TROY, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's lacrosse team held off a late push to earn a 13-11 victory over Vassar this evening at ECAV Stadium.

Tyler Ruffini supplied the Engineers with a game-high six points on five goals and one assist, while Sean Smith finished with three points (two goals, one assist) and Easton Morse added three points of his own (one goal, two assists). RPI also received goals from Ian Weihe, Nolan Lawler, Cooper Manzi, Andrew Childs, and Jackson Massaroni, and Jake Lunati anchored the effort with 13 saves in the win.

RPI was hot early, scoring three goals in the first six minutes. Morse started the scoring just seven seconds into the game's first minute, finishing a Smith feed, before Smith added an unassisted tally at 10:25 and Massaroni made it 3-0 at 8:42 off a Morse assist. Vassar responded with a pair late in the quarter to trim the margin to 3-2 after 15 minutes.

The Engineers kept control in the second, as Ruffini sparked a three-goal stretch to push the lead. After Vassar drew within 3-2, Ruffini scored at 11:01 (assisted by Bryce Allen) and again unassisted 90 seconds later to make it 5-2. Vassar answered with two goals of its own to close within 5-4, but Ruffini delivered again in the final minute of the half, finishing a Morse feed with 17 seconds left in the half to send RPI into the break up 6-4.

RPI extended the advantage coming out of halftime, as Ruffini scored unassisted at 10:18 of the third to make it 7-4. After Vassar cut into the margin, Childs produced an important late-quarter response, scoring unassisted with 53 seconds remaining to restore a three-goal cushion at 8-5 heading to the fourth.

The final quarter featured a flurry of goals, and the Engineers answered every push with timely finishing. Vassar scored first in the period to make it 8-6, but Lawler struck at 12:52 (from Ruffini) to re-extend the lead. With 11 minutes remaining, Weihe finished a feed from Hayden Wedemeyer, followed immediately by a Ruffini goal assisted by Michael Kline, allowing the Engineers to surge ahead 11-6. Vassar made one last run with six goals in the quarter, but RPI countered with late tallies from Manzi and Smith to maintain separation and close out the 13-11 decision.

RPI stays home to face St. Lawrence on Saturday afternoon.