TROY, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's hockey team delivered a complete performance this afternoon, blanking UMass Lowell 2–0 at Houston Field House. Freshman goaltender
Nate Krawchuk earned his first collegiate shutout with 29 saves, while
Jimmy Goffredo netted the game-winner midway through the third period and
Dovar Tinling sealed the result with an empty-netter.
After two tight, scoreless periods highlighted by strong goaltending and disciplined defensive play, the Engineers broke through at 12:15 of the third.
Kazimier Sobieski carried the puck through the neutral zone and fed
Luciano Wilson along the right wing, who slipped a pass to Goffredo in the slot. The junior forward made no mistake, snapping a shot inside the post for his first goal of the season.
RPI controlled possession down the stretch and capitalized again in the closing moments when Tinling buried his third of the season into an empty net at 18:43, assisted by
Trevor Russell.
Krawchuk was outstanding throughout, turning aside all 29 shots he faced, 13 of them in the third period alone, to record the first shutout of his collegiate career. The rookie netminder was particularly sharp during a pair of key penalty kills, including a second-period stand that saw RPI block four shots.
The Engineers' blue line was anchored by
Gustavs Ozolins, who posted a team-high four blocked shots, while VanDamme, Sobieski, and Russell each added multiple stops. RPI finished with 16 total blocks, holding the River Hawks to 0-for-2 on the power play.
RPI returns to ECAC action next weekend with a pair of road contests at Colgate and Cornell on Friday and Saturday, respectively.