Finally, I'm back on the list.  It's great to be able to once again
follow college hockey with the most erudite fans in the
country, make that follow any hockey.  Anyway...
 
RPI for the second game in a row pulls out a win with under a
minute remaining in the final stanza.   Actually this was one of those games
where the score doesn't really typify the action.  The Engineers totally
dominated for the first 38 minutes, only to let Union make a contest of it.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The first period was all-Engineers.  The first power play of
the night when to the Dutchman, who failed to get off a single
shot.  The Engineer defense was simply overpowering.  The
entire period seemed to be played in the Union end with the Engineer
defensemen adminstered hip checks to the Union forwards, and the forwards
taking the Union defensemen intthe boards.  At 7:38 RPI socred the first goal
as Jeff Brick scored on a play I didn't see too well.  Brian Richardson and
Jeff Perrardi were awarded assists on the play.  That was the end of the
scoring for the period, but the RPI forecheck continued to give Union fits in
its own end.
 
The second period saw more  of the same, with the Engineers
crushing the Union forwards against the boards, and generally taking control
of play.  At the 8:26 mark Patrick Rochon sent a
screamer from just inside the blue line that literally clanged off the back
of the net.  Nothing but a blur from the time he shot it.  I doubt goaltender
Mike Gallant ever caught sight of it.
Hamelin and Tapper both assisted on the play.  New star forward Chris Maye,
formerly a resident of the bench in the Buddy-era, sparkled throuhout the
period.  At about the 4:00 mark Maye suddenly found h
imself on a breakaway during
 
 
 
 
 a Union power play.  Maye failed to convert however.
 
RPI seemed to be cruising  with a 2-0 lead until Union struck suddenly at
18:52.  Monteith scored for Union after a
Union
 skater (Ford I believe) put a burst of speed on down the right side and
around the back of the net.  The puck went to the front and Ford shot it past
a helpless Mike Tamburror.  Ford and Stevens both awarded assists on the
play.  The first goal opened a floodgate and the same trio scored the second
Union goal only 10 seconds later.  I couldn't see exactly what happened, only
that the puck went to the front of the net, and it looked like Monteith shot
it through Tamburro's legs.  Actually not a very pretty play by Tamburro, who
until that point had been outstanding.  Immediately after the seond Union
goal RPI took another penalty, but the period ended mercifully before Union
could capitalize further.
 
The third period opened with Union continuing the onslaught.  RPI's shaky
play was rewarded with the third Union goal at 3:56.  The RPI defense failed
to clear the puck from the front of the net and Ford alertly shot it in, with
Boyd receiving an assist.  Suddenly RPI was on the short end of a game which
until very recently it had utterly donminated.  The Engineers responded at
the 6:14  mark with freshman Eric Healy deflected an Adam Bartel point shot
past Mike Gallant.  O'Connor also received the assist.  From this point on
the pace
continued to acclerate with both teams getting good scoring opportunities.
 At 13:15 Union clanged the crossbar, just missing their fourth goal.  Union
seemed to be gaining strength as the game wound down with the Engineers
looking tired.  Yet lightning struck at the 19:19 mark with Jeff Matthews
shooting the puck into the net from a group standing in front of Gallant.
 Hamelin assisted on the game winner.  A jubiliant RPI crowd left the
Fieldhouse with the Engineers going to 5-0 in ECAC play, and if Harvard beats
Brown, first place.
 
Two quick observations.  Dan Fridgen's more defense-oriented system seems to
be reaping dividends.  The Engineers seem to be playing a much stronger
defensive game overall than the Buddy years.  The RPI defensemen seem to
drape themselves around the opposing forwards, with Tamburro facing fewer
quality shots than in the previous regime.  Also,  Brian Richardson saw his
goal-scoring streak stopped.  I wonder if he was injured in the beginning of
the third period, because he only saw spotty duty thereafter.  All-in-all
though, it was a very satisfying night.  While the Engineers haven't seen
much success against Hockey East, they have established themselves
as the beast in the East(CAC).  Sorry.
 
Brian Morris                 Go RPI!  Go Colgate!
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I will eventually learn how to work this word processor.