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TROY, N.Y. - The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's hockey team jumped out to a 4-0 lead and junior Scott Diebold made it stand up with 30 saves as the No. 12 Engineers defeated No. 13 University of New Hampshire (UNH), 4-2, in a non-league game at the Houston Field House. RPI improves to 4-1-0, while UNH falls to 1-3-1.

RPI needed just 38 seconds to break in front as senior Johnny Rogic (North Vancouver, BC / Alberni Valley Bulldogs) scored on a snap shot into the top right corner. Senior defenseman Guy Lebeouf (West Palm Beach, FL / Cornwall Colts) started the play with a shot toward the net that deflected off Matt Tinordi (Severna Park, MD / Olds Grizzlys). The puck came to Rogic, who scored from the left face-off circle. The goal was the first of the season for the assistant captain.

Freshman Jake Wood (Georgetown, ON / Lincoln Stars) doubled the Engineers' lead at 11:56 when he skated down the left side, collected a pass from Zach Schroeder (Prior Lake, MN / Saint Thomas Academy) and snapped a shot just underneath the crossbar in the upper right corner. Defenseman Luke Curadi (Cheshire, CT / Dubuque Fighting Saints) pushed the puck to Schroeder, who draw the defenders to him as he came up the right side of the ice. 

The second period was a high-scoring one as four goals were scored and 24 shots went on net. Rensselaer tallied the first two of the stanza, both within a 1:28 span. Junior Matt Neal (Minesing, ON / Stoufville Spirits) scored on backhander and classmate Ryan Haggerty (Stamford, CT / U.S. National Development Team), the nation's leading goal scorer, on a slap shot at 2:16 and 3:44, respectively. Neal's goal came from just outside the crease on a rebound of a Milos Bubela (Banska Bystrica, Slovakia / Dubuque Fighting Saints) shot. Mike Zalewski (New Hartford, NY / Vernon Vipers) earned the secondary assist when his wrap-around found Bubela in front. Haggerty scored his eighth goal of the season from the slot with RPI on the power play. Neal and Brock Higgs (Kingston, ON / Kingston Voyageurs) had the helpers on the goal, which chased UNH starting goaltender Jeff Wyer (Reading, MA / Valley Jr.).

New Hampshire captured the momentum with the goalie change, scoring twice in a 1:39 span. Senior forward Jeff Silengo (Madison, CT / Sioux City) deflected a Eric Knodel (West Chester, PA / Des Moines) point shot past RPI goalie Scott Diebold (Buffalo, NY / Tri-City Storm) at 10:03. Knodel kept the puck in the offensive zone on a clearing attempt and sent the puck on the ice toward the goal for the deflection. Junior forward Matt Willows (Congers, NY / New Jersey) then made it a 4-2 game when he slid the puck past a stick-less Diebold with the Wildcats on a power play. Nick Sorkin (Rockville, MD / Sioux City) and Dalton Speelman (San Jose, CA / Green Bay) had the assists on the goal, the second of the season for Willows.

UNH outshot the Engineers, 16-12, in the second period, but RPI held a 26-21 advantage through two periods. The third period featured an 11-1 edge in shots for the Wildcats, but they were unable to pull any closer than the two-goal deficit.

Diebold had five saves in the first period, 14 in the second and 11 in the third period to improve to 3-0-0. Wyer had 12 first period saves and two in the second. Casey DeSmith (Rochester, NH / Indiana) stopped the eight shots he faced.

The Engineers return to the ice on Tuesday night when they host Harvard University in Black Tuesday - the ECAC Hockey opener. UNH next plays against UMass Lowell in a home-and-home series next weekend.