RPI's season ends with 3-1 loss to Harvard in Game 3 of ECAC Hockey tournament quarterfinals

PHOTOGRAPHER: Erica Miller

Ottoville Leppanen scored RPI's only goal in Sunday's 3-1 loss to Harvard in Game 3 of the ECAC Hockey tournament quarterfinals.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — It took until Game 3 of the RPI-Harvard ECAC Hockey tournament quarterfinal series for a team to build a lead and not blow it.

Unfortunately for RPI, it could not overcome a two-goal deficit against Harvard, although the Engineers did make things interesting late.

John Farinacci scored in the first period, and Casey Dornbach got one in the second as the third-seeded Crimson hung on for a 3-1 victory over the sixth-seeded Engineers at Bright-Landry Hockey Center.

The Crimson (19-10-3) win the series 2-1. They advance to a semifinal meeting against second-seeded Clarkson at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid. The other semifinal pits top-seeded Quinnipiac against fifth-seeded Colgate.

The RPI-Harvard series will be remembered for how both teams could not hold on to leads. In Friday’s Game 1, the Engineers built a 3-0 lead, but the Crimson scored three goals with their goalie pulled for an extra attacker to tie it and send the game into overtime, where Harvard won it 4-3 on Jack Donato’s goal two minutes into the extra period.

In Game 2 Saturday, Harvard took a 2-0 lead, only to have RPI grab a 3-2 advantage before Harvard tied it late in the third period. John Beaton gave RPI a 4-3 win when he scored 1:21 into the second OT.

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On Sunday, the Engineers (18-23-3) got a power play with 3:50 left in the third period. Goalie Jack Watson was pulled for an extra attacker, giving the Engineers two extra skaters. It paid off when Ottoville Leppanen scored with 3:31 left.

Watson was pulled again. This time, Matthew Coronato scored an empty-net goal with 31.6 seconds left.

RPI 0 0 1 — 1

Harvard 1 1 1 — 3

First Period — 1, Harvard, Farinacci 10 (Siedem, Riafi), 14:13. Penalties — Fusco, Har (hitting from behind), 4:53; Gibson, Har, served by Dornbach (tripping), 6:59.

Second Period — 2, Harvard, Dornbach 7 (Thrun, Coronato), 1:05. Penalties — Kjellberg, RPI (slashing), 13:19.

Third Period — 3, RPI, Leppanen 9 (Lacka, Linden), 16:29. 4, Harvard, Coronato 15 (Farrell, Abruzzese), 19:28 (en). Penalties — Johnson, RPI (boarding), 9:46; Bar, Har (interference), 16:10.

Shots on Goal — RPI 15-8-7 — 30. Harvard 11-12-10 — 33.

Power-play opportunities — RPI 0 of 3; Harvard 0 of 3.

Goalies — RPI, Watson 9-9-0 (32 shots-30 saves). Harvard, Gibson 16-9-1 (30-29).

Referees — Cameron Lynch, Jason Williams. Linesmen — Stephen Drain, Jason Shattie.