TROY, N.Y. – Senior Tommy Thompson scored two third period goals to lead the St. Lawrence University men’s hockey team to a 3-0 victory over 14th-ranked Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), on Friday night at the Houston Field House. With the win, the Saints improve to 14-11-2 overall (8-6-1 ECAC Hockey), while the Engineers drop to 14-9-6 (6-3-6 ECAC Hockey).
Thompson (Londonderry, NH/NH Monarchs) broke a scoreless tie with just 5:07 to play in the third period, driving home a one-timer from the slot. Sophomore Mike Marnell (South Huntington, NY/Des Moines) delivered the primary assist from the right circle, while senior Christian Horn (Plymouth, MN/Sioux City), had the secondary.
St. Lawrence added an insurance goal, less than three minutes later, when Thompson beat RPI senior netminder Jason Kasdorf (Winnipeg, MB/Des Moines Buccaneers) inside the near post on a shot from the left circle. Horn and Marnell had the assists once again on Thompson’s seventh goal of the year.
Freshman Jacob Pritchard (Macomb, MI/Powell River) capped the scoring with an empty net goal at 18:10 of the frame. Juniors Drew Smolcynski (Hatfield, PA/Chicago) and Gavin Bayreuther (Canaan, NH/Fargo) had the helpers on Pritchard’s third of the season.
Saints sophomore goaltender Kyle Hayton (Denver, CO/Sioux City) stopped all 34 shots he faced, including 14 in the second period alone, to earn the shutout. Kasdorf had 31 saves, with 12 coming in the scoreless second.
St. Lawrence was 0 for 2 on the power play, while the Engineers were unsuccessful on their only opportunity.
BACK-TO-BACK ZEROS:
The Engineers have been shut out in back-to-back games for the first time since October of 2014. Adam Wilcox of Minnesota and Evan Crowley of Denver held RPI scoreless in those games.
EVEN STEVEN:
RPI falls to 2-1 in games in which the shots on goal are even.
UP NEXT:
The Engineers return to action tomorrow night, when they host Clarkson University in the 39th Annual Big Red Freakout! Puck drop is scheduled for 7pm.
St. Lawrence visits Union College tomorrow (7pm).
