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Clarkson University Athletics

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Women's Hockey September 28, 2013

Clarkson Impressive in Season-Opening 12-1 Victory

Shannon MacAulay started the Knights scoring in their school-record 12-1 win - photo by Ting Li Wang
Box Score

A season of great promise got off to a resounding start for the Clarkson University Women's Hockey team as the third-ranked Golden Knights cruised to an overwhelming 12-1 victory over Rochester Institute of Technology on Saturday afternoon at Cheel Arena.

Ten different Clarkson players scored goals in the season-opening win and 14 Knights recorded at least one point as the Green and Gold set a school-record for most goals scored in a game, breaking the old mark of 11.

Defenseman Erin Ambrose (Keswick, ONT), who was named ECAC Rookie of the Year last season, showed no signs of a sophomore slump as she led the Clarkson offensive barrage with three goals and two assists. Senior Jamie Lee Rattray (Kanata, ONT) tallied one goal and two assists, while captain Carly Mercer (Exeter, ONT) netted one goal and one assists, adding to their 100-point career totals with multiple point games.

The Knights dominated form the start, holding a 5-0 lead before RIT (0-1) registered its first shot on goal late in the opening period. Clarkson scored six more times in the middle frame and closed out the win with a third-period tally.

Clarkson outshot the Tigers 44-13, including an 18-4 margin in the first period. The Knights went 4-of-9 on the power play with three man-advantage goals coming in the opening 20 minutes. RIT was 0-of-2 on the extra skater.

Sophomore Shannon MacAulay (Mt. Herbert, PEI) started the scoring at 2:54 of the first, knocking in a rebound off a shot by senior Brittany Styner (Calgary, ALB). Sophomore defenseman Renata Fast (Burlington, ONT) also assisted. Ambrose converted off a pass from senior defenseman Vanessa Plante (Riviere-du-Loup, Que) for a power-play tally at 5:43. Just 15 seconds later, Plante made it 3-0, scoring off a shot from the point with senior Vanessa Gagnon (St. Constant, QUE) setting up the play.

The Knights connected twice on the power play with the Mercer sisters recording the goals. Sophomore Cayley Mercer (Exeter, ONT), who sat out last season recovering from an injury, tallied her first collegiate goal after one-timing a pass from Rattray at 9:39. Ambrose picked up her first assist of the game.

Carly Mercer made it 5-0 at 11:56 with Styner and Ambrose assisting.

RIT, which was coming off a 5-2 exhibition win over Toronto last night, got on the scoreboard to start the second period with Erin Zach finding the back of the net at 3:50.

The Knights wasted little time in answering back as Gagnon connected on a 2-on-1 rush with sophomore Olivia Howe (Moose Jaw, SASK) at 4:17. Freshman defenseman Jessica Gillham (Uxbridge, ONT) also assisted.

The Knights built their lead to 7-1 when Ambrose connected on a 5-on-3 power play at 11:09. Freshman Genevieve Bannon (Candiac, QUE) made it 8-1 with her first collegiate goal, scoring from the top of the crease off a pass from MacAulay. Senior Shelby Nisbet (Wiseton, SASK) followed with a wrist shot into the top corner at 14:55.

Olivia Howe scored in close at 18:23, and Ambrose completed her first career hat trick off a shot from the point that deflected in off the right post at 19:51.

Rattray closed out the scoring, knocking in her own rebound at 10:24 of the final frame.

Senior Erica Howe (Ottawa, ONT) recorded her 60th career win in the Clarkson crease, making nine saves through 40 minutes of action. Junior Jenna Boss (Little Canada, MN) saw her first collegiate action in the third period and turned aside the three shots she faced.

Clarkson returns to action next weekend with a home-and-home non-league series against archrival St. Lawrence. The Knights hosts the Saints on Friday in a 7:00 p.m. game at Cheel before playing over in Canton on Saturday afternoon.

RIT, which won the Division III National Championship in 2011-12 and is in its second NCAA Division I campaign, plays at New Hampshire next Friday.

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