Box Score

NIAGARA, N.Y. - For the second consecutive day, the Niagara women's hockey team came back from a two goal deficit, scoring three unanswered goals, for a 3-2 win over Rensselaer in non-league action on Saturday. With the win the Purple Eagles improve to 2-4-0 overall, while the Engineers drop to 2-2-2.

Junior forward Kelsey Welch netted her second of the season with 5:43 left in the third period to give the Purple Eagles their second win of the season.  Defender Erin Burns took a shot from the left point into traffic and Welch was in the mix to put the puck in the back of the net.

The Engineers would strike first at the 14:32 mark of the opening period when sophomore forward Toni Sanders fired a shot from the near boards just inside the blue line beating Niagara netminder Abby Ryplanski, glove side.  Senior Laura Guillemette made it a two-goal game less than four minutes later, assisted by Toni Sanders and Ali Svoboda.

The Purple Eagles would close out the first 20 minutes with a goal, 46 seconds left in the period.  Sophomore forward Jessica Hitchcock went in on the breakaway, but couldn't get the shot off as she lost control.  The puck trickled towards the net before junior forward Jenna Hendrikx pushed it past RPI netminder Kelly O'Brien.  Niagara outshot RPI 8-6 in the opening period.

Niagara would tie the game just 2:26 into the second stanza.  O'Brien saved a wrister from sophomore Kaleigh Chippy, but couldn't stop the follow-up shot by sophomore May Wilkerson.

Ryplanski stopped 22 shots for the Purple Eagles, while O'Brien (2-1), who suffered her first loss of the season, made 26 saves.