ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The Union College women's hockey team scored a school-record six goals in the third period to storm back from a two-goal deficit and defeat Rochester Institute of Technology by a 7-4 score in the team's 2021-22 season-opener on Friday evening at the Gene Polisseni Center. 
 
This team's seven goals are the most scored by the Dutchwomen since a 9-2 win over Sacred Heart University on October 8, 2011. The seven goals are also tied for fourth on the school single-game scoring list. 
 
Fifteen Dutchwomen played in their first college games tonight and a multitude of collegiate firsts were set in the process. Sophomore Josie McLeod led the way for the Dutchwomen scoring two goals and adding an assist in her first game, while sophomore Celeste Beaudoin and first-year Maren Friday both added a goal and an assist. Sophomore Meredith Killian and first-year Maddie Suitor both scored their first collegiate goals as well, while senior Grace Heiting also found the back of the net for the visitors. 
 
Playing for the first time in 587 days, Union came out and dominated the first period of play, outshooting the Tigers by a 19-5 margin. Beaudoin opened the scoring at the 5:38 mark on a breakaway off a McLeod assist to give the Dutchwomen a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes.
 
The second period was all RIT, as the Tigers scored three times. Lindsay Maloney scored to tie the game early in the second period on the power play, followed by goals coming from Abby Davies and Emma Roland, to make it 3-1 Tigers over the Dutchwomen through two periods.
 
Union came out firing in the third period, however, scoring the most goals in a period in the program's Division I era. McLeod made it 3-2 when she redirected a shot by first-year Ashley Adams into the net, and just 35 seconds later Heiting scored off her own rebound to tie the game at three. Suitor netted her first career goal off a feed from junior Carmen Merlo at the 9:43 mark to give Union the lead, and then just eight seconds later, McLeod intercepted a pass and scored her second of the game to make it 5-3 Union. This all came in a 5:29 span. 
 
Killian added to the Union lead on a five-on-three power play with 3:51 remaining to give the Dutchwomen a three-goal edge. RIT stopped the Union scoring streak with a short-handed goal, but Friday became the fifth Union player to record her first collegiate tally with a shot into an empty net in the final seconds, sealing the Dutchwomen win 7-4.  
 
Union controlled the shots on goal department with a 43-20 margin. Sophomore Olivia Rinzel made 16 saves to pick up her first collegiate victory between the pipes for Union. 
 
The Dutchwomen (1-0-0) are back on the ice tomorrow when they battle RIT for the second game of the weekend series at 2 p.m. at the Gene Polisseni Center.