Box Score

TROY, NY (September 30, 2009) – Liberty League play has always been the most challenging portion of the Vassar field hockey schedule each season, and the task becomes increasingly more difficult when facing a league opponent that is seeking its first win of the season. Such was the scenario facing the Brewers on Wednesday afternoon as host Rensselaer tallied three goals in each half to register a 6-2 victory. 

The loss drops Vassar to 2-9, 0-3, while RPI notches its first win of the 2009 season and improves to 1-8, 1-2 on the season. The Brewers will next play a non-conference game against FDU-Florham on October 3 at 1:00 p.m. RPI will also slip out of Liberty League play, next traveling to Castleton State College on October 4 at 2:00 p.m. 

Down 4-0 in the game's 54th minute, Vassar broke out of a three-game scoring slump when senior Jennie McAllister scored her first goal of the season off an assist from junior Jessica Lance. Although RPI increased its lead to 6-1 with a pair of goals coming a little under three minutes apart, the Brewers kept fighting, making the game 6-2 with nine minutes to play when McAllister notched her first career two goal game following Lance's second assist of the game. 

Sandy Turnbull led the Red Hawks with three goals, securing RPI's fifth and sixth goals of the game. Kerri Clark began the second half scoring with a tally in the 54th minute. 

RPI's Megan McNarama scored the game's first goal at 9:46 and exactly five minutes later teammate Joanna Allprando pushed the lead to 2-0. Both of those goals were scored off penalty corners. The Red Hawks rounded out the first half scoring with a tally from Turnbull in the 18th minute. Those goals came against junior Rachel Horwitz, who started the game and made seven saves. She was replaced in the second half by freshman Rachel Clarkin-Breslin who made two saves. 

While Vassar did have difficulty generating offensive opportunities in the first half, managing only two shots, the Brewers did pick up the pace in the second half, getting off seven shots. RPI goalie Sarah Burcher made two saves in the game.