HANOVER, N.H. - Eric Neilly scored on the power-play and Kyle Nickerson added a shorthanded tally to lead the Dartmouth College men's hockey team to a 3-1 victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), this evening at Thompson Arena. With the win, the Big Green improve to 8-8-4 (4-7-2 ECAC Hockey), while the Engineers drop to 9-18-1 (7-7-0 ECAC Hockey).

Neilly (Warminster, PA/Exeter) opened the scoring at 12:37 of the first period, when his shot deflected off the skate of RPI senior captain Curis Leonard (Napanee, ON/Wellington Dukes) and past junior netminder Jason Kasdorf (Winnipeg, MB/Des Moines Bucaneers) into the back of the net. Neilly's ninth of the season was assisted by senior Eric Robinson (Foxboro, MA/Cedar Rapids RoughRiders) and junior Ryan Bullock (Eden Prarie, MN/Muskegon Luberjacks).

The hosts took a 2-0 lead at 14:05 of the period, on a deflection by sophomore Troy Crema (Toronto, ON/Hamilton Red Wings). A shot from the right point by junior Geoff Ferguson (Kanata, ON/Sioux City Musketeers) found its way through traffic to Crema, who tipped it past Kasdorf for his first of the year. Bullock earned the second helper.

Rensselaer drew to within 2-1 at 11:32 of the second stanza, when a scrum in front of the Dartmouth net wound up with puck bouncing across the goal line. Sophomore Riley Bourbonnais (Rochester, NY/Lincoln Stars) was credited with getting the final touch on the puck for the Engineers. Freshmen Jared Wilson (Calgary, AB/Vernon Vipers) and Kenny Gillespie (Morrisville, SC/Jersey Hitmen) claimed the assists on Bourbonnais' fifth tally of the season.

Dartmouth added an insurance goal early in the third, when Nickerson (Weston, MA/Boston Junior Bruins) stuck home a loose puck that was sitting behind Kasdorf. The goal, which came at 1:08, came with the hosts shorthanded. 

Big Green junior goaltender James Kruger (Minnetonka, MN/Langley Rivermen) made 30 saves, while Kasdorf finished with 20 stops. 

The Engineers are back in action next weekend, when they travel to St. Lawrence and Clarkson on Friday (7pm) and Saturday (7pm), respectively. Dartmouth hosts Union tomorrow night (7pm).