Last night a "select" crowd witnessed RPI defeat BU for the second year in
a row for their season opener.  The RPI Engineers looked like they had
been together for just a couple of weeks, which is in fact true.  BU,
however also looked like they were playing their first game although they
have already notched a pair of wins under their belt.  The comments from
the coaches sound like a little spinnish: "They played pretty hard.  The
first period was more wide open than the next two.  In general, I like
their club and I like our club." (Jack Parker)  "We knew we were a little
flat in the first period.  But once we got rolling, we were rolling four
lines right through.  BU's got a heck of a team." (Fridgen)--from this
morning's T-U
 
I wonder if I was at the same game.  I think it was a game, although at
times it was hard to tell in all the empty seats at the Pepsi--attendance
only an optimistic 2,020, which would be the lowest home game crowd in the
last four years.
 
Anyway, it was nice to see RPI and BU at it again--a rivalry of some kind,
which I hope will continue forever.
 
The first period was a BU show, so dominant were the Terriers that RPI
managed only 8 shots to BU's 18.  Virtually none of RPI's new lines seemed
to know what to do--center play, erratic all night, was almost
non-existent.  Rushes up-ice were more often led by defensemen instead of
forwards.  BU controlled the center ice, and had little difficult getting
shots off at RPI's goalie Joel Laing.  But Laing proved to be the ultimate
equalizer turning away all but one shot.  At the 18:15 mark RPI manages
one of the few offensive flurries of the period.  Sophomore center Jim
Henkel gets open on a partial breakaway but gets off only a weak shot on
BU's freshman goalie Tapp.  The Terriers immediately counter-attack with
Chris Heron taking the puck down the sideline and sending the puck through
the center zone to Carl Corrazini who pushed the puck over to Tommi
Degerman.  Degerman let loose a shot that flew over Laing's shoulder into
the goal.  The Engineers finally paid for allowing too many odd man rushes
throughout the period.  That the Engineers were down only a goal was
solely through the efforts of Laing.
 
The second period gets the Engineers even through the heroics of the
other star of the evening--Brad Tapper.  At 2:16 Tapper grabs the puck at
mid-ice and goes in on a breakaway.  BU's Keith Emery catches up and pulls
Tapper down as Tapper readies the puck on his stick.  Surprisingly
referee Mike Noeth awards a penalty shot on the play--the first Engineer
penalty shot I can remember in five years.  Tapper smoothly skates the
puck in on Tapp and roofs the puck for The Engineers's first goal of the
season.
 
The Engineer's momentum is quickly slowed by the Terriers however as Laing
makes another big save on a BU shot at the 4:48.  A minute later RPI's Jim
Henkel is whistled for a 10 minute misconduct, and BU seems to be back in
control.  At 6:29 BU sends three forwards in on Laing and Jack Baker
takes a wrister that Laing sprawls to kick out.  The rebound comes out to
Brian Collins who deposits the puck into the open right side of the net.
 
Three minutes later Fridgen puts out a new line with Brad Tapper, Marc
Cavosie, the red shirt freshman, and Andrew McPherson.  Cavosie frees up
the puck on the boards and springs McPherson open down the right side.
McPherson gets a hard shot off from the right circle as the BU defenseman
moves over to challenge.  Tapp makes a good save on the shot, but the puck
comes out to an open Tapper on the other side.  This time Tapper deposits
the puck into the unguarded side of the net.
 
The remainder of the puck saw the Engineers playing better in the middle
zone, but BU still controlling the flow of the game.  BU gets a power play
at 13:53 on  trip from Jim Vickers, but the Terriers again are thwarted by
Laing.  A rather silent Matt Murley for the Engineers finally makes a play
at the end of the period skating around the back of the BU net and passing
the puck onto the stick of Jered Reigstad directly in front of Tapp, but
Tapp makes a point blank save to preserve the tie as the period ended.
RPI's defensmen continued to contribute to the offense often venturing
deep into the Terrier zone to get some offensive flow.
 
The third period was again played without much offense.  Although BU had
already played two games, the Engineers seemed to have the fresher legs
throughout, and Coach Fridgen seemed more inclined to let his third and
fourth lines see ice time.  And it was the third line of Nolan Graham,
Keith Dupee and Carson Butterwick that got the Engineers the winning goal.
Freshman defenseman Francois Senez leads the offense into the BU goal, and
the other Cavosie brother, Eric, gets off a shot as the line collapses in
on Tapp,  Tapp bats the puck into the air and Butterwick knocks the puck
into the net, Butterwick's first goal of his career, at 2:18.  Four
Engineer freshmen get their first points on Friday night.
 
The Engineers can't rest on their laurels though as one minute later BU
gains a 5 on 3 advantage, the result of slashing penalties to Brian
Pothier and Steve Munn.  The Engineers respond with their most effective
kill of the night, with Doug Shepherd making several big clears.  BU's
inability to solve Laing seemed to take the wind out of their sails, and
their play became increasingly sloppy as the period continued.  The
Terrier attack was slowed by a more trapping Engineer defense at center
ice.  The Terrier offense also seems slowed by the lack of a pure closer,
with the exception perhaps of Degerman.
 
The third period wasn't much of an artistic show.  Perhaps that is the
reason the Engineers manage to hold on and earn an important first win of
the season.  Neither team looked like they should be considered the elite
of their respective leagues, and that's what made it an even contest.
 
Tonight the Engineers face Quinnipiac, loser in overtime to Niagara, while
the Terriers get the winner.
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Brian Morris                 RPI Engineers--Off to a good start
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