Keopple nets OT winner as Tigers Top RPI

Tuesday, February 1

Troy, N.Y.

4:00 PM

Princeton University

9-9-4, 7-6-2

RPI

9-17-0, 5-11-0

OT 1

Princeton

Rensselaer

Mariah Keopple had eyes on the game-winning goal on Tuesday at RPI.

Photo by: Shelley M. Szwast

February 01, 2022 | Women's Ice Hockey

Box Score

Princeton's last three overtime game-winning goals have been scored by a blueliner and an Olympian.

That fact changed from Princeton's last two to last three OT winners on Tuesday at RPI after the same defenseman, Mariah Keopple, buried a breakaway in overtime to help deliver the Tigers a 3-2 overtime win.

Inside of two minutes to go in the OT, Shannon Griffin picked up an RPI pass that had bounced off an Engineer skate and sent it forward into the neutral zone, where Keopple took it to the net and went stick side, top shelf to beat to beat RPI netminder Amanda Rampado for the game winner.

Can't Stop Keopple!

Mariah's breakaway beats RPI in OT, 3-2! pic.twitter.com/mvBw5cdrjT
— Princeton Hockey (@PWIH) February 1, 2022

Princeton scored to tie it with just more than eight minutes gone in the third period. Stef Wallace and Kayla Fillier worked to advance the puck from behind the RPI net to beyond center ice before Wallace dished to a charging Griffin ahead of the Tigers' attacking zone, and Griffin banked it off the left post and in to even things at 2-2.

11' left, 3rd pd | Princeton 2, RPI 2

Shan Griff Calls Bank! @sgriffinxoxo pings it off the pipe, and we're tied!

Watch the game here: https://t.co/2FDxyfnQrG pic.twitter.com/tKVfnA4vF3
— Princeton Hockey (@PWIH) February 1, 2022

RPI scored on each side of the ice cut to get even and pull ahead, answering Annie Kuehl's first-period goal. Wallace, Maggie Connors and Sharon Frankel worked the puck up the ice off a faceoff in the Tigers' defensive zone, with Frankel sending it across after Kuehl had gotten behind the Engineer defense. Kuehl then finished the chance, and Princeton had a lead less than five minutes into the game.

Here's the Annie Kuehl goal that gave Princeton a 1-0 lead at RPI!

Watch the game here: https://t.co/2FDxyfnQrG pic.twitter.com/Ol2o8XrZ78
— Princeton Hockey (@PWIH) February 1, 2022

Keopple's OT goal was her second consecutive OT winner for the Tigers, as she also had the goal that delivered Princeton the ECAC Hockey Tournament title in 2020. Just a week earlier, Sarah Fillier won the decisive third game of the ECAC Hockey quarterfinal series against Quinnipiac in Baker Rink, and Keopple's latest OT winner comes on the eve of Fillier playing for Canada in the first game of the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.

Princeton will head back to the Empire State for the North Country trip this weekend, visiting St. Lawrence on Friday and Clarkson on Saturday.