HAMILTON – After earning their first league victory on Friday night, the Colgate women's hockey team dropped a hard fought 3-0 decision to Rensselaer on Saturday afternoon.

Colgate (3-9-0, 1-5-0 ECAC) tallied 28 shots to Rensselaer's 21. The Raiders also recorded a game-high 11 shots in the final frame. Nicole Gass led Colgate with six shots. Taylor Craig added four shots while Megan Wickens recorded three. Brittney Brooks posted 18 saves in the loss.

The Engineers (3-7-1, 2-2-0 ECAC) saw Laura Horwood, Lindsey Hylwa and Mari Mankey register goals in the match. Kelly O'Brien made 28 saves, including a game-high 11 in the final frame.

In the opening period the Raiders were called for hooking awarding Rensselaer a power play opportunity. Colgate almost killed it off but a Horwood tally from Jordan Smelker and Kathryn Schilter gave the Engineers the 1-0 advantage.

Early in the second frame Rensselaer extended its lead to 2-0 when Hylwa netted one past Brooks. Following a scrum in front of the goal, Hylwa was able to get her stick in the mix to poke it through into the back of the net.

The Raiders tried to cut the Engineers lead on two power play chances but were unable to convert.

Mankey's marker at the 15:46 mark in the middle period created a three-goal deficit between the teams.

Colgate yet again was looking for its first goal of the game in the third frame when the Engineers were called for interference and hooking. On the 5-on-3 power play, the Raiders earned shots from Rachel Walsh, Taylor Volpe, Miriam Drubel and WIckens but were unable to find the back of the net.

The Engineers held strong in the final minutes to ultimately secure their win.

Colgate is back in action Friday and Saturday at Dartmouth and #8/8 Harvard. They faceoff with the Big Green on Friday at 7 p.m. and follow that up with a contest with the Crimson at 4 p.m. on Saturday.