Freshman defenseman Erin Ambrose (Keswick, ONT) led a dominating effort by the fourth-ranked Clarkson University Women’s Hockey team with one goal and three assist as the Golden Knights earned a weekend sweep at Cheel Arena by skating past Rensselaer 6-2 in ECAC Hockey action on Saturday afternoon.

Clarkson, which shut out Union 6-0 on Friday, improves its record to 7-1 overall and to 2-0 in ECAC Hockey. The Knights break from league play next weekend when they travel out to the Midwest for a two-game series at North Dakota.

Ambrose highlighted another balanced effort by the Green and Gold as six different Clarkson players scored a goal and 11 Knights recorded at least one point. Clarkson outshot Rensselaer (1-5-1, 0-2) 30-14. The Knights went 3-of-7 on the power play, while RPI was 1-of-5 with the man-advantage.

Junior Erica Howe (Ottawa, ONT) posted 12 stops in the win. Kelly O’Brien and Brianna Piper split time in the Engineer’s net, making 12 saves apiece.

After killing off some some early penalty trouble Clarkson took control in the first period and took the lead late in the stanza when freshman Olivia Howe (Moose Jaw, SASK) connected for her second goal of the season. Howe worked the puck free along the right boards and skated to the top of the crease where she sent a quick shot on the RPI goaltender. O’Brien made the initial save, but Howe was able to pick up her own rebound and lifted in her second shot at 16:15. Junior Vanessa Gagnon (St. Constant, QUE) earned an assist.

Clarkson broke the game open early in the second frame, scoring four straight times in a span of six minutes to take a 5-0 lead.

Senior Danielle Skirrow (Trenton, ONT) opened the period with a power-play goal at 5:23, tipping in a shot from the point by Ambrose. Junior Jamie Lee Rattray (Kanata, ONT) also assisted. Sophomore defenseman Daniella Matteucci (Fruitvale, BC) made it 3-0 redirecting a shot from the point by Ambrose at 7:21. Sophomore defenseman Jennifer Shields (Ingersoll, ONT) also assisted.

The Knights continued to roll with a pair of goals one minute apart. Freshman Shannon MacAulay (Mt. Herbert, PEI) took a pass in front and lifted in her second career goal at 10:13 with Skirrow and sophomore Christine Lambert (Thetford Mines, QUE) assisting. At 11:13, junior captain Carly Mercer (Exeter, ONT) took a perfect pass at the doorstep from Ambrose and tapped in a power-play goal. Junior Brittany Styner (Calgary, ALB) also earned an assist.

Rensselaer battled back and scored twice late in the second to make it a 5-2 game after 40 minutes. Jordan Smelker tallied at 17:14 to put the Engineers on the scoreboard. Alexa Gruschow followed with a power-play marker at 18:06.

Ambrose added her second goal of the game and third of the season when she connected on blast from the top of the slot just 10 seconds into a Clarkson power play. Rattray and Mercer picked up the assist.