TROY, N.Y. – Senior Tylor Spink scored two first period goals to lead the Colgate University men’s hockey team to a 2-0 victory over 17th-ranked Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) on Friday night at Starr Rink. With the win, the Raiders improve to 9-22-2 overall (5-14-2 ECAC Hockey), while the Engineers drop to 16-13-6 (8-7-6 ECAC Hockey).
Spink (Williamstown, ON/Cornwall Colts) took a feed from his twin brother Tyson Spink (Williamstown, ON/Cornwall Colts) and scored at 1:42 of the first period. Junior Tim Harrison (Duxbury, MA/Dexter School) picked up the secondary assist.
The trio combined against at 9:05 of the opening stanza as Tyson found Tylor on the back door for his second of the game and 11th of the season. Harrison once again had the assist.
After being out-shot 10-6 in the first period, RPI had a 14-5 edge in the second.
Rensselaer’s best opportunity came on a shorthanded breakaway attempt by junior Riley Bourbonnais (Rochester, NY/Lincoln Stars), but his shot was stopped by the blocker of Colgate junior netminder Charlie Finn (North Vancouver, BC/Kingston Voyageurs).
The Engineers pulled senior goaltender Jason Kasdorf (Winnipeg, MB/Des Moines Buccaneers) for an extra skater with just over two minutes to play, but could find sneak a puck past Finn, who made five saves in the third period to preserve the shutout win.
Finn (8-21-1) finished with 25 stops, while Kasdorf (10-11-4) had 23 at the other end of the ice. The Engineers went 0 for 3 on the power play, while Colgate finished 0 for 4.
NO BYE:
RPI’s loss, coupled with at St. Lawrence win over Dartmouth, eliminated the Engineers from contention for the fourth and final First Round bye in the ECAC Hockey playoffs. Rensselaer will be home next weekend in the opening round.
STOUT PK:
The Engineers held Colgate to just two shots on four power play chances, and even generated some offensive chances of their own down a man.
UP NEXT:
The Engineers are back on the ice tomorrow night, when they visit 16th-ranked Cornell in the regular season finale for both teams. Puck drop is scheduled for 7pm.
Colgate hosts Union College tomorrow (2:30pm) in the final men’s hockey game at Starr Rink.
