RPI Preview

Clarkson (5-19-3 overall, 1-12-2 ECAC Hockey) is coming off an 11-2 loss to Union College on Friday night and will once again play with a limited roster against Rensselaer (14-12-3, 7-6-2) at 7 tonight at the Houston Field House in Troy.

Friday's Results

Union 11, Clarkson 2: Clarkson, which was already struggling, had only 16 players available for Friday's game at Union and had to play two forwards on defense. The result was an 11-2 blowout loss as the Dutchmen outshot Clarkson 48-19. Clarkson will have forward Lauri Tuohimaa back for tonight's game, but lost forward Markus Piispanen to injury on Friday.

RPI 3, St. Lawrence 3 (OT): Paul Kerins scored the tying goal at 13 minutes, 15 seconds of the third period. SLU took a 3-2 lead in the second period with goals from Aaron Bogisian and Mike McKenzie. Marty O'Grady and Alex Angers-Goulet scored first-period goals for the Engineers.

Stat of the Night: Clarkson's goals-against average rose to 4.04 after Friday's 11-goal loss, leaving the Golden Knights ranked second-to-last, nationally, in defense.

Who to Watch

Clarkson: Matt Beca has four goals and five assists in seven career games against the Engineers. Tim Marks has one goal and four assists, also in seven games. Paul Karpowich is 2-1 with a 3.46 goals-against average and an .870 save percentage. Richie LaVeau has only played 24 minutes against the Engineers, but stopped all seven shots he faced.

RPI: Bryan Brutlag and Tyler Helfrich each have six career points against Clarkson. Brutlag has three goals and three assists and Helfrich has two goals and four assists. Chase Polacek has two goals and three assists. Goalie Allen York is 1-1 with an .880 save percentage against Clarkson.

Special Teams Watch

Clarkson: Matt Beca has four power-play goals and one shorthanded goal. Adam Pawlick also has four power-play goals for Clarkson. Brandon DeFazio leads the team with five power-play goals but will miss tonight's game due to illness.

RPI: Chase Polacek may be the most dangerous player in the conference on special teams. He has 10 power-play goals and two shorthanded goals. Paul Kerins has five power-play goals. Brandon Pirri, Jerry D'Amigo and Marty O'Grady each have three power-play goals. D'Amigo and O'Grady also have shorthanded goals.

Last Meeting: The Engineers scored the final three goals of a game in Cheel Arena on Nov. 13 to take a 5-2 win over Clarkson. RPI had scored the first two goals of the game, but Clarkson rallied to tie the game with goals from Adam Pawlick and Brandon DeFazio. Here is Pawlick's goal:

Stats and Notes: Clarkson has won its last three games at the Houston Field House, last losing 4-3 on Jan. 14, 2006. ... RPI snapped an 0-5-1 stretch against the Golden Knights with its 5-2 win earlier this season at Cheel Arena. ... RPI is honoring its 1985 national championship team with a series of events this weekend.