Box Score

TROY, N.Y. – Freshman left winger Eleeza Cox recorded her first career hat-trick as the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's hockey team blanked Yale University, 5-0 in ECAC Hockey action at Ingalls Rink.  The win for the Engineers marked the first in league play this season as the team moves to 3-7-4 and 1-3-2 in the conference.  The Bulldogs slip to 1-8-0 and 1-5-0 in ECAC Hockey. 
 
With her three-goal effort, Cox becomes the second straight player to record a hat-trick against Yale.  Sophomore winger Jordan Smelker (Anchorage, AK/Team Alaska 19U) tallied three against the Elis exactly one year ago on November 12, 2010 at Ingalls Rink.  Additionally, rookie netminder Brianna Piper (Oakville, ON/Toronto Jr. Aeros) picked up her first win of the season, moving to 1-3-3 overall and 1-1-1 in league play.  She stopped all 15 shots she faced in the game.
 
The Engineers dominated action from the opening faceoff, jumping out to a 1-0 lead late in the first period as Cox (St. Catharines, ON/Ridley College) scored on the power play.  She was set up on the goal at 17:53 by Smelker and senior captain Alisa Harrison (Vienna, VA/Washington Pride).
 
Senior Jill Vandegrift (St. Paul, MN/Minnesota Thoroughbreds) made it a 2-0 advantage at 16:40 of the second stanza as she converted a pass from rookie Taylor Mahoney (Cary, IL/Chicago Mission) for the goal. It was Mahoney's first career point. Senior Amanda Castignetti (Anchorage, AK/Shattuck-St. Mary's) earned the secondary assist.
 
RPI made it a three-goal differential minutes later as Smelker put one past Yale netminder Genny Lediges at 19:09 off an assist from senior Sierra Vadner (Apple Valley, MN/Minnesota Thoroughbreds).
 
In the third period, the Bulldogs were called for a costly penalty as Madi Murray was tagged for closing her hand on the puck, which resulted in a penalty shot for the Engineers.  Cox had little trouble, firing it past Ladiges to make it a 4-0 game.
 
Cox completed the hat-trick just over three minutes later as she converted a pass from Smelker at 6:14 to wrap up the scoring.  Junior Taylor Horton (St. Thomas, ON/Bluewater Jr. Hawks) was given the second helper on the tally.
 
The Engineers held a 52-15 edge in shots for the game.  Ladiges had 47 stops in the loss for the Bulldogs, making 19 saves in the first period, 12 in the second and 16 in the third.
 
Rensselaer returns to action next weekend when it hosts the #1 team in the nation and the defending NCAA Champion Badgers of the University of Wisconsin on Friday (7pm) and Saturday (4pm) at the Houston Field House.  Yale travels to nationally-ranked Mercyhurst for a pair of games next weekend.