Press release from the RPI SID:


 ST. LAWRENCE WINS 50TH RPI/HSBC TOURNAMENT
 Russ Bartlett’s late goal gives the Saints their fourth title

St. Lawrence junior Russ Bartlett scored off a scramble in front with just 32 seconds left in the third period to lead the Saints to victory in the championship game of the 50th Annual Rensselaer/HSBC Holiday Tournament at the Houston Field House in Troy, NY.  An estimated crowd of about 500 people battled through the snow to see the Saints win their fourth title in the RPI Tournament, the oldest college hockey tournament in North America.

Tournament most valuable player Jeremy Symington, SLU’s goaltender, kicked aside 39 shots in the final game, including 19 in the third period, and made 73 saves on 79 shots in the two games.  Named to the All-Tournament Team were forwards Bartlett, Erik Anderson (SLU) and Mike Ryan (NU), defensemen Matt Desrosiers (SLU) and Jim Fahey (SLU) and Northeastern goaltender Mike Gilhooly.

The Huskies got on the board early when senior Sean MacDonald scored on his own rebound just 1:51 into the contest.  MacDonald took his initial shot from the right faceoff circle after taking a pass from classmate Brian Cummings.  Symington stopped the first shot with his chest but couldn’t handle the rebound.  The Huskies then took a 2-0 lead when Ryan beat Symington from just outside the crease.  Graig Mischler and Scott Selig earned the assists on Ryan’s team-leading ninth goal of the season.

 The Saints came out blazing in the second period to take the lead.  They cut their deficit in half just 52 seconds into the second period when Blair Clarance tallied from the right face-off circle. Bartlett, who had a goal and two assists on Friday night, shot the puck from the left point which Gilhooly failed to control.  The rebound went right to Clarance, who scored off the crossbar.  St. Lawrence fought back to tie
  the game at 16:40 of the second period when Mike Gellard scored on a snapshot after a face-off win by Anderson.  Gellard then put the Saints ahead with a shorthanded goal with just 14 seconds left in the period. The senior from Markham, Ont., stole the puck at center ice and skated in alone, scoring between Gilhooly’s legs.

The Huskies came back to tie the game midway through the third period when Ryan and Mischler hooked up at the 11:34 mark.  Mischler carried the puck into the offensive zone, sent a pass to Ryan in the left circle and he slapped it by Symington.

St. Lawrence, which has won the RPI Tournament in each of their three previous appearances (1978, 1981, 1993), is now 8-0-0 all-time in the annual event.

Northeastern returns to action on Thursday when they’ll host Hockey East opponent UMass-Lowell at 7pm.  The Saints’ next game is January 12 when they’ll travel to Schenectady to play Union College in an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) game beginning at 7pm.

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  Kevin Beattie
  Sports Information Director
  Rensselaer