Women's Hockey - at Robert Morris (11/27-11/28)

The Engineers spent the Thanksgiving holiday on the road to Moon Township, PA where they faced off against non-conference foe Robert Morris in a weekend series. The Colonials, with a 0-3-1 CHA record (and 4-9-1 overall) looked like they might provide RPI an opportunity to pick up a couple wins before getting into the bulk of the ECAC schedule. Indeed, RPI cashed in on the opportunity Friday afternoon with a handy 5-2 victory but the Engineers' Saturday woes continued as they went on to fall 3-1 on Saturday.

Whitney Naslund was honored with selection as the ECAC Player of the Week for her performance in the two games, in which she went 2-2-4 and 1-0-1 for a combined five points and eight shots on goal.

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Friday

Wright/Harrison/Naslund
Padmore/Dunlop/Vandegrift
Horton/O'Keefe/Weidner
Guilmette/Jakubowski/Stapleton

Le Donne/Gersten
Castignetti/Haller
Vadner/Daniels

Van der Bliek

By the time I made it to the computer and got the video set up from the RMU website, it was late in the first period and the score was tied at one, with an RPI goal by Allison Wright at 3:08 and an RMU PP answer at 14:00. Coming out for the second period, the Engineers took it to the Colonials much like they did for stretches against New Hampshire, and the effort paid off with two quick tallies by Whitney Naslund and Laura Gersten at 6:00 and 8:42 of the middle frame. The momentum shifted back to RMU late in the period, but despite outshooting the Engineers 12-6 in the period, the Colonials couldn't find the twine and went to the locker room down two goals.

The third period saw RPI go down two players when Allysen Weidner and Naslund went off for penalties less than a minute apart, setting RMU up for 1:06 of 5-on-3 time. RPI had little trouble killing the 2-man advantage, and on the ensuing 5-on-4, Weidner came out flying and nearly notched another RPI goal on a shorthanded breakaway bid, but was stopped by RMU netminder Kristen DiCiocco. DiCiocco had come into the game in relief of starter Daneca Butterfield after RPI's third goal. RMU would continue the pressure after the penalty kill, but it was RPI that struck next as Kendra Dunlop scored her fourth of the season to make it 4-1. RMU answered late with a goal at 17:21 and promptly pulled the goalie, setting up Whitney Naslund with the chance for the empty net. She converted, picking up her second goal and fourth point of the night to put a seal on the game with the final score of 5-2.

Naslund was awarded first star of the game for her four-point, +4 effort and Allison Wright picked up second star with a goal, an assist, and a +3 rating on the night.

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Saturday

Wright/Harrison/Naslund
Padmore/Dunlop/Vandegrift
Horton/O'Keefe/Weidner
Guilmette/Jakubowski/Stapleton

Le Donne/Gersten
Castignetti/Haller
Vadner/Daniels

Van der Bliek

RMU struck early in Saturday's game, capitalizing on their first power play opportunity of the afternoon as Andie Le Donne went off for checking to take a 1-0 lead seven minutes into the game. The Colonials would make it 2-0 a little over five minutes later and only record two more shots on goal for the period, scoring two goals on four shots. RPI also recorded four shots in the opening period.

The second period was uneventful, with only one penalty each way, six shots on goal for each team, and no goals scored. Neither team would find the net again until Whitney Naslund notched her third goal of the weekend at 14:11 of the third period, on the power play. The Colonials iced the game with an empty netter at 19:46 as RPI desperately tried for the equalizer, but they couldn't find it. Shots in the third were 12-7 in RPI's favor, for a game total of 22-17 RPI.

