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TROY, N.Y. - Junior Jason Kasdorf stopped 36 shots, including six in overtime, to help the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's hockey team to a 3-3 tie with Clarkson University in an ECAC Hockey game in front of 4,041 fans at the Houston Field House. The tie brings RPI's record to 9-23-3 overall and 7-12-2 in ECAC Hockey, while the Golden Knights are now 11-17-5 and 8-10-3.

With the point, Clarkson assured itself of home-ice advantage in next weekend's league first round playoff series, a best-of-three set. CU will host either RPI or Union College.

Kasdorf was solid for the home team, making nine saves in the first period, 14 in the second period and seven in the third. Clarkson held a 39-18 advantage in shots on goal.

The game got off to a fast start with five goals in the first period, three of which were scored by the Engineers. RPI freshman Viktor Liljegren broke the ice just 4:07 into the contest when he came from behind the goal and scored over the left shoulder of Clarkson netminder Steve Perry. Senior defenseman Luke Curadi's feed from deep in the offensive zone allowed Liljegren the opportunity to get to the bottom of the right faceoff circle for his seventh goal of the season. Freshman Mike Prapavessis had the secondary assist.

Clarkson evened the score 2:14 later when A.J. Fossen scored on rebound with his team on a 5-on-3 power play. Kevin Tansey took a shot that Kasdorf stopped but couldn't control and Fossen notched his fifth of the season from in front of the crease. The Golden Knights took the lead at 13:17 when Pat Megannety deflected a James Howden point shot past a screened Kasdorf. The goal, which came just after an RPI penalty expired, was the fifth of the year for Megannety. Joe Zarbo picked up his second assist of the night on the play.

RPI needed less than a minute to tie the score when freshman Drew Melanson picked up his own rebound at the goal line and scored past Perry at the 14:01 mark. Mark Miller and Lou Nanne had the assists on Melanson's tally, his seventh of the season. Rensselaer senior Mark McGowan ended the scoring in the frame when he collected a Matt Neal pass and snapped a wristshot into the upper right corner with 1:50 left to play in the period.

Following a scoreless second period, Clarkson's James Howden scored the only goal of the third period when he stepped into a shot that Kasdorf got a piece of, but not enough and it slid across the goal line at 13:18. Troy Josephs and Fossen had the assists.

The Golden Knights had all six shots of overtime, but Kasdorf stopped them all to move his record to 9-16-2. Greg Lewis, who entered the game to start the second period, made eight stops in 45 minutes, while Perry finished with seven saves.

RPI closes out the regular season on Saturday night when it hosts No. 19 St. Lawrence University on Senior Night (7pm). Should the Engineers win, they will be the ninth seed and travel to Potsdam to face Clarkson next weekend. The Golden Knights visit Union on Saturday at 7pm.