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TROY, N.Y. – The Brown men's hockey team built a three-goal lead, scoring once in each period and held on for a 3-2 victory over Rensselaer, in the Game 3 of the ECAC Hockey First Round series at the Houston Field House. With the win the Bears improve to 10-18-4 and advance to the Quarterfinals next weekend. The Engineers conclude their season with an 18-17-4 overall record.

Senior Aaron Volpatti (Revelstoke, BC/Vernon Vipers) backhanded home the first goal of the game at 7:05 of the first period, giving the visitors an early 1-0 lead. Sophomore Bobby Farnham (North Andover, MA/Phillips Andover Academy) worked the puck free from behind the net and found Volpatti at the side of the crease for the tally. Senior Devin Timberlake (Port Alberni, BC/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) earned the second assist.

The Bears made it 2-0 on a 5-on-3 power-play at 12:24 of the second frame. Sophomore Jack Maclellan (Calgary, ALB/Ft. McMurray Oil Barons) fired a shot from the middle of the slot, through a screen, and past RPI sophomore netminder Allen York (Wetaskiwin, AB/Camrose Kodiaks). Helpers on Maclellan's 13th of the season went to sophomore Jeff Buvinow (Turnersville, NJ/Gunnery Prep) and Volpatti.

Freshman Chris Zaires (Aberdeen, NJ/Cowichan Valley Capitals) extended the Brown advantage to 3-0, just 18 seconds in the final stanza, when he picked up a loose puck right in front of the RPI cage and beat York from point-blank range.

Engineers' senior Paul Kerins (Weston, ON/North York Rangers) scored from just inside the left circle to bring the hosts to within 3-1 at 5:49 of the third. Sophomore Patrick Cullen (Washington, DC/Indiana Ice) skated up the right wing boards and sent a cross-ice pass onto the tape of Kerins, who beat Brown sophomore goaltender Michael Clemente (Great Falls, VA/U.S. NTDP) for his 15th goal of the year.

Junior Jeff Foss (Moorhead, MN/Moorhead) pulled Rensselaer to within 3-2, when shot from the left point found its way cleanly inside the near post, after the Engineers had pulled York for an extra attacker with 3:05 remaining. Cullen won an offensive zone draw back to senior Erik Burgdoerfer (East Setauket, NY/New York Apple Core), who slid a pass over to Foss for the one-timer.

RPI produced a number scoring chances inside the final two minutes, but the collapsing defense and strong play Clemente (10-13-4) – who finished with 28 saves – kept the puck out of the net. York (14-13-4) made 22 stops for the Engineers, including 13 in the second period.

Brown will face top-seeded and sixth-ranked Yale for a best-of-three series, beginning on Friday (7pm).