TROY, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men’s hockey team came back from a 3-0 deficit to defeat Brown University, 4-3, in Game 2 of a best-of-three ECAC Hockey playoff series on Saturday night at the Houston Field House. With the win, the Engineers sweep the series and improve to 18-13-7, while the Bears conclude the season at 5-19-7.
Down 3-0 entering the second period, senior Milos Bubela (Banska Bystica, Slovakia/Dubuque Fighting Saints) got the Engineers on the board in a hurry, tallying just 30 seconds in. Picking up a loose puck in the neutral zone, he started a 2-on-1 break that finished with a snap shot, just under the crossbar. Helpers went to sophomore Mike Prapavessis (Oakville, ON/Toronto Patriots) and senior netminder Jason Kasdorf (Winnipeg, MB/Des Moines Buccaneers).
Bubela made it a one-goal game (3-2) at 8:04 of the period, taking a pass from the wall by junior Jimmy DeVito (Bloomingdale, IL/Lincoln Stars), before skating from the right circle. Bubela once again beat Brown junior netminder Tim Ernst (Pickering, ON) to the high glove side for his second goal of the game and 12th of the season.
Junior Riley Bourbonnais (Rochester, NY/Lincoln Stars) netted the tying goal at 9:27 of the third, sneaking home a shot, just inside the left post from close range. They tally was his team-leading 14th of the year. Senior Travis Fulton (Oakville, ON/Vaughan Vipers) and Bubela were credited with the assists.
After both teams had chances to break the deadlock, it was RPI sophomore defesenman Jared Wilson (Calgary, AB/Vernon Vipers) who finally came through, as his shot from the left point beat Ernst for the eventual game-winner. The goal, which came at 18:18 was Wilson’s sixth of the season and second in as many nights.
The visitors opened the scoring at 7:25 of the first period, when sophomore Sam Lafferty (Hollidaysburg, PA) fired through a screen and scored from the top of the right circle. The power play tally drew assists from classmates Charlie Corcoran (New Canaan, CT) and Max Willman (Barnstable, MA).
Senior Nick Lappin (Geneva, IL) finished off a feed from classmate Mark Naclerio (Milford, CT) at 10:14 of the frame to make it 2-0. Freshman Tommy Marchin (Algonac, MI/Muskegon Lumberjacks) picked up the secondary assist on Lappin’s team-leading 17th goal of the season.
Brown made it a 3-0 lead in the final minute of the period, as sophomore Tyler Bird (Andover, MA) found some room in the left circle and fired home sixth of the year. Willman and Corcoran had the assists on the man advantage tally, which came at the 19:32 mark.
Kasdorf (12-11-5) finished with 33 saves, including 17 in the second period alone. Ernst (5-16-7) had 27 stops, including 10 each in the final two frames.
Brown went 2 for 3 on the power play, while RPI finished 1 for 3.
TWO-BELA:
Senior Milos Bubela has three two-goal games since February 6, including his double on Saturday night. He now has five goals and four assists for nine points in his last six games.
DUST IN THE WIND:
With its sweep of Brown, the Engineers pick up their first home playoff series win since the 2003-04 season. RPI swept Princeton that year.
BOURBONNAIS BACK:
Junior Riley Bourbonnais, who had two assists last night, netted the tying goal on Saturday against the Bears. It was his first tally since January 7 at Princeton and his first goal at home since December 12 against Arizona State.
LUCKY NUMBER:
For the second straight night RPI senior netminder Jason Kasdorf, who wears number 33, made 33 saves.
UP NEXT:
The Engineers will visit 12th-ranked Harvard for a best-of-three quarterfinal series, starting next Friday.
