Preview: RPI at Brown
RPI looks to finish off the season sweep of the Bears
RPI hits the road this weekend following a disappointing Mayor’s Cup loss, with hopes to avenge their recent struggles. This will be a brief preview, because not much has changed since the teams played a month ago. Let’s jump into it:
Recapping RPI’s 2-1 Win Over Brown
RPI suffered a frustrating loss to Yale the night before they played Brown, which set this one up to be a must win on home ice. Tyler Hotson drew first blood for the home team after an extended O-zone shift, with markers to John Evans and Austin Heidemann. John Evans drew a penalty shot and buried it, to make it 2-0 in the 3rd. Nick Traggio cut the lead in half, but Jack Watson shut the door with 38 total saves to give RPI the one goal win. This was probably Watson’s best effort of the season, seeing as Brown’s 3.9 xG was limited to just one goal by the netminder. RPI produced an xG of 3.7 themselves, so Lawton Zacher put together a formidable effort as well. This game represents the recipe for success that RPI has struggled to produce this year. Strong goaltending and even in special teams, led to a one goal win.
Brown Team Outlook
Brown has struggled with their offense this year, currently averaging just 2.27 goals per game. The real strength of their time is between the pipes, as Freshman Lawton Zacher has been excellent for the Bears. Their special teams are both average, but they do have the advantage over RPI in this department.
Their top threat is Ryan St. Louis (Yes, his dad is who you think it is), who is having an excellent year for the Bears. This is not a player that walks through the door for Brown very often, and I would argue he is the biggest recruiting win of Brendan Whittet’s tenure. Brown’s top 6 point-getters and their goalie are all Freshman or Sophomores, so assuming they survive the portal, this will be a very strong Brown team the next few years.
It is the same story for RPI as it has been most of this year. They have a slight advantage 5-on-5 but will need good goaltending and special teams again to sweep Brown. This weekend is of high importance for the Engineers to climb up the standings. It should be a fun one, Let’s Go Red!
