TROY, N.Y. – Senior Niko Hildenbrand netted two third period goals to lead the ninth-ranked University of Massachusetts men's hockey team to a 5-3 victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), on Sunday night at the Houston Field House. With the win, the Minutemen improve to 13-4-1 overall, while the Engineers drop to 6-10-1.

Hildenbrand (Vacaville, CA/Fargo Force) broke a 3-3 tie at 12:39 of the third, redirecting a point shot from Marc Del Gaizo past RPI junior netminder Alec Calvaruso (Livonia, MI/Sioux Falls Stampede) to give the visitors the lead for good.

After killing a penalty, the Minutemen put the game away after Rensselaer lifted Calvaruso for an extra attacker, with Hildenbrand potting his second of the period and third of the year, unassisted at 19:43.

The Engineers opened the scoring at 18:22 of the first, when senior Mike Gornall (Irwin, PA/Topeka Roadrunners) tucked home his own rebound for his fourth of the year and second in as many games. Freshman Simon Kjellberg (Nashville, TN/Dubuque Fighting Saints) delivered a shot from the left point that was tipped off the right iron by Gornall. The puck was then flipped home by Gornall from inside the crease.

UMass equalized at 5:43 of the second on senior Jack Suter's (Omaha, NB/Sioux Fall Stampede) first of the season. Junior Oliver Chau (Oakville, ON/Brooks Bandits) came through with the lone assist on the play.

Less than a minute later, freshman Reed Lebster (Grand Rapids, MI/Des Moines Buccaneers) gave the Minutemen their first lead of the night, sticking home a one-timer from the low slot, off a feed from junior John Leonard (Amherst, MA/Green Bay Gamblers). Classmate Mitchell Chaffee (Rockford, MI/Fargo Force) had the secondary assist on Lebster's sixth of the season.

RPI sophomore Daniel DiGrande (Macomb, MI/Green Bay Gambers) answered with a tying tally just 1:12 later, as his first collegiate goal and point made it 2-2. After freshman Zach Dubinsky (Highland Park, IL/Lincoln Stars) saw his shot turned away by UMass junior goaltender Matt Murray (St. Albert, AB/Fargo Force), DiGrande corralled the rebound in the left circle and wired a shot home.

UMass fired back once again to take a 3-2 lead at 8:41 of the final frame, when freshman blueliner Matthew Kessel (Bloomfield Hills, MI/Sioux Falls Stampede) buried a rebound at the left side of the cage, after a shot by classmate Peyton Reeves (Toronto, ON/Oakville) was turned away by Calvaruso.

Senior Patrick Polino (Buffalo, NY/Lincoln Stars) answered exactly 30 seconds later to make it a 3-3 game, finishing off a slick passing play around the front of the net. Dubinsky found senior Chase Zieky (Avon, CT/Salmon Arm Silverbacks) at the left side of the cage, when then slipped a cross crease pass to Polino for the one-time tally – his fifth of the season.

Murray (8-1-0) finished with 20 saves, including 11 in the second period alone. Calvaruso (1-1-0) had 32 stops, with 13 coming in the first period and 12 in the second. RPI went 1 for 4 on the power play, while the Minutemen were 1 for 3.

The Engineers return to action next weekend, when they return to ECAC Hockey play at No. 4 Clarkson and St. Lawrence on Friday (7pm) and Saturday (7pm), respectively. UMass travels to No. 6 Denver for a pair next weekend.