RPI Edges UConn in Holiday Tournament

Final	1	2	3	Final
Connecticut (3-5-3)	1	1	3	5
Rensselaer (6-3-3)	0	2	4	6

Scoring Summary
1st - 12:16	AMBROSIE, Sean (Connecticut)
2nd - 09:13	PP - AMBROSIE, Sean (Connecticut)
2nd - 10:08	Angers-Goulet, Alex (Rensselaer)
2nd - 15:53	Brutlag, Bryan (Rensselaer)
3rd - 02:37	OLSON, Andrew (Connecticut)
3rd - 06:34	NAURATO, Daniel (Connecticut)
3rd - 08:13	Helfrich, Tyler (Rensselaer)
3rd - 09:47	Polacek, Chase (Rensselaer)
3rd - 11:25	Angers-Goulet, Alex (Rensselaer)
3rd - 15:57	LATTA, Billy (Connecticut)
3rd - 16:33	PP - Polacek, Chase (Rensselaer)

Connecticut	Rensselaer
G: AMBROSIE, Sean - 2 A: 2 Players (#2, #11 - 2) Sh: SCHNEIDER, Cole - 7 Sv: BARTUS, Garrett - 35	G: 2 Players (#18, #21 - 2) A: 3 Players (#7, #13, #29 - 2) Sh: 3 Players (#4, #19, #22 - 6) Sv: Bryce Merriam - 30

TEAM STATISTICS	Connecticut	Rensselaer
Power Plays	1 for 3	1 for 6
Shorthanded Goals	0	0
Penalties (min)	6 (12)	3 (6)
Shots on Goal	35	41
Face Offs Won	25	44

full stats

TROY, N.Y. – Senior Chase Polacek scored two goals in the third period to lift the Rensselaer men’s hockey team to a come-from-behind 6-5 victory over the University of Connecticut in the second game of the 60th Annual Rensselaer Invitational at the Houston Field House.

With the win, the 17th-ranked Engineers improve to 6-3-3 overall, while the Huskies fall to 3-5-3. RPI advances to play Bowling Green State University in the championship game at 7pm on Saturday night. UConn plays the University of Alabama-Huntsville in the third place game at 4pm.

Trailing 4-3 midway through the third period and coming off a long delay due to an RPI player being injured, Polacek (Edina, MN/Academy of Holy Angels) deflected a Mike Bergin (Ottawa, ON/Smiths Falls Bears) shot into the back of the net. Junior Alex Angers-Goulet (St. Augustin, PQ/Langley Chiefs) then put the home team ahead just under two minutes later (11:25) when he picked up a Huskies turnover and scored under the crossbar.

Connecticut battled back to tie the game at 15:57 on freshman Billy Latta’s (West Chester, PA/Chicago Steel) first career goal, but Polacek notched the game-winner 36 seconds later. The 2010 Hobey Baker Award finalist rushed up the ice with the puck, drove around the left side and scored under the goaltender’s right arm for his seventh goal of the season.

UConn took advantage of a 3-on-2 break to gain a 1-0 lead at 12:16 of the first period. Sophomore Sean Ambrosie (Moorhead, MN/Prince George Spruce Kings) finished the rush with a snap shot from the left circle. Miles Winter (Horsham, PA/Quinnipiac University) and Alex Gerke (Tomah, WI/Bismark Bobcats) set up the goal, which came on the Huskies’ third shot of the game. RPI had 10 shots, including several strong bids to score, to that point.

Connecticut sophomore Garrett Bartus (St. Charles, IL/St. Louis Bandits) was outstanding throughout the first period, stopping all 20 shots he saw, including several point-blank opportunities. RPI sophomore Bryce Merriam (Bethel Park, PA/Topeka RoadRunners), playing for the first time this season, made eight saves on the other end.

The Huskies increased their lead at 9:13 of the second period to two goals when Ambrosie scored off a deflection of a Gerke shot. Winter also had an assist. RPI came right back with a goal just 55 seconds later when Angers-Goulet drove hard to the net and scored past Bartus, who made several strong saves prior to the Engineers’ goal.

RPI tied the score at 2-2 at 15:53 when senior Bryan Brutlag (Lakeville, MN/Academy of Holy Angels) scored on a slap shot from the right point. Nick Bailen (Fredonia, NY/Indiana Ice) and Joel Malchuk (Brandon, MB/Dauphin Kings) were credited with the assists on the goal, Brutlag’s third of the season. Connecticut held a 14-7 edge in shots in the frame.

UConn took a 3-2 lead just 2:37 into the third period when senior Andrew Olson (Alexandria, MN/Des Moines Buccaneers) scored on a hard wrist shot. The Huskies made it 4-2 on a slap shot from Daniel Naurato (Northville, MI/South Shore Kings) at 6:34. Justin Hernandez (Farmington Hills, MI/Langley Chiefs) and Brant Harris (Esteven, SK/Melfort Mustangs) set up Olson’s goal and Chris Waterstradt (Tulsa, OK/Springfield Jr. Blues) had an assist on Naurato’s marker.

The Engineers pulled to within one on a rebound goal to the far post by senior Tyler Helfrich (Calgary, AB/Prince George Spruce Kings). Brutlag, who had a shot saved, earned the primary assist and Malchuk the secondary.

Merriam finished with 30 saves for the Engineers, while Bartus stopped 35 shots for the Huskies.