TROY, N.Y. – The No. 2 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's lacrosse team was tested in a matchup on the road at Ithaca on Saturday afternoon, but a game-preserving save in the final 10 seconds of regulation from junior goalkeeper Joseph Perry helped keep the Engineers' perfect season in tact with a 10-9 victory.
 
The win gives RPI their best start in program history, topping the two 10-0 starts previously recorded since the program's inception.
 
It was all RPI early on as the Engineers scored three first quarter goals and four goals in the second quarter to open a 7-1 lead just before halftime. However, Kyle Proctor scored for Ithaca with one second remaining to make it a 7-2 game at the half.
 
That goal led to momentum for Ithaca in the second half, as they opened with two quick goals to make it a 7-4 game with 7:25 to play. However seconds later, Luke Murphy scored his first of two straight goals to put RPI back on top 9-4.
 
From that point, Ithaca held the Engineers to just one goal over the final quarter and a half, with Murphy scoring with 10:59 to play. Ithaca scored five of the last six goals of the game, ending on a three-goal streak to pull within one with 5:44 remaining in the game to make it 10-9.
 
Perry and the Engineers defense held down the fort the rest of the way, holding Ithaca off the scoreboard to preserve the win.
 
RPI returns to action next Saturday, April 6 at 11 a.m. when they head north to Potsdam to take on the Clarkson Golden Knights.