officials: Drew Taylor, Dunn and Sullivan
attendance: 3117
 
-1-
G  0:22 Harv (0-1) Millar(S. Moore)
P  2:15 Harv   M. Moore (hold)
G  3:26 RPI  (1-1) Murphy(St. Hillaire,Murley)
P  9:22 Harv   Chodorow (roughing)
P 11:51 RPI   Murray (boarding)
P 14:39 Harv  bench (too many blonds on the ice)
G 17:47 RPI  (2-1) James(Caley,Migliore)
 
-2-
P  1:24 RPI   Vickers (hooking)
P  4:48 Harv  Nowak (delay of game)
P  9:34 RPI   Murray (hold)
P 14:53 Harv  Nowak (slashing the goaltender)
P 14:53 RPI   Reigstad (late hit)
G 16:07 Harv (2-2) Scorsune(Schwefel) 4x4
P 17:33 Harv  Adams (interference)
 
-3-
G  6:57 RPI  (3-2) Shepherd(Gardiner)
P 10:47 RPI   Murphy (hook)
G 13:37 RPI  (4-2) Tapper(Murphy,Gosselin)
P 17:48 RPI   Murray (boarding)
  18:33 Harv  timeout
 
saves        1  2  3  t
Laing(RPI)   11 18 10 39
Jonas(Harv)  6  12 10 28
 
 
The Engineers held off the pesky Harvard Crimson to
win their ECAC qualifying round 4 points to 2 in Troy tonight.
Hats off to the Harvard Crimson, who were humiliated by the Engineers
in Troy during the regular season when they played in early December.
Harvard started off the ECAC season 0-8-1. They finished strong to move
into 8th place at season's end. If the Crimson had played the first 9
games like they did the games at season's end, they would have
had home ice for this round of the playoffs.
 
Also, you can't feel too bad for Harvard losing prime goaltender J.R.
Prestifillipo (who suffered a shoulder injury earlier this week.
His backup, Oliver Jonas was solid in the nets
for the 1st and third games of the series (and apparently
gave up only two power play goals in game 2). Looking down the Crimson
roster, it appears they lose Ben Storey and Craig Adams next year
to graduation and return the rest of the team. They will be a team
to be reckoned with in 1999-2000.
 
In tonight's game, the Engineer's were stunned when Harvard scored
just 22 seconds into the game on a goal by Rob Millar from Steve
Moore. I can't give particulars as the action took place at the
far end  and I was still settling into my seat. Silence descended
over the Field House since it was well known that in each of the preceding
4 games against Harvard this year, the team scoring first won the game.
Although the early goal seemed to take the fans out of the game,
the RPI players had come to play. After Mark Moore was called for
holding at 2:15, the Engineers tied the score on the power play with the
equalizer coming off the stick of Mark Murphy from Alain St. Hillaire
and Matt Murley. The remainder of the period settled into the
familiar pattern of Harvard's stifling clutch and grab defense. This was
the only way they could keep the much faster Engineer's from blowing by them,
but it was very effective. Finally the Enginners took their first lead
at 17:47 when Erick james scored his first goal of his senior season
on assists form Steve Caley and Chris Migliore.
 
Then came the DSP ("dreaded second period") where the Engineers seem to
come out of the locker room without their competitive spirit. The period
was scoreless though the play was pretty much controlled by the Crimson
all period long. Only the steady Joel Laing kept RPI's season from ending
in that period as he covered up mistake after mistake by the RPI defense.
Laing was good, but not perfect. Time after time the Harvard forwards
crowded the slot, shielding Laing. Late in the period, during matching minors
the RPI defense collapsed toward the slot allowing point man Matt Scorsune
to cheat in from the point and he blasted a shot from the top of the
faceoff circle to to beat Laing to tie the game.
 
Both team's seasons came down to the final 20 minutes of hockey.
Referee Drew Taylor put his whistle away as he wisely decided to
let the game be decided by the players, not the referee.
The GWG came at 6:57 when Engineer Pete Gardiner carried the puck across the
Crimson blue line on a 1 on 2. The 2 Harvard defenseman converged on Gardiner
as he crossed the blue line and hung all over him riding him down to the
ice. But Gardiner managed to propel himself and both Harvard defensemen
into the
high slot and made sure that, as he went down, he took both defensemen down
with him.
By then, Doug Shepherd had caught up to the play and Gardiner, as he was
hauled down, managed to poke the puck onto Shepherd's stick. Shepherd found
himself in front of Jonas all alone with the puck and he buried it as the
Field House went wild.  Six and a half minutes later, the Engineers sealed
it when
JF Gosselin picked off an errant clearing pass in the Harvard zone, passed it
to Mark Murphy who poked it through to Brad Tapper who also was all alone
in front of Jonas.
 
The Engineers spend the next 6 and a half minutes just ragging the puck
but the heart had gone out of the Crimson as they saw their season slip away.
 
Since I won't be at Lake Placid next week, this will be my last recap this
year
(although I may be forced to state an opinion of two during the playoffs).
 
Here's some thoughts on the next round:
The Engineers get the matchup they want in Lake Placid. RPI lost twice to
St. Lawrence during the regular season, each by one goal. The Engineers
match up well with the Saints and may be able to steal that game if
George Murray screws his head on straight and can stay out of the penalty
box and
if the team can keep from losing their focus in the second period (it's
been a problem all year long).
The other semi-final sees Colgate  battle Princeton for the right to take
on #1 Clarkson. Although Princeton is the higher seed, RPI fans have to root
for Colgate since Colgate seems to play Clarkson tough always. If Colgate
can get past Clarkson, RPI may be able to take the title. I don't think
RPI will take it if they match up against Clarkson. The Knights have had
the Engineers number this year dominating them in both games.
And unfortunately for RPI, their chances of advancing to the NCAA's
pretty much require them to win the tournament. RPI's 2 of 3 victories
against Harvard puts the Crimson's final record at below .500, removing
them from TUC status in the PWR ranking. Hence RPI's 4-1 record against
Harvard this  year is for naught.
 
One more thing for those travelling to Lake Placid. Keep your eyes
on RPI's #19, Matt Murley. Watch his skills and watch his style. And remember
that he's only a freshman. I think Murley has to be a leading candidate
for rookie of the year.
 
 
 
 
Mark Lewin
RPI '69
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.