CANTON, N.Y. –
Luke Goukler and
Simon Motew each scored their first goals of the season as the RPI men's hockey team skated to a 2-2 tie with St. Lawrence tonight before the Saints claimed the extra ECAC Hockey point in the penalty shootout. RPI earned one point on the evening and moved to 4-4-1 overall and 0-2-1 in league play.
The Engineers struck first late in the opening period after holding St. Lawrence scoreless on a pair of power-play opportunities. Goukler finished a setup from
Thomas Klassek and
Matthew Buckley to give RPI a 1-0 advantage, with the goal coming just moments after an Engineers power play expired.
Nate Krawchuk stopped all six shots he faced in the period as RPI carried the lead into the first intermission.
Neither side found the back of the net in the second period. RPI generated nine shots on goal during the frame, while Krawchuk turned aside all seven St. Lawrence attempts to preserve the 1-0 advantage entering the third.
The Engineers doubled their lead early in the third when Motew scored off another combination from Klassek and Buckley, giving both RPI helpers their second assists of the night. St. Lawrence responded just 44 seconds later on a goal from Sam LeDrew before Gunnar Thoreson tied the contest at 2-2 several minutes later.
RPI created several opportunities to regain the lead over the remainder of regulation, including a late power play that saw Benjamin Yurchuk hit the pipe. Motew also struck the post in the closing minutes, but neither side could break the tie before overtime.
Krawchuk kept the game even throughout the five-minute overtime, stopping all seven St. Lawrence shots he faced, while RPI put three attempts on goal. The contest officially finished as a 2-2 tie before moving to the shootout for the additional league point.
Rainers Rullers converted RPI's second shootout attempt, while Krawchuk stopped the first two St. Lawrence shooters. The Saints eventually received conversions from Cayden Casey and James Fisher to take the shootout, 2-1, and secure the extra point.
Krawchuk finished with 29 saves through regulation and overtime, while RPI held a 35-31 advantage in shots on goal. Klassek and Buckley each recorded two assists, and
Filip Sitar won 15 of his 19 faceoffs as the Engineers held a 36-26 advantage at the dot. RPI also went a perfect two-for-two on the penalty kill.
