Balanced Attack Key to RPI Win

Photo by Sara Melikian

Final	1	2	3	Final
Rensselaer (7-3-1,3-0-0)	1	3	1	5
Clarkson (3-7-0,0-3-0)	0	2	0	2

Scoring Summary
1st - 06:49	PP - Brutlag, Bryan (Rensselaer)
2nd - 05:01	Foss, Jeff (Rensselaer)
2nd - 08:57	PP - PAWLICK, Adam (Clarkson)
2nd - 09:42	PP - DeFAZIO, Brandon (Clarkson)
2nd - 11:28	PP - O'Grady, Marty (Rensselaer)
2nd - 15:23	D'Amigo, Jerry (Rensselaer)
3rd - 18:20	SH - EN - Polacek, Chase (Rensselaer)

Rensselaer	Clarkson
G: 5 Players (#4, #7, #9, #21, #27 - 1) A: Alex Angers-Goulet - 3 Sh: Jerry D'Amigo - 5 Sv: Allen York - 25	G: 2 Players (#16, #77 - 1) A: 3 Players (#8, #26, #89 - 1) Sh: 2 Players (#16, #77 - 4) Sv: Paul Karpowich - 14

TEAM STATISTICS	Rensselaer	Clarkson
Power Plays	2 for 6	2 for 8
Shorthanded Goals	1	0
Penalties (min)	10 (20)	7 (14)
Shots on Goal	26	27
Face Offs Won	26	30

full stats

POTSDAM, N.Y. - Five different players scored for Rensselaer as the Engineers snapped a six-game winless skid (0-5-1) to the Clarkson University Hockey team by defeating the Golden Knights 5-2 in ECAC Hockey action before 2,868 fans at Cheel Arena on Friday night.

Clarkson, which suffered its first loss at home this season, has dropped five straight games to fall to 3-7 overall and to 0-3 in ECAC Hockey. The Engineers, who won their third straight, improve their record to 7-3-1 overall and to 3-0-0 in the league. The Knights host Union on Saturday, while Rensselaer plays at St. Lawrence. Union defeated St. Lawrence 4-3 in Canton on Friday.

RPI scored the lone goal in a tight, defensive first period. Shortly after a 4-on-4 situation ended, Rensselaer went on top with a power-play goal at 6:49 as junior defenseman Bryan Brutlag (Lakeville, MN) connected on a shot from the point that found its way through traffic in front. Freshman Brandon Pirri (Toronto, ONT) and senior Paul Kerins (Weston, ONT) assisted.

The game opened up offensively in the second frame with the Engineers outscoring the Knights 3-2 in the stanza to take a 4-2 lead through 40 minutes.

RPI took a 2-0 lead eight seconds after a power play ended with junior defenseman Jeff Foss (Moorehead, MN) scoring his first goal of the season at 5:01 off a shot from the blueline with Kerins and sophomore Alex Angers-Goulet (St. Augustin, QUE) assisting.

Clarkson got back in the game with a pair of power-play markers 45 seconds apart midway through the period. With two seconds remaining on a 5-on-3 advantage, freshman Adam Pawlick (Utica, NY) took a pass out of the corner from senior Matt Beca (Mississauga, ONT) and scored his fourth of the year and team-high third power-play tally at 8:57. Junior defenseman Bryan Rufenach (Cameron, ONT) also assisted.

At 9:42, junior Brandon DeFazio (Oakville, ONT) tied the game when freshman defenseman Andrew Himelson (Monroe, NY) fed a pass between two RPI defenders to the Knights' assistant captain at the blueline. DeFazio took the pass in stride and connected on a quick wrist shot from the slot for his second goal of the season.

The Engineers came right back with two goals to regain the lead. Freshman Marty O'Grady (London, ONT) scored the go-ahead goal, a power-play marker from the top of the right circle at 11:28, finishing off a pass play from Angers-Goulet and sophomore Patrick Cullen (Washington, DC) at 11:28.

Freshman Jerry D'Amigo (Binghamton, NY) gave the visitors a two-goal advantage at 15:23 with his fourth goal of the season on a shot from the high slot. Senior Erik Burgdoerfer (East Setauket, NY) and Brutlag assisted.

RPI's leading scorer, junior Chase Polacek (Edina, MN) sealed the Engineers' first win in Potsdam since January 22, 2005 with his team-high eighth goal of the season, an empty-net tally with 1:40 remaining.

Clarkson held a slight 27-26 advantage in shots. The Engineers went 2-of-6 on the power play, while the Knights were 2-of-8 with the man-advantage.

Sophomore Paul Karpowich (Thunder Bay, ONT) started in the Clarkson goal and made 14 saves on 18 shots through 35 minutes of play before leaving after RPI's fourth goal. Classmate Richie LaVeau (Arlington Height, IL) posted seven stops over the final 24 minutes.

Sophomore Allen York (Wetaskinwin, ALB) made 25 saves for Rensselaer.