Box Score  | Postgame With Coach Appert

TROY, N.Y. – Ryan Haggerty scored two goals to lead Rensselear Polytechnic Institute (RPI) to a 4-1 win over Dartmouth in ECAC Hockey First Round action on Friday evening at Houston Field House.  The Engineers now hold a 1-0 lead over the Big Green in the best-of-three series that determines who moves on to the Quarterfinal round. RPI now holds a 15-14-6 record, while Dartmouth stands at 8-18-4.

Haggerty (Stanford, CT / US National Dev. Team) put the Engineers up, 1-0, less than five minutes into play, just 14 seconds into a power play opportunity, taking a hard shot from the right side. Matt Neal Minesing, ON / Stoufvile Spirit) and Mike Zalewski (New Hartford, NY / Vernon Vipers) were credited with assists on the goal. At 10:01, Haggerty struck again, sending a backhander into the top left corner of the net past Dartmouth goaltender Charles Grant (Berwick, NS / Yarmouth Mariners).

Neal picked up his second assist of the game on a goal by Jacob Laliberte (Rockland, ON / Cornwall Colts) just 2:29 into the second period. Laliberte, who was also assisted by Milos Bubela (Banska Bystrica, Slovakia / Dubuque Fighting Saints), tipped the puck into the net past Grant after a 2-on-1 opportunity for the Engineers. The Big Green cut the lead to 3-1 at 8:53 on a rebound goal by Jesse Beamish (Mississauga, ON / St. Mike's Buzzers). He took assists from Andy Simpson (Chesterfield, MO / Cedar Rapids RoughRiders) and Josh Hartley (Coquitlam, BC / Wenatchee Wild).

Just 1:06 into the third period, Zach Schroeder (Prior Lake, MN / Saint Thomas Academy) scored an unassisted goal on a hard wrister that initially hit Grant's glove, but fell in behind the netminder to push the RPI lead to 4-1. The two teams exchanged power play opportunities throughout the remainder of the period, but the three-goal differential would hold through the final horn.

RPI held a 37-30 advantage in shots in the game, with Dartmouth sending a flurry of shots at Engineer netminder Scott Diebold (Buffalo, NY / Tri-City Storm) in the third period. Diebold stopped every opportunity for the Big Green, finishing up with 29 saves in the game. Grant recorded 33 saves between the pipes for Dartmouth.

The two teams will meet again for game two in the series on Saturday, with faceoff set for 7 p.m.