CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Freshman Matthew Coronato recorded a goal and an assist to lead the Harvard University men's hockey team to a 3-1 victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in the third and deciding game of an ECAC Hockey Quarterfinal series on Sunday afternoon Bright-Landry Hockey Center. With the win, the Crimson improve to 19-10-3, while the Engineers conclude their season at 18-23-3.

Harvard junior John Farinacci (Chatham, NJ / Dexter School) netted his second goal in as many days to get the scoring start at 14:13 of the first period. Receiving a pass from classmate Ryan Siedem (Madison, NJ / Central Illinois Flying Aces), he lifted a shot over a sprawling Jack Watson (Toronto, ON / Coquitlam Express) for a 1-0 Crimson lead. Senior Mitchell Rifai (Beaconfield, PQ / Des Moines Buccaneers) collected the secondary helper on Farinacci's 10th goal of the season.

Senior captain Casey Dornbach (Edina, MN / Lincoln Stars) doubled the hosts' advantage at 1:05 of the second, just moments after the Engineers killed off their first penalty of the game. Dornbach jumped on a loose puck at the bottom of the left circle and picked out the top right corner for his seventh of the year. Junior Henry Thrun (xxx) and Coronato (Greenlawn, NY / Chicago Steel) had the assists on the tally that put Harvard up 2-0.

Both teams had chances throughout the second period, including a Harvard opportunity with under five minutes left, but Watson was able to make a big save to keep the game within striking distance.

The Engineers nearly got on the board just minutes into the third, but junior Zach Dubinsky (Highland Park, IL / Omaha Lancers) initial shot was blocked, before graduate student Justin Addamo (Auriers, France / Robert Morris University) saw his attempt saved by Harvard junior goaltender Mitchell Gibson (Phoenixville, PA / Central Illinois Flying Aces).

Senior Ottoville Leppanen (Espoo, Finland / Espoo Blues U20) did find the back of the net for RPI at 16:29, one-timing a shot past Gibson from the low slot. Classmates Jakub Lacka (Bratislava, Slovakia / Central Illinois Flying Aces) and Ture Linden (Great Falls, VA / Lone Star Brahmas) had the assists on the tally that brought the Engineers within 2-1.

Rensselaer lifted Watson for an extra attacker and generated a handful of chances, but the Crimson were able to put the game away at 19:28, when Coronato buried an empty-netter from close range, after sophomore Sean Farrell (Hopkinton, MA / Chicago Steel) hit the iron from outside the zone.

Gibson (16-9-1) finished with 28 saves to earn the win between the pipes, while Watson (9-9-0) had 30 stops. The Crimson went 0 for 3 on the power play, while RPI was 1 for 3.

Harvard will face Clarkson University in the ECAC Hockey Semifinals, on Friday night at Herb Brooks Arena, in Lake Placid, N.Y. (7:30pm).