TROY, N.Y. – Senior Jakob Lee scored the game-winner at the 3:51 mark in overtime as the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's hockey team came away with the series-opening win over the Minnesota State Mavericks by a final score of 4-3. Lee, along with junior Dovar Tinling and freshman Tyler Hotson each scored once, and collected two assists for a trio of three-point nights.
 
RPI outshot the Mavericks in the opening period, but saw Minnesota State score the first goal in the second period. The Mavericks' tally came on the power play at the 2:02 mark of the second frame off the stick of Steven Bellini. A fluttering puck found Bellini alone on the back post, as he connected with the open net to make it 1-0 Minnesota State. Kayden Bohlsen and Brian Carrabes each earned assists on the play.
 
Less than two minutes later, RPI responded with a goal of their own by Hotson. After a scramble of shots in front of the Minnesota State net, the puck bounced out to Hotson in the slot and he connected with the upper left corner of the net. The score, assisted by both Lee and Tinling, evened the game up at 1-1.
 
RPI found the go-ahead goal at the 11:26 mark of the second period, as Lauri Sertti snapped a shot from the blue line past Minnesota State goaltender Alex Tracy to give the Engineers a 2-1 lead. Hotson and Tinling each earned their second points of the day with assists on the goal.
 
After the Engineers held the 2-1 lead into the third period, both sides traded scores in the middle portion of the frame. Minnesota State tied the game at 2-2 at the 8:53 mark, scoring short-handed as Lucas Sowder netted a goal from Jordan Steinmetz and Jordan Power. Exactly 34 seconds later, the Engineers reclaimed the lead as Tinling scored on a scramble in front of the net, with assists coming from Hotson and Lee to go back up 3-2.
 
The Mavericks did not go away, once again tying the game at the 12:13 mark as Josh Groll scored on the power play, a one-timer from the left wing circle to even the score back at 3-3. That score stood through the end of regulation, sending things to overtime.
 
In the extra frame, RPI and Minnesota State traded penalties as the Engineers were able to kill off the full two minutes after starting the period with 60 seconds of a man advantage. After things switched back to 3-on-3 play, Max Smolinski found Lee out front of the net for the winning tally to give the Engineers the victory.
 
Brett Miller made 26 saves in net for the Engineers in earning his first win of the season, while Tracy finished the game with 32 saves for Minnesota State in the loss.
 
Both teams will meet again on Saturday night at 7 p.m. at Houston Field House for the second and final matchup of the series before the Engineers take a short break for the holiday season.