turnbull Sr. Upperville, VA Materials Engineering

RPI Vs. Castleton State

TROY, N.Y. – Freshman Rachel Preusser tallied a goal in each half to lead the Castleton State College field hockey team to a 3-1 win over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) on Wednesday at Harkness Field. The Spartans are now 11-6 overall, while the Engineers drop to 4-12 on the season.

The visiting Spartans grabbed a 1-0 lead early in the contest as Preusser (Craryville, NY/Taconic Hills) scored in the ninth minute. Taking a feed from senior Courtney Nolan (Spring Lake Heights, NJ/Manasquan), Preusser carried the ball into the circle, ducking around one defender for a point-blank shot at RPI keeper Briana Earle (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker).

Rensselaer, which held a 10-5 advantage in shots for the first half, had its chances to even things up in the frame, but could not get one past senior goalie Siobhan Whittemore (Springfield,VT/Springfield), who made five stops in the opening half.

In the second half, RPI finally got on the board as freshman Kierstan Ryan (Levittown, PA/Harry S. Truman) tallied in the 40th minute. Senior Jessica Corrigan (South Burlington, VT/South Burlington) earned the assist after she collected the ball from junior Erika Hawksley (Windsor, ME/Erskine Academy) at the top of the circle, drawing the goalie out. She then passed the ball to Ryan at the right corner, who tapped it into the open net.

Preusser then added her second of the game in the 60th minute after she fired the ball into play off her own corner. Senior Sarah Flore (Springfield, VT/Springfield) settled it at the top of the circle before passing it in to junior Stephanie Paproski (Newtown, CT/Newtown), who was just five yards out. Finding Preusser at the corner of the box, she sent it up to her for the goal past Earle.

Spartans pushed the lead to two (3-1) less than a minute later as Paproski found the rebound of a shot by Flore and fired it into the box in the 61st minute. The Engineers tried to get one back late in the game, but Whittemore and the Castleton State defense held strong with a number of blocked shots.

In goal, Whittemore stopped six shots to pick up the victory, while Earle made 13 saves in the loss for the Engineers, including 10 in the second half.

Rensselaer wraps up its regular season on Saturday in a 6pm match at Stevens Institute of Technology. Castleton State concluded its regular season schedule with tonight’s match, but will return to action on Saturday hosting Thomas in the NAC Quarterfinals (4:30pm).

RPI Vs. Rochester

TROY, N.Y. – Trailing by two goals 10 minutes into the second half, the University of Rochester scored four times in a span of 5:01 and the Yellowjackets held on to defeat Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), 4-2, in a Liberty League field hockey game at Harkness Field. Rochester improves to 7-9 overall and 3-4 in the Liberty League, while the Engineers fall to 4-11 and 2-5.

Sophomore Shelby Hall (Hamburg, NY/Hamburg) had two goals and an assist to lead the Yellowjackets in their come-from-behind victory. Junior Anna Dobrzynski (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Sutherland) opened the scoring with an unassisted goal at 46:00 and classmate Anisha Gundewar (Marlborough, MA/Marlborough) tallied just 2:49 later. Hall then notched her two goals at 49:54 and 51:08 for the final margin.

RPI broke on top when graduate student Alex Lamparski (Malvern, PA/Country Day School of the Sacred Heart) scored off a feed from senior Sandy Turnbull (Upperville, VA/Chatham Hall) at 9:48. Turnbull carried the ball up the field and found Lamparski, who quickly turned and scored after collecting the pass. The Engineers doubled their lead at 15:47 when sophomore Alissa Peterson (Gaithersburg, MD/Quince Orchard) scored on a rebound of her own shot.

The first half ended with RPI holding a 16-14 advantage in shots, including a 12-9 edge in shots on goal.

Rochester pulled to within one when Dobrzynski, the team’s leading scorer, knocked in a loose ball from close range. The goal was her 13th of the season. Gundewar then scored off a rebound of a Hall shot to tie the score. Hall’s first goal of the game was also after sustained pressure by Rochester, this time with Allison Beardsley (Weedsport, NY/Weedsport) taking the initial shot. Hall then scored on a rush for the 2-goal margin.

Freshman Madison Wagner (Cheswick, PA/Fox Chapel) earned the win in goal by making 14 saves, including 10 in the first half. Junior Briana Earle (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker) also played well, stopping 16 shots on the other end.

