SOPHOMORE MIDFIELDER PAT HOGAN RUNS downfield in the game versus Vassar on March 22.On Saturday, April 19, RPI lacrosse hosted St. Lawrence. Both teams came into the game recognizing the playoff implications that it held with RPI being ranked third in the league and St. Lawrence fourth. The Engineers, having lost their last two Liberty League matchups, were looking for a win to solidify themselves as the third seed in the Liberty League tournament.
The Saints started off the game with intense emotion that RPI wasn’t able to match. St. Lawrence produced the first five goals of the game. RPI finally showed a spark of emotion and resilience when freshman attackman Matt Hall found junior midfielder Casey Colligan to score the first goal for the Engineers. The Institute was completely outmatched in the first half as the Saint, produced 16 shots on goal while RPI only mustered three.
RPI, recognizing their lack of emotion in the first quarter, came out firing in the second. The Engineers wasted no time scoring a minute and a half into the quarter from sophomore midfielder Pat Hogon, to make the score 5-2 Saints. However, St. Lawrence came back and silenced the RPI bleachers scoring only 20 seconds after the Institute’s goal. The Engineers were not about to back down as they produced two goals in the next minute of play from junior attackman Scott Crow and sophomore attackman Patrick Finn, to make the score RPI 4, Saints 6. St. Lawrence’s coach, witnessing the sudden change in momentum, called a strategic timeout in order to prevent any more scoring opportunities for the Institute. The timeout proved to be a good strategic move for six minutes until RPI freshman attackman Breanainn McNeally found the back of the net. RPI was finally able to bring the score within one goal until, with two minutes left in the half, the Saints snuck one by senior goalie and captain Alex Castronovo, to make the score RPI 5, St. Lawrence 7. Although the Institute did not score the last goal of the half, they went into the locker room fired up as they were able to shrink the deficit to only two goals.
The third quarter produced minimal action as both teams came out with such intense emotion and drive that they canceled each other out. However, five minutes into the quarter Finn found the back of the net to bring RPI within one goal. Sadly, the only other goal of the quarter came from St. Lawrence making the Engineers, once again, down two goals.
The Institute came out in the fourth quarter with a level of intensity that the Saints were unable to match. RPI seemed unstoppable as they produced five goals while the Saints failed to score in the first 10 minutes of play. This influx of goals gave the Engineers their first lead of the game, 11-8. St. Lawrence, seeing the game slipping out of their hands, came back on the offensive, scoring two more goals. But, this wasn’t enough as Rensselaer ended the game with a victory.
With this win, RPI solidifies themselves as the third seed in the Liberty League tournament. They will most likely face Union College—a team that they can beat—in the first round of the playoffs. The Engineers have two games remaining in the season before they begin Liberty League play. They travel to face Bard College on April 23, and then will be home for their season finale against Drew University.