RPI Defeats Sacred Heart 6-2
Posted at: 12/31/2012 7:02 PM
By: RPI Athletics
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TROY, N.Y. - Freshman Milos Bubela had two goals and an assists and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's hockey team tied a season-high with six goals as the Engineers defeated Sacred Heart University, 6-2, in a non-league game at Houston Field House.
Rensselaer improves to 6-7-4, while the Pioneers are now 0-15-2.
The Engineers got on the board at 7:16 of the first period when sophomore Jacob Laliberte (Rockland, ON / Cornwall Colts) scored on a rebound for a power play goal from in just outside the crease. Sacred Heart tied the game on a backhanded goal by senior Eric Delong (Oakville, MB / Portage Terriers) 7:40 later. Bubela (Banksa Bystrica, Slovakia / Dubuque Fighting Saints) put RPI back in front with a goal from the right faceoff circle with 1:58 left in the first. Senior Nick Bailen (Fredonia, NY / Indiana Ice) picked up the first of his three assists on the goal, Bubela's sixth of the season.
Senior captain CJ Lee (Staten Island, NY / Green Bay Gamblers) made it a three-goal advantage for the Engineers when he deflected a Curtis Leonard (Napanee, ON / Wellington Dukes) shot for RPI's second power play goal of the game, just 53 seconds into the second period. Senior Greg Burgdoerfer (East Setauket, NY / Air Force Academy) put Rensselaer ahead 4-1 when he knocked in a rebound of a Bailen shot at
6:09 of the middle frame. Bubela scored his second of the game at 8:40 when he drove down the right side and put a wrist shot just under the cross bar, beating Andrew Bodnarchuk (Saskatoon, SK / Humboldt Broncos), who came on in relief following Burgdoerfer's goal.
Sacred Heart got a goal back at 17:27 when defenseman Josh Phillips (Toronto, ON / Nanaimo Clippers) jumped into a rush and scored on a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle. Ben Ketchum (Greenwich, CT /
Quinnipiac) earned the primary assist, while Brian Sheehan (St. Louis, MO / Jersey Hitman) had the secondary.
Freshman Mike Zalewski (New Hartford, NY / Vernon Vipers) gave RPI its sixth goal - and third on the power play - when he slammed in a goal-mouth pass from Lee midway through the third period. Bubela picked up the secondary assist.
Senior Bryce Merriam (Bethel Park, PA / Topeka RoadRunners) earned the win for the Engineers with 18 saves, including a breakaway stop on a shorthanded bid in the third period. Steven Legatto (Kelowna, BC / Fort McMurray Oil Barons), Sacred Heart's starter, stopped 15 shots in the loss. Bodnarchuk finished with 11 saves in 33:51.
Rensselaer finished with three power play goals on five opportunities.
The Pioneers were 0 for 4.
The Engineers are on the road this weekend, traveling to No. 9 Boston University on Friday (7:30pm) and No. 4 University of New Hampshire on Saturday. The Pioneers travel to Colgate University for games next Friday and Saturday nights. Both games begin at 7pm.
