Box Score

HANOVER, N.H. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's hockey team built a 2-0 lead midway through the second period and held on for a 2-1 victory over Dartmouth College, in ECAC Hockey action this evening at Thompson Arena. With the win, the Engineers improve to 8-19-3 overall (5-10-3 ECACH), while the Big Green fall to 9-12-4 (6-9-3 ECACH).

Graduate student Joel Malchuk (Brandon, MB/Daughin Kings) got the visitors on the scoreboard first, when he swatted in the rebound off a shot by sophomore Johnny Rogic (North Vancouver, BC/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) at the 9:23 mark. Malchuk won a face-off to the right for Rogic, who backhanded a shot on goal. Malchuk then got to the carom and buried his fifth goal of the year.

The Engineers took advantage of their first power-play opportunity of the game for a 2-0 lead at 6:20 of the second stanza. Sophomore Bo Dolan (St. Paul, MN/Penticton Vees) worked the puck to junior Nick Bailen (Fredonia, NY/Indiana Ice) at the left circle. Bailen then delivered a pass into the low slot that deflected off the skate of freshman Jacob Laliberte (Rockland, ON/Cornwall Colts) and past Dartmouth senior netminder James Mello (Rehoboth, MA/NH Junior Monarchs) for Laliberte's third of the season.

Freshman Brandon McNally (Saugus, MA/Belmont Hill) pulled the Big Green to within 2-1 at 10:07 of the second frame, when he skated into the offensive zone and slipped a shot through the five-hole of Engineers junior goaltender Bryce Merriam (Bethel Park, PA/Topeka RoadRunners). A lone assist went to freshman defenseman Rick Pinkston (Trenton, MI/Tri-City Storm).

Merriam (7-14-2) was forced to make just 13 saves, while Mello (5-7-1) came up with 24 stops at the other end of the ice.

The Engineers return to the ice next weekend, when they host Quinnipiac and Princeton on Friday (7pm) and Saturday (7pm), respectively.