TROY, N.Y. – Senior Nolan Vesey scored two first period goals and assisted on the eventual game-winner to lead the University of Maine men’s hockey team to a 3-2 victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), on Friday afternoon at the Houston Field House. With the win, the Black Bears improve to 9-7-1, while the Engineers drop to 3-12-3.
Vesey (North Reading, MA/South Shore Kings) opened the scoring just 1:02 into the game, burying a shot just under the crossbar on a 2-on-1 break. Sophomore Patrick Shea (Marshfield, MA/Kimball Union Academy) carried the puck into the offensive zone, before dropping it off for Vesey, who snapped home his first of two on the night.
Just over two minutes later, Vesey capitalized on a loose puck that got behind the RPI defense and tallied a breakaway goal – his seventh of the season. Shea and classmate Tim Doherty (Portsmouth, RI/Boston Jr. Bruins) were credited with the helpers.
Rensselaer pulled to within 2-1 at 12:51 of the opening stanza, as freshman Billy Jerry (River Falls, WI/Madison Capitals) collected his fifth goal of the year. A shot from the top of the right circle by sophomore Patrick Polino (Buffalo, NY/Lincoln Stars) caromed off Jerry and inside the left post to get the Engineers on the board.
Maine made it a 3-1 game at 8:01 of the second, when Vesey found Doherty trailing the play for his seventh of the year. Vesey and sophomore blueliner Patrick Holway (Cohasset, MA/Dubuque Fighting Saints) picked up the assists.
Junior Evan Tironese (Qualicum Beach, BC/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) netted RPI’s second goal at 14:51, roofing a shot from the bottom of the right circle. Senior captain Jared Wilson (Calgary, AB/Vernon Vipers) and Polino earned the helpers on the power play tally – Tironese’s sixth of the campaign.
RPI nearly drew even with four minutes to play in regulation, but a back door, one-timer from sophomore Jacob Hayhurst (Missassauga, ON/Cedar Rapids RoughRiders) found the inside of the right post and stayed out of the cage.
Black Bears junior goaltender Rob McGovern (Weymouth, MA/Bay State Breakers) finished with 27 saves, while Rensselaer freshman Linden Marshall (Victoria, BC/Trail Smoke Eaters) had 32 stops at the other end of the ice. The Engineers went 1 for 1 on the power play, while Maine was 0 for 1.
The two teams are back in action tomorrow afternoon for game two of the weekend series. Puck drop is once again scheduled for 4pm.
