Missed opportunities in the opening 10 minutes of the first period proved costly to Rensselaer Friday against Massachusetts-Lowell.<\/p>\n
Led by Ben Walter’s four goals, the River Hawks overcame a shaky start to the game and beat the Engineers, 5-3, in a non-league game at Houston Field House. <\/p>\n
The loss not only ended a four-game unbeaten streak for RPI (3-2-1), it denied Dan Fridgen his 187th career win. That would have made him the school’s all-time winningest hockey coach, surpassing Mike Addesa. Fridgen gets his second chance Saturday when RPI hosts Mercyhurst at 7 p.m. <\/p>\n
“When it happens, it happens,” Fridgen said. “It’s something that’s not even on my mind right now.” <\/p>\n
The Engineers dominated the first half of the opening period. They peppered goalie John Yaros with shot after shot. But they couldn’t get a puck past him. <\/p>\n
Yaros, who left the game late in the third period with a cramp in his left leg, stopped a Nick Economakos shot from the slot during an RPI power play with 15:23 left in the first.<\/p>\n
A few seconds later, Kirk MacDonald got a rebound of a Matt McNeely right-point shot and hit the post. Yaros also stopped two shorthanded bids by Chris Hussey and Jake Morissette midway through the period. <\/p>\n
“It was pretty tough,” MacDonald said. “We came out real well in the first 10 minutes. Then they got a couple of power-play opportunities and buried them.”<\/p>\n
Walter caught RPI goalie Jordan Alford looking the wrong way and scored a power-play goal at 12:15. Alford was watching the play to his right, and left the post open to his left when Elias Godoy sent the puck out to Walter from behind the net. <\/p>\n
“It was one of those games where pucks were going in,” Walter said. “I had a couple of great plays from my teammates.” <\/p>\n
That tally triggered a three-goal outburst in a 3:40 span. Andrew Martin scored an even-strength goal at 14:19, and Walter netted a power-play goal at 15:55. <\/p>\n
Walter completed his hat trick 4:07 into the second period when he tipped a Godoy drive past Alford. <\/p>\n
Keith MCWilliams got RPI on the board when he scored on a wrist shot from the top of the right circle with 3:17 left in the second. Third-period goals by Oren Eizenman and Kevin Broad pulled RPI to within 4-3, but Walters sealed the win for Mass.-Lowell (2-2) when he scored his fourth goal into an empty net with nine seconds left. <\/p>\n
Ken Schott covers college hockey for <\/i>The Daily Gazette in Schenectady, N.Y.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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