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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Sophomore Jimmy Vesey scored early in the second period and the Harvard University men's hockey team held on for a 2-0 victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), this evening in ECAC Hockey play from the Bright Hockey Center. With the win, the Crimson improve to 2-0-1 (1-0-1 ECAC Hockey), while the Engineers drop to 4-2-1 (0-1-1 ECAC Hockey).

After a scoreless period, in which the Engineers held a 13-9 edge in shots, Harvard struck quickly in the second. A shot from the left point by senior Dan Ford (Skaneateles, NY/Sioux City) was stopped by Scott Diebold (Buffalo, NY/Tri-City Storm) but the rebound caromed right to Vesey (North Reading, MA/South Shore), who buried his first of the season.

The Crimson finished the second period with a 15-9 advantage in shots, for a 24-22 edge overall. Rensselaer's best chance to score came in the waning seconds of the stanza, when junior Ryan Haggerty (Stamford, CT/U.S. National Development Team) flipped a backhand off the crossbar.

RPI continued to press as the third period progressed, but couldn't crack Harvard senior netminder Raphael Girard (Saint-Hyacinthe, PQ/Northwood), who wound up stopping all 28 shots he faced for his second shutout of the season. Diebold made 30 saves at the other end of the ice.

Harvard added an empty-net goal with 1:09 to play as sophomore Kyle Criscuolo (Southampton, NJ/Sioux City) scored from just inside the blue line.

The Engineers are back in action tomorrow night, when they travel to Hanover, N.H., to take on Dartmouth (7pm). Harvard hosts Union tomorrow (7pm).