SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College women's hockey team is set to take on the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Engineers in back to back ECAC contests. Coming off of a three-point home stand against Brown and Yale, Union will host RPI tomorrow at 3 p.m. at Messa Rink to begin the series. The Dutchwomen will then head to Troy, New York on Saturday, January 28th, for a 3 p.m. match at the Houston Field House.
RPI, 6-16-4 overall, is ahead of Union in the ECAC by two points with a 3-9-2 conference record. Hoping to gain four points this weekend, the Dutchwomen sit at 4-18-4 and 2-10-2.
Rivalry Week
This weekend marks the 23rd and 24th time the two teams have met, with the first ever game being played on January 3rd, 2000. RPI leads the series with an overall record of 17-2-3. Last season, the Engineers defeated the Dutchwomen 4-1 and the squads tied 3-3 on December 4th, 2010. Union's last win over RPI was on October 30th, 2004.
Both contests should be close, heated games with the Dutchwomen and Engineers sitting similarly in standings and statistics. Union, 3-6-3 at home, will have to bring intensity and strong defense to Messa Rink, as RPI has a 3-6-3 record on the road. While the Dutchwomen have a tendency to perform better on home ice, the Engineers have struggled at the Houston Field House, notching a 3-10-1 record so far this season.
Neck and neck games have been a trend with both teams, as well. Nine games have been decided by one goal for each Union and RPI, while the Dutchwomen have also had nine games go into overtime during the 2011-12 season.
Scouting the Engineers
In their most recent contests, RPI defeated Yale 4-2 and fell to Brown 2-3 at home. Sophomore Jordan Smelker, who had a goal against the Bulldogs and an assist against the Bears, leads the Engineers in points with 22. She also currently holds 15th place in the ECAC with 14 assists. Senior Alisa Harrison, sitting at 17 points, earned the game-winning goal against Yale, while senior Amanda Castignetti had a three-point weekend.
Freshman Eleeza Cox and senior Jill Vandegrift are tied for third in points for the Engineers with 15. Cox gained two assists and scored her ninth of the season last weekend to lead RPI in goals. Vandegrift moved to eight goals on the season after scoring against both Yale and Brown. There are now seven skaters who have 10 or more points for the Engineers.
RPI has had two rookie goaltenders share the net this season, with Brianna Piper and Kelly O'Brien playing 50.6% and 48.2% of the time, respectively. Piper currently has a save percentage of .876 and a 2.99 GAA, while O'Brien lists a .891 save percentage with a 2.91 GAA.
Thinking Pink
On Saturday, January 21st, Union hosted the 5th Annual Pink at the Rink Day against Yale University. Playing before a crowd of over 300 people, all dressed in pink, the Dutchwomen defeated the Bulldogs 2-0. Those in attendance made donations at the door, bid on silent auction items and bought raffle tickets, all in support of cancer research.
Union College women's hockey and the Schenectady community helped raise over $3,000 in only a few days. Pink at the Rink Day has now raised close to $40,000 for the American Cancer Society and to help fight against breast cancer.
Gallagher Shuts Out the Competition
Kate Gallagher earned her first career shut out on January 21st against the Yale Bulldogs. The senior made 70 saves last weekend, moving her to a .945 save percentage to lead the ECAC. She also sits at fifth place in the conference with a 1.88 GAA.
Kurio's Surge
Rhianna Kurio has had a knack for producing points in the last few games for the Dutchwomen. The junior had three goals in three straight games for Union, scoring against UConn, Cornell and Colgate. Kurio tallied the game-tying goal in the Huskies contest and now leads the Dutchwomen in goals, along with sophomore Stefanie Thomson, with six. She is currently two points away from hitting the 20-point mark in her career.
Freshman 28
The latest batch of Union freshman has combined to produce a total of 28 points so far this season. Leading the Dutchwomen is Bryanne Panchuk. The rookie most recently scored against Dartmouth for her 11th point. Christine Valente had a two-point night against Brown on January 20th, moving her to five goals and five assists for 10 points.
Leading the Pack
Along with Panchuk and Valente, four other Dutchwomen lead the team in overall scoring. Junior Jeannie Sabourin, senior Molly Kate Devin, senior Lauren Cromartie and senior Dania Simmonds are all tied for third with nine points so far this season.
Sabourin has produced four points in the last ten games for Union, while Devin most recently scored against Dartmouth and added an assist against Yale. Cromartie added an assist against Dartmouth, moving her to three goals and six assists. Simmonds tallied two points last weekend and leads the Dutchwomen in assists with nine.
Moving Up
Union now sits at fourth in the ECAC for combined special teams with 50.5%. The squad also moved up to seventh place in the penalty kill with a percentage of 83.8%.
Individually, junior Rhianna Kurio and freshman Christine Valente are tied for 10th place in the ECAC with three power play goals each. Valente also sits at 13th in overall freshman scoring, while Bryanne Panchuk is tied for 10th place.
Historical Win and Tie
One of the most impressive weekends for Union took place while facing Clarkson and St. Lawrence. The Dutchwomen shut down the Golden Knights 2-1 on November 4th for the first time in school history. Also for the first time, the squad tied the Saints 2-2 on November 5th. Union walked away from the two-day home stand with three points.
Heinhuis' Timely Goal
With ten seconds remaining in overtime, senior Chelsey Heinhuis scored the game-winning goal to put Union up 4-3 over Syracuse on October 21st. This is one of many examples of the Dutchwomen's defense stepping up in games.
Breaking Records
Netminder Kate Gallagher made 85 saves the weekend of November 4th, stopping 33 shots in the 2-1 win over the Golden Knights and 52 in the 2-2 tie against the Saints. She topped her previous career-high of 47 saves in a single game against Princeton in the 2010-2011 season. Also, as of the 2010-2011 season Gallagher has a career goals against average of 2.82, the best in Union's Division I history.
On Their Way
The Dutchwomen have collectively scored 47 goals and 73 assists for 120 points overall so far this season. In conference games, Union has recorded 19 goals and 30 assists for 49 points. The 2011-12 season is currently the best in Union's Division 1 history regarding league play and second best regarding overall points. There has not been a team that has scored 49 league points for the Dutchwomen in a single season since the 2002-03 season when the Dutchwomen were still involved in Division III hockey. Also, no other Union team has earned six points in the ECAC conference in a single season.
When it comes to overall points, the current Dutchwomen are five points away from having the most points in a single season in Union's Division I history. They are also eight goals away from having the most goals in a Division I season and five assists away from having the most assists in a Division I season. Besides overall points, the Dutchwomen are two wins away from having the most in a Division I season.
The current Dutchwomen are on the road to having the best year in the school's Division I history.
Last Time Out…
Union recently tied Brown University 2-2 and shut out Yale University 2-0 for three ECAC points. Eight skaters earned points over the weekend, including senior Emilie Arseneault who tallied a goal and an assist against the Bears. Sophomore Stefanie Thomson scored her sixth of the season against the Bulldogs, receiving help from senior Molly Kate Devin. Senior Lauren Hoffman and freshman Christine Valente both lit the lamp for the Dutchwomen, while senior Dania Simmonds, senior Chelsey Heinhuis and freshman Kelly McGrath recorded points over the weekend. Netminder Kate Gallagher moved to a .945 save percentage and a 1.88 GAA with 413 saves.
