Box Score Box Score

MANKATO, Minn. – Eriah Hayes scored 1:09 into overtime to lift the Minnesota State-Mankato men's hockey team to a 4-3 victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) this evening in non-league action. With the win the Mavericks improve to 2-0-2 on the young season, while the Engineers, who fall for the first time, drop to 1-1-2.

Matt Leitner (Los Alamitos, CA/Fargo) won an offensive zone face-off back to Hayes (La Crescent, MN/Waterloo), who ripped a low shot through the legs of RPI senior netminder Bryce Merriam (Bethel Park, MD/Topeka RoadRunners), just over a minute into the overtime session.

RPI got the scoring started when junior Brock Higgs (Kingston, ON/Kingston) sent pass across the low slot to sophomore Zach Schroeder (Prior Lake, MN/St. Thomas Academy), who drilled a one-timer into the top left corner of the net. The goal, which was Schroeder's first of the season, came on the power-play at 17:45 of the opening stanza. Classmate Jacob Laliberte (Rockland, ON/Cornwall Colts) earned the second assist.

The Engineers took a 1-0 into the first intermission, despite being outshot 17-5. RPI killed off a big five-minute major midway through the period that kept the game scoreless.

Rensselaer added a power-play goal in the second period, when sophomore Matt Neal (Minesing, ON/Stoufville Spirit) scored from close range. Assists on Neal's second of the year went to Laliberte and senior Nick Bailen (Fredonia, NY/Indiana Ice).

Mankato State scored two quick goals early in the third period to tie the game at 2-2. Johnny McInnis (Boston, MA/Okotoks) redirected a shot from the left point by Teddy Blueger (Riga, Lavia/Shattuck St. Mary's) that found its way past Merriam. Hayes earned the second helper on the Mavericks' first of the game.

Eli Zuck (Anchorage, AK/Tri-City) jammed away at the post and eventually scored the game-tying goal at 3:39 of the third. Jean-Paul Lafontaine (Oxford, MI/Green Bay Gamblers) and Hayes picked up the assists. Dylan Margonari (Greensburg, PA/Youngstown) put the hosts on top for the first time in the game, when he skated into the Engineers' zone and beat Merriam with a low shot, inside the left post. The tally, which was unassisted, came at 14:55 of the third.

Neal buried his second of the game to tie the game once again – this time at 3-3 – when he took a pass from classmate Ryan Haggerty (Stamford, CT/U.S. National Development Team) and slotted it home. Higgs earned his second assist of the night on the equalizing marker.

Mavericks goaltender Phil Cook (2-0-1) finished with 30 saves, while Merriam (0-1-1) stopped 34 shots at the other end of the ice.

The Engineers are back in action next weekend, when they play a home and home series with eight-ranked Union College. Friday night's game will be “Black Friday” at the Houston Field House. Both games are scheduled to start at 7pm.