TROY, N.Y. – Powered by a combined nine points from its senior class, the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's lacrosse team defeated Liberty League-rival St. Lawrence University, 12-7 on Senior Appreciation Day at East Campus Stadium. With the win, the Engineers clinch a berth in the Liberty League Playoffs and move to 9-5 overall with a 3-2 mark in conference play. The Saints fall to 4-9 on the year and are now 0-5 league.

Senior Nick Billy (Redding, CT/Joel Barlow) led all game scorers with three goals and an assist, while classmate Conor Chocheles (Babylon, NY/Babylon) added two tallies and a helper. Devin Arnold (Buffalo, NY/Canisius) rounded out the effort by the seniors with a goal and an assist.

The visiting Saints took the game's first lead, but Rensselaer answered with goals from junior Grant Foulsham (Madison, NJ/Madison) and Chocheles in the final 1:28 of the first quarter for a 2-1 lead.

Goals at each end in the second quarter saw the Engineers clinging to a 3-2 lead heading into the intermission, but it was St. Lawrence that came out firing in the third stanza as sophomore Tucker Garfield (Marblehead, MA/Salisbury School) scored at 11:22 of the frame to knot it at 3-all.

Rensselaer responded in a big way following the Garfield goal, scoring six unanswered goals over the final 8:42 of the third quarter to take a 9-3 lead into the final stanza. Leading the way during the flurry was Billy, who fired off three straight goals in a span of 3:17, including one tally on the man-up.

Despite the deficit, the Saints began to comeback in the final quarter as back-to-back goals from junior Kyle Jacobsen (Montville, NJ/Delbarton School) and Garfield closed the gap to 9-5 with 11:41 remaining. An outstanding individual effort from junior Chris O'Neil (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford), who carried the ball down the length of the field on the clear for the score, regained the RPI five-goal lead (10-5). 

St. Lawrence continued to fight, notching two more goals within a one-minute frame to make it 10-7 with 7:21 left to play, but the Engineers held strong down the stretch as Arnold and Chocheles wrapped up the scoring for the 12-7 final margin.

In addition to the seniors, Rensselaer saw junior Andrew Liptak (Westfield, MA/Westfield) add a pair of tallies, while Miller added a goal and an assist. In goal, sophomore James Manchester (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna) made nine saves before giving way to senior Angelo Luppino (Mt. Kisco, NY/Fox Lane), who played the final minute of the game.

For the Saints, Garfield and junior Caldwell Rohrbach (Seattle, WA/Seattle Prep) each had two goals, while Jacobsen added a goal and an assist. Sophomore Jack Nuland (Ridgefield, CT/The Taft School) stopped nine shots, while junior Matt Ruscio (Lexington, VA/The Collegiate School) came on in the final 2:40, but did not make any saves.

The Engineers return to action next Saturday in a critical Liberty League contest at Route-7 rival Union. Game time in Schenectady is set for 7pm. The Saints are also in action next Saturday, hosting conference-foe Hamilton in a 1pm start in Canton.