Box Score / Video Highlights

TROY, N.Y. – The University of Wisconsin's top line of Carolyne Prevost, Brianna Decker and Brooke Ammerman combined for seven goals and eight assists, including a hat trick by Decker, as the #1 Badgers defeated Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), 8-2 in non-conference action at the Field House.  The nation's top team moves to 13-1-0 on the season, while the homestanding Engineers slip to 3-9-4.
 
Senior captain Hilary Knight (Sun Valley, ID/2010 U.S. Olympic Team) got the visitors onto the scoreboard at the 7:59 mark as she slid into the low slow to bury the rebound of a Karley Sylvester shot (Warroad, MN/Warroad).  The Badgers grabbed the 2-0 advantage minutes later as Decker (Dousman, WI/Shattuck-St. Mary's) buried it deep off a feed from Ammerman (River Vale, NJ/North American Hockey Academy) at 9:49.
 
The Engineers battled back to make it a one-goal deficit at the mid-way point on the man-advantage as senior Sierra Vadner (Apple Valley, MN/Minnesota Thoroughbreds) blasted a shot from the high point that re-directed in past Badgers netminder Alex Rigsby (Delafield, WI/Milwaukee Jr. Admirals AAA Boy) off the stick of RPI rookie Ali Svoboda (Arlington Heights, IL/Chicago Mission).
 
Wisconsin added to its advantage late in the opening stanza as Prevost (Sarnia, ON/London Jr. Devilettes) slid it in past Engineers goalie Brianna Piper (Oakville, ON/Toronto Jr. Aeros) tipped it in at the low slot off a rocketed shot by Knight at the high slot on the power play.
 
The Badgers wasted little time in adding to the advantage as Ammerman hammered a shot in at the left doorstep after Knight's shot from the far circle rebounded out to far just 1:06 into the second period. 
 
Rensselaer responded as sophomore Jordan Smelker (Anchorage, AK/Team Alaska 19U) fed the puck across to rookie Eleeza Cox (St. Catharines, ON/Ridley College) at 1:53.  It marked Cox's third straight game with a goal and her team-leading sixth of the season.
 
The period belonged to Wisconsin following RPI's goal as the visitors built up a 6-2 lead heading into the final period of play.  Prevost netted the fifth Badgers goal after firing a shot in from the left side at 9:39 off a feed from Decker. Ammerman then banked it in from inside the left circle past Piper at 11:19 to cap the scoring in the stanza.
 
Despite a number of chances in the final period of play, the Engineers could not battle back into the game as Decker completed her hat trick with back-to-back goals at 9:58 and 14:53 for the final margin.
 
In goal, Rigsby made 27 saves in victory, while Piper and freshman Kelly O'Brien (Sussex, WI/Madison Capitols) combined for 34 stops. Piper had 21 saves through two periods, while O'Brien stopped 13 in the final period.
 
The Engineers return to action next weekend, hosting Syracuse for a pair of games on Friday (7pm) and Saturday (4pm) at the Houston Field House.  Wisconsin returns home and will welcome St. Cloud State for a two-game set, also on Friday and Saturday.