Engineers Fall in Exhibition Play

TROY, N.Y. - Five different players scored goals, including three on the power play, and the U.S. National Development Team held off Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), 5-4, in an exhibition game at the Houston Field House.

Rensselaer led 1-0 after the first period on a breakaway goal by freshman Alex Angers-Goulet (St. Augustin, PQ/Langley Chiefs), who scored at the 10:26 mark, but the U.S. team came back to score the next four goals, all in the second period.

Defenseman Cam Fowler (Farmington Hills, MI) got the visitors on the board with a wraparound at 6:23 and forward Kyle Palmieri (Montvale, NJ) put them ahead with a slapshot from the high slot at 9:47. Forward Kenny Ryan (Franklin Village, MI) made it 3-1 - all on power play goals - when he scored from just outside the crease at 16:03 and Kevin Lynch (Grosse Pointe, MI) tallied at 17:23 for a 4-1 U.S. team lead.

RPI pulled to within two goals, 4-2, with just 31 seconds remaining in the middle stanza when sophomore defenseman Bryan Brutlag (Lakeville, MN/Academy of Holy Angels) intercepted a U.S. clearing pass and stuffed the puck under goaltender Brandon Maxwell (Winter Park, FL) for a power play goal.

Engineers' freshman Josh Rabbani (Woodland Hills, CA/St. Louis Bandits) added a power play at 2:56 of the third period to bring the home team to within one goal but the Jeremy Morin (Auburn, NY) converted a 2-on-1 with Chris Brown (Flower Mound, TX) just under two minutes later to help the U.S. team regain its two-goal bulge. RPI's got to within one goal when Chase Polacek (Edina, MN/Academy of Holy Angels) scored on a slap shot midway through the third period but the Engineers could not get the equalizer.

Maxwell finished with 21 saves for the U.S. team, which saw Palmieri notch a goal and an assist and Brown and Ryan Bourque (Boxford, MA) earn two assists each. They finished 3 for 14 on the power play.

Rensselaer, which was 3 for 10 with the man-advantage, got 35 saves from freshman Allen York (Wetaskiwin, AB/Camrose Kodiaks), including 14 in the first period and 14 more in the third. Rabbani and Polacek both tallied a goal and an assist.

RPI returns to the ice on Friday night at nationally-ranked New Hampshire at 7pm. The Engineers return home on Saturday against Bentley at 7pm. The U.S. team faces Oswego St. on Friday night at 7pm.