RPI Downs Army

WEST POINT, N.Y. - A second period goal by junior Matt Angers-Goulet (St. Augustine, PQ/Notre Dame) turned out to be the game-winner, as the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's hockey team defeated Army, 3-1, at Tate Rink. Mathias Lange (Klagenfurt, Austria/New York Apple Core) finished with 39 saves for the Engineers, who improve to 2-2-0 overall. The Black Knights fall to 0-3-0.

Andrei Uryadov (St. Petersburg, Russia/South Kent) got the scoring started 2:41 into the game when he streaked across the goal mouth and lifted a backhanded shot just under the crossbar to give the Engineers a 1-0 lead. Sophomore Christian Jensen (Watchung, NJ/Chicago Steel) pushed the puck into the offensive zone to an on-rushing Uryadov, who put a move on Army goaltender Josh Kassel (Greensburg, PA/ Bozeman) for the even-strength tally.

The Black Knights answered at 10:44, on the power play, when Luke Flicek (Burnsville, MN/Apple Valley) redirected a Robb Ross (North St. Paul, MN/Fairbanks) slap shot from the point to even the score at 1-1. Bryce Hollweg (Langley, BC/ Earl Marriott Secondary) was also credited with an assist on the goal. The low shot was tipped by Flicek over the right shoulder of Lange.

Army had an opportunity to take the lead with just over a minute remaining in the opening frame, but Flicek fired a breakaway shot wide of the cage. The homestanding Black Knights outshot Rensselaer 16-6 in the first period, and were 1 for 2 on the man-advantage. The Engineers were unsuccessful on their only power play chance of the opening stanza.

Coincidental minors set up a four-on-four halfway through the second period, which led to scoring chances for both schools. Angers-Goulet was denied by the facemask of Kassel after making a nifty move to get free in the slot. Bill Leahy (Gilmer, TX/John Edwards) led a 2-on-1 break for Army, but his centering pass was intercepted by Lange, who was able to freeze the puck.

Angers-Goulet scored the go-ahead goal at 14:37 of the second, beating Kassel five-hole from the left circle. Once again in a 4-on-4 situation, Paul Kerins (Weston, ON/North York Rangers) found Angers-Goulet flying across the blue line on the opposite side of the ice for his third goal of the year. Freshman Bryan Brutlag (Lakeville, MN/Holy Angels) picked up the secondary assist, his second of the year.

Less than three minutes into the third period, the Black Knight's Owen Meyer (Dundee, IL/Dundee Crown) was stoned by the paddle of Lange, keeping the Engineers ahead, 2-1. The RPI goaltender reached across the face of the net to make the stop with his stick straddling the goal line.

Kerins added an insurance goal at 17:21 of the third period, putting Rensselaer up 3-1. He won a battle for the puck in the low slot and lifted a shot over Kassel for the tally. Freshman Joel Malchuk (Brandon, MB/Dauphin Kings) and junior Kurt Colling (Ripley, ON/Vernon Vipers) recorded assists on the Engineers third score.

Lange, who earned his first win of the season, made 30 of his saves through the first two periods of play. Kassel made 19 stops in defeat.

Rensselaer is back in action on Saturday night when it hosts Sacred Heart at the Houston Field House (7pm). The Black Knights travel to Connecticut to take on the Huskies on October 27th (7:05pm).