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TROY, N.Y. - Freshman Brandon Pirri had a goal and an assist and sophomore Allen York stopped 23 shots to lead the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's hockey team to a 4-1 victory over Brown University in Game 2 of the best-of-three ECAC Hockey First Round series. With the win the Engineers force a deciding third game on Sunday at the Houston Field House. Game time is 7pm.

With the score tied 1-1 late in the second period, the Engineers (18-16-4) broke through for two goals for a 3-1 lead after the middle frame. Sophomore Patrick Cullen (Washington, DC/Indiana Ice) scored at the 14:41 mark when he carried the puck through the neutral zone, around the Brown net and into the right wing circle, where he fired a shot past the stick side of the Bears netminder. Pirri (Toronto, ON/Georgetown Raiders) made it 3-1 just 1:15 later when he took an errant Brown drop pass at the defensive blue line, skated down the left side on a two-on-one and tallied on a slap shot.

Junior Chase Polacek (Edina, MN/Academy of Holy Angels) added a power play goal midway through the third period – his 26th goal of the year – at 10:09 of the third period for the final margin. Jerry D'Amigo (Binghamton, NY/U.S. National U-18 Team) and Paul Kerins (Weston, ON/North York Rangers) earned the assists.

RPI built a 1-0 lead at 12:52 of the first period when Kerins, a senior, deflected a pass from D'Amigo over Bears goaltender Mike Clemente (Great Falls, VA). Pirri had the secondary assist on the goal.

Brown needed under three minutes to tie the score. Sean McMonagle started the play as he came out of the penalty box on the right side. He tipped a pass into the neutral zone, where Harry Zolnierczyk (Toronto, ON) raced gained control and skated into the zone on a two-on-one with senior Aaron Volpatti (Revelstoke, BC) on his left. From the right faceoff circle, Zolnierczyk faked a shot, opting instead to cross the puck to Volpatti, who one-timed his shot from the bottom of the left circle, beating York (Wetaskiwin, AB/Camrose Kodiaks) near side at 15:05.

That was the only goal York allowed as he made nine saves in the first period, eight in the second and six in the third. Clemente ended the night with 30 stops, including 11 in the middle stanza and 13 more in the third.