ENGINEERS WIN OWN HOCKEY TOURNAMENT
Shields's goal wins the 51 st Annual Rensselaer/HSBC Tournament


Ryan Shields scored the game-winning goal four minutes into the first overtime to give the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's hockey team a 3-2 victory over the University of Massachusetts and a win in the championship game of the 51 st Annual Rensselaer/HSBC Holiday Tournament.  With the victory, which came in the oldest collegiate holiday hockey tournament in the United States, Rensselaer improves to 7-5-1.  The Minutemen fall to 7-11-0.

Named to the All-Tournament Team were Shields, Niagara's Rob Bumbaco, Quinnipiac's Ryan Olson, all forwards, Nick Kuiper of UMass and Danny Eberly of RPI on defense and Mike Johnson of UMass in goal.  Rensselaer goaltender Kevin Kurk, who won both games, including a 32-save performance in the final, was selected as the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

A sophomore, Shields scored on a rebound of his own shot from the left faceoff circle for his second goal of the game and fourth of the season.

After a scoreless first period, Rensselaer freshman defenseman Blake Pickett intercepted a pass in the neutral zone, skated in alone on the goaltender and scored his first-ever collegiate goal at the 9:10 mark.  The Minutemen tied the score four minutes later when junior Tim Turner scored his team-leading seventh goal of the season from the top of the crease.  Martin Miljko and Greg Mauldin earned the assists.  Massachusetts took a 2-1 lead into the third period when Mauldin knocked the puck into the net with just five seconds remaining in the middle stanza.  Samuli Jalkanen earned the primary assist while Tomi Soderholm got the secondary helper.

The Engineers came out early in the third period and tied the score at two.  After a Jim Henkel shot missed the net, Ben Barr beat Massachusetts goalie Ryan Johnson to the puck and fed Shields, who scored into the vacated net.

Johnson, a senior, finished with 31 saves in the loss.

Rensselaer returns to action next Friday night when they will host Brown University in an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) matchup at the Houston Field House.  The Minutemen will travel to nationally-ranked St. Cloud State next Friday night.