PRINCETON, N.J. – Senior Ryan Kuffner notched a game-high four points to lead the 18th-ranked Princeton University men’s hockey team to a 4-1 victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), on Saturday night at Hobey Baker Rink. With the win, the Tigers improve to 3-1-1 overall (3-0-1 ECAC Hockey), while the Engineers drop to 3-6-0 (3-3-0 ECAC Hockey).
Kuffner set up Jackson Cressey for the game’s first goal at 10:48 of the opening frame. Josh Teves picked up the secondary assist on the power play tally. Less than three minutes later, the hosts doubled their lead, when Teves scored his first goal of the season at 13:21. Max Veronneau and Kuffner earned the helpers on the Tigers’ second man advantage tally of the period.
Just before the end of the period, Princeton made it 3-0 on a back-door finish by Kuffner, who took feed from the left side by Alex Riche and stuck it past RPI sophomore netminder Linden Marshall for his sixth goal of the season.
RPI freshman netminder Owen Savory came on to the start the second period and made 19 saves on the 20 shots he faced. The lone goal he allowed was scored by Kuffner at 7:36 of the second period – a frame in which Princeton held a narrow 11-10 shot advantage.
The Engineers broke onto the board with a power play goal of their own at 15:28 of the third, as junior Patrick Polino netted his third goal of the season a shot from the top of the left circle. The lone assist went to freshman Kyle Hallbauer.
Marshall (3-6-0) finished with 20 saves, while Princeton’s Ryan Ferland (3-1-1) had 15 saves, before giving way to Austin Shaw for the final 9:51. He stopped four of the five shots he saw.
RPI is back on the ice on November 23, when it travels to UMass Lowell (4pm). The Tigers visit Colgate and Cornell next weekend.
