University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Hold on to Tie Rensselaer 4-4
10/17/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
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Connecticut 4, RPI 4
1 2 3 OT -- Tot.
Connecticut 0 2 2 0 -- 2
Rensselaer 1 0 3 0 -- 0
GOALS: First Period; Nick Economakos (RPI), 0:52. Second Period; Trevor Stewart (UC), 10:06; Eric Helstedt (UC), 10:40. Third Period; Brian Burns (UC), 6:34; Cole Koidahl (UC) 7:19; Oren Eizenman (RPI), 9:45; Eizenman (RPI), 8:48; C.J. Hanafin (RPI), 14:26.
SHOTS: UC- 26 (6-11-7-2); RPI 26 (8-8-11-1).
SAVES: UC- Scott Tomes 24 (7-8-8-1; RPI Kevin Kurk 22 (6-9-5-2).
PENALTIES: UC- 6 for 12 min.; RPI 2 for 4 min.
POWER PLAYS: UC- 0 for 2; RPI 1 for 6.
RECORDS: UC- 0-1-1; RPI- 0-2-1
TROY, NY (Oct. 17) - The University of Connecticut men’s hockey team (0-1-1) held a 4-1 lead until nearly halfway through the third period, but three consecutive goals by Rensselaer (0-2-1) tied the teams at 4-4, which remained the final game score as neither team scored in the overtime period. Freshman Trevor Stewart (Elk River, MN) notched his second career goal in as many games for UConn, who also received goals from freshmen Eric Helstedt (Minot, ND), Brian Burns (Binghamton, NY) and Cole Koidahl (Minneapolis, MN).
RPI jumped out to an early lead with a goal by Nick Economakos just 52 seconds into the first period, and were able to hold off any attempts by the Huskies until halfway through the second period when Stewart drove UConn’s first goal past goalkeeper Kevin Kurk with assists from Beau McLaughin (Virginia Beach, VA) and Eric St. Arnauld (Marquette, MI). The Huskies struck again just 34 seconds later when Helstedt slipped a goal in with 9:20 remaining off assists from William West (Ballston Lake, NY) and Eric Nelson (Big Lake, MN).
Burns scored 6:34 into the third period with assists from Matt Scherer (Seattle, WA) and Stewart, and UConn looked to be in even better shape after their fourth tally 7:19 into the third period when Koidahl scored with an assist from Mark Murphy (Jamestown, RI). After that goal, RPI’s Oren Eizenman began to make things difficult for Husky goalkeeper Scott Tomes (Windham, NH) when he scored on a power play with 10:15 remaining in the game, and drove in another goal barely over a minute later off an assist from Ryan Shields.
The Huskies continued to hold the slim 4-3 lead in the third, until C.J. Hanafin scored RPI’s fourth goal with just 5:34 remaining in regulation. UConn out-shot the Engineers 2-1 in the overtime period, but all three attempts were blocked by the keepers to keep the score at a 4-4 tie.
Tomes, who has started in both of UConn’s games in his freshman season, made 24 saves on the night. RPI senior Kurk tallied 22 saves in his first game of the season.
The Huskies will take a week off before returning to the ice on Friday, Oct. 24 and Saturday, Oct. 25 with games at Alabama Huntsville at 7:05 p.m. both days.
