TROY, N.Y. – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute scored four goals in less than four minutes midway through the second period to break open the game and cruise to a 9-2 victory over the Union College women's hockey team in ECAC Hockey action on Saturday afternoon at Houston Fieldhouse.
 
Senior Emily King and junior Carmen Merlo had the goals for Union (2-2, 0-2 ECAC Hockey), but RPI (2-4, 2-0 ECAC Hockey) received three goals from Audrey McCutcheon and single goals from six other players to pull away with the win.
 
Union held an 8-4 edge in shots during the opening period, but two of RPI's four shots found the back of the net as Marah Wagner and Riena Jahnke beat sophomore Olivia Rinzel to give the home team a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.
 
The Engineer lead increased to three in the first minute of the second period before Merlo got Union on the board at 2:24 of the second stanza from senior Cassidy Michalicka and first-year Paige Greco. But the floodgates opened soon after that, as RPI scored four goals in 3:42 to build up a commanding 7-1 lead after two periods.
 
RPI finished with a 30-25 edge in shots. Rinzel made two saves in the first period and added 11 more in the second and third stanzas, while first-year Sophie Matsoukas made eight saves in 14:24 of action during the second period in her collegiate debut.
 
Union will return to action on Tuesday, when the Dutchwomen head to Syracuse University for a non-conference matchup beginning at 6 p.m.