While most of the RPI community was taking a break from life in Troy over the Christmas reprieve, the men’s hockey team remained on the ice to take on a large portion of their schedule. The Engineers played seven games since the end of fall semester classes, but first stumbled and then collapsed. Unfortunately, it appears the Engineers were also on vacation as they dropped all seven games since their last win on December 4 of last year.
It all began with a weekend sweep on December 15 and 16 against Ohio’s University of Miami—the result of being outscored 4-12. But there was hope as the Engineers went home for the holidays to rest and regroup as individuals.
They took to the ice again on December 29 for the Lightning Classic in Tampa, Fla. But they would be swept right out of that tournament as well, as they were outscored 3-6 by Colorado College and the University of Notre Dame.
On their recent trip to Maine, the Engineers were beaten 4-2 and sent home on a five-game losing streak. But with two home games this weekend, against Cornell University and lowly Colgate University, there was yet another glimmer of hope for a turnaround.
It would not be so.
The Engineers could not get anything going in the first period against Cornell, but fought their way into a scoreless tie in a very physical, hard hitting game. But then Cornell’s Big Red would go ahead at 4:53 in the second as junior Michael Kennedy beat junior Matthias Lange for the score. He was assisted by senior Topher Scott and classmate Raymond Sawada. Six minutes later, it was Scott with the big score, assisted by Sawada and Kennedy to put Cornell up 2-0, a lead it would not relinquish.
RPI managed to score one goal to open up the third period in dramatic fashion—at just 0:31—but it would all be for naught as the Engineers could not come up with the equalizer. The game got scrappy at the end with several scuffles breaking out haphazardly throughout the rest of the period. These brawls culminated with sophomore Erik Burgdoerfer recieving 15 minutes total including a game disqualification, eliminating him from the next night’s contest against Colgate. Sawada also was sent to the showers but escaped a disqualification, taking just a game misconduct.
So with six straight losses, the Engineers faced off against rival Colgate on Saturday night. On paper, it was a great opportunity for RPI to regain its footing and start its long and arduous journey back into the upper echelons of college hockey. But in reality, it was simply a mismatch.
Colgate avenged their 2-0 loss to RPI in the Governor’s Cup on October 27, with a 4-0 drubbing of the hometown team. After another scoreless first period where RPI appeared energized and ready to win, Colgate’s junior defenseman Mark Andersen scored a short-handed goal at 6:49, and senior Dustin Gillanders extended the lead to 2-0 at 10:19.
As was the case the previous night, RPI simply could not respond, and in the third period, it was Andersen again with the score. As the Engineers floundered, the Raiders kept up the assault, and sophomore Ethan Cox’s unassisted short-handed goal capped the scoring and seemed to sum up the whole night for the Engineers. Lange, playing his fifth consecutive game, an uncharacteristic feature for the team as it carries three goalies, has been unable to get a win since the 4-2 victory over Harvard on December 4.
The loss by RPI was highlighted by more wasted opportunities on the power play, with which they have been just terrible this season.
The Engineers were 0-6 on the power play Saturday night, furthering their ineptitude with the man advantage. According to the Times Union, the Engineers have the worst power play in Division I hockey at 6.3 percent. Even worse, they actually allowed more goals, eight, than they scored, seven, when on the power play.
They are clearly way off their game, and merely a shadow of their former selves. They were dominant as the season opened, but obviously, have since faded. However, with fourteen games left in the regular season, the Engineers have ample opportunity to improve their standing and atone for their winter mishaps.
The amazing comeback begins Friday night at Union College, and continues here at the Houston Field House on Saturday at 7 pm. So get up the hill, show your support, and help the Engineers turn their season around. Go Red!
