Last night RPI woke up from its sleep in the second period and went on to
score a 7-2 win over Yale.  Playing in front of another small crowd at the
Houston Fieldhouse, this time only 3,043, the Engineers at least give the
fans a reason to return to their historic numbers.
 
The first period see RPI continuing its sleepwalk of the previous 60
minutes against Princeton.  The first five minutes sees the Engineers
missing an open shot afrom the lower face-off circle and a wraparound
attempt.  Yale takes its cue and picks up play, dominating the middle ten
minutes, even going down on a 3 on 1 at one point.  RPI's Prekaski is
flawless in net however, and hard working Eric Healy draws an interference
call as he falls on Dunlap behing the Yale net.  On the power play RPI
manages to keep the puck in the Yale zone, and Dan Riva sends the puck to
the front of the net.  After several pokes at the puck, Doug Battaglia
sends it by Westland for the first goal of the night.  Gardiner and Riva
receive assists, at 17:27.  RPI enters the second with a 1-0 lead, a
result of patience and steady defense, especially by Chris Aldous who was
double shifted thoughout the first.
 
But the Engineers do wake up at the beginning of the second.  Only 45
seconds into the period Steve Caley goes in on a 2-1 and slides the puck
over to Doug Shepherd.  Shepherd puts a show-the-puck and pull-it-back
move on Westland, but amazingly hits the post instead of the open goal.
At 1:52 Eric Healy gets open to the side of the net and receives a
centering pass from behind the net.  Healy shoots the puck into Westland's
pads however.  Scott Prekaski continues his stand-up goaltending and stops
a Yale breakaway and a subsequent twom minute power play, the result of a
hooking penalty to Brian Pothier at 5:27.  At 9:30 the mid-point of the
game also serves as the turning point.  Alain St. Hilaire, the center of
RPI's potent first line, is called for hitting from behind, an infraction
which no one in my section, on the same side as St. Hilaire, witnessed.
Referee Gallagher correctly applies the new rules assessing a five minute
major and game misconduct.
 
RPI continues to work hard after the momemtum breaker, and plays a good
game of keep away for the first 2:30 of the major.  At 12:27 however Yale
sets up in the RPI zone and Magnant sends a wrister from the point which
surprisingly eludes Prekaski's glove.  McCullough and Turco receive
assists.  Yale cannot further capitalize on its man advantage and RPI
immediately attacks as the remaining two minutes expire.  After Pete
Gardiner wins a face-off in the Yale zone, Eric Healy shoots the puck wide
right of the goal.  The puck caroms off the back boards and Healy gathers
it in and shoots the rebound past Westland to the glove side.  Garver
and Gardiner get assists, at 15:02.  Gardiner springs Healy with a pretty
pass on a breakaway shortly after, but Healy is unable to get his shot
off.  RPI retains it lead at the end of the period, despite nearly gift
wrapping the game for Yale.
 
RPI's dominant third period, which had taken a vacation against Princeton,
returns as the Engineers put the game away in short fashion.  At 3:30 Pat
Brownlee takes a shot from the slot with Dan Riva in front.  Riva knocks
the rebound into an open goal, with Pete Gardiner also receiving an
assist.  Throughout the period odd line combinations abound, but perhaps
Coach Fridgen will see fit to duplicate them in subsequent gamesas they
meet with considerable success.
 
At 5:07 the intact second line of Gosselin Riva and Shepherd score a
marvelous tic tac toe passing play with the puck traveling from Riva to
Gosselin to Shepherd, who this time shoots the puck into the open left
side.  At 8:46 the dam breaks for Yale as Gallagher whistles the Elis'
Cummings with a hitting from behind major and game misconduct.  For the
record both misconducts seemed more accidental than malicious, but
Gallagher was obliged to make the call.  Pete Gardiner begins the scoring
parade as he re-deposits a rebound of a crafty wrist shot from Brian
Tapper near the point.  Tapper's shot sits up in front of the goal instead
of the expected riccochet from a slapper.  Battaglia gets the other
assist, at 10:30.  After the ensuing face-off Matt Garver receives a nice
sliding pass from Eric Healy and nets his first of two scores.  Healy and
Aldous get the assists at 10:49.  Before the official announcement of the
sixth goal is made, Garver scores again after the center face-off,
Gosselin and Healy receiving assists, at 11:11.  RPI emerges from its five
minute man advantage with a gaudy 7-1 advantage, with the the game over
with nine minutes remaining.  Yale does manage a second goal at 14:15 on
the power play as Brow passes across the crease and Kufta shoots the puck
behind Prekaski.
 
For the weekend RPI keeps pace with the leaders as all split their series.
Next weekend RPI travels to Brown and Harvard to face two perennnial ECAC
powers which are languishing in the bottom of the standings.
 
Finally, its was observed that the RPI announcer incorrectly referred to
St. Lawrence as the "Larries" in giving an update of the SLU/Cornell
score.  Apparently the author's confusion is shared by many in the
Fieldhouse.
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Brian Morris                        RPI Engineers--Big and Nasty
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