As previously noted...
 
RPI/Clarkson 2/5/94
Since I now have mail.  No comment on the winning RPI goal since my vantage
point precluded any clear view of the events.  I saw Askew slap the shot home
from the left of the goal and was surprised that the goalie missed it.  Then I
noticed the goalie wasn't standing up.  According to the T-U Pasco says he was
merely trying to get his stick out to catch the pass when the Clarkson
defensemen pushed him into Curry.  At the time I thought it was a goal from
God.  Of course it could also have been payback for the horrendous penalty
called on Cuthbert previously.
 
First Period
Clarkson gets on the board first at 4:36 on a power play.  Conroy parks to the
left of Little and waits for Little to go down.  Little obliges and he flips it
up and over the prone Little.  Not the best play by Little.
 
At 12:05 RPI responds with Clarke sending in a rebound from Ron Pasco's shot.
Majic also gets an assist.
 
At 10:30 Brian Richardson put on his one-man wrecking crew show and takes the
puck from in-front of Little, skates down the middle through center ice,
and fakes and spins past an assortment of Clarkson skaters.  He then pulls
the trigger which Curry blocks, but the rebound comes out front to Regan
who finishes it off.  Brick also gets an assist.  Richardson in my mind is the
one RPI player who is at a higher level.  He has the ability to take a game
into his own hands and force the outcome.
 
At 13:37 RPI mounts heavy pressure in front of Curry getting off 3 shots, with
the third trickling into the net.  That goal however was waved off for a man-
in-the-crease.  I thought it was an excellent call with no need for discussion.
No further scoring the rest of the period, which included an early intermission
when the ice cracked around the RPI net.  Play resumed with 2 minutes remaining
and continued directly into the Second Period.
 
Second Period
RPI lengthens its lead to 3-1 with a PPG at 3:19.  Clarke takes a great pass
from Hamelin and scores from the glove side of Curry.  Pasco also with an
assist.  5:52 Rochon is called for holding and Clarkson goes out on a power
play.  At 6:59 Conroy shoots a very quick wrist shot which stunned Little and
most of the crowd.  A very impressive score with Mueller and Tuominanen
receiving assists.
 
The remainder of the period goes scoreless with RPI and Clarkson trading power
plays.  RPI's revitalized power play is impressive, but can't score.  Their
penalty kill is not so impressive, but Clarkson doesn't score either.
 
Third Period
For the first 7 minutes the third is humdrum.  RPI tries to play Johnny-bar-the
door but shows it doesn't have the defensive muscle to pull it off.  Bartel
did not suit up for Saturday, but Pirrong returned and played one of his better
games.  But the only d with size and the ability to finish off checks is
Layzell, and Buddy tried to save him as much as he could for the finish.  With
Layzell on the bench SLU suddenly seizes a 3 on 1.  I still don't understand
how it happened, but the result was de Ruiter sliding the puck past Little,
who seemed to have misread the shot.  Robitaille and Mueller receive assists.
 
At 10:75 SLU again roars down ice on a breakaway.  This time Cuthbert manages
to get back and dive at the puck to dislodge the puck off the stick of the
streaking Golden Knight.  (I make no apologies for not having the correct since
Clarkson refuses to put names on their jerseys.)   But the official instead
calls Cuthburt for a trip, an altogether AWFUL call.
 
The official miscue however seems to wake RPI up.  They kill off the penalty
and immediately thereafter score at 12:47.  Ron Pasco shoots from in front with
Askew there to re-direct it past Curry.  The return of Askew from Friday
night's banishment proves invaluable, as he scores the final two RPI goals.
On the play Pirrong gets an assist.
 
While RPI will play the remainder of the period with strong positional play,
their defense is unable to prevent the tying Clarkson score.  At 16:52
Robitaille sneaks down the left side of the RPI zone and beats Little with a
low wrister on the glove side.  DeRuiter and Henrich are awarded assists.
From my vantage point near where the puck was shot, it didn't look like a
terrifically difficult shot.  IMO Little was not at his best the entire
weekend.
 
At 18:33 the climatic event takes place with Askew saving the Engineers from
a complete wash-out in the standings.
 
All in all the weekend sees RPI playing good offensive hockey, but lackluster
defense.  Instead of cruising through a supposedly easy four point weekend, the
Engineers barely emerge with two, as their trouble with the less-than-elite
teams continues.
                    _
            "NYS   // Hockey"
        Go 'Gate  //   Brian Morris
          Go RPI //      Albany, NY
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