ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT women's hockey team (1-2-0) allowed four first-period goals, and two in the second en route to a 6-2 loss to Rensselaer (1-2-0) Friday evening in front of 790 fans at the Gene Polisseni Center. With the loss, RIT drops to 14-8-4 all time versus Rensselaer.

"It was a lackluster performance right from the get go tonight," said Scott McDonald, Bruce B. Bates Women's Hockey Coach at RIT. "Overall our competitive level was at an all time low."

Shots were 37-17 in favor of the Engineers. The Tigers took four penalties for eight minutes while RIT took six penalties for 12 minutes. RPI went 1-for-2 with the man advantage, while the Tigers went 0-for-3.

Lovisa Selander got the win in net for Rensselaer, making 15 saves. Brooke Stoddart (Elmvale, Ontario/Elmvale) got the start for RIT, taking the loss and making 20 saves. Jetta Rackleff (Bend, OR/Summit) played the third period and made 11 saves. Cassie Clayton (Pickering, Ontario/PEAC School) and Carly Payerl (Kitchener, Ontario/Resurrection Catholic) scored for the Tigers.

Rensselaer exploded for four goals in the first period. Katie Rooney gave the Engineers a 1-0 lead just 1:05 into the game when she put home a rebound off a shot from Laura Horwood. Her shot rang off the post ad right to Rooney who was camped out in front of the Tigers net.

Aly Tremblay gave Rensselaer a 2-0 lead on her first goal of the season. She skated the length of the ice as RPI broke into the RIT zone 3-on-1. Tremblay waited the Tigers defender go down to block the shot and beat Stoddart with a shot to her stick side.

Mari Mankey made it 3-0 Rensselaer with her goal at 12:31 of the first period off an assist from Jenn Godin who fed Mankey from behind the RIT net. Mankey crashed the net and jammed home a shot.

Clayton cut the RPI lead to 3-1 on her goal at 13:50 of the opening period. Reagan Rust (McKinney, TX/Moon Area) started the play when she fed Thurston at the left point. Thurston spotted Clayton in front of the RPI net and sent a pass into the slot. Clayton one-timed a shot into the net for her second goal of the season.

Payerl cut the Rensselaer to 4-2 at 4:46 of the second period. She skated in from the dasher boards and fired a tough-angled shot that snuck past Selander.

However, the Engineers tacked on two more goals in the second period to lead 6-2 after 40 minutes of action. Laura Horwood made it 5-2 on her second goal of the season at 13:42, and Mari Mankey made it 6-2 on her power play goal with 49 seconds to play in the second.

Neither team scored in the third period as Rensselaer took 11 shots to five for the Tigers. 

"Our competitive level needs to improve for tomorrow," said McDonald. "This is a game you can't hide. We need to finish the game and play a full 60 minutes."

These two teams will be back in action on Saturday, October 10 at 3 p.m. at the Gene Polisseni Center.