While Brian Morris and Mark Lewin's comments about the game were generally
on the mark, my take on the game was a bit different.  I thought both teams
had several defensive lapses which allowed the skilled opponents to take
advantage.
I also did not think the game was terribly physical, perhaps it was by ECAC
standards.  UNH did a good job of checking deep in their own zone, their
major problem was allowing too many odd man rushes and, if it wasn't for
Matile, the score could have gotten pretty ugly from my perspective.  I
also though the RPI folks are being a little unfair with Laing, he stopped
three breakaways, two by Nolan.  I think the only softy he allowed was the
Krog wraparound, although I was down the other end of the ice so didn't see
it very well.
 
There was good up-and-down action for most of the game, with shifting
momentum being the order of the day.  RPI definitely has some skilled
forwards and decent goaltending and should be a factor, I guess, in the
ECAC.  I will say though that they better finish 1 or 2 in ECAC if they
want to assure themselves of an NCAA bid.  With losses to BU and UNH it
doesn't appear from their schedule that they will have a chance to defeat
any non-league teams under consideration the rest of the way.  This will
definitely hurt them in the PWR.
 
Now, for the game:  UNH got off to a slow start, allowing RPI to take the
game to them early.  This is a disturbing trend, it has occurred in all
four games they have played and will come back to haunt them against better
competition.  The first goal, by Bryan Tapper was a slapper from the right
point that got deflected a couple of times.  Matile had no chance on it.
The second, on a 5 on 3, was a cross crease pass tucked in by Riva, again
Matile had no chance.  When Bragnalo took his second penalty of the period
(I look for him to be sat down BTW), things looked bleak.  However Nolan,
who was penalty killing with Mowers, used his speed to get the angle on the
defenseman and scored what I think was the biggest goal of the game.
 
From there the game just seesawed.  Nolan tied it up (on the power play)
and it look like UNH would get the momentum. However, RPI got it back,
scored when Brad Tapper was allowed to streak down the right wing all
alone, and then forced Matile to make a couple of great saves within a
couple of minutes after that. When Krog scored his wraparound, I thought
maybe it would turn the tide but just a few seconds later RPI scored again.
Krog's second goal was a defensive lapse by RPI as they caught confused on
a line change after dumping the puck in.  Bekar corralled it, fed it up to
Krog along the right boards right in front of the UNH bench.  He skated in
alone and put it in.
 
The third period was much tighter, although I thought Laing came up big -
Bekar stopped on a shorthanded breakaway, Mowers stopped in close with four
minutes to go.  Matile made some good saves too.  The winning goal was a
thing of beauty as Nolan came down the left wing, retrieved the puck in
behind the net, warded off the defenseman,  passed it out to O'Brien at the
right point who one-timed it (something I don't think he would have done
last year).  The puck was deflected out in front and Mowers knocked it in.
I talked to Umile a bit after the game and he thought UNH played a good
mucking game and they did at times.  Some lapses, some good checking.
Overall a pretty good college hockey game.
 
Greg Ambrose
 
P.S.  What dreary place Houston Fieldhouse is.  They turn all the lights
off in the stands when the game is being played.  It gets pretty dark, I
thought I was going to fall asleep!  And, BTW, is the team from  Troy now
the Rensselaer Redhawks?  They will always be the RPI Engineers to me.
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.