In article <[log in to unmask]>,
Andrew Weise <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>Tonight marks the return of one of the most heated rivalries in the ECAC
>as Union takes the bus up Route 7 to Troy to take on RPI.
>
>
>A Union win will increase their confidence for the stretch run. An RPI
>win will hurt the Dutchmen. This is a game Union has been looking
>forward to for months (at least I've been looking forward to it for
>months!). The last matchup between these two was, by far, Union's
>best performance since I've been following the team. - can you back
>me up Jim? If they can duplicate that performance and keep it for
>the next two weeks, Union should make even more noise in the last
>two months of the regular season.
>
 
I'll back you up on this one Andy.  Union totally dominated last years
contest at the Firetrap.  But it was close and up in the air until one
moment.  When Pat Rochon pinched at the blue line on his power play, and
got caught.  Then it was a shorthanded goal for Cory Holbrough (I think
it was him, I'm a little hazy on this one).  That totally changed
the game for Union and RPI.  From there on in, it was all Union.
 
The first meeting last year was equally as close.  RPI led 2-0 until
Troy Stevens came through with Chris Ford and tied it at 2, but Jeff
Matthews was the hero at the end with 2 goals.
 
Interesting that the heroics in last years 2 games came from players who
are no longer there.  Stevens, Holbrough, and Matthews.
 
>I'm looking for a close, tight-checking game. Union has more
>upperclassmen than RPI, thus a little more experience in this rivalry.
>If Union can stay out of the penalty box and keep RPI from putting
>a lot of pressure on Trevor Koenig, we may see a Union victory.
>I don't think Union can rely on Trevor to stand on his head like
>he has a few times this year. They have to create a lot of offense
>against the young defense of RPI, which is the key for RPI. If the
>Engineers can stifle Union's offense and keep the puck away from
>Mike Tamburro, this will be a big advantage for them. Whoever stays
>out of the penalty box more will probably come away the winner.
>
 
I think the same can be said for RPI.  They have to stay out of the penalty
box.  They have to keep Union from getting pressure on Tamburro, and RPI
can not rely on Tamburro to stand on his head.  RPI has to create offense
against Union and get more than 25 shots on goal, and if Union can stifle
RPI's skating to keep Koenig from seeing pressure.
 
I must however disagree with the penalty box assesment.  I think the team
that plays better at EVEN strength will be the winner of this game.
 
>Then we will see who will obtain a stranglehold on the bragging rights
>of the Capital District.
>
 
I find it very interesting how quickly the Union-RPI rivalry has developed.
When I first came to the Capital District 11 years ago, I never heard of
such a thing, except in football between RPI and Union.  It wasn't even
that big when I came back to the Capital District in 1991.  Then all of
a sudden it blossomed.  I remember talking to some of the players from the
92-93 team, and none of them saw this as a rivalry.  I think it started
to get very serious because of 1 thing, and I hate to say this, Oranges.
 
When Neil Little got pelted with oranges the one year, it started something.
And then it intensified in the 93-94 season with the oranges once again.
And then to top it all off, the quarterfinal series in which Union won
Game 1, but went on to lose the next 2.
 
Just an interesting thought as to how the hockey rivalry has blossomed into
one that is now equivalent in football.
 
 
*****************************************************************************
* Jayson Moy  RPI '89 '93  *  One of the Voices of Rensselaer Engineer      *
* [log in to unmask]             *  Hockey, Baseball, Football, and Basketball    *
* The "Asian Invasion"     *  on Crystal Clear 91.5FM  WRPI, Troy *EASM*    *
*****************************************************************************
* Check out the WRPI Sports Web Pages on:                                   *
*           http://www.rpi.edu/~stuttk/wrpispts.html                        *
*****************************************************************************
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.