TEMPE, Ariz. – Junior defenseman Jared Wilson netted the eventual game-winning and sophomore goaltender recorded his first collegiate shutout to lead the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men’s hockey team to a 2-0 victory over Arizona State University, on Saturday night at Oceanside Ice Arena. With the win, the Engineers improve to 3-12-1, while the Sun Devils drop to 3-12-0.
Wilson (Calgary, AB/Vernon Vipers) broke a scoreless tie at 9:26 of the third period, when he pounced a loose puck at the top of the left circle and fired a shot past Arizona State senior goaltender Robert Levin (Highland Park, IL/South Shore Kings) for his seventh goal of the season. Sophomore Evan Tironese set up the go-ahead tally, forcing a rebound from Levin on a shot from the right.
RPI killed off a penalty two minutes later, before senior captain Riley Bourbonnais (Rochester, NY/Lincoln Stars) added an empty-netter at 19:00 on a shot from inside his own blue line. The unassisted tally was his seventh of the year.
Hackett (Sault Ste. Marie, ON/Lincoln Stars) stopped all 28 shots he faced, including 10 in the second period and 11 in the third. Levin had 26 stops, with 10 coming in each of the first two periods.
Neither team was successful on three power play chances.
Arizona State’s best chance to scoring came in the first period, when graduate student Robbie Baillargeon (Enfield, CT/Boston University) found himself wide open front of the RPI net. His shot hit squarely off the crossbar and out of danger.
The Engineers return to the ice next weekend, when they travel to No. 3 Quinnipiac and Princeton on Friday (7pm) and Saturday (7pm), respectively. Arizona State hosts Colgate for two next weekend.
