LOWELL, Mass. –
Filip Sitar scored a power-play goal late in the second period to give the RPI men's hockey team the lead, but UMass Lowell answered with three goals in the third to earn a 3-1 victory over the Engineers this afternoon. RPI moved to 4-7-1 on the season.
The teams played through a scoreless opening period, with
Nate Krawchuk turning aside all seven shots he faced. RPI generated nine shots on goal in the frame and successfully killed off a UMass Lowell power play before earning a man-advantage opportunity of its own in the closing seconds.
The score remained even for nearly the entirety of the second period as Krawchuk stopped seven more shots and the Engineers killed off another UMass Lowell power play. RPI then broke through on a late man advantage when Sitar finished a setup from Benjamin Yurchuk and
Rainers Rullers for his fifth goal of the season, sending the Engineers into the second intermission with a 1-0 lead.
UMass Lowell tied the contest midway through the third period when Jacob MacDonald found the back of the net. The River Hawks continued to apply pressure and moved in front later in the frame on a goal from Dominic Payne, giving the hosts a 2-1 advantage with just over five minutes remaining.
RPI pulled Krawchuk for an extra attacker in the closing minutes and generated several chances to find the equalizer, including attempts from
Kazimier Sobieski, Yurchuk, Sitar, and Rullers. UMass Lowell held off the late push before Libor Nemec scored into the empty net with 10 seconds remaining to account for the final margin.
Krawchuk finished with 25 saves, including 11 in the third period. Sitar led RPI with three blocked shots in addition to his goal and won 10 faceoffs, while Sobieski and
Harrison Lodewyk each recorded three shots on goal.
