HAMILTON PACES YALE TO 6-3 WIN OVER ENGINEERS
Senior notches hat trick to move within one of school scoring mark
In a game of role reversal from the night before, the Yale Bulldogs scored six goals, including three from senior Jeff Hamilton, to defeat Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 6-3, in an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) game before a crowd of 3,455 at the Houston Field House in Troy, NY. The Bulldogs, who managed just one goal in a loss at Union on Friday night, improve to 12-12-0 overall and 8-9-0 in the ECAC. The Engineers, who shutout Princeton, 1-0, on Friday, fall to 14-12-2 overall and 8-8-2 in the league.
By earning the two points in the league standings, Yale moved into a three-way tie for seventh-place with 16 points. They are just two points behind Rensselaer for the sixth spot. The game’s scoring came fast and furious in the first period. The Bulldogs took advantage of an RPI penalty just 19 seconds into the game with a power play goal. Sophomore Nick Deschenes deflected a Joe Dart shot through the legs of Nathan Marsters just 22 seconds into the penalty for a 1-0 lead. Yale scored their second special teams goal 2:10 later when Hamilton took an errant RPI pass at center ice, skated to the right-side half-boards and beat Marsters for a shorthanded marker. For Hamilton, Yale’s leading scorer, the unassisted goal was his 15th of the season.
The scoring flurry continued off the ensuing face-off as RPI, which was still on the power play, scored to pull within one goal. Freshman Ryan Shields hit the post with a drive that carried to Ben Barr, who was standing in front of the crease. Barr earned his fourth of the year when he banged the puck past Dan Lombard to cut Yale’s lead to 2-1 at 3:06 of the first period.
The scoring continued in the second period as four goals were scored. RPI tied the game, 2-2, at 5:50 when freshman Conrad Barnes scored his third of the season – and third in three games – from the right faceoff circle. The Bulldogs then took control of the contest by scoring the period’s next three goals – all from just outside the crease. Junior Luke Earl knocked in a loose puck at 6:30, Hamilton scored on a rebound at 8:42 and Spencer Rodgers beat Marsters from at 17:41.Hamilton, who also assisted on Earl’s goal, moved to within one point of the school’s all-time scoring mark (Mark Kaufman ’93 had 160 points) when he tallied into an empty net from center ice. That goal followed an RPI goal by Marc Cavosie at 17:32 of the third period. Lombard finished with 25 saves for the win. For the Engineers, Marsters stopped 19 shots in the first two periods while Kevin Kurk stopped all nine shots he faced in the third period.
Rensselaer, which allowed a season-high in goals, will be back at home at the Houston Field House next weekend when they’ll face Harvard and Brown in a pair of ECAC games. Both games begin at 7pm. The Bulldogs, who had lost five of their last six games entering tonight’s game, will be home against Vermont and Dartmouth next weekend. Their games also begin at 7pm.
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Kevin Beattie
Sports Information Director
Rensselaer
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