Box Score

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. - Rensselaer jumped out to a 3-0 lead and held off Union for a 3-2 win in an ECAC Hockey League contest at Messa Rink. The Engineers improve to 6-10-6 overall and 2-5-3 in the league. The Dutchmen fall to 10-10-2 and 3-7-0.

Rensselaer opened with a pair of late first period goals to take a 2-0 lead after one. Junior Jonathan Ornelas (Mississauga, ON/Milton IceHawks) gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 16:13 when he scored on a wristshot from the left face-off circle. For Ornelas, who scored less than a minute after RPI killed off a five-minute major, the goal was his third of the season. He was assisted by senior Kevin Broad (Humboldt, SK/Chilliwack Chiefs).

Sophomore Seth Klerer (Thornhill, ON/North York Rangers) doubled the lead when he scored a 5x3 goal on his own rebound as the first period expired. Senior Jake Luthi (Palmer, AK/Sioux Falls Stampede) started the play with a drop pass to classmate Kirk MacDonald (Victoria, BC/Victoria Salsa), who took a shot that was blocked. Klerer’s first attempt was blocked but his rebound crossed the goal line for the two-goal lead.

MacDonald made it 3-0 in favor of the Engineers when he split the defense and scored on a wristshot high to the glove side at 3:46 of the second period. Luthi, who hit MacDonald with a head-man pass, and senior Oren Eizenman (Toronto, ON/Wexford Raiders) assisted on the goal, MacDonald’s seventh of the season. Union got the goal back at 15:30 of the middle stanza when Matt Cook (Belle Mead, NJ/Tabor Academy) scored on the Dutchmen’s first – and only – shot of the period.

Josh Coyle (Brooklyn, OH/New Hampshire) pulled Union to with one at 9:06 of the third period when he scored from close range.

Junior Jordan Alford (Red Deer, AB/Canmore Eagles) finished with 16 saves in the win for RPI while Justin Mrazek (Regina, SK/Estevan Bruins) stopped 19 shots for Union.