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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
#8 Rensselaer
Players Mentioned
Special Teams Lead #8 RPI to 5-2 Win Over Men's Hockey Team
February 05, 2011 | Men's Ice Hockey
PRINCETON (2/5/11) - Eighth-ranked Rensselaer rode its special teams and goaltender Bryce Merriam to a 5-2 win over the 19th-ranked Princeton men's hockey team on Saturday afternoon at Hobey Baker Rink. RPI scored three times on the power play and also on a penalty shot in the win.
Tyler Helfrich led the Engineers with a goal and three assists and along with his linemates Chase Polacek and Josh Rabbani, combined for four goals, five assists and nine points.
After a scoreless opening period that saw Princeton hold an 11-3 edge in shots, RPI opened the scoring midway through the middle stanza on Rabbani's fourth goal of the season. The power-play goal came from the slot after Helfrich hit him with the centering pass at 9:54.
RPI took the next two penalties of the game and Princeton had a chance 5 on 3, but Marty O'Grady took advantage of a bounce to get a breakaway into the Princeton zone. Taylor Fedun raced back to hook O'Grady and eliminate a scoring chance but was whistled for the hook and O'Grady was awarded a penalty shot, on which he converted for his fifth goal of the season.
The Engineers killed the remainder of the two-made advantage and another penalty before getting its fourth power-play chance in the final minute. RPI again converted as Polacek netted what would turn out to be the game winner off a pass from Helfrich.
Princeton scored twice early in the third period to draw within a goal but a penalty midway through the period and problems with the ice along the red line killed any Princeton momentum.
Fedun got Princeton on the board at 3:19 when he waited out Merriam and scored high on the glove side for his eighth of the year off assists from Mike Kramer and Rob Kleebaum. Derrick Pallis then brought Princeton within one at 7:33 when his blast from the point skimmed the near post and wound up in the back of the net for his sixth of the season, also with an assist from Kramer.
Princeton continued to pressure following the goal, but the flow of the game changed at 13:28 when Will MacDonald was whistled for hitting from behind. At the same time, there was a long delay due to ice problems. When play resumed minutes later, RPI quickly tallied on the power play to regain a two-goal lead as Rabbani skated into the zone and scored over the shoulder of Princeton goaltender Sean Bonar. Helfrich would add an empty-net goal in the win.
Princeton outshot Rensselaer 41-24 in the loss. Merriam made 39 saves in the win while Bonar stopped 19 in the loss.
Princeton falls to 14-8-1 overall and 9-6-1 in ECAC Hockey with the loss. Princeton continues its league slate next weekend at Harvard and Dartmouth.