Tried to post this last night, but my link was down.  Anyway,
 
In a game where the tide changed after a matching penalty, RPI ekks out a 7-4
win against a physical Merrimack team, earning the right to face current
national leader Maine later tonight.
 
Despite the seemingly lopsided score, the game was quite close, at least for the
first half.  In fact, Merrimack dominated play throughout the first period as
Merrimack's mammoth defensemen kept RPI's fleet forwards against the boards for
most of the period.  And when RPI's smaller d's tried to return the punishment
they literally bounced off the larger Merrimack players.  The physical play of th [
the Merrimack team resulted in a quick 1-0 Merrimack lead, with a goal I
unfortunately missed Adams (Welchesbaumer sp?)  Merrimack throughly controlled
the period until the 15:36 mark when Craig Hamelin, the star of the night, made
the first of several big scoring plays.  Rushing the puck down the center,
Hamelin manages to come up with a squirting puck in front of goalie Legault,
and dishes to
Eric Perrardi who scores--1-1.  The period will end up knotted at 1-1, but not b
before Mike Tamburro makes a great save at 19:55.
 
 
Merrimack renews its advantage very quickly in the second, at 00:19 to be exact.  Johnson.
Johnson shoots what looks like an easy shot over Tamburro's shoulder to make it
2-1.  Wichenbaumer (sp!) gets the assist.  With a goal advantage Merrimack
resumes knocking RPI forwards off the puck.  But an innocent matching penalty at
the 8:55 mark changes the complexion of the game.  Granted the opportunity of
skating 4 on 4, the RPI offense suddenly has room to maneuver in the offensive
zone.  At 8:49 Jakopin is whistled for a hold, and RPI makes the most of the
4 on 3 opportunity.  Craig Hamelin skates free down the right side of Legault
and throws a cross-crease pass to an open Jeff Brick, who deposits the puck
in the corner to tie the game at 2-2.  Richardson with an assist.
 
RPI's play picked up noticeably from then on, and Wayne Clarke puts the
Engineers out front at 16:12.  Jeff Matthews skated the puck through his legs
across the blue line, which Legault probably thought was off-sides, and flicks
the puck across the front of the net to Clarke.  Score 3-2 as the second period
ends.
 
The third period opened with the Engineers seeminly on cruise control.  RPI
opens a two goal lead when Craig Hamelin cores on a power play at 4:12.
Merrimack, playing passively, unlike the first period, allows Hamelin to skate
down the slot and shoot the puck unmolested.  Merrimack wasn't ready to up yet
however and quickly scores its third goal on a play that definitely looked off-
sides.  Tamburro ends up screened out on the play and Poirer scores with an
assist to Peca.  And, shades of the Union game, Merrimack also scores its fourth
goal 3 seconds later when Tamburro misses Kesselring's shot from the left face-
off circle.  Tamburro seemed to be still in a daze from the previous scoring
play.
 
RPI regains the lead shortly thereafter when the Merrimack puck carrier falls
down in his own end.  Wayne Clarke gains control of the puck, and Kelly Askew
skates in, and past, goalie Legault.  He then passes back to Jeff Matthews who
scores.  Matthews will also score the clincher at 18:10 when Askew and Clarke
assist on the play.  Eric Perrardi adds an open-net goal at 18:51 making the
final 7-4 RPI.
 
RPI won the game by creating opportunities to use its superior speed to get
through the center ice area unmolested.  It will be a vastly different challenge
against Maine, which beat Miami 5-3 in the opener.  Maine will undoubtedly keep
up with Richardson, Hamelin and Askew, who create so much chaos in the offensive
zone.  The play of All-American Chris Imes also adds an element which the
Engineers haven't experience this year.  Last night Imes would step up into the
offense and fly all over the ice.  Yet he never seemed to be caught out of
position with his defensive responsibilities.  Maine is also a difficult team
to formulate a game plan for, since they seem to be a team with a lot of very
good players taking turns playing leader.  In the Miami game Lowell ended up
with a hat trick to keep the
 
Redskins from stealing a victory.  At one point Miami had crept to within 3-2,
but the Black Bears confidentally reeled off the next two goals to ice the game.
 
As far as RPI goes, I imagine Tamburro will get the starting nod.  I wouldn't
be surprised however if Massotta gets his next shot against BC on Monday night.
Both games should indicate whether RPI has the potential to step up into the
 
upper echelon of hockey this season.
********************************************************************************
Brian Morris                       Go RPI!
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