Box Score

TROY, N.Y. – Yale University scored three power play goals and was 8-for-8 on the penalty kill and the Bulldogs defeated Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), 4-3, in an ECAC Hockey League match up at the Houston Field House. The game was the regular season finale for both teams.

With the victory Yale improves to 11-15-3 overall and 8-13-1 in the league. The Bulldogs finish in tenth place in the standings and will travel to Harvard University for next weekend's best-of-three first round series.  The homestanding Engineers fall to 10-16-8 and 6-11-5. They finish in ninth place and will face eighth seeded Colgate University in Hamilton.

Yale broke out on top with a power play goal by freshman Sean Backman at 2:24 of the first period. Backman tallied on a slapshot from the left faceoff circle with assists going to senior defenseman Bill LeClerc and freshman forward Mark Arcobello. RPI tied the score at 18:20 when senior forward Tommy Green scored over the goaltender’s shoulder from the bottom of the left faceoff circle. Freshman defenseman Peter Merth earned the only assist. The visiting Bulldogs needed just 53 seconds to regain the lead, this time on a power play goal by LeClerc. Arcobello earned his second assist of the contest while Backman tallied his second point.

Yale took a 4-1 lead into the second intermission with a goal early in the period and another late. Junior defenseman Robert Page scored a power play goal from the slot at 1:29 and sophomore forward Patrick Brosnihan tallied even-strength – the first of the night for the Bulldogs – with just four seconds remaining. Brosnihan’s goal came from below the left faceoff circle.

Rensselaer pulled back to within two goals (4-2) just 16 seconds into the third period on a goal by senior defenseman Jake Luthi, who scored from the left point. Freshman Christian Jensen made it a one-goal difference with his first goal of his career at 13:09 but the Engineers could not get the equalizer.

Senior Matt Modelski, playing in just his fifth game of the season, was outstanding in goal for Yale, making 24 saves, including stops on two clean RPI breakaways in the second period with his team holding a 3-1 lead.

Rensselaer starter Mathias Lange made five saves before being replaced at 19:13 of the first period. Jordan Alford finished with 11 saves in relief. He took the loss.

RPI posted a 2-1-0 record against Colgate this season, winning on home ice and in a neutral site contest. Yale was 2-0-0 against Harvard.