Box Score  | Postgame with Coach Appert

TROY, N.Y. – Eric Neiley scored the first and last goals of the game to lead Dartmouth to a 3-2 win over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in ECAC Hockey First Round action on Saturday evening at Houston Field House.  The series, which is now tied at 1-1, will play the rubber game of the best-of-three series on Sunday at 7 p.m. RPI stands at 15-15-6 on the season, while Dartmouth posts a 9-18-4 record.

Dartmouth very nearly scored the first goal of the game just 2:41 into play, as Neiley (Warminster, PA / Exeter) knocked the puck into the goal behind Scott Diebold (Buffalo, NY / Tri-City Storm), but the play came under official review, and was called a no-goal due to contact with the goaltender.

Neiley redeemed himself at 7:14, as he took assists from Grant Opperman (Wayzata, MN / Tri-City Storm) and Tyler Sikura (Aurora, ON / Newmarket Hurricanes) on the first power play opportunity of the game. Almost immediately, RPI was called for another penalty to give the Big Green a second extra-man advantage, but Sikura was called for holding the stick less than a minute later, giving the Engineers a short power play.  The Engineers could not capitalize, however, and the 1-0 score held for the remainder of the period.

Rensselaer got on the board at 9:51, as Jacob Laliberte (Rockland, ON / Cornwall Colts) took an assist from Matt Neal (Minesing, ON / Stoufville Spirit), but Dartmouth responded almost immediately with a goal by Jesse Beamish (Mississauga, ON / St. Mike's Buzzers) to regain the lead. The Engineers went on a power play shortly thereafter, and Haggerty (Stamford, CT / US National Dev. Team) sent a one-timer flying past Charles Grant (Berwick, NS / Yarmouth Mariners) to score his 27th goal of the season at 11:55. Neal and Mike Zalewski (New Hartford, NY / Vernon Vipers) assisted on the tally.

The 2-2 score remained for over half of the third period, before Dartmouth took the lead back on Neiley's second tally of the game at 13:46. Opperman picked up his second assist of the night, while Josh Hartley (Coquitlam, BC / Wenatchee Wild) was also credited with a helper.

Dartmouth outshot Rensselaer, 39-22, for the game, including a 19-5 advantage in the first period, despite a strong push by the Engineers late in the game. Diebold, who tied the school record for games played by a goalie in a season by starting his 35th contest between the pipes for the Engineers, made 36 saves for Rensselaer. Grant stopped 20 opposing shots for the Big Green.