Box Score

TROY, N.Y. – Clarkson University scored twice in each of the first two periods and held off Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in the third on its way to a 4-2 win in an ECAC Hockey game at the Houston Field House. The Golden Knights improve to 10-16-7 overall and 8-9-4 in the league and sit in seventh place in the standings with one game to play.  RPI, which is in eleventh place, falls to 7-24-2 and 6-14-1.

Freshman Nick Tremblay (Candiac, PQ/Smiths Falls Bears) had a goal and an assist and classmate Paul Karpowich (Thunder Bay, ON/Wellington Dukes) made 17 saves to lead the visitors.

Clarkson took advantage of a pair of RPI penalties to build a 2-0 lead after the first period. With the Golden Knights on a 4-on-3 man-advantage, sophomore defenseman Bryan Rufenach (Cameron, ON/Lindsay Muskies) swept in a loose puck from just outside the crease at 13:01.  Clarkson doubled its lead just 1:01 later when freshman Louke Oakley (Whitby, ON/St. Michael's Buzzers) scored on a wrist shot from the slot.

The Golden Knights went ahead 3-0 at 8:27 of the second period when Tremblay picked up an errant clearing attempt by RPI netminder Allen York (Wetaskiwin, AB/Camrose Kodiaks), who left the crease to play the puck, and scored into the vacated net. Sophomore Brandon DeFazio's (Oakville, ON/Oakville Blades) goal on a snap shot while coming down the right side put Clarkson ahead 4-0 at 14:11 of the middle stanza.

RPI, which was outshot 19-7 through the first two periods, put together its best period in the third, scoring twice on 12 shots. Sophomore Chase Polacek (Edina, MN/Academy of Holy Angels) scored on a wrist shot into the top right corner at 10:44 and classmate Tyler Helfrich (Calgary, AB/Prince George Spruce Kings), who assisted on the first goal, slapped a backhander from the slot over the left shoulder of Karpowich at 13:29.  Bryan Brutlag (Lakeville, MN/Academy of Holy Angels) and Polacek earned
the assists.

Clarkson, which got two assists from Chris D'Alvise (Mississauga, ON/Wexford Raiders), outshot the Engineers, 23-19. Karpowich finished with four saves in the first period, three in the second and 10 in the third. York stopped nine shots in the first period, six in the second and four in the third.

RPI, which wore special sweaters as part of Pink At The Rink, closes out the regular season on Saturday night when it hosts #17 St. Lawrence at 7pm at the Houston Field House. Clarkson concludes the regular season at Union on Saturday at 7pm.