Engineers Take 3-2 OT Game

TROY, N.Y.  – Victor Liljegren scored with 2:12 left in overtime to give RPI a 3-2 win over Yale before more than 3,000 fans at the Houston Field House.

The Engineer left wing skated into the low slot and handed the Bulldogs (3-1-1) their first loss of the year with a short wrist shot that sailed over Alex Lyon, who made 16 saves.

Yale dominated play for most of the game while outshooting RPI 43-19. There were many quality chances on a night where Bulldog shots just weren't finding the net.

On the other hand, the Engineers (5-4-1) had a pair of low-grade shots end up in the goal, leading up to quality, game-winning tally.

RPI got on the board first, but the Blue answered quickly 6:45 into the first period. Joe Snively held the puck in the right corner and moved it up the boards to Ryan Hitchcock, who went around a defender and then skated into the low slot. The sophomore forward fired a low wrister into traffic that hit an Engineer leg before going past Cam Hackett.

That was one of 16 shots on target for the Elis in the first. One shot that wasn't on target, from John Hayden on a 2-on-1 rush a few shifts before the Hitchcock tally, hit the cross bar and bounced down, coming within an inch of a goal.   

RPI, which beat No. 1 Boston College on Oct. 11 at Troy, had a great chance to grab the lead back before intermission when Drew Melanson came in alone on Lyon. The Yale goalie made a nifty leg save on a low shot, one of eight in the frame.

Lyon had another challenging stop early in the second to preserve the 1-1 score. A few minutes later, freshman forward Ted Hart's back-check saved an even better scoring opportunity when he raced back to the slot and took the puck away from an RPI skater.

The Elis, outshooting the Engineers 15-6 in the middle frame, kept putting quality shots toward the net in the second, but couldn't take the lead. However, with 6:14 left, the home team did on a long shot through bodies to take a 2-1 advantage into the second break.

The visitors were so close to getting another goal in the first half of the final frame. Andrew Gaus' first collegiate goal came midway through the period to even things at 2-2. On the power play, Stu Wilson circled out from behind the net and sent a shot on target that bounced off Hackett's pad and bounced out to the rookie. Gaus one-timed it home at 10:11.

Both teams had excellent opportunities to take the game in the last half of the period, but the Elis had more. The shots were 11-3 for Yale, which was winning many of the small battles and making great passes to set up those chances.

The Bulldogs had two great chances to win it in OT but had bad luck on a bounce, and then Gaus hit the pipe with another shot.

RPI's only shot on target ended the contest.

BULLDOG BITES

John Hayden had a game-best 10 shots on goal… The Blue scored once on four advantages while blanking RPI on three… The Elis have not allowed a power-play tally this season… Tomorrow night's game is at Union… Yale's home opener is next Friday night against Cornell, a 7:00 start.

Filed by Steve Conn, Yale Associate AD & Sports Publicity Director