RPI Falls to Union in the Mayor's Cup
The Engineers can't survive some poor defensive play in the 2nd period
RPI came up short in the Mayor’s Cup once again in a pretty even game throughout. It was a good hockey game that was back and forth.
Union was the slightly better team in period one, but RPI came out of it tied due to a goal by Hotson. The second period is where it got crazy with 5 total goals. I actually thought RPI was the slightly better team in the period, but some defensive zone breakdowns really cost them. Union took a 4-3 lead into the 3rd period.
RPI was playing well in the 3rd and generated some really good looks, but when Muzzatti took the 5 minute major and game misconduct halfway through the period, it felt like the nail in the coffin. Union scored once on the major to put them up 5-3. Brad McNeil drew a penalty while killing the major to make it 4v4, and then, RPI had some chances on that but couldn’t score.
The rest of the period, RPI actually kept on some solid pressure with scoring chances, but they couldn’t find a goal to get back into it. Especially with the extra attacker, RPI had opportunities that they couldn’t finish (plus a bit of over-passing at times), so the 2nd period defensive miscues were the difference in the game.
Statistical Summary
The stats back this up. Overall, it was a fairly even game in every regard; RPI even had the higher xG despite less scoring chances because of how dangerous their chances were. Union was just slightly better in virtually every area, which feels right from the eye test, and ultimately, they deserved the win with how they played. Like I said, it really did feel like those 2nd period defensive breakdowns were the difference.
Postgame Reaction
Here’s the video of the postgame press conference, which I was able to participate in, from Ken Schott at the Daily Gazette. Here’s a few quotes summed up from it:
Dave Smith on the game: “I thought it was a good hockey game, and two teams that competed. But one team was more consistent with their compete, and they won the Mayor’s Cup.”
On the wild, back-and-forth second period: “In college hockey, it’s a game of mistakes, and we made mistakes on their goals. I think what Union did better than us tonight was put pressure on us for us to make mistakes. When we scored [in the] second period, you know we had 2, they had 3, I thought we pressured them very well. We forced them to make mistakes. We were consistently on them.”
Tyler Hotson on his excellent assist of Dovar Tinling’s second period goal: “We’ve been working on that play a lot in practice, and it was a good pass by Gags to get it to me down low… Fortunate enough to connect with Dovar and get a goal there.”