RPI hockey beats Union in shootout to take Mayor's Cup - Times Union
Albany
This year's Mayor's Cup was just like last year's Mayor's Cup.
One big difference in Saturday's eighth annual ice game between the RPI and Union hockey teams was the Engineers got to dance around with the coveted trophy on the Times Union Center ice.
Like last year's game, the bitter rivalry game could not produce a winner after regulation and then a five-minute overtime. So, for the second straight year, the Mayor's Cup went to a shootout. RPI flipped the script this year as the Engineers beat the Dutchmen in the shootout, which is skater vs. goaltender. RPI got goals from seniors Patrick Polino and Tod Burgess to ensure that the Mayor's Cup would be heading to Troy for the first time since 2016.
"It feels great," RPI senior captain Will Reilly said. "It just goes to show you how hard it is to get it. I thought this was one of our best games of the year, energy-wise. We stuck with it."
1of21Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute celebrates after winning 2-1 shoot-out against Union during the men's Mayor's Cup college hockey game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Albany, N.Y. (Hans Pennink / Special to the Times Union) ORG XMIT: 012620_Men_HP127Hans Pennink/Times Union2of21Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute celebrates after winning 2-1 shoot-out against Union during the men's Mayor's Cup college hockey game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Albany, N.Y. (Hans Pennink / Special to the Times Union) ORG XMIT: 012620_Men_HP126Hans Pennink/Times Union3of21Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute celebrates after winning 2-1 shoot-out against Union during the men's Mayor's Cup college hockey game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Albany, N.Y. (Hans Pennink / Special to the Times Union) ORG XMIT: 012620_Men_HP123Hans Pennink/Times Union4of21Union head coach Rick Bennett speaks during a news conference after loosing to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute after a 2-1 shoot-out during the men's Mayor's Cup college hockey game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Albany, N.Y. (Hans Pennink / Special to the Times Union) ORG XMIT: 012620_Men_HP124Hans Pennink/Times Union5of21Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute head coach Dave Smith speaks during a news conference after winning 2-1 shoot-out against Union during the men's Mayor's Cup college hockey game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Albany, N.Y. (Hans Pennink / Special to the Times Union) ORG XMIT: 012620_Men_HP125Hans Pennink/Times Union6of21Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute celebrates after winning 2-1 shoot-out against Union during the men's Mayor's Cup college hockey game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Albany, N.Y. (Hans Pennink / Special to the Times Union) ORG XMIT: 012620_Men_HP127Hans Pennink/Times Union7of21Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute goaltender Owen Savory (31 )celebrates after winning 2-1 shoot-out against Union during the men's Mayor's Cup college hockey game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Albany, N.Y. (Hans Pennink / Special to the Times Union) ORG XMIT: 012620_Men_HP128Hans Pennink/Times Union8of21Union forward Brett Supinski (18) and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute forward Patrick Polino (29) chase the puck during the first period of the men's Mayor's Cup college hockey game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Albany, N.Y. (Hans Pennink / Special to the Times Union) ORG XMIT: 012620_Men_HP137Hans Pennink/Times Union9of21Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute forward Patrick Polino (29) scores against Union goaltender Darion Hanson (34) winning a 2-1 shoot-out during the men's Mayor's Cup college hockey game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Albany, N.Y. (Hans Pennink / Special to the Times Union) ORG XMIT: 012620_Men_HP130Hans Pennink/Times Union10of21Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute forward Todd Burgess (17) scores against Union goaltender Darion Hanson (34) winning a 2-1 shoot-out during the men's Mayor's Cup college hockey game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Albany, N.Y. (Hans Pennink / Special to the Times Union) ORG XMIT: 012620_Men_HP129Hans Pennink/Times Union11of21Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute forward Patrick Polino (29) scores against Union goaltender Darion Hanson (34) winning a 2-1 shoot-out during the men's Mayor's Cup college hockey game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Albany, N.Y. (Hans Pennink / Special to the Times Union) ORG XMIT: 012620_Men_HP130Hans Pennink/Times Union12of21Union players celebrate Union defenseman Taylor Brierley (2) goal against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute during the second period of the men's Mayor's Cup college hockey game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Albany, N.Y. (Hans Pennink / Special to the Times Union) ORG XMIT: 012620_Men_HP131Hans Pennink/Times Union13of21Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute forward Zach Dubinsky (14) scores against Union goaltender Darion Hanson (34) during the second period of the men's Mayor's Cup college hockey game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Albany, N.Y. (Hans Pennink / Special to the Times Union) ORG XMIT: 012620_Men_HP132Hans Pennink/Times Union14of21Fans watch Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute play Union during the third period of the men's Mayor's Cup college hockey game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Albany, N.Y. (Hans Pennink / Special