Defense was a problem for Union last year, but the Dutchmen have allowed five goals through the season’s first four games, including only one in two games against Maine last weekend.
Union is allowing 31 shots per game, but junior Alex Sakellaropoulos and freshman Jake Kupsky have combined for a .955 save percentage thus far. Kupsky, a San Jose draft pick, had a shutout in his first career start Saturday against Maine. Union’s penalty kill is a perfect fourteen-for-fourteen so far.
The offense hasn’t picked up for Union, as the Dutchmen are averaging just over two goals per game and are one-for-seventeen on the power play. The goals should start to come, and if Union can keep up its steady defensive play, the Dutchmen should be able to rebound from last year’s tenth-place finish.
At 2-0-2, Union joins Quinnipiac as the only unbeaten ECAC teams through the season’s first two weeks.
Engineers Go Winless in Alaska
It’s a long flight home from Alaska to New York, but it was probably even longer for Rensselaer over the weekend.
The Engineers had third-period leads in both games of the Brice Alaska Gold Rush, but ended the tournament with losses against Alaska Anchorage and Alaska Fairbanks. RPI led 3-2 Friday before the Seawolves scored two goals late in the third to come away with the win.
On Saturday, the Engineers led 2-0 after one but didn’t score again and lost 3-2, despite a career-high 47 saves from goalie Jason Kasdorf. The senior has made 30 or more saves in three of RPI’s four games this season.
The Engineers have a number of freshmen in the lineup, but also have a large senior class and a steady goalie in Kasdorf, making the late collapses puzzling.
Quinnipiac Blanks Sun Devils
There have been occasions the last few years when Quinnipiac thoroughly out-played and out-possessed an inferior team, only to run into a hot goaltender and come out with a loss.
Those first two points were true Thursday against Arizona State, as the Bobcats outshot the Sun Devils 57-14, with Arizona State goalie Ryland Pashovitz making 52 saves in a 5-0 QU win. It was the first time an ECAC team played the Sun Devils, as the program is in its first season of Division I competition.
Bobcats freshman Thomas Aldworth had two goals and an assist for the Bobcats, and could join Landon Smith and Sam Anas as players making an offensive impact as a rookie.
