STORRS, Conn. -- Every now and then, coaches play hunches. Sometines, they work out, most of the time they're indifferent and other times ...
Rensselaer coach Seth Appert went with a hunch on Thursday and started freshman goaltender Scott Diebold over veteran Bryce Merriam against UMass-Lowell, the nation's No. 17 team.
Let's just say it didn't work out.
It wasn't all Diebold's fault. He was slow to react on a couple of goals but the Engineers were guilty of textbook defensive-zone giveaways on two others. Another was a shorthanded goal.
Thus, the Engineers trail 5-1 after two periods of the opoening-round game of the Connecticut Holiday Classic.
Ryan Haggerty scored for RPI on a nice close-range rebound and the 3-13-0 Engineers have continued to play hard despite the uphill battle and have actually outshot the 10-5-0 River Hawks, 18-15.
More later.