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RPI @ Robert Morris
Non-Conference Game - Island Sports Center (Pittsburgh, PA)
11/27/09 - 2:05pm
RPI 5, RMU 2

BOX SCORES:
College Hockey Stats: http://collegehockeystats.net/0910/boxes/wrenrmu1.n27
USCHO: http://www.uscho.com/box/?date=20091127&vis=rpi&home=rm&gender=w

RECAPS:
RPI: http://www.rpiathletics.com/news/2009/11/27/WICE_1127092533.aspx
RMU: http://www.rmucolonials.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=13900&ATCLID=204840888

RECORD: 5-7-4 (2-2-2 ECAC Hockey, 6 points)

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RPI @ Robert Morris
Non-Conference Game - Island Sports Center (Pittsburgh, PA)
11/28/09 - 2:05pm
RMU 3, RPI 1

BOX SCORES:
College Hockey Stats: http://collegehockeystats.net/0910/boxes/wrenrmu1.n28
USCHO: http://www.uscho.com/box/?date=20091128&vis=rpi&home=rm&gender=w

RECAPS:
RPI: http://www.rpiathletics.com/news/2009/11/28/WICE_1128094115.aspx
RMU: http://www.rmucolonials.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=13900&ATCLID=204841376

RECORD: 5-8-4 (2-2-2 ECAC Hockey, 6 points)

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ECAC Standings (with no ECAC games this weekend):

               GP   Pts      ECAC      All
Cornell        8    13     6-1-1     6-3-1
Clarkson       7    12     6-1-0     12-2-1
Princeton      8    11     5-2-1     6-3-1
Quinnipiac     8    11     4-1-3     6-4-4
Harvard        8    10     5-3-0     5-3-1
Dartmouth      8     9     4-3-1     4-3-1
St. Lawrence   7     7     3-3-1     6-5-4
RPI            6     6     2-2-2     4-7-4
Colgate        8     5     1-4-3     2-9-3
Brown          8     3     0-5-3     1-6-3
Yale           8     2     1-7-0     1-7-1
Union          6     1     0-5-1     2-9-1

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Upcoming Games

Dec. 5 - @ Union
Dec. 6 - Union
Jan. 8 - St. Lawrence
Jan. 9 - Clarkson

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NASLUND NAMED ECAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior forward chosen by the league's coaches after five-point weekend

TROY, N.Y. – ECAC Hockey has announced its weekly women’s ice hockey award winners for the week ending November 29 and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student-athlete Whitney Naslund was chosen as the conference’s Player of the Week.

A senior right winger from Bloomington, Minn., Naslund recorded a team-best five points on three goals and two assists as the Engineers went 1-1-0 last week. She also added a team-best eight shots and was a +4. In a 5-2 victory at Robert Morris, Naslund scored two goals, including one on the power play, and assisted on two others. She then tallied the lone goal in a 3-1 loss to the Colonials the following day.

Through 17 games this season, Naslund leads the team in scoring with a team-best eight goals and five assists for 13 points. She also ranks 15th nationally and fourth among ECAC players in power play goals with three (0.12 average).

Last season, the former Bloomington Jefferson High School standout played in 37 games, leading the team in goals with 15. Four of her tallies came on the power play, while four other were game-winning. She finished second on the squad in assists (14) and points (29), while helping lead the team to the ECAC Hockey Championship Game. For her efforts, which included two goals in RPI’s 3-2 overtime victory against Harvard in the league Semifinals, she was named to the All-Tournament team.

As a sophomore, Naslund led the team in points (22), assists (14) and short-handed goals (2). She was second on the team in goals (8) and played in all 33 contests. During her freshman campaign, Naslund recorded team-highs in points (28) and assists (17), while finishing second in goals (11). She helped RPI to its first appearance in the ECAC Hockey Playoffs, recording a hat-trick against Dartmouth

In 122 contests, Naslund has recorded 42 goals and 50 assists for 92 points. She has been recognized by ECAC Hockey nine times in her career, having been named to the league’s Weekly Honor Roll six times and Rookie of the Week twice prior to her senior season.

Rensselaer (5-8-4; 2-2-2 ECAC Hockey) returns to league play this weekend when it plays a home-and-home series with area-rival Union College. The Engineers head to Schenectady on Saturday (2pm) and then welcome the Dutchwomen on Sunday (12pm) to the Houston Field House.