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TROY, NY -- Ryan Haggerty, the national leader in goals scored, recorded his first career hat trick to lead #17 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) to a 7-1 win over Sacred Heart in non-conference hockey action on Saturday evening at Houston Field House. With the win, the Engineers improve to 3-1-0, while Sacred Heart drops to 2-2-0 on the young season.

Haggerty (Stamford, CT/US National Development Team) got the Engineers on the board at 7:44 of the first, as he peppered Sacred Heart goaltender Alex Vazzano (Trumbull, CT/Vermont) with several shots on the left corner of the crease before getting one past the redshirt sophomore. The Engineers doubled their advantage at 13:27, as Matt Tinordi (Severna Park, MD/Olds Grizzlys) tipped in a shot by Brock Higgs (Kingston, ON/Kingston Voyagers), with Johnny Rogic (North Vancouver, BC/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) getting the secondary assist.

The Engineers added one more before the end of the first period, pushing the score to 3-0 at 18:57. Jacob Laliberte (Rockland, ON/Cornwall Cats) won a faceoff and sent a pass to Haggerty, who rocketed a shot top shelf to score his sixth goal of the season.

Sacred Heart broke up the shutout at 3:27 of the second period, as Jeff Carroll (Kingston, ON/Smiths Falls) took an assist from Drew George (Regina, SK/Weyburn). Haggerty completed the hat trick at 12:07 of the second, taking assists from Curtis Leonard (Napanee, ON/Wellington Dukes) and Chris Bradley (Williamsville, NY/Youngstown Phantoms) on a breakaway down the right side of the ice, finishing with a hard shot top shelf for the score. The hat trick was the first for the Engineers since Chase Polacek tallied three goals at Dartmouth on Feb. 13, 2010.

Rensselaer increased its advantage to 5-1 at the eight minute mark of the third period. After Sacred Heart was called for hooking to give the Engineers their fourth power play opportunity of the game, Higgs capitalized, taking an assist from Matt Neal (Minesing, ON/Stoufville Spirit) and skating across the front of the goal before backhanding the puck past Vazzano.

The Engineers added another to their total at 11:19, as freshman defenseman Parker Reno (Edina, MN/Edina) scored his first career goal, getting assists from Jake Wood (Georgetown, ON/Lincoln Stars) and Guy Leboeuf (West Palm Beach, FL/Cornwall Colts). Wood shot the puck across the ice to Reno, who one-timed it straight into the upper right corner of the net. At 15:57, Mike Zalewski (New Hartford, NY/Vernon Vipers) carried the puck around the back of the net and converted his shot into the seventh Rensselaer score. Sophomore Mark Miller (Massena, NY/Omaha Lancers) recorded the assist.

RPI outshot Sacred Heart, 35-18, and held a 31-30 advantage in faceoffs. Engineer netminder Scott Diebold (Buffalo, NY/Tri-City Storm) finished with 17 saves, while Vazzano recorded 28 stops for the Pioneers.

Rensselaer will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 26, as they host Hockey East foe New Hampshire at Houston Field House at 7 p.m.