The team ended its five game skid, and halted St. Lawrence’s five game winning streak. The team also won in Appleton Arena—home of the Saints—for the first time since 1997.

While Rensselaer did defeat Clarkson on the road last season, the pair of victories this weekend marked the first time the team swept a North Country weekend since 1985—the same year that the Engineers won the national championship.

RPI got three power play goals and was helped by a solid effort from goalie Andrew Martin en route to a 3-2 victory. Vic Pereira had a goal and an assist, and Kirk MacDonald had two assists to lead the way. The Engineers were 3-for-6 on the power play, while stopping all five of the Saints’ man advantages.

“We got our special teams going. We didn’t allow them to score on the power play. Our penalty killers did a good job. Our power play clicked for a couple. I just thought that we had four lines deep tonight,” said RPI coach Dan Fridgen.

A first period goal by Nick Economakos was RPI’s first goal scored by a forward since January 1, after a solid play by MacDonald. MacDonald stole the puck from a Saints defender, and fed Economakos, who deposited it past a sliding Mike McKenna.

Jonathan Ornelas made it 2-0 in the second, after taking a Pereira pass and sneaking it just inside the post, but St. Lawrence’s T.J. Trevelyan halved the lead with a goal under a minute later.

Pereira scored the eventual game-winner in the third, and the Engineers staved off a late-game rush by the Saints, despite allowing a John Zeiler goal with under a minute remaining. Zeiler had been injured earlier in the game, when he and Brad Farynuk were charging towards the net and their feet got tangled up. Zeiler first crashed to the ice, and then smashed side-first into the post, dislodging the net and snapping one of the goal’s moorings in half. Zeiler also played the next night against Union, recording an assist.

Martin finished the game with 32 saves.

“I thought Andrew made some great saves in the pipes for us to give us an opportunity to pull the victory out,” said Fridgen.

RPI came out firing against Clarkson the next night. Pereira came up huge, with another two-point effort. Prior to this weekend, Pereira only had one multi-point game in his collegiate career. He was named ECACHL Player of the Week for his efforts.

Michael Grenzy got things started for Clarkson in the first, wristing a shot past Martin from the top of the face-off circle. Pereira, however, knotted things up with a soft goal later in the period. The goal, which happened in a four-on-four situation, was the Engineers’ first even-strength goal since January 1.

Rensselaer spread the scoring around for the remainder of the game. Three other players scored goals on the power play, during a five-on-five, and shorthanded, respectively.

With RPI down 2-1, MacDonald tipped a Matt McNeely shot past goalie Dustin Traylen for the equalizer. With time running short in the second, Economakos took a shot on net, then grabbed his own rebound and went behind the net. He slid back in front, and ripped a quick shot to the top shelf, beating a confused Traylen over the shoulder.

Andrew Lord helped double the lead, making a beautiful pass to Cody Wojdyla, who fired a one-timer home. Pereira also assisted on the goal, which was Wojdyla’s third of the year.

Jeff Genovy struck late for Clarkson with an extra attacker, but it was too little, too late for the Golden Knights. When Traylen was called for a roughing penalty late in the game, it sealed the deal for RPI.

With the wins, RPI improves to 4-9-1 in conference play, which is good for ninth in the conference, and is two points ahead of Clarkson. The loss dropped Clarkson to 3-8-1.