Rensselaer got off on the right foot, and started the goal-scoring action with a bang. At the 13:29 mark, sophomore Sean Fleury finished a leaping header, putting the ball just inside the post for what Head Coach Adam Clinton called “just a fantastic goal.” Senior Gary Sroka assisted on the play, sending the ball to Fleury on a cross.

While the Red Hawks played very well in the first half, they made one mistake late in the first half that cost them the lead. Freshman Matt Johnson received a pass from teammate Mike Vitone, and blasted a shot past Rensselaer senior goalie Jeff Krywancyzk from 18 yards out. The game would remain tied 1-1 headed into halftime.

In the second half, Keene State had better opportunities to score, and outshot RPI 7-1 for the half. Yet at the end of regulation, the stalemate continued. Two overtime periods would not be enough to decide a victor either, as the game ended in a 1-1 tie.

On the day, the Owls outshot the Red Hawks 18-11, and held a 4-2 advantage in corner kicks. Krywanczyk made eight saves for Rensselaer, while Scott Panone made two for Keene State.

Clinton would say of the game, “Keene State was a very explosive team, and ultimately I feel it was a fair result. In the long run, for us to battle a quality team like that and compete throughout shows how our team is getting better and better.”

He also commented on the Owls’ late goal in the first half saying, “It was one mistake, and is something that has been an issue for us. We tend to give up untimely goals by our mistakes rather than the opponent beating us. But it’s something that we are working on, and we will get better.”

On Saturday, the Rensselaer men bounced back with an impressive performance over Vassar in a Liberty League game. At the 18:38 mark, Sroka beat Brewers goalie Jason Cetal with a low line drive from 18 yards out on a pass from classmate Aaron Gundle to give RPI the early 1-0 lead.

Play would remain evenly matched throughout the remainder of the first half, with the Red Hawks holding an 8-7 advantage in shot attempts and a 1-0 advantage in corner kicks. Headed into the break, the Red Hawks would remain on top by the slim margin.

In the second half, Sroka was at it again, scoring at the 66:09 mark. This one came from 20 yards as he fired a shot into the upper right-hand corner of the net for his seventh goal of the season, adding to RPI’s lead, now 2-0.

Later in the half, Gundle tallied another assist, crossing a ball into a crowd that made its way to freshman Benjamin Poser, who was able to find the net for the goal and make it a 3-0 ball game, which would be the final score.

On the day, the Red Hawks outshot the Brewers 22-10 and held a 5-1 advantage in corner kicks. Cetal made eight stops for Vassar, while freshman Alex Penny made four saves for Rensselaer.

“It was a must win for us,” said Clinton. He would add, “[Sroka] has been out of this world, and we’re going to keep feeding him the ball. However, he is going to get more attention so other players will need to step up.”

With four games left on the schedule and its record standing at 6-4-3, RPI controls its own destiny. Clinton feels his team is in a good spot, and can make a run for the Liberty League Tournament. “We need to cut down on turnovers, and make it a possession game. We need to defend as 10—when we do that we are really good.” On what he needs to prepare his men properly, he stated that, “Focusing on our strengths will be important, and we need to exploit our opponent’s weaknesses, and that depends on me.”