RPI Edges Williams
 |
The Ephs fell to 4-7 on the season, while RPI improved to 10-0. It was the Ephs' first out-of-league defeat.
Kaitlin Ellis led Williams with a season-high four goals in the game. Engineer Shannon Maguire was the game's high-scorer with five goals.
Ali Piltch had nine saves for the Ephs, and Allie Arnal stopped eight shots for the Engineers.
It seemed the game would be tight from the beginning of the contest, as the first 10 minutes of saw the two teams trade goals four times. However, it appeared as though Williams might have taken control of the game in the final minutes of the first half. After a goal from Sam Weinsteinwith 13:20 to play that made the score 5-4 in favor of Williams, there was a long lull in the scoring before Lilly Wellenbach scored with 3:33 to play to make the score 6-4 Williams, and Emily Jablonski put the Ephs up 7-4 off a solo effort with 1:03 remaining in the half.
The Ephs maintained control through the early going of the second 30 minutes. The women scored first when Emily Whicker received a pass from Wellenbach and zipped a shot past Arnal on a man-up opportunity only 1:21 into the half. Each team then scored three goals apiece over the following 10 minutes, and the Ephs found themselves up 10-6 with 18:48 to play after Jablonski scored on a free-position shot.
Jablonski's goal forced an RPI timeout. Coming out of the stoppage, the Engineers turned up their intensity, scoring four unanswered goals over the following nine minutes to knot up the game at 10-10. Ellis stopped the run when she beat Arnal on an unassisted shot with 9:12 to play. Two goals from Maguire then saw the home team take its first lead of the game with 4:47 to play. Ellis brought the Ephs back even with an unassisted effort directly following the ensuing draw with 4:37 to play. However, the Ephs' efforts ultimately fell short, as RPI scored off a free-position shot with 3:54 remaining in the game to make the score 13-12, and Williams was unable to score in the game's closing moments.
Williams next faces Colby at noon on the road on Saturday in a NESCAC battle. RPI's next game will be against William Smith at home on Friday at 4 p.m.
