Harvard Rallies in Third, Ties Rensselaer

Photo by David Silverman Photography

TROY, N.Y.-Alex Killorn, Doug Rogers and Louis Leblanc scored third-period goals, with Leblanc's comming 2.3 seconds before the end of regulation, to lift the Harvard men's hockey team to a 3-3 tie with Rensselaer Saturday afternoon at Houston Field House.

Leblanc and Rogers each had a goal and an assist for the Crimson (5-10-3, 5-5-3 ECAC Hockey). Down 3-2 with six skaters on the ice, Michael Biega fired a shot from the right side that was deflected on net by Rogers. Allen York saved Leblanc's initial rebound shot from the left for Rensselaer (13-11-2, 6-5-1), but the freshman found the puck loose behind York and put it in to force overtime.

Harvard recorded three shots to the Engineers' two in the scoreless extra session and held a 29-24 shots edge in the game. Ryan Carroll made 11 saves in two periods of action, and Kyle Richter stopped 10 shots in the third period and overtime. Paul Kerrins led RPI with a goal and an assist. York made 26 saves.

Rensselaer's Jerry D'Amigo opened the scoring at 8:28 of the first period, scoring from below the faceoff circle on the left side. Carroll stopped the other eight shots to come his way in the first period. The Crimson's best chance came off the stick of Jack Christian from the slot, but York was there for one of his four first-period saves.

Each team's top goal-scorer got in alone for a scoring chance, but York stopped Louis Leblanc's left-to-right move and Carroll stoned Chase Polacek on a breakaway. Harvard could not score on consecutive power plays but gained momentum and held an 8-4 second-period shots edge. Kerrins, however, found the net on a rush up the left side eight seconds before the intermission.

Killorn answered just 20 seconds into a frantic third period. He beat York with a wrist shot from the slot after Leblanc caused an RPI turnover. Marty O'Grady built the Engineers' advantage back to two goals 51 seconds later, when he scored from a crowd in front. Rogers made it 3-2 after another 79 seconds, banging the puck in from the left after Chad Morin's point shot was blocked. The end-to-end play continued throughout the period, and Harvard killed a penalty in the closing minutes to pave the way for Leblanc's heroics.