Box Score | Watch (RPI TV)
TROY, N.Y. – Five different players scored, including senior captain Matt Tinordi, as the 15th-ranked Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's hockey team defeated Saint Mary's University, 5-1, this evening in exhibition action from the Houston Field House.
Sophomore Mike Zalewski (New Hartford, NY/Vernon Vipers) opened the scoring at 1:29 of the first period after drawing a penalty shot, while driving to the net. Deking to his right, he swung the puck back to his forehand before finishing into an open net.
The Engineers made it 2-0 at 6:25 of the frame, when junior Ryan Haggerty (Stamford, CT/U.S. National Development Team) turned around a feed from classmate Jacob Laliberte (Rockland, ON/Cornwall Colts), blasting a shot off the left pipe and in for a power-play tally. Senior Bo Dolan (St. Paul, MN/Penticton Vees) picked up the second helper.
Saint Mary's drew to within 2-1 at 7:16 of the first as a shot by Cory Tanaka (Souffville, ON) deflected off of an RPI defenseman's skate and into the net. Steven Beyers (Orangeville, ON) and Jeff Marchand (Hammonds Plains, NS) were credited with the assists. Rensselaer took that narrow one-goal lead to the first intermission, despite being outshot 8-3.
Junior Mark McGowan (Toronto, ON/Oakville Blades) pushed the RPI lead back to two goals (3-1) at 6:26 of the stanza. Converting on the power-play for the second time on the evening, the Engineers moved puck to the bottom of the right circle for junior Matt Neal (Minesing, ON/Stouffville Spirit), who found McGowan all alone at the left of the cage for the easy finish.
Exactly two minutes later, freshman Jake Wood (Georgetown, ON/Lincoln Stars) buried a one-timer from junior Zach Schroeder (Prior Lake, MN/Saint Thomas Academy) to make it 4-1. Fellow junior Luke Curadi (Cheshire, CT/Dubuque Fighting Saints) picked up the second helper on Wood's tally.
Tinordi (Severna Park, MD/Olds Grizzlys) capped the scoring at 17:53 of the third on the power-play. Sophomore defenseman Phil Hampton (Oakville, ON/Oakville Blades) found Tinordi wide open in the slot, before he beat Peters, low glove side.
Rensselaer sophomore goaltender Jason Kasdorf (Winnipeg, MB/Des Moines Buccaneers) finished with 13 saves, while allowing the lone Huskies goal. Junior Scott Diebold (Buffalo, NY/Tri-City Storm) stopped all nine shots he faced over the final 28:22 of the contest.
The Engineers open their regular season schedule next weekend, when they take on Sacred Heart and fourth-ranked Boston College on Saturday (1pm) and Sunday (3pm), respectively. Both games can be heard live on 91.5 FM, WRPI and online at www.wrpi.org/listen.
