ITHACA, N.Y. – Freshman goaltender Linden Marshall turned away 29 of the 30 shots he faced to help the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men’s hockey team to a 2-1 victory over nationally first-ranked Cornell University, on Saturday night at Lynah Rink. With the win, the Engineers improve to 5-20-4 overall (4-11-2 ECAC Hockey), while the Big Red drop to 19-3-1 (13-2-1 ECAC Hockey).
Sophomore Jacob Hayhurst (Missassauga, ON/Cedar Rapids RoughRiders) scored the game’s first goal just 20 seconds in. After senior Viktor Liljegren (Stockholm, Sweden/Fairbanks IceDogs) carried the puck into the zone, Hayhurst fired a tight angle shot from the left corner and beat Cornell freshman netminder Matthew Galajda (Aurora, ON/Victoria Grizzlies) inside the near post for a 1-0 lead. Senior Mike Prapavessis (Oakville, ON/Toronto Patriots) picked up the secondary assist on Hayhurst’s eighth goal of the year.
RPI doubled its lead at 6:15 of the second, when junior Brady Wiffen (St. Mary’s, ON/Trenton Golden Hawks) buried a one-timer from the high slot. With the Engineers killing penalty, classmate Evan Tironese (Qualicum Beach, BC/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) stole the puck in the middle of the Cornell zone and left a drop pass for Wiffen, who scored his fifth of the year. It was RPI’s second shorthanded tally on the season.
The Engineers nearly made it 3-0 later in the frame, but sophomore Patrick Polino (Buffalo, NY/Lincoln Stars) was denied the by the paddle of Galajda’s stick, which he placed across the goal line. RPI outshot the Big Red 15-7 in the second.
Cornell drew to within 2-1 at 1:35 of the third on senior Jared Fiegl’s (Parker, CO/U.S. National Dev. Team) second goal in as many nights. The wrap around tally was unassisted.
Galajda was pulled for an extra attacker with 1:37 to play, but the Engineers were able to keep the Big Red away from the front of the net and held on for the victory. Marshall (4-13-2) had 11 saves in the first period and 11 in the third, while Galajda finished with 26 stops, including 14 in the second period alone.
RPI’s win was its first over the first ranked team in the country since October 11, 2015, when it defeated then-No. 1 Boston College, 2-1, at the Houston Field House.
The Engineers are back in action next Friday, when they host Dartmouth at the Houston Field House (7pm). Cornell visits No. 3 Clarkson and St. Lawrence next Friday (7pm) and Saturday (7pm).