Rensselaer plays its final home game of the season on Wednesday night when it hosts Castleton State at 7pm. Rochester is also in action on Wednesday at 7pm when it hosts Houghton.

RPI Vs. William Smith

TROY, N.Y. – After battling through two overtimes, graduate student Alex Lamparski netted the game-winning penalty stroke to give the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) field hockey team a 2-1 win over #19 William Smith College in Liberty League action on Saturday. With the victory, the Engineers move to 4-10 overall and 2-4 in conference play. The Herons slip to 10-6 and 3-3 in the Liberty League.

Lamparski’s (Malvern, PA/Country Day School of the Sacred Heart) goal sealed the win for RPI, which was given the opportunity to claim victory by a fantastic save from Briana Earle (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker). Posting a game-total of 13 stops, Earle made a diving save on junior Kiersten Hamilton’s (Harpursville, NY/Harpursville) penalty stroke to keep the Engineers in contention.

It was a solid defensive effort from the start of the game as both goaltenders made spectacular plays throughout the contest. Herons netminder Taryn Little (Wells, VT/Granville) stopped a game total of nine shots, including four in the first half to keep RPI off the board. Despite several chances by both teams at each end, it was William Smith who struck first as time expired in the first half.

The Herons took a penalty corner with just seconds left on the clock. An RPI infraction led to another corner as time expired sending Hamilton to the line to shoot it in. She sent the ball sailing out to the top of the circle and freshman Melanie O’Connor (Stockholm, NJ/Pope John XXIII) corralled it and took two steps back in. Her shot sailed toward the goal and was re-directed at the last minute by Hamilton for the 1-0 advantage.

Rensselaer held tough in the second half, their persistence in the Herons’ zone finally paying off in the 57th minute as sophomore Alissa Peterson (Gaithersburg, MD/Quince Orchard) scored her second of the season. Senior Sandy Turnbull (Upperville, MD/Chatham Hall) took a penalty corner, her shot going out to Peterson at the left side of the top of the circle. She responded with a low shot from just inside the circle, which beat Little stick side to make it a 1-all game.

Neither team was able to capitalize late in the half despite several good chances on each side. Both goaltenders held strong as they headed into the first overtime. Turnbull had back-to-back chances in the first extra session, but was denied by a fantastic kick save from Little.

In the second overtime, both teams came out firing as freshman Taylor Cappello (Windsor, NY/Windsor) sent a strong shot at Earle from point-blank range which was kicked away by Earle in time.

Rensselaer returns to action on Sunday against the University of Rochester. Game time is set for 1pm and the Engineers will be honoring their five seniors in a pre-game ceremony. The Herons head to Poughkeepsie to take on Vassar in a 1pm contest.

RPI Vs. Utica

UTICA, N.Y. - The Utica College women’s field hockey team beat visiting RPI, 3-2, in a non-conference game Friday night at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium. The Pioneers improve to 6-7 overall on the season, while the Engineers fall to 3-10. Senior Kim Martin had the unassisted, game-winning goal for UC at 59:18.

Utica drew first blood a little over 18 minutes into the game, when from Hayley Coon found the back off the net off a pass from by Avion Ashton at 18:14. Just under ten minutes later, RPI would answer, tying the game off an unassisted goal from Jessica Corrigan at 27:22 in the first half.

However, UC continued their control on offense and at 34:33, Mallory Mariano would tally her fourth goal of the season off a rebound to give the Pioneers a 2-1 lead at the break.

At the start off the second half, Rensselaer would tie the game at 2-2, after Sandy Turnbull fired a bullet from 20 yards out and recorded her team-leading seventh goal of the season.

But Utica would continue their stride and just under ten minutes later, Kim Martin would tally her second goal of the year, finding the lower left corner, at 59:18, to give the Pioneers the lead, 3-2, as they went on to victory.

RPI Vs. Skidmore

TROY, N.Y. - Kelly Blackhurst had a hat trick and Christine Kemp had two goals and an assist to lead the Skidmore College field hockey team to a 7-2 win over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). Rensselaer, which got both goals from senior Sandy Turnbull, falls to 3-9 overall and 1-4 in the Liberty League. The ninth-ranked Thoroughbreds are now 10-1, including nine straight wins, and 5-0.

