RPI hockey bests rival Union, 5-2, in game one of weekend series

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's hockey team captured its first win of the season in emphatic fashion Friday night, defeating ECAC rival Union, 5–2, in the Route 7 Rivalry opener at M&T Bank Center. 

Tyler Wallace scored twice, including a late short-handed empty-netter, while Nate Krawchuk was stellar in-net with a career-high 45 saves.

RPI opened the scoring at 14:49 of the first period when Thomas Klassek stepped into a loose puck at the top of the right circle and fired home his first goal of the season. Ian Scherzer earned the assist on the play, helping the Engineers take the early advantage. Union tied it four minutes later, and the teams entered the first intermission knotted at 1–1.

The Engineers reclaimed the lead early in the second when Wallace buried his third goal of the season off feeds from Matthew Buckley and Filip Sitar at 3:06 to make it 2–1.

After the Dutchmen drew even on a five-minute major power-play midway through the period, RPI struck back with the eventual game-winner - a highlight-reel, short-handed tally from Ethan Bono, who forced a turnover at the blue line, sprinted in alone and finished unassisted at 17:47. RPI locked down defensively in the third and delivered two empty-net goals in the closing minute to seal the victory.

Krawchuk turned aside 45 of 47 shots, including 18 in the first period alone, to earn his first collegiate victory. Sitar led the Engineers with three blocked shots on the defensive end, while Gustavs Ozolins and Gunnar VanDamme added two key stops each in the defensive zone.

The Engineers and Garnet Chargers will finish the home-and-home weekend series tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. in Houston Field House.