WORCESTER -- Abigail Rauch (Jackson, NJ) broke up the tie with a goal midway through the third quarter to lift host WPI to a 2-1 victory over Springfield in a NEWMAC field hockey contest played Saturday evening on H. Carr Field as part of Homecoming weekend on Boynton Hill.
 
WPI, winners of four consecutive games and all three of its NEWMAC matchups, is now 4-5 on the season and 3-0 in conference play.  Springfield slips to 3-6 overall and 0-3 in NEWMAC action.
 
WPI punctuated a first quarter in which it took six of the session's shots with a goal 6:08 into the contest. Eve Martineau's (Greene, ME) free hit found the stick of Abbey Powers (Halifax, MA), who spun around, and rocketed a shot into the back net for her fourth goal of the season.
 
The visitors made the most of their only shot in the opening half when with 4:26 to go before intermission, Kaitlin Bardellini's (Northfield, NH) long pass connected with Camryn Morano (Middleboro, MA) and the junior carried the ball towards goal and poked in past the Engineer netminder to even the game at 1-1.   
 
WPI regained the lead midway through the third stanza when following a penalty corner, Emily Sollecito (Bedford, MA) found herself with the ball in the left and feed Arie Lang (West Hartford, CT) in the middle of the crease.  Lang threaded a pass to the right post that was banged home by Abigail Rauch (Jackson, NJ) at 37:45 for her second tally of the year.
 
Springfield had one final push in the last 90 seconds with a pair of corners, but Emma McLaughlin's (Norwalk, CT) shot with just over a minute remaining was smoothed by the Engineer defense.   
 
Ella Moreau (Huntington, MA) made one stop in net for WPI while Neilee Hess (Franklin, MA) recorded saves in net for the Pride.  For the game, WPI enjoyed a 11-5 bulge in shots while the guests held a narrow 5-4 edge in corners.
 
Both teams hit the road for NEWMAC contests on Tuesday.  WPI ventures to Babson to face the second-ranked Beavers at 6pm while the Pride closes out at brief two-game road trip with a 7pm to South Hadley to square off with Mount Holyoke.