RPI Loses Home Ice Despite Shut Out of Colgate
RPI beat Colgate 3-0 last night, but failed to gain home ice advantage in the ECAC Playoffs next week. The reason is that the Engineers home ice hopes depended upon a Union victory over Cornell, which did not happen.
Rensselaer will play at Dartmouth next weekend in a best of three game series. The first two games will be played on Friday and Saturday nights (March 9 and 10) at 7:00pm EST.
In the victory over Colgate, Nathan Marsters recorded his fourth shutout of the season, including a number of key saves in a first period onslaught. After two periods, neither team was successful in getting on the scoreboard.
Jim Henkel broke through with a controversial goal in the third period after 4:48 of the third period. This was followed by a goal by Matt Murley five minutes later. Carson Butterwick ended the scoring at 15:21. Rensselaer scored all three of its goals on power plays.
Colgate was truly unlucky in this game, losing two arguments over controversial goals. Accoring to the Times Union report on the game, with RPI already ahead 2-0...:
Colgate appeared to get back in the game at 14:57 when P.J. Yedon
knocked the puck in the net, but RPI had its own protest and
{Referee John} Murphy listened to this one. {Nathan} Marsters immediately skated over to
the referee and said Yedon kicked the puck.Murphy, who originally called the goal good, changed his mind,
much to the chagrin of the sellout crowd of 2,246 at Starr Rink.
The outcome of this game sounds like Colgate's season in a microcosm. Last night's loss, combined with Vermont's victory over St. Lawrence, eliminated them.