Lange Honored for Academic Prowess

Photo by Sara Melikian

TROY, N.Y. -- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student-athlete Mathias Lange has been selected to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District I Men’s At-Large Second Team. A management major with a sports psychology minor, the Klagenfurt, Austria, native carried a cumulative grade point average of 3.76 into the spring semester.

A senior goaltender on the men’s hockey team, Lange had been on the Dean’s List every semester, was a multiple ECAC Hockey All-Academic selection and a member of the Management Honor Society. He was a finalist for the Lowe’s Senior Class Award, the ECAC Hockey Scholar-Athlete Award Runner-Up, the team’s Community Service Award honoree and the Livingston Houston Award recipient as the “First Citizen of the College”.

A member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), he helped coordinate with the other seniors on the team the purchase of eight season tickets for distribution to underprivileged children in the Capital Region. Lange also participated in the ECAC Hockey Adopt-A-Player program in which he exchanged letters with area elementary school children.

A frequent volunteer with local youth hockey organizations, including Troy-Albany Youth Hockey Association, Lange took part in SAAC Kids’ Day on campus as well as four American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life events.

On the ice, the former New York Apple Core standout finished his career ranked among the top three in school history in numerous categories, including all-time games played (108) and started (102) by a goalie as well as minutes (6,196:39) and saves (2,688). He is first in ties with 17. Lange had a career record of 29-57-17 with a 2.95 goals against average and an .898 save percentage.

As a freshman in 2005-06, he played in a school record 35 games, including 34 as a starter. His 2,041.24 minutes are second in history for a single season and his six ties (13-15-6) established a new mark. He was the league’s Rookie of the Week four times, a unanimous All-Rookie Team choice and the team’s Most Valuable Player. A member of numerous All-Tournament Teams throughout his career, he earned his second team MVP award following his junior year.

This season, Lange played in 25 games, including 24 as a starter, and posted a 5-17-2 record with a 3.24 goals against average and an .896 save percentage. In 17 ECAC Hockey contests, he was 5-11-1 with a 3.23 average and an .894 save percentage.