RPI SPLITS FIRST WEEKEND AT HOME
Some good things, some bad, for RPI in the home opening weekend
TROY, NY » RPI comes out of the second weekend of the 2019-2020 season with a 2-2 record, once again splitting the results with a win and loss over the course of the weekend.
The Engineers started with a loss to UConn 5-2 Friday night before rebounding and handling Canisius in the 7-2 victory at home on Family Weekend.
The last time RPI scored seven or more goals in a game was in 2017 in an 8-3 win over RIT.
Let’s take a look at some main focuses from this weekend, and prepare for next week’s ECAC opening series with Union.
OH GOSH, OH NO, IT’S PATRICK POLINO
Patrick Polino comes out of the weekend leading RPI with six points after a four-point night against Canisius and a goal against UConn in the loss.
Polino is another piece of the senior leadership on RPI that was a little forgotten about coming into the season, but he is making his mark now.
On the other side of the faceoff circle was Jake Marello
with Billy Jerry centering the line Saturday night. That line combined for eight points and showed success all over the ice.
“We hadn’t loved some of the cohesion, if you will, with some of the lines, so after a loss last night it gave us a chance to shake it up a bit and maybe get a little more from guys,” said RPI Head Coach Dave Smith following the win. “They were very responsible in terms of all three guys working together. I thought they cycled the puck very well. I thought Pat’s and Jake’s energy with Billy’s size was a really good combination.”
Smith did some serious line mixing over the weekend, with almost every guy rostered getting a chance to suit up. Lines did stay pretty similar, with pairings like Chase Zieky and Zach Dubinsky, as well as Tristan Ashbrook and Mike Gornall, sticking together with a different winger subbed in each night.
IS IT SAVES, OR IS IT MARSH?
Smith once again split the goaltending duties between the two nights. Linden Marshall took UConn Friday night and made 31 saves. Owen Savory took night two and made 28 saves in the Canisius win.
Both goalies are now 1-1. Savory played in the season-opening loss to UMass, Marshall was in net against UConn for games two and three. Savory bounces his save percentage up to .910 now, while his goals-against average hovers at 3.02. Marshall’s goals against is at four, while his save percentage sits at .886.
Looking at the weekend, a unanimous number one goalie hasn’t emerged yet. The easy answer is Savory. He has the track record and athleticism, but Marshall’s maturity and intelligence keeps him in the running.
Friday night, Marshall’s angles on the pipes were a bit awkward at times and he found himself out of position a few times. The following night, Savory was caught up behind the net playing the puck once or twice while pressure rushed in, a sign he may still be adjusting to oncoming player’s speed to the puck.
Smith will never announce a pure number one starter, and he shouldn’t. It keeps the position battle open, especially with Alec Calvaruso coming into the mix at Christmas break.
It’s tough to gauge who currently leads in the goaltending battle after this weekend as well. The team had an off night against UConn, but then played well the next night when Savory was in net against Canisius. It’s also difficult to compare a Hockey East team to an Atlantic team.
For those looking for some hard evidence to the direction for a number one goalie, Union will be a good opportunity to do some side by side comparisons next weekend.
“Linden has shown he has been here for two years and he understands what happens on a day to day basis. He is in our leadership group. He’s more mature than he was his first two years, and he understands himself, not only as a person but a goaltender more, and I love those,” said Smith prior to the season’s start.
“Owen also wants to be great and has gone through that first year, so now he comes in his second year and he competes. Those guys are wonderful leaders and teammates, which on some teams is different. For us, those guys are important in the room and how they compete and the tone they set is something the others feed off of.”
POWER PLAY IS BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER
RPI’s power play is seeing a successful start after being so dismal last season (13.3 percent, fifth-worst in all of Div. 1).
It’s early, but, the power play is working well right now. RPI was five for 13 this weekend on the power play with seven chances against UConn Friday night. Each night it generated ten shots on goal and not only were shots being generated from the points, but high percentage shots from the slot were coming also from skill guys like Chase Zieky and Todd Burgess.
RPI’s power play is currently operating at a 40 percent and is second in Division 1. Now, it’s still early and RPI has played just four games while some just two, but it is a positive early on.
“I think we have been a lot more consist this year, we are moving the puck a lot better,” said Todd Burgess on he and the power play’s production. “We are getting a lot better chances for it.”
“We are seeing the returning veteran guys know how to play. Coach Weber has done a wonderful job with them, giving confidence to those groups with some stability in those units, not only from week to week right now but from last year to this year,” said Smith on the power play.
BIG NIGHT FOR BURGESS
Senior and Ottawa Senators prospect Todd Burgess scored two goals against Canisius for his first points of the season.
Burgess’ first was breakaway where he muscled past the defender on the right side before stalling and waiting to make a move to his backhand for the goal. His second was just a nice hard wrist shot low blocker that went pipe-in on the power play.
This break out could initiate an instance where RPI sees Burgess lead the Engineer’s offensively the way Jacob Hayhurst had last season.
Hayhurst, who transferred to Michigan for his last year of eligibility, led RPI with 23 points last season, Burgess sat in fourth with 16.
Burgess has more size than Hayhurst, a better “scorer’s touch,” and is less likely to turn over the puck.
Burgess has seven shots on net this season and two goals.
“We would’ve liked two wins this weekend so we are going to build off of tonight and move forward,” said Burgess after Saturday’s win.
WE WANT TACOS
Another home-opening weekend means we get another chance to win free tacos at home games. For those that don’t know, if the Engineer’s score a goal in the final minute of the second period, everyone in attendance gets a free taco from Moe’s on the RPI campus.
Thought we had it Saturday night. Definitely knew we weren’t getting any Friday night.