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TROY, N.Y. – Freshman Brandon Pirri (Toronto, ON/Georgetown Raiders) recorded his first collegiate two-goal game, including the game-winning marker in overtime, to lift the Rensselaer men's hockey team to a 4-3 victory over Sacred Heart at the Houston Field House. With the win the Engineers improve to 2-2-1, while the Pioneers fall in their season opener.

Sophomore Alex Angers-Goulet (St. Augustin, PQ/Langley Chiefs) sent the puck up the left boards to Pirri, who swooped in and tucked a shot under the arm of Sacred Heart goaltender Olivier St. Onge (Wicham, QC/Lennoxville Cougars) short-side at 1:37 of overtime for the deciding score. The goal answered a late rally by the Pioneers in which senior Nick Johnson (Windsor, CT/Springfield Junior Falcons) scored two goals in the final seven minutes of regulation to erase a two-goal deficit and tie the game at 3-3.

Johnson's first goal came on the play-play at 12:50 of the third off the rebound of a shot by Erik Boisvert (Drummerville, QC/Notre Dame Hounds). He then tied the game at 14:56, when he ripped a shot into the top left corner of the net. Assists on the game-tying goal went to Matt Gingera (Winnipeg, MB/Winnipeg Saints) and Alex Stuart (Sauk Rapids, MN/Sioux City Muskateers).

The visitors opened the scoring at 5:32 of the first period, when Anthony Yelovich (Little Falls, NY/NE Falcons) picked up a loose puck in the crease and stuffed it in. An initial shot from freshman Tommy Castonguay (Rimouski, QC/Fin Flon Bombers) was stopped by RPI sophomore netminder Allen York (Westaskiwin, AB/Camrose Kodiaks), who sprawled out in an attempt to cover the puck. It then squirted free to Yelovich for the sophomore's first career tally.

Rensselaer evened things at 1-1 on a power-play goal by senior Paul Kerins (Weston, ON/North York Rangers) at the 10:10 mark of the first. Junior Chase Polacek (Edina, MN/Academy of Holy Angels) dished the puck off at the blue line for classmate Tyler Helfrich (Calgary, AB/Prince George Spruce Kings), who delivered a cross-ice pass to Kerins for the one-timer finish.

The Engineers netted a pair of early second period goals to build a 3-1 lead.

59 seconds into the frame, Polacek flipped a wrist shot past Onge from just over the blue line. The goal, which was Polacek's second of the season, was assisted by Helfrich and senior Erik Burgdoerfer (East Setauket, NY/New York Apple Core).

Pirri gave RPI a two-goal advantage 35 seconds later, when he faked a shot from the high slot, slid to the top of the left circle and rifled a shot into top left corner of the net. Junior Joel Malchuk (Brandon, MB/Dauphin Kings) and sophomore Mike Bergin (Ottawa, ON/Smiths Falls Bears) picked up the helpers on the Engineers third goal.

York (2-2-1) earned the win, making 20 saves, while Onge stopped 24 shots at the other end.

The Engineers return to action tomorrow night when they take on American International at the Houston Field House (7:07pm). Scared Heart visits Union tomorrow (7pm).