CANTON, N.Y. – Senior Mark Miller scored exactly one minute into overtime to lift the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men’s hockey team to a 4-3 victory over 15th-ranked St. Lawrence University on Saturday at Appleton Arena. With the win, the Engineers improve to 4-4-1 overall (3-0-1 ECAC Hockey), while the Saints drop to 6-3-1 (1-1-0 ECAC Hockey).
Miller buried his second game-winning goal in as many weekends, from sophomore Drew Melanson and junior Park Reno, sending RPI home from the North Country with three out of a possible four points.
The Engineers also received 37 saves from freshman goaltender Cam Hackett, who earned the victory in his first collegiate start. Saints sophomore Kyle Hayton had 17 stops at the other end of the ice.
St. Lawrence netted a late first period goal for a 1-0 advantage after one. Freshman Jacob Pritchard netted his second of the season from Gavin Bayreuther and Matt Purmal.
The Engineers pulled even at 13:14 of the second on a slap shot from the left point by sophomore Jared Wilson, which found its way past sophomore netminder Kyle Hayton. The lone helper on Wilson’s second of the year went to junior Riley Bourbonnais.
Just a 1:03 later, RPI took a 2-1 lead, when Melanson scored from close range. Classmate Lou Nanne set up Melanson’s first of the season.
The Saints pulled even with 1:02 remaining in the stanza on a goal by Michael Ederer. Nolan Gluchowski and Sean McGovern picked up the assists for the hosts.
St. Lawrence took a brief 3-2 lead, at 6:17 of the third, on Drew Smolcynski’s third tally of the year. Woody Hudson had the single assist. RPI answered at 13:13, when sophomore Mike Prapavessis set up Bourbonnais for the tying goal.
VS. RANKED OPPONENTS:
The Engineers move to 2-2-1 against ranked opponents on the season, including a win over first-ranked Boston College (2-1) on October 11.
SOLID LEAGUE START:
Rensselaer has opened league play with a 3-0-1 record, which is its best start to a season since it won its first five games to begin the 1994-95 campaign.
UP NEXT:
The Engineers are back on the ice next weekend, when they host 12th-ranked and Yale and Brown next weekend at the Houston Field House.
St. Lawrence hosts Clarkson for a single game next Friday (7pm).
