The Rensselaer Engineers scored three goals in the third period to earn a 4-4 tie with the Quinnipiac Bobcats Friday night at the Northford Ice Pavilion.
In a game which was all about special teams and extra-man opportunities, an extra-attacker goal, a shorthander, and a power-play marker in the span of 5:05 of the third helped RPI (4-4-6, 1-1-3 ECACHL) force a tie.
With RPI down 4-1 early in the third period, the momentum shifted on an unconventional pull of the goaltender. With both teams having a man in the penalty box, the Engineers pulled Mathias Lange for the extra attacker with over 13 minutes remaining in the third period.
The call worked for RPI and head coach Seth Appert, as Seth Klerer blasted a shot in from in between the circles.
Just under a minute later with a Quinnipiac penalty expiring, a bouncing puck was up for grabs in the neutral zone, which Paul Kerins picked up. He went in on a breakaway and put the puck past Quinnipiac netminder Bud Fisher’s glove.
The tying goal came on the power play, when Matt Angers-Goulet sent a floater at Fisher that the goalie was unable to control, trickling into the net to make it 4-4. Jake Morissette and Andrew Lord set up the goal.
The Bobcats (7-4-4, 4-2-3 ECACHL) outshot RPI, 53-23, with an 8-0 advantage in overtime.
The Bobcats started the scoring off in the game on Brandon Wong’s shorthanded tally. Jean-Marc Beaudoin tipped a pass that Wong picked up at the blue line. Wong went in on a breakaway and put the puck between Lange’s pads.
The Bobcats took a two-goal lead midway through the second on Jamie Bates’ power-play marker. Bryan Leitch, behind the net, passed to Ben Nelson, who sent a pass across the crease to Bates, and he banged home the puck.
“We were working hard tonight, said Bates. “We were all over them and we put up 50[-plus] shots tonight.”
RPI cut the lead in half when Lord picked up a loose puck in the Bobcats’ crease. Kurt Colling took a shot from the left circle where Fisher made the initial save, but it dropped to his feet and Lord put home rebound at 16:13 of the second for his first of the season.
Just over two minutes later, Beaudoin scored to take a 3-1 lead. Wong came up the right side of the ice with Dan Travis. Wong fed Travis for the shot, saved by Lange, and Beaudoin was trailing on the play and twinkled the twine.
Quinnipiac with the lead hoped to carry the momentum heading into the third and did, for the first five minutes. Bates scored his second goal, again on the power play. Nelson again slid a puck through the cross to Bates for the goal. Reid Cashman also assisted.
Fisher made 19 saves, while his counterpart Lange made 49.
“We just didn’t get the breaks and didn’t have the will to win a hockey game,” Bates said.
Quinnipiac next hosts RPI’s travel partner Union, while the Engineers travel to Princeton.
