TROY, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men’s hockey team scored a goal in each period and sophomore goaltender Chase Perry made 26 saves en route to a 3-0 victory over McGill University, in exhibition action from the Houston Field House on Sunday afternoon.
A penalty-plagued game saw 16 infractions called against RPI and 13 against McGill, including a major and a game-misconduct. The Engineers generated 14 first period shots, despite taking five minors in the frame.
Senior Riley Bourbonnais (Rochester, NY/Lincoln Stars) got the scoring started at 6:43 of the first period, sticking home a rebound from left side of the crease. Junior Bradley Bell (Sudbury, ON/Sudbury Nickle Barons) found classmate Viktor Liljegren (Stockholm, Sweden/Fairbanks Ice Dogs) for a shot that caromed to Bourbonnais for the one-time finish.
The parade to the box continued in the second period, with the Engineers taking the first four penalties of the frame, including a 5-on-3 disadvantage, seven minutes in. Rensselaer was able to survive the threat and eventually drew a 5-on-3 advantage of its own, thanks to a major penalty against McGill.
Freshman Jacob Hayhurst (Missassauga, ON/Cedar Rapids RoughRiders) capitalized on the two-man advantage, when he ripped home a shot from the high slot at the 18:43 mark of the second. Assists went to juniors Mike Prapavessis (Oakville, ON/Toronto Patriots) and Liljegren.
Rensselaer capped the scoring with another 5-on-3 power play goal at 2:02 of the third, on another shot from the top of the zone. Sophomore Jesper Ohrvall (Halmstad, Sweden/Fairbanks Ice Dogs) found classmate Evan Tironese (Quilicum Beach, BC/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) open at the blue line and he cranked shot past McGill senior netminder Jacob Gervais-Chouinard (Sherbrooke, PQ/Hamilton Bulldogs).
Freshman goaltender Chase Perry (St. Paul, MN/Wenatchee Wild) picked up the win in net, making five saves in the first period, 14 in the second and seven in the third. Gervais-Chouinard had 40 stops, including 16 in the second period.
RPI wound up 2 for 9 on the power play, while McGill was 0 for 13.
The Engineers begin their regular season next weekend, when they travel to Maine for a two-game series, beginning on Friday (7pm). The Redmen take on RMC on Friday (7pm) in Kingston, Ont.
