Official release from RPI's SID:
MEN'S HOCKEY DROPS CLOSE GAME TO CORNELL
Fourth-ranked Big Red score three second period goals in 3-2 win
Senior Stephen Baby had two goals and an assist all in the second period to lead Cornell University to a 3-2 win over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division I men's hockey game at Houston Field House, in Troy, N.Y. With the victory, the Big Red, the nation's fourth-ranked team, improve to 13-3-0 overall and 9-1-0 in the ECAC while RPI is now 8-14-2 overall and 2-6-2 in the league.
The Engineers, who had been shutout in each of their last five periods, opened the scoring when forward Nick Economakos scored on a wristshot that eluded Cornell netminder Dave LeNeveu. Economakos, a sophomore, tallied his fifth goal of the season from between the circles just 2:03 into the game. Ben Barr had the only assist on the play.
Cornell came back early in the second period to tie the score, 1-1, when Baby, a forward, took a pass from defenseman Jeremy Downs and scored on a nifty backhander from the right side of the crease. For Baby, a co-captain, the goal was his sixth on the season. He earned his seventh just over 11 minutes later when he scored in the top corner with the Big Red on the power play. Ryan Vesce set up Cornell's go-ahead goal. Vesce
increased the Big Red's lead to two goals when he deflected a Baby shot past Marsters with the visitors on the power play. Senior Doug Murray also assisted on the goal, which came at the 16:00 mark.
The Engineers pulled to within one goal when freshman Kirk MacDonald scored a power play goal from the bottom of the left circle at 5:33 of the third period. Freshman defenseman Brad Farynuk assisted on MacDonald's goal, his second of the year. However, they could not get the equalizer, and dropped
to 0-3-1 in their last four games.
LeNeveu finished with 13 saves to improve to 12-1-0 while Marsters stopped 21 shots to fall to 3-7-0 on the season.
The Engineers return to action next Friday night when they will play at the University of Vermont in an ECAC game beginning at 7pm. Cornell will host ECAC foe Clarkson next Friday night at Lynah Rink the Big Red's first home game since December 1. That game will also begin at 7pm.
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