Following its weekend series against Minnesota, No. 9 Boston College men’s hockey once again found itself among the top 10 teams in the nation.
BC will go on the road on Friday to face Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, hoping to establish itself as a national title contender with a decisive win.
Although BC’s early 1–1–1 start highlights some of the growing pains that have come with the departure of many of last year’s cornerstones—namely, forwards Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault—it seems the new-look Eagles have begun to understand their new identity.
Thanks to an impressive performance from freshman goaltender Louka Cloutier, who surrendered three goals across his first two collegiate starts, the Eagles showed a marked improvement from their season-opening loss to Quinnipiac in their weekend series.
For head coach Greg Brown and his staff, now it’s about continuing on that positive trajectory come Friday.
Who Is BC Playing?
RPI
When Is BC Playing?
Friday, Oct. 17, at 7:00 pm
Where Is BC Playing?
Houston Field House, Troy, N.Y.
How To Watch:
ESPN+
What To Expect From RPI:
Throughout their young season, the Engineers have struggled to keep their opponents off the score sheet.
RPI allowed five goals in each game of their season-opening series against Miami (Ohio). Their defensemen were not entirely to blame for those losses, though.
Across both contests, the Engineers’ defense allowed 28 or fewer shots on goal, but mediocre performances from goaltenders Bruno Bruveris and Nate Krawchuck made their defensive efforts futile.
RPI also had issues finishing offensively. Though they outshot the Red Hawks in both games, the Engineers only mustered three goals in their first matchup and none in the second.
While it faced an undoubtedly better team in its first outing of the season, RPI will face a similar challenge when it takes on the Eagles on Friday. The Engineers’ strong defensive pressure in preventing shots will look to limit BC’s scoring opportunities and force the Eagles to capitalize when those looks do come.
Outlook:
The key for BC in this game is taking advantage of RPI’s goaltending weaknesses and aiming for a fast-paced offensive attack that can prevent the Engineers’ defense from establishing itself in their zone.
Inversely, the Eagles will again look to their freshman goalie to be poised in the net and limit careless mistakes that RPI can use to keep itself in the game.
BC’s offensive firepower should be able to overwhelm the Engineers’ defense and put itself ahead early, preventing any opportunity for RPI to force the Eagles into a low-scoring dogfight on Friday.