Blue Streak To Three

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – A season-high five goals and a number of spectacular saves by Alex Lyon helped the Bulldogs improve their win streak to three games. Five different Yale skaters hit the net in a 5-2 win over Rensselaer before a boisterous crowd at Ingalls Rink.

The Elis (6-2-2, 4-2-1 ECAC) outshot the Engineers 31-24 while Lyon, Yale's sophomore goalie, made 22 saves, many of which required acrobatics.

A period full of hard hits and blocked shots appeared to be headed for a scoreless first intermission until the Yale captain finished a strong fore-check and cycling session with 75 seconds left. Trent Ruffolo, who had two points, started the play by passing the puck across to John Baiocco at the point. The freshman winger escaped a poke check and kept the puck inside the blueline as Tommy Fallen zipped in to grab it. Fallen picked up speed as he moved close to the top of the left circle and then released a rising wrist shot that sailed over Scott Diebold's shoulder to make it 1-0.

The second period could not have been more different than the first. Not only were three goals scored, both goalies made spectacular saves while the Blue increased its lead to two on goals from Carson Cooper and Mike Doherty.

Diebold prevented Yale from taking a 2-0 lead early in the second when he stole a shot out of the air from nowhere. A minute later Lyon protected the one-goal advantage with consecutive, bang-bang saves (of top 10 potential) that erupted the belly of the Whale. The sophomore netminder saved a change-of-direction slapper from the right circle and then used the shaft of his stick to block an almost certain tally on the doorstep.

Those two big saves ignited an opportunity at the other end and allowed Cooper to get his first of the season. The junior center took a pass on the left point and skated into the circle without much of an angle to shoot for. However, Cooper managed to fit the puck between the goalie's shoulder and the crossbar to put the Elis up 2-0.

"The saves got us fired up," said Cooper. "Ruffolo chipped the puck to me on the wall and the defensive player was off me a little. I just looked for a place to shoot and it went over his shoulder."

Lyon's two stops were worth discussing after the game, though the Yale goalie was already on to the next challenge. "I really don't remember much about that," said Lyon. "I know I scrambled back after the initial save. The shot hit my paddle. It was one of those 'look what I found' plays. It hit dead center between the blade and my hand. I didn't plan it but I will take it."

The saves clearly were on the minds of all the Elis after the game as well.

"It was a great save," said Keith Allain '80, Yale's Malcolm G. Chace Head Coach. "And it was a huge turning point. That got our whole bench excited."

After an RPI tally cut the lead in half, Doherty, John Hayden and Ryan Hitchcock connected to get that one back. Hayden had the puck low and sent it to the point for the sophomore winger. Doherty fired through traffic. Hitchcock, skated around the net from right to left and came out in the low slot. As the shot came through, he got his blade on it and changed the direction on the shot that eventually went five-hole and trickled through the pads of the netminder to make it 3-1.

The Bulldogs needed to answer an Engineer tally again midway through the third to get another two-goal advantage. Cody Learned broke out of a pack of players on the right boards near his own blueline and managed to beat all but one defender. A two-on one with Charles Orzetti quickly materialized and Learned (2 points) carried right of the cage before finding a narrow passing lane to put the puck on his teammate's stick. Orzetti, looking for his first of the year, did not disappoint Learned. The big winger flicked a wrister inside the near post for a 4-2 lead.

The visitors pulled their goalie with 2:29 left, but that only resulted in a Learned empty-netter with 1:06 left after RPI was unable to get any shots on net.

BULLDOG BITES

Chris Izmirlian, who had missed the first nine games with an injury, skated in his first game tonight… The Bulldogs take on defending national champion Union Saturday at 7. The Dutchmen defeated Brown… While Yale and RPI were battling at the Whale, a pair of class of 2014 Elis were up against each other in the AHL: Kenny Agostino (Adirondack) and Jesse Root (Texas).

Filed by Steve Conn, Yale Sports Publicity Director

Nick Carlino image of Ryan Hitchcock