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.
No comments:
Post a Comment