BOWLING GREEN, OH – Despite an early 2-0 lead, the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's hockey team surrendered five unanswered goals as they were defeated by the Bowling Green Falcons by a final score of 5-2. With the loss, RPI falls to 7-11-1 overall, while Bowling Green moves to 10-12-0 on the season.
 
The Engineers got things going early as RPI took advantage of a Bowling Green turnover in their own zone. Brendan Budy picked up the puck on the left wing side of the rink, and attacked the net on a 2-on-1 situation with John Evans. Budy fed Evans on the far post, where he finished the play to give RPI the 1-0 lead just 2:17 into the game.
 
RPI added their second goal four minutes later as Austin Heidemann scored his fourth goal of the season. The junior took a one-timer from the slot as he leaned into a pass that originated from the right wing boards courtesy of TJ Walsh. Freshman Sutter Muzzatti continued his hot streak, collecting a point on the secondary assist.
 
Bowling Green cut the lead in half with five minutes to play in the opening period, as Chase Gresock ripped a shot by RPI goaltender John Watson from the high slot. Helping on the goal was Taylor Schneider and Alex Barber.
 
The Falcons tied things up early in the second period, as Nathan Burke scored 7:26 into the middle frame. Burke received a pass in front of the net from Quinn Emerson that came from the right wing circle and finished inside the left post for the equalizer. The goaltender, Christian Stoever was credited with the secondary assist.
 
Then just 39 seconds into the third period, Bowling Green found the go-ahead goal via Ryan O'Hara, as he found the upper left corner of the net on Watson's blocker side to make the score 3-2 Falcons. The goal came unassisted as O'Hara corralled the puck, skated around, and took the shot from slot.
 
O'Hara scored again just a few minutes later, tallying his second score 6:38 into the third period. O'Hara tipped a puck from point blank range off a feed from Austen Swankler that came from the right wing corner. Zach Vinnell was also credited on a second assist.
 
Schneider added the cap at the 13:52 mark of the third period, scoring from Burke and Barber as Burke fed the puck across the front of the net. Schneider skated to the right post, and put his stick on it enough to get it into the net for the 5-2 lead.
 
Watson snagged 27 saves in the loss for the Engineers, while Bowling Green's Christian Stoever made 29 stops on the evening. Jakob Lee led the Engineers offense with a team-high six shots on frame.
 
RPI returns to the ice next Friday, January 6 at 7 p.m. as the calendar rolls to 2023. The Engineers host Colgate at the Houston Field House as the schedule returns to ECAC Hockey play.