The RPI Weekend
(or to paraphrase what my broadcast partner Kurt Stutt said last week:
 
Did I dream about the losses to Army and Lowell?)
 
A rare Saturday Sunday pair of games for the Engineers brings to
mind 2 questions:
 
1) Would the Engineers stay unbeaten in the ECAC?
 
and
 
2) Who thought of the Sunday game at 7:00 PM?
 
RPI headed to Brown on Saturday to play the first place and unbeaten
Brown Bears.  Like it has previously been described by a few people, the RPI
defense came up to the task and helped Mike Tamburro earn a shutout.
 
Both teams found it hard to generate offense, as evidenced by the
shots of RPI and Brown, 18 and 23 respectively.  This due to both teams
playing the dump and chase and the neutral zone trap.  This has been pointed
out to me as the Bear style this year, while the Engineers are more offensively
oriented.
 
The first goal was set up on a power play.  The feed to Pat Rochon at the
right point who sent a rocket on net, which was deflected in the slot by
Bryan Richardson with 7 seconds left in the first period.
 
The second goal was again Richardson.  A big pileup in front of Mike
Parsons left the puck loose.  Richardson came into the slot, scooped up
the puck and waited a good 2 seconds before backhanding it up top over
a sprawled Parsons.
 
The Engineers continued their defense in frontof Tamburro, but it looked
like that many times Brown was going to break through.
But a little help from the posts..  Officially it was counted as 4
hit posts by the Bears, but unofficially from our vantage point, it
was 7.  Especially if you count the one that hit the left post, bounced
up to hit the crossbar, and bounced back off that same left post.
 
Wayne Clarke sealed it as with 2 minutes left, Bob Gaudet pulled Parsons
and Clarke iced it from just outside the blue line.
 
Mike Tamburro's shutout was the first by RPI against an opponent since
an 8-0 win against RIT 2 years ago as Neil Little and Tim Carvel shared
the game.  It was the first shutout by a single goalie since February 2,
1989 when Steve Duncan shutout Brown 2-0 in Troy.
 
On an injury note, Kelly Askew sat out with a sprained ankle for this
game, and Jeff Brick returned to the lineup, but Jeff O'Connor continued to
heal.
 
Off to Harvard.  Winner gains second place in the ECAC behind Brown.
 
RPI came out on fire, Eric Perardi beats Tripp Tracy in the slot as Tracy
can't get over in time to cover the left post.
 
Then Harvard tacks one on, on the power play as Gustafson's point shot
was deflected in off of Pat Rochon's stick.
 
In the second some more spirited play. Pat Brownlee at the right point
finds Craig Hamelin all alone at the right post, and with the pass
Hammer drives it home with the tip.
 
in the 3rd, RPI gains a 2 goal lead on the power play as Richardson
gets a deflection in front of Tracy to make it 3-1.
 
Harvard roars back on the power play, when Sproule takes the shot that
goes right past Tamburro's right skate and in the net.
 
Less than 2 minutes later, the line of Swenson-Higdon-Sproule outmuscles
the Engineers behind the net and Swenson comes from behind Tamburro and
deposits one in the top corner.
 
Looked like Harvard would cap the comeback, but momentum started to
slow as icings and offsides became more frequent.
 
Then with 23 seconds left, Bartell keeps in a clearing attempt, puts a shot
on net, and Healey tips it for the game winner.
 
Jeff O'Connor returned to the lineup as Ken Kwasniewski sat out.
Kelly Askew sat again.
 
Notes:
 
1) Defensemen Jon Pirrong was the big man this weekend.  Was a vacuum
cleaner in front of Mike Tamburro, and got his stick on plenty of
centering passes, and dumped men constantly.
 
2) Chris Aldous is doing better.  He seems more confortable than he has
previously.
 
3) The lines seem to be gelling finally.  There is fluidity and motion.
 
4) Eric Perardi and Jeff O'Connor are the two men who seem to have benefitted
the most from the hiring of Dan Fridgen.
 
5) Kelly Askew returns against Union this weekend.  The big question is
who sits? Is it Chris Kiley or Chris Maye?  Both have improved remarkably
playing on that fourth line.
 
6) The sweep leaves the Engineers at 4-0-0 8  in the ECAC for the first
time ever, and the only unbeaten in the ECAC.
 
Well, it's time for the friendly rivalry of Union-RPI.
Hmmmmmmmmmm.
 
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* 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*    *
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