Skidmore struck first as Blackhurst (North River, NY/Johnsburg), a freshman, scored just 2:30 into the game. Junior Annie Rosencrans (Riverside, CT/Greenwich) earned the assist after she took at shot that banked off the right corner of the cage. Blackhurst buried the rebound past Engineers goalkeeper Briana Earle (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker).

Rensselaer wasted little time in making it a 1-1 game as Turnbull (Upperville, VA/Chatham Hall) took a pass from sophomore Alissa Peterson (Gaithersburg, MD/Quince Orchard) while standing near the goal line to the goaltender’s left and shot the ball past senior keeper Liz Catinella (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln Sudbury). The goal came off a penalty corner.

Turnbull put the Engineers ahead with her team-leading seventh goal of the year when she carried the ball into the circle and fired a long shot to the far side at the 11:54 mark. Sage Foley (Sturbridge, MA/Tantasqua Regional), who chipped the ball to Turnbull, was credited with the assist. Skidmore needed just 28 seconds to tie the game as senior Brittany O’Brien (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield) carried the ball down the right side and crossed it to the middle, where Kemp (Putnam Valley, NY/Putnam Valley) was waiting to jam it over the goal line.

Kemp added her second of the game – her 13th of the season – off a turnover in the circle at 25:24 and Blackhurst made it 4-2 when she scored with just 14 seconds left in the first half.

In the second half, Blackhurst tallied on a rebound of a pair of O’Brien shots at 41:58 for a three-goal margin. Senior Katie Potter (Rumson, NJ/Rumson Fair-Haven) then scored on a penalty stroke at 54:39 and junior Lauren Tobias (New City, NY/Clarkstown South) tapped in a goal-mouth pass from Kemp just over five minutes later (59:50).

Catinella stopped three shots in 57:32 for Skidmore, which held a 38-11 edge in shots, including 26-5 on goal. Earle made 18 saves for the Engineers.

Rensselaer is back on the field next Friday, traveling to Utica for a 7pm match against the Pioneers. Skidmore is also in action on Friday, hosting Babson in Saratoga Springs at 3:30pm.

RPI Vs. Union

TROY, N.Y. – Senior Tyler Willey’s goal in the 68th minute gave Union College a one-goal advantage and the Dutchwomen held on for a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Liberty League field hockey action at Harkness Field. With the victory, Union evens its record at 5-5 and is now 2-2 in conference play. The Engineers are now 3-8 on the season and 1-3 in the Liberty League.

With RPI holding a 1-0 lead in the second half after a goal by senior Alex Lamparski (Malvern, PA/Country Day School of the Sacred Heart), Union mounted a comeback as sophomore Lauren Winchell (Glens Falls, NY/Glens Falls) sent the ball out of the circle on a penalty corner. The ball carried out to senior Alex King (Chester Springs, PA/The Shipley School), who settled it and sent it back in where Winchell curved around RPI netminder Briana Earle (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker) for the shot at the open goal in the 68th minute.

Willey (Stockton, NJ/The Hun School of Princeton) then gave the visitors the 2-1 advantage less than three minutes later after collecting a pass from senior Shannon Brady (Bernardston, MA/Greenfield) in front. Through a scramble, Willey managed to get her stick down and send it into the left corner of the box past Earle for the go-ahead goal.

Union, which held a 16-5 advantage in shots for the second half, played a staunch defense in the waning minutes and effectively shut down the Engineers opportunities.

Neither team found the back of the net in the opening stanza, but Rensselaer broke onto the scoreboard first in the second half. Sophomore Holly Dupuis (Brookfield, MA/Worcester Academy) set up the Engineers’ goal, sending in a long shot from outside the circle, which was deflected in front by Lamparski in the 46th minute.

Both goaltenders had fantastic outings at either end as Union netminder Sarah Rios (Queensbury, NY/Glens Falls) stopped seven shots for the victory, including five stops in the first half. For RPI, Earle finished with 10 saves, making six stops in the second half of the contest.

Union senior Kelsey Powers (Naples, ME/Lake Region) led all players in shots for the game, notching 11 total, including five on goal, while Rensselaer senior Sandy Turnbull (Upperville, VA/Chatham Hall) had a team-best five shots, including three that were turned aside by Rios.

Both teams are back in action on Saturday as the Engineers welcome #9 Skidmore to Harkness Field. Union heads to Poughkeepsie to face Vassar. Both contests begin at 2pm.