Players trading bruises for wins
Blocked shots a big part of early-season success for Engineers
On the heels of last weekend’s home-and-home sweep of Union College, the RPI men’s hockey team is right back at it this week as preparations for playing host to ECAC foes St. Lawrence and Clarkson are on this week’s calendar for the Engineers.
RPI (4-2-1, 2-0-0) picked up six points last weekend in the conference standings, three points for each win in regulation over the Dutchmen, and are 4-0 in regulation games this season with three straight wins heading into this weekend’s action.
In addition to balanced scoring and solid goaltending, RPI has been taking the initiative when it comes to some of hockey’s intangibles, with a big highlight being on blocking shots this season.
In its seven games, RPI has blocked 16 shots three times, 15 shots three times and had 25 blocks in last Friday’s win at Union.
While NCAA team statistics are not readily available for blocked shots, the Engineers have 118 blocks this season compared to 98 during the 2019-20 season and had 69 blocked shots through seven games during the 2017-18 campaign.
“There are two parts to it; the first part of a blocked shot is a willingness to sacrifice for your teammates because that puck is coming with some good velocity so you have to be willing to eat pucks,” RPI coach Dave Smith said. “The second is, it is really a strength of your position. If you have good position, and you are willing, then you often find yourself with blocked shots. Those that aren’t willing get exposed because they are in good position, so you have to have those two things, and we do.”
An important blocked shot, especially on a penalty kill, can energize teammates both on the ice and those on the bench awaiting the next shift.
“We talk about it, the guys encourage each other when it happens and it is an important part of our game,” Smith said. “It is one of those measurables that everybody can see. You don’t have to go look at the stat pack after (the game) to see it, and it is also measured in ice packs after also. It does pick up the morale and you see the guys who
are in the right position and who are willing.”
Senior defenseman Jake Johnson leads the Engineers with 17 blocks on the season with forward Zach Dubinsky (14) and fellow defensemen Mason Klee (12) and Lauri Sertti (11) also reaching double figures in taking a shot for the team.
“I love doing it, it gets the boys fired up and it’s a way to impact the game other than goals and assists,” Johnson said. “Everybody is buying into it, especially our defensemen and on the penalty kill, so it’s good.”
Senior goaltender Linden Marshall, 4-1-1 this season with a goalsagainst-average of 1.64 per game and a save percentage of .925, appreciates the work of the guys in front of him.
“It means a lot, it is something that winning hockey teams do, and we’ve been doing a great job of it this year,” Marshall said. “I know it is probably not something they love but they want to win hockey games and they are willing to do it.”