POTSDAM, N.Y. - Junior netminder Jason Kasdorf made 33 saves to help the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's hockey team to a 3-1 victory over Clarkson University in game three of a best-of-three ECAC Hockey playoff series at Cheel Arena. With the win, the ninth-seeded Engineers improve to 12-24-3 and advance to face second-seed St. Lawrence University in the quarterfinals next weekend. The loss sends the Golden Knights to a final record of 12-20-5.

Kasdorf (Winnipeg, MB/Des Moines Bucs) made a number of big saves in the game, including 15 in the third period alone, to secure the victory. 

RPI scored two goals in a span of 20 seconds to jump out to an early 2-0 lead. Junior Mark Miller (Massena, NY/Omaha Lancers) broke in and ripped a shot from the top of the left circle, that snuck into the net, at 7:45 of the frame. Clarkson sophomore netminder Steve Perry (Ligonier, PA/Fairbanks Ice Dogs) got a piece of the shot with his left shoulder, but the puck found its way inside the right post and over the goal line. The tally, which was Miller's sixth of the season, was assisted on by senior Mark McGowan (Toronto, ON/Oakville Blades).

Senior Zach Schoeder (Prior Lake, MN/St. Thomas Academy) then scored at 8:05, deking his way past Perry after receiving a cross-ice feed from junior Milos Bubela (Banska Bystrica, Slovakia/Dubuque Fighting Saints). Freshman Viktor Liljegren (Stockholm, Sweden/Fairbanks Ice Dogs) found Bubela up the left wing, who then snapped a pass to the right for Schroeder, who was in all alone with Perry. Schroeder moved the puck from right to left before sticking home a back-handed shot for his third of the year.

The Engineers took a 3-0 lead at 16:12 of the first period, chasing Perry from game. After a scramble at the side of the Golden Knights net, RPI sophomore Riley Bourbonnais (Rochester, NY/Lincoln Stars) picked out classmate Jimmy DeVito (Bloomington, IL/Lincoln Stars) at the bottom of the right circle. DeVito fired home his first of the season from the tough angle. Fellow second-year forward Jake Wood (Georgetown, ON/Lincoln Stars) earned the second helper.

Clarkson controlled play throughout the second period, but had just clear chance to score, which came midway through the frame. On a 2-on-1 break, freshman Sam Vigneault (Baie-Comeau, PQ/A.L. Boomerang) found sophomore Troy Josephs (Whitby, ON/St. Michael's Buzzers) open in the right circle, but his low shot was denied by the left pad of Kasdorf.

The Golden Knights continued to press into the third period, pulling reserve goalie Greg Lewis (Mars, PA/Wenatchee Wild) with over six minutes to play. That tactic produced a handful of chances, including an eventual break through with 2:54 remaining. Senior Joe Zarbo (Grand Island, NY/Wellington Dukes) brought the hosts to within 3-1, scoring his third goal of the series and 12th of the year.

Kasdorf (11-17-2) made nine saves in each of the first two periods before registering 15 in the third. Perry (7-8-1) made just seven saves on 10 shots before getting pulled for Lewis, who stopped all 10 shots he faced over the 37:55. Both teams went 0 for 4 on the power-play for the second straight night.