I finally have a chance to say a little about Union's 5-2 win over RPI
last Friday. I can't add too much to what Andy Weise said, and the
box was already posted. I did want to mention that it was great to
see Achilles sold out for an RPI game, but this time with the Union
fans badly outnumbering and out-cheering the Engineers' fans. The
game was sold out to the general public at least a week before the
game, and all seats were sold by Tuesday before the game.
I would also like to comment on the fans' behavior at this game. The
oranges being thrown after Union's first goal in the RPI game each
year is a tradition that has been carried over from the Division III
days when fans at Union and Hamilton tossed oranges at each other's
teams after the first goal by their own team. This year's barrage of
oranges actually had some apples and other fruits (even a banana).
The delay to clean up was probably 5 or 10 minutes. A few people were
dumb enough to throw a few more oranges after Union's second goal. I
was surprised that Union wasn't assesed with a minor for delay of
game. As far as the fan behavior in general, I don't think it's any
worse than other places. On the positive side, Union's home crowds
have become larger and louder and I am sure they do help pump up the
team when they are into the game like they were last Friday.
But back to the game itself. Union played a very solid game
all-around. I was disappointed by some of the bad penalties they
took, but they were able to kill off 9 of 10 RPI power plays. Many
times, RPI couldn't even get anything set up, and the highlight of the
man-down play came when Cory Holbrough poked ahead a bad pass by the
RPI defense and scored on the partial break. Holbrough has become a
real leader, both with his excellent play and as an emotional leader.
Not bad for a player who came very close to being cut before last
season. No one has more fun playing the game than Cory.
And now for a little history. RPI leads the overall series with the
Dutchmen by 25-5-1. This was the first regular season win over RPI
since the Dutchmen joined the ECAC Division I. Union last beat RPI in
a regular season game in the first game of the 1988-89 season. The 5
goals was the most by a Union team against RPI since a 9-5 RPI win on
December 12, 1983, and the 3-goal margin of victory was the largest
since the series resumed in 1981. The last win of 3 or more goals by
the Dutchmen came in 1924 (!) when Union beat RPI 7-0. So anyway,
this was a big win for the Dutchmen.
Union is now in a 3-way tie for 8th in the league with 6 points. The
Dutchmen's record is now 2-5-2 in the ECAC and 5-8-2 overall.
--
Jim Teresco, Research Assistant, Dept. of Computer Science, SCOREC
E-mail: [log in to unmask], WWW: http://tardis.union.edu/~terescoj/
US Mail: Amos Eaton Hall, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180
Home: (518)347-0967, School: (518)276-4849, Office: Sage 1112
Also - Power Technologies, Inc. (518)395-2665, [log in to unmask]
Union '92, '93. Owner/GM, Amsterdam Ice-9 - Senior Owner in OBFLB
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