Box Score / Tournament Page

TROY, N.Y. – Senior Neil Ruffini had a goal and three assists and Clarke Saunders made 29 saves to lead the University of Alabama-Huntsville to a 6-2 win over the University of Connecticut in the third place game of the 60th Annual Rensselaer Invitational at the Houston Field House on the campus of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).

With the victory the Chargers snap and 11-game winless streak (0-10-1) and improve to 2-11-1. The Huskies fall to 3-6-3.

Alabama-Huntsville took a 1-0 lead at 14:24 of the first period on a slap shot goal from the left point by senior Matt Baxter (Courtice, ON/Bowmanville Eagles). Defense partner Ryan Burkholder (Newmarket, ON/Newmarket Hurricanes), who passed the puck from the right point, earned the primary assist and Jamie Easton (Edmonton, AB/Bonnyville Pontiacs) notched the secondary.

It only took Connecticut 1:14 to tie the score as junior Corey Jendras (Abington, MD/Topeka RoadRunners) buried a shot from between the circles. Rui Encarnaco (White Plains, NY/Janesville Jets) and Daniel Naurato (Northville, MI/South Shore Kings) earned the assists.

The Chargers took their second lead of the game at 3:51 of the second period when Vince Bruni (Toronto, ON/Aurora Tigers) stuffed in a cross-crease pass from Ruffini (Roswell, GA/Proctor Academy). Keenan Desmet (Strathmore, AB/Salmon Arm Silverbacks) was also credited with an assist. Alabama-Huntsville made it 3-1 when freshman Cody Dion (Colorado Springs, CO/Okotoks Oilers) scored his first career goal off a rebound from just outside the crease. Baxter took the initial shot from the right point for the first assist, after taking a feed from Ruffini.

Alabama-Huntsville finished with a 20-10 advantage in shots in the middle frame and led in that category, 25-19, to start the third period. Among the stops Saunders that period made were two point blank UConn chances from just outside the crease.

Ruffini put the Chargers ahead by three goals, 4-1, with his second of the game at 14:13 of the third period and senior Chris Fairbanks (Milford, MI/Youngstown Phantoms) tallied at 15:23 to put the game out of reach.

Senior Chris Fairbanks (Milford, MI/Youngstown Phantoms) extended UAH's lead 1:10 later, when he put home a rebound off a shot by junior Jamie Easton (Edmonton, AB/Bonnyville Pontiacs).

Connecticut found the back of the net for the final time at 18:46 of the final stanza when junior Daniel Naurato (Northville, MI/South Shore Kings) ripped a low shot along the ice that hit off the skate of a Chargers defenseman and in.

Freshman Clarke Saunders (Brockville, ON/Brockville Braves) earned his second win of the season (2-7) by making 29 saves. Huskies' freshman Matt Grogan (Gilbert, AZ/Bismark Bobcats) finished with 33 stops at the other end of the ice, including 18 in the second period alone.

The Huskies return to action next Friday and Saturday at Atlantic Hockey foe Niagara. Both games begin at 7:05pm. The Chargers play a pair of non-league games at Cornell next Friday and Saturday nights at 7pm.