Box Score / Watch (RPI TV)

TROY, N.Y. – Nine players recorded at least one point as the Rensselaer men's hockey team upended Bentley, 5-2, in the second semifinal of the 59th Annual Rensselaer Holiday Tournament, this evening at the Houston Field House. With the win the Engineers improve to 8-5-1 overall, while the Falcons fall to 4-6-2.

RPI, which advances to their own tournament championship for the first time since 2007, will face area-rival Union College on Saturday at 7pm. It marks the second meeting of the season for the Engineers and Dutchmen. Bentley will face Lake Superior State in tomorrow's consolation game at 4pm.

Rensselaer junior Chase Polacek (Edina, MN/Academy of Holy Angels) ripped home a one-timer from the left circle to give the hosts a 1-0 lead, on the power-play, at 8:03 of the opening frame. Freshman Jerry D'Amigo (Binghamton, NY/U.S. U-18 Team) slid a pass through the slot to Polacek for the goal, with senior Paul Kerins (Weston, ON/North York Rangers) earning the second assist.

The Engineers took a 2-0 lead at 18:03 of the first, when junior Joel Malchuk (Brandon, MN/Dauphin Kings) finished an acrobatic play for his first goal of the season. Classmate Scott Halpern (Boca Raton, FL/Bay State Breakers) skated into the zone from the left wing and took a shot that was kicked towards the far circle. Malchuk then made a diving effort, sliding the puck past Bentley sophomore goaltender Kyle Rank (Islip, NY/Marham Waxers), before he could get back into position.

D'Amigo turned in a solid individual effort to give Rensselaer a 3-0 lead at 12:08 of the second period. He skated the puck through neutral zone and backhanded home a marker from a tight angle. The goal, which was his fifth of the season, was assisted by Brutlag.

Malchuk netted his second of the game at 12:56 of the second to open up a 4-0 advantage. Halpern and senior Garett Vassel (Westhampton, NY/New York Apple Core) had shots turned away by Rank, before Malchuk cleaned up at the edge of the crease.

Falcons senior captain Bobby Preece (Bonita Springs, FL/Fargo-Moorehead Jets) got the visitors on the board when his shot from the right point found its way through a screen and past RPI freshman goalie Bryce Merriam (Bethel Park, PA/Topeka RoadRunners) at 15:31 of the second. Senior Kane Osmars (Kanata, ON/Kanata Stallions) and freshman Dan Koudys (Grimby, ON/Burlington Cougars) picked the helpers on Preece's second of the year.

The visitors pulled to within 4-2 on a shorthanded goal by sophomore Jamie Nudy (West Chester, PA/Choate Rosemary Hall) at 5:45 of the third period. Nudy picked up a loose puck in the RPI zone and flipped it over the right shoulder of Merriam for the tally.

Sophomore Alex Angers-Goulet (St. Augustin, PQ/Langley Chiefs) redirected a pass from the right point by Kerins for his first of the season. D'Amigo picked up the second assist on the final goal of the night.

Merriam (2-1-0) earned the win, making 15 saves, while Rank (2-5-1) made 28 stops at the other end of the ice.