2 weeks Ago
The Garnet Chargers scored two power-play goals last Saturday against Mercyhurst. Against RPI on Friday, the dam broke. Union men's hockey head coach Josh Hauge discusses his team's 6-3 victory over RPI in the ECAC Hockey opener for both teams Friday at Houston Field House.
Union went 4 for 9 with the man advantage, and that proved to be the difference in its 6-3 victory over RPI in the ECAC Hockey season opener for both teams at Houston Field House. Freshman forward Ben Muthersbaugh and junior forward Colby MacArthur each scored a pair of power-play goals for Union (1-0-0, 3 points ECACH, 5-1-1 overall). The Garnet Chargers fired 23 shots on goal on their nine power-play attempts, 11 of which came in the third period.
Two of the power-play goals came on a five-minute major assessed to RPI’s Felix Caron for a contact to the head penalty with 2:05 left in the second period Union men's hockey forward Colby MacArthur discusses his team's 6-3 victory over RPI in the ECAC Hockey opener for both teams after his two-goal performance Friday at Houston Field House. “I thought that was a difference,” Hauge said. “Our power play was outstanding.
All credit to those guys that are on it, and [assistant] coach [John] Ronan for having a great game plan. They deserve all the credit there.” The last time Union scored four power-play goals in a game was on Feb 11, 2017, an 8-3 win at Dartmouth.
Union men's hockey forward Ben Muthersbaugh discusses his team's 6-3 victory over RPI in the ECAC Hockey opener for both teams after his two-goal performance Friday at Houston Field House. MacArthur got the first one 2:07 into the first period, and then he got his second one 1:29 into the third. “We won by three goals,” MacArthur said.
“[The power play] wins us games. It’s good to get it going here.” Muthersbaugh, who had seven points in the two-game sweep of Mercyhurst last weekend, which included a hat trick last Friday, scored his first power-play goal with 2:34 left in the first period when he ripped a shot from the slot after forcing a turnover.
The puck hit the post and went past goalie Jack Watson. Union men's hockey defenseman Cullen Ferguson discusses his team's 6-3 victory over RPI in the ECAC Hockey opener for both teams after he scored a goal Friday at Houston Field House. “I was in the right place at the right time,” Muthersbaugh said matter of factly.
“Just capitalizing on those chances.” The second, with 1:57 left in the second, was pretty similar. It also gave Union a 4-3 lead after it played a sloppy second period in which it gave up a 3-1 advantage.
“I think it was huge to keep calm, cool and collected and let the boys just go out and do their thing,” said senior defenseman Cullen Ferguson, who scored an even-strength goal in the first. “Just play hockey. It's not complicated, unless you make it so.
” RPI men's hockey head coach Dave Smith discusses his team's 6-3 loss to Union in the ECAC Hockey opener for both teams Friday at Houston Field House. RPI head coach Dave Smith was blunt in his assessment of the game. “They had 23 shots on the power play tonight,” Smith said.
“They had four scoring chances 5 on 5. So the story there is 4 for 9. We're 1 for 3 [actually 1 for 4].
It’s pretty tough to win that way.” Carter Korpi added an empty-net goal to seal the deal. Rainers Rullers, Jakob Lee and John Beaton scored for RPI (0-1-0, 0 points; 2-2-1).
The two teams meet again at 7 p.m. Saturday at Messa Rink.
A Union win will give it the Capital Skates trophy for the first time since 2017. Union 3 1 2 — 6 RPI 1 2 0 — 3 First Period — 1, Union, MacArthur 1 (Villegas, Lindauer), 2:07 (pp). 2, Union, Ferguson 1 (Hanley), 9:02.
3, RPI, Rullers 4 (Gilson), 10:25. 4, Union, Muthersbaugh 4, 17:26 (pp). Penalties — Caron, RPI (interference), :13; Brueck, Uni (hooking), 2:47; Muthersbaugh, Uni (slashing), 5:31; Tapper, RPI (hooking), 15:54; Prokop, Uni (slashing), 18:48; McDermott, RPI (hitting from behind), 19:39.
Second Period — 5, RPI, Lee 2 (Muzzatti, Hotson), 2:21 (pp). 6, RPI, Beaton 3 (Gagnon, Rulers), 5:16. 7, Union, Muthersbaugh 5, 18:03 (pp).
Penalties — Union bench, served by Brueck (too many men), 1:51; Gilson, RPI (hooking), 5:28; MacArthur, Uni (tripping), 8:11; Caron, RPI, major-game misconduct (contact to the head), 17:55. Third Period — 8, Union, MacArthur 2 (Lindauer, Villegas), 1:29 (pp). 9, Union, Korpi 3 (Lindauer), 19:14 (en).
Penalties — Bergmanis, RPI (interference), 5:38; Lee, RPI (tripping), 15:09. Shots on Goal — Union 13-8-19 — 40. RPI 13-7-10 — 30.
Power-play opportunities — Union 4 of 9; RPI 1 of 4. Goalies — Union, Chauvette 5-1-0 (30 shots-23 saves). RPI, Watson 1-1-1 (39-34).
A — 2,931. T — 2:23. Referees — Tyler Loftus, Matt Wyld.
Linesmen — Patrick Dapuzzo, Ryan Knapp..
