TROY, N.Y. - Sophomore Aleena Milinski made 14 saves and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's lacrosse team got goals from nine different student-athletes in defeating Vassar College, 12-5, in a Liberty League contest at Renwyck Field. The Engineers improve to 6-8 overall and 4-4 in the conference and remain alive for a post-season tournament berth. The Brewers fall to 6-7 and 3-4 and also have a chance for a league bid.

Milinski (Beaver Falls, PA / Blackhawk) had six saves in the first half as RPI built a 9-2 lead at the break. She followed with eight more in the second, including several point-blank stops and five saves on six Vassar free-position opportunities. She also had a pair of ground balls and a caused turnover in improving her record to 6-8.

The Engineers broke a scoreless tie with three goals in an eight minute span. Sophomore midfielder Michelle Bolger (Williston, VT / Rice Memorial) scored at 28:17, before Casey Clarke (Seattle, WA / Lakeside School) and Abbey Salvon (Longmeadow, MA / Longmeadow) notched free-position goals at 21:39 and 20:25, respectively. Salvon's second of the game and 14th of the season at 14:42 made it 4-0 for the home team.

Vassar got on the board with a goal from senior Pheobe Hankins (Belvedere, CA / San Francisco University) just 57 seconds later (13:45), but sophomore Maddy Aslansan (Philadelphia, PA / Springside Chestnut Hill Academy) slipped a shot inside the right front post less than a minute (12:57) after the marker from Hankins. 

The Brewers once again pulled to within three goals, 5-2, on the 25th of the season for Tessa Waters (Skokie, IL / Loyola Academy), but RPI scored the final four of the first frame for a seven-goal edge. Bolger and Morgan Doyle (Syracuse, NY / Corcoran) both had free-position goals before Becca DeRosa (Fair Lawn, NJ / Immaculate Heart Academy) scored her second of the year at 4:38 and Liz Brady (Bradford, MA / Haverhill) notched her fifth with only seven seconds left.

Rensselaer had twice as many shots (18-9) than Vassar in the first half and 11 more ground balls (25-14). The Engineers were 4 of 4 on free-positions, while the Brewers were 0 for 2.

Senior Sophie Hager (Northport, NY / Northport) made it a 10-2 lead, but Vassar's Julia Trudell (Newtown, CT / Newtown) scored consecutive goals - her 16th and 17th on the year - for a 10-4 deficit with 12:58 remaining. Carly Kirchner (Niskayuna, NY / Niskayuna) scored two minutes later on a free-position for RPI.

Salvon, a midfielder, led all players with three goals and an assist while adding six ground balls and five draw controls. Bolger had two goals, eight ground balls, a pair of draw controls and a caused turnover and sophomore Erin Goodwin (Kensington, CT / Berlin) added eight ground balls of her own, along with five caused turnovers.

Trudell scored twice on four shots (3 on goal) with a draw control, while Waters had six shots, all on goal, five ground balls and two draw controls. Junior Emily Chancey (Hollywood, FL / University of NSY) made 11 saves in the cage for the Brewers, who host league foes Clarkson University and St. Lawrence University next weekend here in Poughkeepsie.