Box Score
ALBANY, N.Y. – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) scored three goals in a 1:49 span in the second period and the Engineers held off Union College, 3-2, in the second game of the first round of the Citizens Bank Governor’s Cup at the Times Union Center.
RPI improves to 4-2-0 and advances to the championship game against Colgate on Saturday at 7pm. The game will be a rematch of last season's championship game, which the Engineers won, 2-1, with a goal late in the third period. Union falls to 2-1-0 and plays St. Lawrence in the third place game beginning at 4pm. Colgate defeated St. Lawrence, 2-1, in the opening game.
Rensselaer senior forward Jonathan Ornelas (Mississauga, ON/Milton IceHawks) tied the score at 7:01 of the second period on a fine individual effort as he skated up the right side in the offensive zone, cut into the middle and tallied past Union goalie Justin Mrazek (Regina, SK/Estevan Bruins). Andrew Lord (West Vancouver, BC/Vernon Vipers) earned the primary assist while Bryan Brutlag (Lakeville, MN/Academy of Holy Angels earned the secondary helper.
The Dutchmen came right back 36 seconds later to re-gain the lead, this time on a goal by Sam Bowles (Davidsonville, MD/Boston Jr. Bruins) but RPI answered only 13 seconds after that to knot the game a second time. Freshman Tyler Helfrich (Calgary, AB/Prince George Spruce Kings) scored from just outside the crease at 7:51 of the middle frame. One minute later, Lord scored from the slot to give the Engineers a 3-2 lead. Ornelas and Erik Burgdoerfer (East Setauket, NY/New York Apple Core) were credited with the assists.
Union’s Luke Cain (Thunder Bay, ON/Cowichan Valley) put the Dutchmen in front just 1:39 into the first period when he took the puck from the behind the net and stuffed across the goal line between the skate of Rensselaer netminder Mathias Lange (Klagenfurt, Austria/New York Apple Core) and the right post. Defenseman Lane Caffaro (Slave Lake, AB/Ft. McMurray Oil Barons) earned the lone assist on the goal.
Lange finished with 28 saves, including three in the first period, 13 in the second and 12 in the third. Mrazek stopped 21 shots.
