Feb. 14, 2003

Princeton remained unbeaten against Rensselaer this season as the Tigers earned a 2-2 tie with the Engineers on Friday night at Houston Field House. Mike Patton opened the scoring early in the first period and Matt Maglione closed it late in the third to cap the tie.

Princeton skated hard in the opening minutes and cashed in with a goal at 4:47. George Parros collected the puck deep and fed Steve Slaton at the far point, Slaton skated in on net and drew Rensselaer goaltender Nathan Marsters over, then fed a pass to Mike Patton all alone in front of the net. Patton sent a backhander into the open net for his seventh goal this season and his second in as many games. Princeton continued its strong play, outshooting the Engineers by a margin of 9-3 at one point. Rensselaer fought back and evened the score at one seconds after a penalty to Parros expired. Nick Economakos collected a loose rebound in front and beat Princeton goaltender Nate Nomeland with 39 seconds remaining in the period to send the teams to their locker rooms knotted at one.

Rensselaer took advantage of a Tiger miscue early in the second period to take a 2-1 lead. Princeton was pressuring the Engineer net on a power-play when the RPI attempted a clear; the puck squirted past an outstretched Princeton defender and set up a 2-on-1 going the other way. RPI's Carson Butterwick picked up the puck and skated it into the Princeton end. He faked a pass and instead shot to make it 2-1 for the Engineers.

Both teams traded strong scoring opportunities in the third period with Princeton drawing even with less than three minutes remaining. Seconds after Patrick Neundorfer hit the post on a 2-on-1, Matt Maglione scored on a wrister from the point to even the game at two. Scott Prime won an offensive zone draw back to Tommy Colclough at the top of the circle. Colclough fed it up to Maglione at the far point, where Maglione sent a bouncing wristshot past Marsters for his fourth of the season.

Nomeland stopped 24 shots to earn the tie while Marsters turned aside 21 shots.

Princeton visits Union tomorrow night at 7 p.m. to complete its weekend road trip.

Princeton (3-20-1) 1 0 1 0 - 2
Rensselaer (9-19-3) 1 1 0 0 - 2

Scoring
First Period:
1, PU - Patton (Slaton, Parros) 4:47.
2, RPI - Economakos (Butterwick, Eberly) 19:21.

Second Period:
3, RPI - Butterwick (Unassisted), 4:28, sh.

Third Period:
4, PU - Maglione (Colclough, Prime), 17:42.

Saves:
PU - Nomeland (65:00, T) 7-8-9-0-24
RPI - Marsters (65:00; T) 8-7-4-2-21