Pictured: Kaitlin Spurling notched Harvard's second goal of the game at 2:22 of the third period.
Photo courtesy: Gil Talbot Photography

TROY, N.Y. – The fifth-ranked Harvard women's hockey team suffered a 3-2 loss on the road to Renssealer Friday evening at Houston Field House. Kate Buesser and Kaitlin Spurling each netted goals, while Laura Bellamy made 30 saves for the Crimson, which moves to 16-6-4 overall and 11-6-2 in ECAC Hockey action.

Harvard earned a 5-on-3 chance late in the first period, as Rensselaer (13-11-6, 10-5-4) was whistled for a tripping penalty at 14:24 and a slashing penalty only 32 seconds later. The Crimson could not convert on the initial power play, but scored on the 5-on-4 opportunity, as Buesser lifted a shot over Sonja van der Bliek's shoulder at 16:45. Kathryn Farni collected an assist on the goal, Buesser's team-leading 12th tally of the season.

In the second, Harvard killed four power plays for the Engineers, as Bellamy stopped all 13 shots she faced in the frame. Through two periods, RPI had a 25-14 edge in shots on goal, and led in wins at the faceoff circle, 20-12.

At 2:22 of the third period, Spurling gave Harvard a two-goal cushion, as she one-timed a pass from Ashley Wheeler just to the right of the crease. Wheeler had gained control of the puck in the neutral zone and skated down the left side of the ice before sending the puck through a defender and onto Spurling's stick. Later in the third, the Engineers got on the scoreboard as a wrist shot by Amanda Castignetti from the point beat Bellamy at 11:19, cutting Harvard's lead in half, 2-1. With 35 seconds remaining in regulation, RPI netted its second goal of the game, coming on an unassisted tally by Alliston Wright, sending the game to overtime.

In the extra session, RPI's Alisa Harrison made a clean pass to Wright, who fired a shot just underneath the cross bar for the game winner at 4:41.

Harvard will make a short trip to Schenectady, N.Y., to face Union Saturday at 4 p.m.