TROY, N.Y. – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Associate Vice President & Director of Athletics Dr. Lee McElroyhas announced the hiring of Mathias Lange ’09 as assistant coach for the men’s hockey team. A native of Klagenfurt, Austria, he moves over from his role as operations coordinator, which he had held since 2019.
“I am excited to have Mathias’ promotion to assistant coach,” said head coach Dave Smith. “He did a terrific job in his role as coordinator for hockey operations. His combination of playing experience and commitment to RPI are outstanding. He provides position specific expertise and a set of values that match perfectly with our program.”
Lange joined the staff as operations coordinator in the 2019-20 season, responsible for breaking down game tapes, preparation and pre-scouting for upcoming opponents; team travel and accommodation coordination and various administrative functions.
“I’m very fortunate and excited for the opportunity to work with and help develop our student-athletes on and off the ice,” added Lange. “Having been part of the men’s hockey staff for the past couple of years, I’ve seen and been a part of the continuous progress that has been made and I’m looking forward to continuing on that upward trajectory. Being able to do it at a place that means a lot to me and my family makes it that much more special.”
A native of Klagenfurt, Austria, returned to campus following a 10-year professional playing career as a goaltender in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga and DEL2. In 172 career games in the top flight with DEG Metro Stars and Iserlohn Roosters, he posted a 77-78 record with a 2.83 goals against average and a .916 save percentage.
He played his final six seasons with the Roosters, helping them to a pair of playoff appearances. In 2013, he was named Playoff Finals MVP for Bietigheim-Bissingen SC in DEL2.
Helping his home country qualify for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia, Lange earned the win in his only start of the tournament, making 34 saves in a 3-1 victory over Norway.
While with the Engineers, Lange played 108 games from 2005-09, posting a record of 29-57-17 with a 2.95 goals against average and an .898 save percentage. He had two shutouts in 6196:39 minutes.
He was named to the ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team in 2005-06 after posting a 13-15-6 record with a 2.70 goals against average and a .901 save percentage. Lange went 6-14-3 with a 2.47 goals against average and a .916 save percentage as a junior. A two-time team Most Valuable Player, he graduated as the school’s all-time leader in ties, ranked third in games played, starts (102) and minutes and listed fourth in saves (2,688).
Earning numerous awards for his work off the ice, including being named a finalist for the ECAC Hockey Student-Athlete of the Year, Lange was named to the Lowe’s Senior CLASS All-America Second Team and selected as the Institute’s Livingston W. Houston Citizenship Award winner, which is presented to the “first citizen of the college”. The three-time ECAC Hockey All-Academic honoree also earned the team’s Community Service Award as a senior.
Lange has previous coaching experience, having worked at Great Saves Goaltending in New Jersey, where he led on-ice and synthetic ice lessons, clinics and camps. He also spent two years at USA Hockey Development Camps as a goalie coach and evaluator and worked at the Behind the Mask Elite School of Goaltending.
A 2009 graduate with a Bachelor’s in Management, Lange had a concentration in Finance and a minor in Sports Psychology. In addition to being on the Dean’s List, he was a member of the EDS Management Honor Society.
