What makes Union different this year is a team that has listened to the
preaching of its freshman coach: boring, defensive hockey can win games.
The success of this year's edition is undeniable; the Dutchman are in the
unaccostomed position of challenging for a top four finish in the ECAC,
with major wins over teams like Princeton and Clarkson. This year's
Engineer team also is listening to its coach: win the third, win the game.
Tonight it was the gospel of the young Engineers which prevailed. Next
Saturday--well who knows?
The strength of this year's Union squad was no surprise to the
Engineers--indeed they had already seen them throw a shut-out at the
Knick, so they knew they were in for a long night of (take your pick)
physical knock-down hockey/clutch and grab. The first two periods were
very much controlled by the Dutchman. RPI does come out of the gate with
a measure of determination, and is rewarded with the initial goal. After
Union stymies the Engineers through the first five minutes, including two
Lenor Shtrom saves on Engineer short handed attempts, Steve Caley makes a
quick pass at center ice to Pete Gardiner. Gardiner takes it the left
wing and manages a shot on goal. Shtrom makes the stop, but fails to
control the rebound. Doug Battaglia, who has grown into the garbageman
role for the Engineers, deposits the rebound in the net for a 1-0 lead.
RPI maintains pressure through the next five minutes, but Union's Shtrom
comes up big repeatedly, a close-in save on Chris Aldous particularly
memorable. Union's physical defenseman also keep the RPI forwards from
driving the net, with Alain St. Hilaire suffering from the union defense
as he is unable to get a shot off despite a great feed from Eric Healy.
At 15:51 Jean Francois Gosselin is called for holding and Union's power
play ties the game up. Union's White skates the puck into the RPI zone
and takes it behind the net. White sends it out to Ford on the point who
rifles a shot at Prekaski with Antoine deflecting it into the goal. From
this point on, the next 25 minutes will be Union's show.
The first period winds on into the second, and Union continues to play its
style of hockey. Union establishes its plodding, but jarring tempo
through the second period, and is aided by two extended stoppages to
repair the peg holding the goal, which had been pulled free. At 6:15
after a prolonged Engineer stagnation, Union's Ford goes behind the net
and passes out-front to Union's #16, whose name I can't spell. He makes a
quick low shot to the glove side of Prekaski for a go-ahead goal, Monteith
and Ford receive assists.
The rest of the period--Union manhandles the Engineers, blocks the front
of the net in front of Shtrom, and generally pushes RPI away from any form
of offensive flow. The second period, the danger period for this year's
RPI team, ends with the Engineers lucky to be down only by a goal, 2-1.
The Engineers do feel good about their third period however. Other than
Tuesday night's game, and excepting their blow-out losses, the Engineers
are able to win the game by dominating the third period. The start didn't
seem to be in that tradition however, as the Engineers begin the period
with a power play extending from the second, however they are unable to
even set up in the Union zone for the entire duration. But the game
changes suddenly at 3:23 as Shtrom makes his first mistake of the night.
Chris Aldous sends a hard wrister, unscreened at Shtrom from the left
point. The Engineers tie the game, much to the relief of the Houston
Fieldhouse crowd, with Riva and Gosselin receiving assists.
The Engineers take their confidence--boosting goal and proceed to change
the flow of the game. The Engineers continue to spend more energy on
their offense, but to Union's credit, their defensive style keeps the
Engineers off the board for the next nine minutes. Unfortuantely Shtrom
again makes a miscue at the 12:00 mark, and the Engineers are able to
extend their lead. Pete Gardiner takes the puck down the left side with
speed. Union's defense makes a good play and stops the play, although
Gardiner manages a weak shot at Shtrom. Shtrom fails to tie up the puck
however and Doug Battaglia is able to clean up. Steve Caley gets another
assist. The Engineers are now off to the races, and Chris Aldous storms
down the center of the offensive zone and tries to cram the puck past
Shtrom. Healy and St. Hiliare quickly get into the thick of it, and St.
Hilaire puts the puck into the net for a 4-2 RPI lead, at 13:56.
From here on out the Engineer dictate, keeping Union's forwards from
converging on the goal, even after Shtrom is pulled at 18:50. At the
19:00 mark Union calls its time-out with a face-off in the RPI zone.
Union can't capitalize however, and eventually Doug Battaglia sends a long
shot at the vacant Union goal for a hat trick, at 19:28. RPI emerges with
a 5-2 victory, setting up the rubber match at Union's Achilles rink next
Saturday.
Two players stand out for the Engineers tonight, in addition to the solid
game put in by goalie Scott Prekaski. Doug Battaglia nets an inelegant
hat trick. Doug's goals are not highlight material, but a team can't win
with out the mucker role, which Battaglia seems to have adopted. Chris
Aldous, on the other hand, is elegant. Tonight he was absolutely huge,
+3 or more, including a goal and assist. Aldous is so smooth and
consistent, he will proabably be over-looked for all-ECAC honors. However
if he continues to step up into the play, like he did tonight, that may
change.
Finally, for the record, Channel 13 sportscaster Roger Weiland correctly
picked the score on last night's newscast, 5-2 RPI. In light of Union's
effort against the Engineers I thought that was somewhat optimistic. But
the Dutchman still have next Saturday to win the Capital District
king-of-the-hill contest.
*****************************************************************************
Brian Morris RPI Engineers--Big and Nasty
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