Hamilton and Hobart, however, were the ones that remembered their brooms, as the Continentals defeated the Red Hawks 3-1 Friday night in Clinton, N.Y., while the Statesmen knocked off RPI 2-1 Saturday in Geneva, N.Y, effectively ending Rensselaer’s hopes at a Liberty League playoff berth.

“It was obviously a disappointing weekend,” fourth-year Head Coach Adam Clinton said after the games. “We were clearly in both games, but weren’t able to get the results we wanted.”

Despite desperately fighting for their playoff lives, Rensselaer was again plagued by crucial defensive mistakes and a lack of goal-scoring that has clipped the Red Hawks all season.

Hamilton, also fighting for a spot in the conference playoffs, was able to capitalize on the Rensselaer miscues. In the game’s 28th minute, Hamilton’s Greg Rogan gave the Continentals a 1-0 lead after he slipped behind an RPI defender. He repeated the process just four minutes into the second half, this time beating sophomore goaltender John Thibdeau off a throw in.

“We let a guy slip behind us and then failed to cover the back post,” Clinton said of Hamilton’s first score. “It was similar to a lot of goals we had given up all season.”

Zach Kelly’s header at the game’s 76-minute mark found the net after being mishandled by Thibdeau, and virtually ended any chance of a Rensselaer comeback. The Red Hawks’ Gary Sroka would score RPI’s only goal just over a minute later.

The game determined the postseason fate of both teams. The win secured a conference playoff berth for the Continentals while RPI was forced to accept the grim reality of an early offseason.

“Last year, the breaks went our way,” Clinton said of the 2004 Red Hawks’ run to the postseason. “This year it was the exact opposite. Some of it was our doing, but the other half was just straight bad luck.”

Despite playing merely for pride and with horrendous field conditions, the Red Hawks came out fired up against Hobart. Senior forward Craig DiDomenico got Rensselaer on board early, finishing a beautiful pass from sophomore midfielder Kevin Grammar 36 minutes into the contest.

The early goal was crucial as conditions worsened, making the field nearly unplayable.

“The conditions were absolutely rotten,” Clinton said, as standing water and ripped sod quickly covered Hobart’s Love Field. “No one was playing soccer out there. Both teams were merely trying to survive. It was a complete scramble.”

With passes refusing to go more than 20 yards, RPI dug in to hold their slight lead and perhaps salvage a chance at an ECAC Tournament bid.

Hobart, despite being a man down after Devin Wilder received his second yellow card, battled through the conditions. The Statesmen got their first goal from Tyler Webster off a free kick just outside the box at the 65-minute mark. The kick was the result of RPI senior backer Joe Johnson hitting teammate junior backer Dave Roberge in the head with an attempted clear. Roberge was injured on the play, forcing the dead ball and the freebie for Hobart.

With the score 1-1 and the slop on the field getting worse, it was only a matter of time before lady luck emerged again, and in 2005 that had only negative connotations for the Red Hawks.

Tucker Crockett delivered the game winner with just ten minutes left in the match off an assist from Micke Subotowicz, who also assisted on Webster’s goal.

“I think after we went a man up we took our foot off the gas,” Clinton said. “With the conditions it quickly became a slugfest out there.”

Hobart won the heavyweight fight by firing 16 shots at Thibdeau compared to RPI’s eight.

Rensselaer now awaits its final game of the season against Elmira College, Saturday at 3 pm on Harkness Field. The team’s six seniors—Johnson, DiDomenico, Ed Sellitto, Lot Serebour, Kris Zanotto, and Stefano Benissone—will all be honored in the game.