Dear Harry Ammian:
I heard tonight that you got married during the off season. Allow me
to congratulate you on this happy occasion. As I feel we have become
close over the years, allow me to offer you some advice. As a
newlywed it would be nice if you spent more time with your bride,
especially on Friday and Saturday nights. It will be tough on  your
fans but, we're willing to make the sacrifice. We might miss your
creative calls and especially non-calls during the game, but with a
little effort, we'll make the adjustment. Since you seem
to be referreeing a different game than we're watching anyway,
maybe you should sit in the quiet of your own home and let
someone else who knows the rules, call the game.
                                        Yours truly,
 
When I take notes at the game, I do not copy names, only jersey
numbers. When writing up the post, I refer to each school's
webpage to get names matched to jersey numbers. I cannot
find an 1997-98 roster for Colgate so I am using the 96-97
roster. I am assuming that all underclassmen from last year
have returned and are wearing the same number.  If
I've made mistakes on names, I apologize and invite corrections.
 
 RPI, coming off a tough 1-0 loss at St. Lawrence and an embarassing
11-0 blowout at Clarkson returned home this weekend to try to get
their season back on track against Colgate and Cornell. Shortly after
the game started, it became obvious that this was going to be a
typical Colgate-RPI game with a lot of hard physical play, cheap hits
and nasty stickwork on the part of both teams.  There has been bad
blood between Colgate and RPI going back to my college days in the
late 60's and tonight was no exception.
 
RPI got on the board first at 2:42 of the 1st period on a goal by
Mark Murphy with assists to Patrick Brownlee and Steve Caley.
The first period ended with RPI up 1-0 but Colgate outplayed RPI for
almost the entire period. The Red Raider forwards were far
faster than RPI defensemen skating around them consistently. How
RPI kept Colgate off the board that period, I'll never figure out.
RPI would take decent shots at Brenzavich in the goal who would give
up dangerous rebounds. But before the RPI forwards could capitalize,
the Colgate defense would pick up the puck in the slot, move it to a
forward who would catch another forward moving out to center ice and
the RPI defensemen would be caught on a 2 on1 or 3 on 2 consistently.
It would have been beautiful to watch if I wasn't a fan of the other
team .
Penalties:
 1:19  Colgate  - Bob Mara  slashing
 2:28  RPI              - Doug Battaglia interference
 7:17  Colgate  - Bill Baaki interference
 7:17  RPI              - Alaine St. Hillaire high sticking
12:50 RPI               - Pete Gardiner hooking
16:13 RPI               - Eric Healey roughing
 
saves Laing(RPI) 10    Brenzavich(Colgate) 11
 
 
2nd period:
Colgate tied the score at 4:58 on a goal by Bill Baaki on an assist
from Mike O'Malley. A second assist should have been awarded to
Harry Ammian on this one. An RPI defensemen (Chris Aldous, I
believe) was back in his zone in good position to prevent this shot.
A Colgate defenseman clearly held Aldous' stick and kept him out of
the play allowing Baaki to come in alone against Laing and beat him.
This took place directly in front of me and should clearly have been
a holding the stick call.  I am not saying that this goal would have
made a difference in the final outcome. Colgate clearly outplayed RPI
for the first 2 periods of this game. However, the only thing worse
than seeing a referree making a bad call (or not making a call when
he should) is seeing it happen and leading directly to a goal. The
game should be decided by the players, not the referree. Colgate went
up 2-1 at 18:22 of the 2nd on a goal by Andy McDonald standing just
outside the crease and deflecting in a beautiful pass from Dan
Wildfong who had 3 Engineers all over him and still managed to get
the pass in front. A second assist was awarded to Rob Mara.
Penalties:
 1:33  Colgate  - #7  charging
 7:24  RPI              - Eric Healey  interference
16:06 RPI               - Matt Garver roughing
16:06 RPI               - Eric Healey roughing
16:06 Colgate   - Tim Loftsguard roughing
16:06 Colgate   - Dan Brenzavich roughing
16:40 RPI               - Brad Tapper slashing
16:40 Colgate   - Mike Marostega slashing
18:57 Colgate  - Rob Mara slashing
 
save  Laing(RPI) 12     Brenzavich(Colgate(12)
 
3rd period
 
RPI finally showed up for the 3rd period but Dan Brenzavich buckled
down covered up the rebounds he had been scattering for the first
two periods. IMHO, RPI outplayed Colgate in the 3rd period but just
couldn't get the tying goal. RPI All-American Eric Healey, who had
(uncharacteristically) taken 3 penalties  during the 1st two period,
found himself with the puck in the slot with Brenzavich down in the
crease and was unable to lift the puck over him. Later in the period,
Healey would have another shot from the high slot, would beat
Brenzavich and bounce it off the cross bar. At 10:02 of the 3rd, a
bank of lights went out in the Field House causing a 15 minute delay
in an already agonizing, long night. Referree Harry Ammian stopped
play (one of the few good calls he made all night) while RPI asked
the age-old question, how many Engineers does it take to change a
light bulb.;-) (Sorry, it's late and I'm getting tired)    .  Colgate
went up 3-1 at 12:30 on a goal by Mike Marostega from Mike O'Malley
and Sean Nolan.
RPI almost cut the lead to 3-2 at the 17:00 mark but the goal was
waved off by dear old Harry Ammian who ruled that the puck had gone
in after the whistle had blown (which was true). Of course, it was
Harry who had blown the puck dead when it was still in play. He was
standing 6 feet away from the net and lost sight of the puck while it
was in plain view of everybody else in the building. RPI finally cut
the lead to 3-2 at 17:31 on a goal deflected in by Eric healey on
a shot from Mark Murphy on the point. An assist was also given to
Matt Garver.   RPI took a timeout at 18:48 and pulled Laing and had
several chances to tie in the final 2 minutes but Colgate sealed the
game with an empty net goal at 19:20 by Andy McDonald.
 
Penalties:
 0:35  Colgate  - Dan Wildfong slashing
 7:35  Colgate  - Sean Nolan holding
13:03 RPI               - Doug Battaglia boarding
16:35 Colgate   - Andy  McDonald high sticking
 
saves   Laing (RPI) 6    Brenzavich(Colgate) 24
 
 
Pardon  my ranting. It's late and perhaps I should have waited until
morning to post. Needless to say, I've had it up to here with Harry
Ammian. Overall, I was very unimpressed with RPI's play tonight. I
was hoping to see a return of the explosive  offense visible against
Dartmouth and Vermont. It never appeared. I was waiting for the
speed RPI showed last year and led to pre-season predictions of RPI
glory. It wasn't there.  I was impressed by the defensive pairing of
Chris Aldous and Jared Reigstad who kept RPI in the game for the 1st
2 periods. I was also very impressed by the Colgate defense who
consistently cleared rebounds and led breakouts leading to numerous
odd man rushes. I was amazed at the speed of Colgate's forwards.
Colgate has never had the reputation of speed but that has obviously
changed this year.
 
Tomorrow night (tonight actually), I anxiously await Cornell who got
beat 4-2 by Union in Schenectady.
 
Mark Lewin
RPI - class of 1969
(this signature is now year 2000 compliant)
 
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