Cameron Buhl struck twice on the power play and Luc Salem provided two assists, but the St. Lawrence University men's hockey team would fall in overtime to RPI 4-3 on Saturday night at the Houston Field House.

The Scarlet and Brown fell to 11-13-0 and 6-6-0 in ECAC play with the loss but earned one league point. The Engineers improved to 10-14-1 overall with the win and 5-9-0 in league play.

The first period was a scoreless one, but it was not for a lack of trying as the Scarlet and Brown came out fast and furious from the start.

Max Dorrington, who generated plenty of offense in the period, ripped a wrist shot past Brett Miller in net and off the crossbar just 1:01 into the game. Dorrington would continue to hound the RPI net getting two more scoring chances in the first 12 minutes of the frame.

The posts at the Houston Field House kept getting hit as the Engineers hit a post of their own on their first power play of the game before Salem clipped another pipe with a backhand shot with 6:18 to go in the opening 20.

Late in the first, St. Lawrence kept up the pressure with two more great chances. Felikss Gavars on the penalty kill caused an RPI turnover at the blue line and went in on a breakaway. The first-year would whistle a shot just high and wide on the attempt. Then after the successful kill a Jan Lasak shot from the slot caused a big scrum in front of Miller, but the puck would stay out to keep the score 0-0.

The second period started with a bang for the Skating Saints, who opened the frame on the man-advantage. Salem carried the puck at the Saints' blue line and dropped a puck back to Tyler Cristall, who charged all the way into the zone and laced a shot toward the Engineers' goal. The shot was blocked and fell onto the stick of Buhl, who wired a shot top shelf to put St. Lawrence up 1-0 25 seconds into the period.

The Scarlet and Brown continued to attack and got some good looks from Will Arquiett at the blueline and Aleksi Peltonen, whose 2-on-1 look was snared by the glove of Miller.



Emil Zetterquist came up big in the second half of the frame as he first made a big stop on a mini-breakaway before being faced with a two-minute 5-on-3 kill. Zetterquist, captain Tim Makowski, who provided a selfless block, and the Saints' penalty kill was up to the task to keep RPI off the board killing the whole two minutes.

Much like the second period, the Skating Saints scored in the first minute of the third when Gavars took passes from Drake Burgin and Dorrington and rifled a wrist shot off the post and in for the 2-0 lead.

RPI responded immediately with three goals in the next seven minutes of play. Ryan Mahshie took advantage of a fallen defender and sniped a shot past Zetterquist to get the Engineers on the board. Sutter Muzzatti then scored moments after an Engineers' power play to tie up the game at 2-2. RPI scored their third of the onslaught on the power play when Lauri Sertti scored on a shot from the blueline through traffic.

Despite the change in momentum, the Scarlet and Brown failed to relent scoring on an ensuing power play. Buhl scored his second goal on the man-advantage when Josh Boyer found Salem, who got the puck on net. Buhl buried the loose puck through the five-hole of Miller to knot the game at 3-3.

In the final minute of regulation both teams had chances all alone in front of each other's nets. RPI was first as with one minute on the clock an Engineer forward lifted a shot over the net. Then with five seconds left in the game Buhl found himself all alone with Miller and crossed the net mouth but his hat trick attempt was stymied.

The game would go to overtime where the Engineers would take the game. Max Smolinski took advantage of a change and fed Muzzatti on a 2-on-1 to give RPI the win.

Zetterquist made 17 saves in the Saints' net, while Miller stopped 20 shots. St. Lawrence held the 23-21 edge in shots on goal in the contest.

Buhl and the Saints dialed up two power play goals going 2-for-5, while RPI went 1-for-6, but scored moments after an opportunity.

The Skating Saints will head home and prepare for the Route 11 Rivalry. The Scarlet and Brown welcome their foes to the friendly confines of Appleton Arena on Friday, January 27 at 7:00 p.m. then will head north to Cheel for Saturday's game.