RPI clinched 3rd place in the ECAC tonight with a 4-2 victory
over Princeton.
 
box score
 
period 1
P        9:42   RPI     Gardiner (roughing)
P       12:57   Princ   Horst (holding the stick)
P       15:15   Princ   Apps (charging)
 
period 2
P        1:30   Princ   Yopyk (high stick)
P        3:58   Princ   Apps (tripping)
P        5:14   Princ   Halpern (slash)
P        9:49   RPI     Riva (late hit)
P        9:49   Princ   Morin (late hit)
P       14:16   RPI     Brownlee (roughing)
P       14:16   Princ   Bertoli (high stick)
G       16:20 RPI (1-0) Bryan Tapper (Healey, Caley) (delayed penalty)
P       16:20   Princ bench minor (unsportsmanlike conduct)
P       17:56   Princ   Halpern (hitting from behind)
G       18:14   RPI (2-0) Healey(St. Hillaire,Murphy) (ppg 5x3)
P       18:14 Princ     Morin  (slashing)
 
period 3
G        0:21   Princ (2-1) Morin (Masters)
G        2:21   RPI (3-1) Battaglia (Caley,Pothier)
P        5:27   Princ   Masters (tripping)
P       10:22   RPI     Gardiner (holding)
P       12:36   Princ Morin (roughing + 10 min. misconduct)
P       12:36   Princ Bertoli (double roughing + 10 min. misconduct)
P       12:36   RPI     St. Hillaire (roughing + 10 min. misconduct)
P       12:36   RPI     Garver (roughing + 10 min. misconduct)
P       14:57   RPI     Caley (slashing)
P       15:53   RPI     Battaglia (slashing)
G       16:48 Princ(3-2) Masters (Halpern,Apps)  (ppg 5x3)
P       18:39   Princ Corrinet (roughing)
G       19:08   RPI (4-2) Gardiner (Riva,Healey)  (ppg)
P       19:14   Princ   Sinclair (unsportsmanlike conduct)
P       19:14   RPI     Gosselin (unsportsmanlike conduct)
 
saves                   1       2       3       total
Laing(RPI)              9       9       15      33
Saltarelli(Princ)       17      9       8       34
 
referee - Doiron
asst - Shea,Dunn
attendance 3162
 
 
Once again, although this should never happen, the referee played
a significant part in the outcome of this game. The referee is named
Doiron (didn't catch his first name) and I've never heard of him
before tonight.  There were 3 penalties in the first period and not
many stoppages in play. RPI had the slight edge in play but Princeton
goalie Erasmo Saltarelli made some spectacular saves to keep the
game scoreless after one. I commented to my neighbor that this
referee was letting them play and that this is the way the game
should be played.
 
In the second period, Doiron found his whistle. I did not see any
reason for ref to call the game any differently. The game was not
chippy or cheap and there was absolutely no reason for the officials
to do a complete 180 degree turn and start calling every marginal
infraction.
And this is coming from an unabashed RPI fan. There were 10 penalties called
in the 2nd period. 8 were against Princeton. The 2 against RPI were
offset by matching minors against the Tigers. And that doesn't count
the delayed penalty at the 16 minute mark where RPI scored their first
goal. This goal started the fiasco. A penalty was called on Princeton
in their defensive zone. A Princeton forward, seemingly had possession
of the puck momentarily but no whistle blew. RPI grabbed the puck,
breaking up ice and getting the extra skater on. RPI put the puck in the
net taking a 1-0 lead. Princeton coach Don Cahoon started screaming
at the referee that the puck should have been blown dead but the goal
stood. Cahoon stepped over that fine line and was given a 2 minute
bench minor for unsportsmanlike conduct. A minute and a half later,
Princeton took another penalty and put the Engineers up 5 on 3.
Eric Healey scored putting RPI up 2-0 but Doiron called a Princeton
player for slashing after the goal and sent Morin to the box.
Cahoon lost it at this point. He went ballistic, yelling at the referee.
Finally, Cahoon picked up a few sticks and threw them over the boards.
Doiron gave Cahoon a game misconduct at which point Cahoon picked up about a
dozen more sticks and sent them out on the ice. He was finally restrained
by his assistants and was escorted to the locker room.  I'm no fan
of Don Cahoon and his loss of control was inexcusable, but you had to
feel sorry for this guy. His team is in the midst of a free for all to
determine post season playoff positions and he runs across this Jekyll-Hyde
referee who seemingly is making calls against one team while ignoring
similar play of the other.
Don't get me wrong. I'm glad RPI won and clinched 3rd place. I think they
outplayed Princeton (although its hard to tell what would have happened in
the third period if the second period had played out differently). But
I want my team to win on the ice. Tonight, the referee was the dominant
factor in the game.
 
Eric Healey scored a goal and 2 assists to increase his lead in the ECAC
scoring race. Tomorrow has me worried. No matter what happens against
Yale tomorrow, RPI finishes 3rd. Yale however is only 1 point ahead
of Clarkson for 1st place and the automatic NCAA berth. Clarkson plays
Cornell at 4PM tomorrow afternoon. If Clarkson wins, Yale needs a win
to finish first. RPI on the other hand has no incentive other than
beating the 1st place team.
I am also enjoying watching my Clarkson friends
who are really squirming because they have to root for
RPI.
 
 
Mark Lewin
RPI - class of '69
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.