Three-goal third period sparks RPI past Union in women's Capital District Mayor's Cup (with video)

PHOTOGRAPHER: Stan Hudy

The RPI women's ice hockey team celebrates with the Mayor's Cup after a 3-1 win against Union on Saturday at MVP Arena.

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ALBANY — The women’s portion of the Capital District Mayor’s Cup on Saturday at MVP Arena came down to power plays.

Union didn’t score on three of its opportunities. RPI received four chances, and got a momentum-changing goal on its last opportunity.

Maddy Peterson scored 2:25 into the third period, triggering a three-goal outburst that sent the Engineers to a 3-1 victory over the Dutchwomen.

Maddy Papineau broke the tie with 12 minutes left in the third. Peterson added an empty-net goal with 43 seconds left.

It was the fourth Mayor’s Cup victory for RPI (9-18-1) in the five years of the game for the women. It was also the Engineers’ second straight Mayor’s Cup win.

Union (11-16-1) had a 1-0 lead, courtesy of a Riley Walsh late first-period goal. The Dutchwomen were hanging on to the lead in the second period when they were called for three penalties in a 15-second span in the final seconds of the period. First, senior forward Emily King was called for boarding at 19:40. Then at 19:55, Walsh was first called for tripping, and took a frustration cross-checking penalty, giving RPI a 5-on-3 advantage, 1:40 of that carried over into the third period.

Union goalie Sophie Matsoukas stopped all four shots she faced during the 5-on-3. King’s penalty expired, making it 5-on-4, and then the first Walsh penalty was done.

@dgazette Three-goal third period sparks RPI past Union in women’s Capital District Mayor’s Cup 1/28/23 – Daily Gazette

“We killed off the 5-on-3,” Union head coach Josh Sciba said. “I thought that was huge for our group. You could feel the energy that we created from killing off the 5-on-3.”

But the Dutchwomen couldn’t kill off the second half of Walsh’s penalty as Peterson fired a shot from the right circle past Matsoukas.

“It was a big goal,” Peterson said. “And we really needed it, especially on our power play after we didn’t have a couple good power plays there. They were coming after us hard. They were putting us under pressure. They were doing everything they could, so I think it was a big goal.

“It really changed the momentum. And then we go out there on the penalty kill and shut them down and bring back our momentum.”

Union had two of its three power plays in the third, one before Papineau’s goal and one after that. While the Dutchwomen had four shots on those two power plays, they couldn’t get a puck past RPI goalie Amanda Rampado.

It was a rough weekend for Union’s power play. It also went 0 for 3 in Friday’s 2-1 ECAC Hockey loss at RPI.

“I think we’ve got to communicate more, and also get one [goal],” King said. “When we’d lose the puck, I felt a few times we weren’t first on it, and we were doing a lot of reaching. I think we need to just practice more. “We’ve kind of switched it up in the last week or two. We’ve just got to believe in ourselves.”

Papineau scored the game-winner on a Union defensive breakdown. She sneaked behind the defense to the front of the net, and she redirected an Ellie Kaiser pass from the right circle past Matsoukas.

“It’s actually funny, because earlier in the game, Ellie gave me one and I whiffed on it,” Paineua said. “I think I owed her that one to bear down and put it in. She told me to be ready the next time. I was this time.”

Union 1 0 0 — 1

RPI 0 0 3 — 3

First Period — 1, Union, Walsh 13, 14:58. Penalties — Zahirnyi, RPI (body checking), 6:03.

Second Period — None. Penalties — Greco, Uni (tripping), 12:38; King, Uni (boarding), 19:40; Walsh, Uni, double minor (tripping, cross-checking), 19:55.

Third Period — 2, RPI, Peterson 5 (Blitz, Taylor-Walters), 2:25 (pp). 3, RPI, Papineau 3 (Kaiser), 8:00. 4, RPI, Peterson 6, 19:17 (en). Penalties — Jones, RPI (tripping), 4:48; Wagner, RPI (tripping), 10:16.

Shots on Goal — Union 10-6-8 — 24. RPI 10-12-14 — 36.

Power-play opportunities — Union 0 of 3; RPI 1 of 4.

Goalies — Union, Matsoukas 11-16-1 (35 shots-33 saves). RPI, Rampado 9-18-1 (24-23).

Referees — Scott Prim, Michael St. Lawrence. Linesmen — Robert Lemnah, Jamie Colacino.

Contact Ken Schott by email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @slapschotts.