Box Score | Rensselaer's Statement Regarding the Post-Game Incident

ALBANY, N.Y. – Junior goaltender Scott Diebold made 28 saves to lead the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's hockey team to a, 2-1, victory over third-ranked Union College, in the second annual Mayor's Cup game, at the Times Union Center. With the win, the Engineers improve to 10-10-4 overall, while the Dutchmen drop to 16-5-3. 

Sophomore Mike Zalewski (New Hartford, NY/Vernon Vipers) broke a 1-1 tie at 16:22 of the third period, taking a feed from senior Brock Higgs (Kingston, ON/Kingston Voyageurs) and sticking the puck past Union junior netminder Colin Stevens (Niskayuna, NY/Boston Junior Bruins). The tally, which was Zalewski's fifth of the season, was also assisted by junior Ryan Haggerty (Stamford, CT/U.S. National Dev. Team).

Diebold (Buffalo, NY/Tri-City Storm) made a number big stops down the stretch, including a glove save on a wrist shot by junior Max Novak (Oak Ridge, NJ/Jersey Hitmen), with under a minute to play.

Union opened the scoring at 8:04 of the first period, when junior Shane Gostisbehere (Margate, FL/South Kent School) picked up a loose puck in the RPI zone and whipped home a wraparound goal. The shorthanded marker, which was his seventh of the year, was unassisted.

Rensselaer pulled even at 5:17 of the second stanza, on a goal by Milos Bubela's (Banska Bystrica, Slovakia/Dubuque Fighting Saints), with assists to juniors Jacob Laliberte (Rockland, ON/Cornwall Colts) and Curtis Leonard (Napanee, ON/Wellington Dukes). Bubela flipped a backhand shot off the bottom of the crossbar and in for his fourth of the season.

Stevens stopped 18 shots for the Dutchmen, who were 0 for 4 on the power-play, including a 39-second 5-on-3 advantage. RPI was 0 for 3 on the man-advantage. Diebold stopped a combined 20 shots in the second and third periods.

Following the final whistle, the teams combined for 125 minutes in penalties and four players were disqualified.

The Engineers are back on the ice next weekend, when they visit 13th-ranked Clarkson and St. Lawrence, on Friday (7pm) and Saturday (7pm), respectively.