ERIE, Pa. -- Back-to-back non-league games rarely have an adverse affect on a college hockey team's season.
When a team is in a fragile straits when it comes to belief and confidence as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is, bouncing back from a defeat such as the Engineers' 5-2 setback to Mercyhurst can be critical.
Flatly, the Engineers NEED to win tonight's second meeting with Mercyhurst. A loss would be RPI's fourth straight, the offense is struggling mightily to create chances, and finish on those rare occasions when they do.
Even though Mercyhurst's final two goals came with the RPI net empty on Friday night, the Lakers dominated the Engineers for the final 35 minutes, forechecking them effectively, outhitting them, consistently beating the quicker Engineers to loose and swinning the majority of puck battles.
Further, the Engineers gave up a total breakaway on Chris Bodo's game-tying goal midway through the second play.
Every player in RPI's lineup has to step up tonight for the shorthanded Engineers.
Ryan Haggerty is back but Matt Tinordi is so banged up he's sidelined. Don't know why Zach Schroeder and Mark McGowan are out -- whether they're too banged up or are healthy scratches. tBoth played okay Friday night but like the entire team, lacked tenacity for the second half of the game.
In addition, Matt Neal has been practicing, and played Friday night, through food poisoning suffered last Sunday night. He hasn't eaten a full meal since and was quite weakened by the time tonight's warmups came about.
Coach Appert dressed only 11 forwards -- Tinordi, McGowan, Schroeder, DeVito (injured) and Wood (?) out and an extra defenseman -- Craig Bokenfohr.
It'll be a tall task, but the Engineers must find a way -- score some goals and play well in front of goaltender Scott Diebold. It's almost a must.