No. 1 Quinnipiac Men's Ice Hockey Comes From Behind To Tie RPI, 2-2

Thursday, January 21

Hamden, Conn.

7:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

19-1-5, 10-0-3ECAC

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

12-7-6, 5-1-6ECAC

OT 1

RPI

Quinnipiac

No. 1 Quinnipiac Men's Ice Hockey Comes From Behind To Tie RPI, 2-2

1/21/2016 10:00:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

Box Score

By: QU Sports Information

HAMDEN, Connecticut - Quinnipiac men's ice hockey junior Sam Anas (Potomac, Maryland) scored the game-tying goal with 9.1 seconds left in regulation as the nationally-ranked No. 1/1Bobcats overcame a two-goal deficit for the second consecutive game to tie Rensselaer, 2-2, in an ECAC Hockey match-up at High Point Solutions Arena. Quinnipiac extended its unbeaten streak to seven games with the tie, going 4-0-3 over its current stretch. Overall, the Bobcats improve to 19-1-5 overall and 10-0-3 in ECAC Hockey to remain unbeaten in conference play while the Engineers improve to 12-7-6 overall and 5-1-6 in conference play to date.

Anas' goal was his league-leading 15th of the year and his-best 29th point of the season. Soren Jonzzon (Mountain View, California) scored his fourth goal of the season while Tim Clifton (Matawan, New Jersey) picked up a pair of assists to give him 12 for the year. Landon Smith (Greenwood Village, Colorado) tallied his 14th assist of the season, while also picking up his eighth point in his last eight games. Michael Garteig (Prince George, British Columbia) stopped 24 of RPI's 26 shots-on-goal.

Despite a scoreless tie through the first forty-seven minutes of play, the pace favored the up-tempo Bobcats who outshot the Engineers 30-16 through the first two periods and 48-26 for the game. Quinnipiac out-attempted RPI, 102-38, with four shots off the post in regulation. Thomas Aldworth (Keller, Texas)- who played the hero in Quinnipiac's 3-3 tie at Maine with a goal in the closing minute - found the pipe twice in the game, while Devon Toews (Abbotsford, British Columbia) and Connor Clifton (Matawan, New Jersey) also found metal. In addition, Travis St. Denis (Trail, British Columbia) had two breakaways - one of which was halted on a slashing penalty and the second came short-handed and ended with a save by Kasdorf.

Late in the second period, RPI got on the board first when Lou Nanne carried the puck deep in the Bobcats' zone and back-handed a shot on goal that Garteig stopped. The puck bounced to the his left where several players converged on the loose puck just above the crease. Zach Schroeder was able to get his stick on the puck and poke it through traffic past Garteig to give RPI a 1-0 lead.

Five minutes into the third period, RPI took a 2-0 lead when Mark Miller was credited with his fifth goal of the year. Milos Bubela picked up a loose puck along the boards in the Bobcats' defensive zone. Bubela stepped around two Quinnipiac defenders, walked across the slot and then threw the puck off of Miller's chest, which re-directed past Garteig to give the Engineers the two-goal lead.

Quinnipiac responded thirty-one seconds later when Clifton won a face-off in front of the RPI net, playing the puck back between his legs to Jonzzon who wristed a shot through a seam in the traffic off the draw and potted his fourth goal of the year to cut RPI's lead in half, 2-1. Jonzzon's goal was his first since Quinnipiac's 3-0 win at Brown on Dec. 6.

Late in the game, Quinnipiac found itself on the power play in the closing minutes of regulation, before pulling Garteig for the six-on-four advantage. After RPI managed to kill the penalty, the Bobcats opted to go with the extra attacker. Anas won the draw in the Engineers zone before it was knocked loose to Derek Smith (Apple Valley, Minnesota) on the boards. Smith sent it at net before it was knocked down and dribbled out to the opposite face-off circle. Landon Smith (Greenwood Village, Colorado) centered a pass, which was tipped by Tim Clifton before Anas made a diving stab at the puck, sliding between Kasdorf's pads to tie the game at 2-2.

Quinnipiac is back in action when it takes on Dartmouth at Thompson Arena in Hanover, New Hampshire on Friday, Jan. 29 at 8 p.m.