5 Things: RPI sweeps Niagara in weekend set
Luc Wilson and the goaltenders powered RPI as they capped off an encouraging November
Let’s not bury the lede, my expectations for year 1 under Coach Lang were essentially non-existent. With 19 new players, being short an assistant coach, and a recruiting pipeline needing to be torn down and built from scratch, this was not an easy lift. In fact, it might have been the hardest lift in college hockey this year. I am not saying Niagara is a powerhouse, RPI certainly didn’t just sweep Boston College. But, as they cap off a month of hockey where they went 5-5, with wins over Union, Clarkson, and Lowell, I have a ton of excitement looking toward the future.
There is a palpable feeling of seriousness that has been infused into the program since Lang took over. As I glance around the country and see Will Gilson, Felix Caron, Sutter Muzzatti, Tyler Hotson, and Max Smolinski thriving in their new spots, I find myself wondering how last year’s team struggled with that much talent. It feels like this group is getting so much more out of what they have than in the past, and that is really encouraging as a fan. Lang called on the returners to contribute earlier in the month, and we have seen guys like Rainers Rullers, Dovar Tinling, and Jimmy Goffredo step up. He said they need better goaltending, and both Krawchuk and Bruveris have stepped up big time in the past few weeks. The special teams needed attention, 6/7 on the PK this weekend and +1 on specials. The improvement feels noticeable week to week, and the system in which they play feels reliable and capable of being built upon. Once again, I don’t mean to say that Niagara is a dominant program, but it is nice to see the group get the results they have been working towards.
5 Things
1) RPI doesn’t have a top line, but they have 4 capable ones.
Coach Lang has been pretty up front about this, saying that the team is very reliant on the depth that it has. It feels like we have seen a new group step up every few weeks, starting with the Wallace-Sitar-Buckley line that was together, followed by Rullers and Tinling, and lately Luc Wilson and the 4th line have chipped in. I think RPI’s gritty defensive game and depth scoring is making them a difficult team to play against, despite their lack of high end talent.
2) Luc Wilson has had strong underlyings, but is finally getting puck luck.
Prior to the weekend, Wilson had 8 assists but hadn’t been able to get a goal home. He chipped in 2 goals and 2 assists this weekend, including the game winner on Friday and an assist on the game winner Saturday. Wilson leads RPI in scoring now with 12 points and has been one of the most impactful veteran pieces for this group.
3) Special Teams and Goaltending reverting to the mean.
I have referenced this piece a few times now, but after the non-conference slate we cited how RPI simply needed more from their special teams’ units and goalies to compete at all this year. Nate Krawchuk has clearly stepped up and seized the net, but Bruno Bruveris has had 2 excellent games of late that have also resulted in wins. Mathias Lange has gotten credit for the development of these goalies, which should not be understated when evaluating RPI’s recent success.
4) Emergence of the 4th line.
3 of RPI’s 7 goals this weekend came from their 4th line, including 2 from Jack Gorton who hasn’t seen much regular time this year. When you get solid goaltending, win the special teams battle, and get 3 goals from your bottom line, that is going to result in a lot of winning weekends. The metrics for RPI really haven’t changed, but the past few weeks have seen much more of a winning brand of hockey resulting from the little things. The 4th line is a big part of that.
5) One more weekend in the first half.
RPI will host Quinnipiac and Princeton at the Houston Field House this weekend in their final weekend of the 1st half. This year’s winter break feels a bit longer than usual, with RPI not returning to action until January 3rd when they head to UVM. Quinnipiac figures to be a tough matchup and Princeton is off to a strong start in year 2 of the Ben Syer era. Getting another win out of the weekend would help a lot with league points and the overall momentum of the team before the break.
It was a very successful weekend for the Engineers out in Buffalo, and a strong response after being swept against Colgate and Cornell. There is a lot to be excited about regarding the trajectory of this program right now, so let’s all enjoy the ride together. Stay tuned to the blog for more news about recent recruiting news and RPI’s conclusion to the first half!