to the Times Union) ORG XMIT: 012620_Men_HP133Hans Pennink/Times Union15of21Fans watch Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute play Union during the second period of the men's Mayor's Cup college hockey game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Albany, N.Y. (Hans Pennink / Special to the Times Union) ORG XMIT: 012620_Men_HP134Hans Pennink/Times Union16of21Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute goaltender Owen Savory (31) makes a save against Union during the second period of the men's Mayor's Cup college hockey game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Albany, N.Y. (Hans Pennink / Special to the Times Union) ORG XMIT: 012620_Men_HP135Hans Pennink/Times Union17of21Union goaltender Darion Hanson (34) makes a save against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute forward Zach Dubinsky (14) during the first period of the men's Mayor's Cup college hockey game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Albany, N.Y. (Hans Pennink / Special to the Times Union) ORG XMIT: 012620_Men_HP136Hans Pennink/Times Union18of21Union forward Brett Supinski (18) and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute forward Patrick Polino (29) chase the puck during the first period of the men's Mayor's Cup college hockey game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Albany, N.Y. (Hans Pennink / Special to the Times Union) ORG XMIT: 012620_Men_HP137Hans Pennink/Times Union19of21Union goaltender Darion Hanson (34) makes a save against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute during the first period of the men's Mayor's Cup college hockey game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Albany, N.Y. (Hans Pennink / Special to the Times Union) ORG XMIT: 012620_Men_HP138Hans Pennink/Times Union20of21Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute defenseman Jake Johnson (23) and Union forward Christian Sanda (16) chase the puck during the first period of the men's Mayor's Cup college hockey game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Albany, N.Y. (Hans Pennink / Special to the Times Union) ORG XMIT: 012620_Men_HP139Hans Pennink/Times Union21of21Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute goaltender Owen Savory (31) deflects a shot by Union forward Parker Foo (22) during the first period of the men's Mayor's Cup college hockey game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Albany, N.Y. (Hans Pennink / Special to the Times Union) ORG XMIT: 012620_Men_HP140Hans Pennink/Times Union
"We've been striving for this for four years, so this was a real special night for us," Burgess said. "Especially the seniors."
Union had won five of the first seven Mayor's Cup games and had left the Engineers with plenty of frustration the past three times this game was played. The Dutchmen won the 2017 game in overtime (3-2) and then won again the following year (4-3). Last year, it was the Dutchmen who got the trophy via the shootout.
Both teams will be awarded a tie after the game was deadlocked 1-1 after three periods and the overtime. A shootout was necessary because a trophy was on the line.
"It doesn't feel good, I can tell you that," Union coach Rick Bennett said when asked the range of emotions of winning a shootout last year and then seeing what happened to his team Saturday. "I would like to congratulate RPI. I thought they played a good, solid hockey game and their goaltender (Owen Savory) was phenomenal. Their (shootout) shooters were on, what can I say."
RPI went first in the shootout after being given the choice by the referees. After Cory Babichuk and Union's Anthony Rinaldi missed, Polino got his puck past Union goalie Darion Hanson. Union followed with a miss from Sean Harrison and then the Engineers got the solid upper hand when Burgess beat Hanson.
That was the last goal scored on the night. Parker Foo missed for the Dutchmen and then Chase Zieky did the same for RPI. The Dutchmen needed Liam Robertson to beat Savory to stay alive, but his shot was off and the celebration was on. Savory stood tall in the Engineers goal and raised both arms to the heavens as RPI w0n the trophy and their fans among the 6,164 at Times Union Center went wild.
RPI is now 10-12-2.
"The debate about shootouts," RPI coach Dave Smith said with a smile. "Last year, you lose in the shootout and you don't win the Mayor's Cup and it's so down. It's exciting to win it. So, we win it this year and you see the jubilation and, right now, I am definitely in favor of shootouts. Last year, not so much."
Both goaltenders played well. Savory made 26 saves and Hanson had 30 for the Dutchmen (6-17-3).
"This is such a big game to play in," Hanson said. "It's the highest of highs and the lowest and lows. Sometimes it just comes down to a coin toss. We got it last year and they got it this year. We just couldn't get anything by (Savory)."
After a scoreless first period, Union got on the board first when junior defenseman Taylor Brierley got his first goal of the season at 16:08. Brierley got past RPI’s Babichuk and put a puck on net. Savory appeared to stop it with his glove hand but the puck squirted free and went over his left shoulder and into the net.
It didn’t take long for RPI to answer. In fact, it only took the Engineers 1 minute and 11 seconds to tie the game.
RPI, skating on the power play, got a goal from Zach Dubinsky, who was positioned in front of Hanson. Dubinsky grabbed a rebound and back-handed it into the net at 17:18 to tie the game.
Union will play ECAC opponents Harvard (Friday) and Dartmouth (Saturday) at Messa Rink. RPI will face Dartmouth on Friday night at Houston Field House and then take on Vermont in a nonleague game Saturday night.
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