Box Score / Video
TROY, N.Y. – Sophomore netminder Ryan Zapolski (Erie, PA/Mahoning Valley) stopped 39 of the 40 shots he faced and Mercyhurst College defeated Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), 4-1, in the second game of the first round of the 58th Annual Rensselaer Holiday Tournament at the Houston Field House. The Lakers improve to 4-8-1 while the Engineers drop to 2-9-1.
Mercyhurst advances to play #7 Princeton, which won its opening round game, 5-3, in the championship game at 4pm on Saturday. Rensselaer faces #4 Northeastern in the consolation game at 7pm.
Zapolski, who has led the Lakers to a 3-0-1 record in their last four games, stopped 14 shots in the first period, eight in the second and 17 in the third period. RPI, which held a 40-19 overall advantage in shots, saw goalie Mathias Lange (Klagenfurst, Austria/New York Apple Core)record 15 saves in the loss.
The visitors found themselves with the early advantage as they scored three goals in the first period, including just 55 seconds into the contest. Senior Ryan Toomey (Bolton, ON/Cornwall Colts) opened the scoring after navigating up the far boards, catching a pass from linemate Brett Robinson (Alton, ON/Milton Ice Hawks) and wristing a shot under the crossbar and over the glove of Lange for the goal.
The Lakers made it 2-0 at 12:21 as freshman Phil Ginand (Milford, MA/Tri-City Storm) poked the puck in on the glove side of Lange. Off a backhanded pass against the far boards by junior Nick Vandenbeld (Port Coquitlam, BC/Melfort Mustangs), Ginand found the puck in front and scored his second of the season.
Sophomore Steve Cameron (Mission, BC/Penticon Vees) increased the Lakers' lead to three at the 14:15 mark. Senior Matt Pierce (Pakenham, ON/Kanata Stallions), who was positioned in the right circle, passed the puck through the crease to Cameron, who tallied. Scott Pitt (Ottawa, ON/Orleans Blues) was credited with the secondary assist on the goal, Cameron's team-leading eighth of the season.
RPI held a 14-7 advantage in shots on goal during the open frame, but the Lakers rallied back in the middle stanza, as both teams put up eight shots on goal in the scoreless second period.
The Engineers broke onto the scoreboard in the third period behind sophomore Tyler Helfrich's (Calgary, AB/Prince George Spruce Kings) third goal of the season. Collecting the puck off a pass from the boards by rookie Patrick Cullen (Washington, DC/Indiana Ice), sophomore Chase Polacek (Edina, MN/Academy of Holy Angels) too a shot from the high slot that was redirected in by Helfrich, who was in front of the crease, just 47 seconds into the frame.
Rensselaer was unable to overcome the deficit despite outshooting Mercyhurst, 18-4, in the third period, including an extended 5-on-3 advantage midway through the stanza. The Lakers converted on an empty-net opportunity as Robinson scored at 18:27.
