Box Score
TROY, N.Y. - Powered by a pair of goals in the second half, the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) field hockey team came-from-behind to defeat visiting Oneonta State, 2-1 in non-conference action at Harkness Field. The game was a match-up between two of the top five teams in the NCAA North Atlantic region rankings released this past Wednesday. The win - RPI's fourth in a row - moves the Engineers to 10-4 on the season. The Red Dragons move to 11-6 on the season.
The Red Dragons struck first in the opening stanza as leading scorer,
Megan Warning (Lake Peeksill/Putnam Valley) (Lake Peekskill, NY/Putnam Valley), hammered home a rebound to the right of RPI net minder Briana Earle (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker). Off an Oneonta State corner, senior
Jacqueline Camp (Queensbury/Queensbury) (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) took the first shot that Earle was able to kick save. The ball stayed loose in traffic and Warning found it for the tally at 15:15.
Trailing 1-0 after the opening half of action, the Engineers rallied back into the game as junior Holly Dupuis (Brookfield, MA/Worcester Academy) banged in her own rebound at the left post at 55:41. RPI, which at one point faced a 17-0 shots deficit in the opening stanza, pushed down the field. Dupuis' first shot was saved, but the ensuing rebound could not be controlled as she snuck it in.
Tied with less than seven minutes remaining, Rensselaer grabbed the lead as rookie Liana Viaggio (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) sent a quick shot past Red Dragons goalie
Tess Tracy (Liverpool/Liverpool) (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool). Viaggio had the first shot, which was saved, but the ball rebounded out to sophomore Jen Piselli (Branford, CT/Hamden Hall Country Day School), who crossed it in front to Viaggio for the one-timer.
Rensselaer played solid defense over the final minutes of the game, dominating the ball in the Oneonta State offensive zone to secure the victory.
Rensselaer got off to a slow start in the game as the Oneonta State offense took charge, jumping out to a 17-0 lead in shots before the Engineers began to comeback. Viaggio had one of the best attempts in the half as she raced down the right side in a 2-on-1 with junior Carlie Newcomb (Southwick, MA/Southwick Tolland Regional).
Viaggio - who helped set up Wednesday's overtime game-winner against Utica in the same fashion - took a hard shot at Red Dragons goalie
Tess Tracy (Liverpool/Liverpool) (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool), but the net minder was up to the task as she kicked it away and out of the zone.
In goal, Earle picked up the victory, stopping 18 shots, including 13 in the first half. Tracy made nine saves in the loss. Both teams each recorded a defensive save.
For the game, the Red Dragons held a 28-26 advantage in shots, and were dominant on corners by a 16-8 margin.
Oneonta State is back in action on Wednesday with a 4pm contest at Utica.
Goals by period 1 2 Tot
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Oneonta State....... 1 0 - 1
Rensselaer.......... 0 2 - 2
SCORING SUMMARY:
1. 15:15 ONEFH
Megan Warning (Lake Peeksill/Putnam Valley) (
Jacqueline Camp (Queensbury/Queensbury))
2. 55:41 RPI_FH Holly Dupuis (unassisted)
3. 63:41 RPI_FH Liana Viaggio (Jen Piselli)
Shots: Oneonta State 28, Rensselaer 26
Saves: Oneonta State 10 (
Tess Tracy (Liverpool/Liverpool) 9; TEAM 1), Rensselaer 19 (Briana Earle 18; TEAM 1)
