Women's Hockey - ECAC Quarterfinals (1/2 Mar)

RPI hit the road to the North Country this weekend with an ECAC playoff matchup against Clarkson awaiting them. Unfortunately for the Engineers, the Golden Knights sent them back to Troy with nothing to show for their trip as Clarkson earned a 2-0 series sweep, advancing to the semifinals next week.

While the Engineers stuck with Clarkson on Friday, eventually taking a 3-2 overtime loss, the Engineers couldn't keep up on Saturday and the Golden Knights jumped out to a 3-0 lead, eventually going on to win 5-2.

Game 1
Smelker/Horton/Mari Mankey
Sanders/Gruschow/Svoboda
Wash/Mahoney/Walsh
Letuligasenoa/Missy Mankey

Le Donne/Daniels
Godin/Schilter
Banks/Marzario
Middlebrook

O'Brien

Taylor Horton's goal with four minutes left in regulation tied the game at two, but Carly Mercer scored at 8:51 of overtime to give the Clarkson Golden Knights a 3-2 victory over the Engineers Friday night at Cheel Arena.

While Clarkson nearly doubled up RPI in shots (41-23), Kelly O'Brien held the Engineers in the game but it wasn't enough to squeak out an upset win in the North Country.

Clarkson got on the board first, with Vanessa Gagnon left unmarked in the slot to beat O'Brien off a feed from Shelby Nisbet.

Alexa Gruschow tied it at one near the midpoint of the first, redirecting a pass from Jordan Smelker past Clarkson netminder Erica Howe on the power play.

That goal would mark the end of the scoring for more than a full period, as the teams traded 23 shots in the middle frame (13-10 Clarkson) and the Engineers killed two penalties but neither team would find the scoreboard until midway through the third.

Jamie Lee Rattray broke the tie at 11:05 of the third, breaking around Madison Marzario and scoring from her stomach after the RPI defenseman tripped her while trying to knock the puck away.

With time starting to run low, the Engineers picked up a power play at 14:02 and exactly as it expired, Horton scored to knot the score at two, herself falling to the ice in the process.

It remained tied at two after regulation and went to overtime where the Engineers killed a checking penalty but Clarkson continued to pressure and shortly after the kill Carly Mercer snuck one past O'Brien off an initial shot by Rattray to end the game 3-2 and take a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2
Smelker/Horton/Mari Mankey
Sanders/Gruschow/Svoboda
Wash/Mahoney/Walsh
Letuligasenoa/Missy Mankey

Le Donne/Daniels
Godin/Schilter
Banks/Marzario
Middlebrook

O'Brien

Jamie Lee Rattray notched two goals, including one shorthanded, as Clarkson cruised to a 5-2 victory over RPI on Saturday in order to sweep the playoff series 2-0. The Golden Knights once again heavily outshot the Engineers, building up a 34-19 advantage over the course of the game.

The shot disparity was largest in the first period where Clarkson outshot RPI 14-5, but came out of the frame with a single goal by Shannon MacAulay to show for it.

Rattray scored back-to-back goals in the span of just under three minutes in the latter half of the second period to extend the lead to 3-0. Both goals were unassisted.

RPI got on the board in the third when Lauren Wash cut Clarkson's lead to 3-1 at 10:43 but the momentum was short-lived as Olivia Howe restored Clarkson's 3-goal lead just over three minutes later, making it 4-1.

With the season on the line and a three-goal deficit to overcome, RPI opted for the extra attacker fairly early but the move backfired and Vanessa Gagnon picked up an empty net goal at 17:36. Further time with the net empty led to Katie Daniels cutting it to 5-2 but Clarkson ran out the clock from there in order to wrap up their series victory.

The Engineers' season is now over while Clarkson joins Cornell, Harvard, and St. Lawrence in the ECAC semifinals, which (along with the finals) will take place next weekend at Lynah Rink in Ithaca.

St. Lawrence's series with Quinnipiac was the only one to go three games, with the Saints winning the first game in overtime and the Bobcats tying the series in a triple overtime thriller on Saturday. SLU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in game three and held on for the shutout and ticket to the semifinals.

With the Cornell men hosting a playoff series of their own next weekend, the women's games will be at somewhat odd times, with the semifinals at 1pm and 4pm Saturday with the final taking place 1pm on Sunday.

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RPI at Clarkson
ECAC Quarterfinals Game 1 – Cheel Arena (Potsdam, NY)
3/1/13 - 7pm
Clarkson 3, RPI 2 (OT) (Clarkson leads series 1-0)

BOX SCORES:
USCHO: http://www.uscho.com/box/womens-hockey/2013/03/01/rensselaer-vs-clarkson/
College Hockey Stats: http://collegehockeystats.net/1213/boxes/wclkren1.m01

RECAPS:
RPI: http://www.rpiathletics.com/news/2013/3/1/WICE_0301131807.aspx
Clarkson: http://clarksonathletics.com/news/2013/3/1/WHOCK_0301130609.aspx?path=whock
Video Highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k52brsh2jB4

RECORD: 10-21-4 (8-12-2 ECAC)

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RPI at Clarkson
ECAC Quarterfinals Game 2 – Cheel Arena (Potsdam, NY)
3/2/13 - 7pm
Clarkson 5, RPI 2 (Clarkson wins series 2-0)

BOX SCORES:
USCHO: http://www.uscho.com/box/womens-hockey/2013/03/02/rensselaer-vs-clarkson/
College Hockey Stats: http://collegehockeystats.net/1213/boxes/wclkren1.m02

RECAPS:
RPI: http://www.rpiathletics.com/news/2013/3/2/WICE_0302134943.aspx
Clarkson: http://clarksonathletics.com/news/2013/3/2/WHOCK_0302131622.aspx?path=whock

RECORD: 10-22-4 (8-12-2 ECAC)

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ECAC Playoff Quarterfinal Results

#1 Cornell vs. #8 Colgate: Cornell wins 5-4 (OT), 3-2
#2 Clarkson vs. #7 RPI: Clarkson wins 3-2 (OT), 5-2
#3 Harvard vs. #6 Dartmouth: Harvard wins 3-0, 4-0
#4 Quinnipiac vs. #5 St. Lawrence: SLU wins 1-0 (OT), 2-3 (3OT), 2-0

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ECAC Semifinal Matchups (All games will take place next weekend at Lynah Rink as Cornell is the top seed)

#1 Cornell vs. #5 St. Lawrence
#2 Clarkson vs. #3 Harvard