Preview: RPI vs Alaska
Alaska makes the return trip to Troy after a memorable series last year
After a weekend of very strong play from the Engineers, they look to continue it when Alaska comes to town this weekend.
Alaska Team Outlook
Alaska is 4-5-1 right now against a solid schedule. They have played pretty well most of the season. They split against Omaha and Northern Michigan, won and tied a good AIC team, and got swept by a good Michigan Tech team. They also split against a not good St. Thomas team, but that’s the only real blip on their schedule right now.
Alaska’s numbers are up-and-down with a very low event style. They only score 2 goals per game, but the defense only allows 2.4 goals against per game. Their underlying metrics show that they are controlling play better than these numbers though. Alaska’s corsi is a really good 56.2%, and their shots share is really strong as well at 55.1%. Their ability to possess the puck is going to be challenging for the Engineers, who will need to bring their A-game both nights.
The reason that the goal numbers are low is due to an unlucky 7.0% shooting percentage. Averaging only 2.0 goals per game on 28.4 shots per game is pretty unusual, and I expect that to improve.
The defense has been truly great on the other hand with only 23.6 shots against per game. The 2.4 goals against per game number is really good, and they’re not even getting good goaltending right now. Matt Rodomsky is their starter, and he only has a 0.901 SV% right now.
Alaska has been successful playing a low-event, defensive style, and they look like a pretty solid team.
Biggest Threats
Jonny Sorenson (#4, W) transferred from Minnesota and has stepped in as their leading scorer up front. He has 4 goals, 2 assists and 6 points in 10 games, and his +4 rating leads the team.
Garrett Pyke (#7, D) is the leading scorer overall with 7 assists in 10 games. Pyke was great for Alaska last year as well with 19 points in 34 games. Leading the team in scoring from the blue line is really impressive, and Pyke is a great player. RPI will have to account for him whenever he is on the ice.
Harrison Israels (#24, C) centers the line with Sorenson on his wing, and he also has 4 goals, 2 assists and 6 points in 10 games. The two of them have been a dynamic duo on their top line who have done well in creating chances and offense.
What to Watch for
How does Alaska play after a long break?
Alaska last played in the last weekend of October. By the time they face off against the Engineers on Friday night, it will have been 3 weeks since their last game. How quickly they can shake off the rust and get back into their groove will be a major factor on Friday.
How does RPI handle the defensive style?
The games that RPI has struggled the most this season are Union, Clarkson and St. Lawrence. They all forechecked aggressively and played defensive styles to cause problems for the Engineers and ultimately win the game. Alaska appears to be built in a similar mold, and RPI hopefully has learned how to play against teams like that by now.
Can RPI continue its strong non-conference play?
This is the first non-conference game since Canisius, but the non-conference games are important for pairwise position. The 4-1 non-conference record was a very good start, but the recent ECAC struggles have brought them down. Currently, RPI is 38th in the pairwise. They’ll need to go 4-2 at minimum in the remaining non-conference games to have a shot at an at-large bid, and then, they also will need to turn things around in ECAC play. The good news is that RPI’s encouraging play last weekend makes these achievable, but they will need to play consistently, starting with Alaska this weekend.