TROY, N.Y. – Two players posted a goal and an assist as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) bested Mount Holyoke College, 5-0 in soccer action on Wednesday at the East Campus Athletic Village. The victory moves the Engineers to 7-5-2 overall, while the Lyons slip to 2-11-2 on the season.
The Engineers opened the game's scoring just 4:44 into the contest after senior forward Dali Alarian (Folsom, Calif./Vista del Lago) sent a quick pass down the middle into the box. The ball settled onto the foot of sophomore forward Emily Kaplan (Smithtown, N.Y./Hauppauge), who outmaneuvered a Lyons defender for a clear shot into the left corner of the net.
Rensselaer made it a two-goal advantage in the 19th minute as junior defender Vera Titze (Erlangen, Germany/Gymnasium Fridericianum Erlangen) sent in a long ball from the left that began to curve in the box off a pass from Kaplan. The shot sailed into the upper right corner past the reach of Lyons keeper Amanda Manaster (Beverly Hills, Calif./Beverly Hills).
Junior midfielder Emily Dunn (Seattle, Wash./Ballard) made it a 3-0 game less than three minutes later as senior midfielder (Andover, Mass./Brooks School) shuttled a pass up to Dunn, who powered in a hard shot that Manaster was unable to control as the ball rolled in over the line.
The Lyons saw both of their chances in the opening half come off the foot of sophomore forward Minerva Veeser-Bobea (Arlington, Mass./Arlington). Her best chance came in the 36th minute after she corralled the ball and sent in a hard shot on the Engineers goal, but the ball was blocked out to keep the game scoreless.
In the second half, RPI jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the ball was redirected in off of a Lyons defender. The Engineers pushed the edge to five (5-0) in the 61st minute after a cross from the near side by Dunn landed to the right of the goal. Fighting with a Lyons defender, senior midfielder Jessica Dabney (Austin, Texas/James Bowie) made a slight turn to send it into the right corner at the post.
Senior midfielder Molly Hershkowitz (Boston, Mass./Beaver Country Day School) had a strong chance for the Lyons seconds later, sending in a long ball from 40-yards out. MHC had several forwards on the move toward goal, but RPI keeper Tori Riopelle (Ashburn, Va./Briar Woods) quickly pulled in the ball despite the rush.
Mount Holyoke nearly broke onto the scoreboard in the 86th minute as senior forward Sara Sanaú Ruiz (Zaragoza, Spain/P.P. Dominicos-Cardinal Xaviere) played into the box, sending a hard shot in on Riopelle, who pushed it out of danger.
Rensselaer owned a 19-3 advantage in shots for the contest, also holding an 8-1 clip in corner kicks. In goal, Riopelle posted one save for the victory, while Manaster shouldered the loss with three saves through the opening half of action. First year Maria-Lucia Delgado (Bronx, N.Y./Beacon School) made four stops in the second half, including a leaping save at the left corner off a well-placed free kick with less than six minutes remaining.
The Lyons return to action on Saturday when it travels to Wheaton for a 1pm match. RPI is also in action on Saturday, hosting Ithaca at 1pm.