#8/#8 Men's Hockey Edged by Colgate in Overtime, 2-1

McNamara nets OT-winner as Raiders earn league win

Troy, N.Y. – Junior Kevin McNamara (Chestnut Hill, MA/Belmont Hill) scored 2:47 into the extra session to send the Colgate University men’s hockey team to a 2-1 overtime victory over eighth-ranked Rensselaer, in ECAC Hockey action, at the Houston Field House. With the win, the Raiders improve to 5-22-2 (2-13-2 ECAC Hockey). The Engineers drop to 18-7-4 (10-6-1 ECAC Hockey).

Breaking into the RPI zone 3-on-1, sophomore Robbie Bourdon (Montreal, PQ/Taft School) slid a pass across the goal-mouth to McNamara, who beat Engineers’ sophomore netminder Bryce Merriam (Bethel Park, PA/Topeka RoadRunners) to the far post for the game-winning tally. Junior Nick Prockow (Montreal, PQ/Berkshire Academy) earned the second assist on McNamara’s second of the season.

The Engineers broke on top at 11:03 of the first period when junior Joel Malchuk (Brandon, MB/Dauphin Kings) deflected a Nick Bailen (Fredonia, NY/Indiana Ice) shot past Colgate netminder Eric Mihalik (Avon Lake, OH/Des Moines). RPI maintained the puck just after a power play expired with senior Bryan Brutlag (Lakeville, MN/Academy of Holy Angels) controlling the puck in the far corner. The puck eventually made its way to Nick Bailen (Fredonia, NY/Indiana Ice) at the blue line. His shot into traffic caromed off Malchuk and into the back of the net. Sophomore C.J. Lee (Staten Island, NY/Green Bay Gamblers) earned the secondary assist on the goal, Malchuk’s fifth of the year.

The visitors pulled even (1-1) at 3:05 of the third, when junior Austin Smith (Dallas, TX/St. Paul’s School) slotted home a centering pass from Kurtis Bartliff (Clinton, ON?Manaimo) into an open net. Senior Francois Brisebois (Montreal, PQ/St. Paul’s School) picked up the second helper on Smith’s eighth goal of the season.

Mihalik (2-10-1) made 18 saves to earn in the victory, while Merriam (2-1-1) turned in 27 stops at the other end of the ice. Neither team connected on the power-play as Colgate went 0-2 and the Engineers ended up 0 for 6.

RPI returns to the ice tomorrow afternoon, when it hosts Cornell at the Houston Field House (3:37pm). Colgate travels to Schenectady to face ninth-ranked Union (7pm).

Source: http://www.rpiathletics.com