Box Score

TROY, N.Y. – Sophomore Seth Klerer’s goal with 13 seconds remaining in overtime gave the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men’s hockey team a 4-3 win over Princeton University in the ECAC Hockey League opener for both teams.

Klerer tallied the game-winner from the bottom of the left faceoff circle during a scramble in front of the net. He lifted the puck over Princeton’s netminder for his third of the season. Senior Oren Eizenman earned the only assist on the play.

Rensselaer improves to 3-1-2 overall and 1-0-0 in the league despite being outshot 39-13. Princeton, which tied the game with 40 seconds remaining in the third period with an extra attacker on the ice, falls to 0-2-1 and 0-1-0.

Princeton took a 1-0 lead at 9:30 of the first period when Cam French deflected a Brandon Kushniruk pass from behind the goal toward RPI goalie Jordan Alford. Alford was unable to control the puck and it bounced into the net off his glove.

RPI came back to take the lead with two quick goals just under three minutes later. The Engineers tied the score at 10:40 when sophomore Andrei Uryadov scored from in front and they took the lead at the 12:07 mark on a Kirk MacDonald deflection with the home team on the power play.

Jake Morissette gave Rensselaer a two-goal margin when he scored from the bottom of the left faceoff circle at 8:05 of the second period. Princeton pulled to within a goal when Kyle Hagel scored on his own rebound with under two minutes remaining in the period.

Kevin Westgarth tied the game with Princeton’s second power-play goal of the game with just 40 seconds left in regulation when he scored from in front of Alford.

Alford finished with 36 saves, including four in the first period, 16 in the second, 11 in the third and five in the overtime, to improve to 2-0-1. Zane Kalemba made nine saves in the loss for Princeton.

RPI is right back at home on Saturday night when Quinnipiac visits the Houston Field House. Princeton travels to Union. Both games are ECAC Hockey League contests and both begin at 7pm.