Most of Rensselaer’s athletic teams participate in the Liberty League rather than the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Big East, or any other high profile NCAA conference, and play on smaller-scaled campus facilities rather than giant stadiums that are capable of housing thousands of fans. However, the Engineers and Red Hawks can still provide a great deal of entertainment for sports fans and school enthusiasts. As many of our individual sports teams continue to attain success—just as the football and men’s soccer teams currently are—students should try to make it out to games, show some school spirit, and cheer on their classmates.
The men’s soccer team, while finishing the regular season with a record of 8-6-4, played well enough to earn a spot in the ECAC tournament, grabbing the eighth seed and a first-round match-up against top-ranked Oneonta State.
In the tournament, though, Rensselaer took down the Oneonta Red Dragons 2-0 and advanced to the semi-finals versus St. John Fisher College. Rallying off its newfound momentum, RPI again pulled off a victory, defeating the Cardinals, and found themselves in the championship against Union College where the Red Hawks won the championship 2-1 over the Dutchmen. This was the second time in three years that Rensselaer has won the ECAC title.
While the Red Hawks had supporters who followed them all season, perhaps many on campus were unaware of how well the team had been playing recently, or the opportunity that it was given in making a run for the title. As a result, far fewer were at the game than perhaps should or could have been.
RPI students, though, have another chance to witness a fine display of athletics when the football team, which has garnered the regional fourth seed in the NCAA Tournament, will host The College of New Jersey—the sixth seed—on Saturday at 12 pm.
The Engineers, after defeating Union 20-14 on Saturday, won the Liberty League title outright, and received an automatic bid to the 32-team tournament. Rensselaer is now 8-1 on the year. The TCNJ Lions, who also won their league, the New Jersey Athletic Conference, are 8-2.
Rensselaer last participated in the NCAA Tournament in 2003, and has been there four times in school history. That year they made it to the national semi-finals, but ultimately lost. This is another chance to make history and get RPI a little more recognition as an up-and-coming school in the process.
So while the soccer team’s season is over and many did not witness its great achievement, this is another chance for students to support Rensselaer athletics and watch some great games. This isn’t a call to root just for the football team, or any other one individual sport. Our teams deserve just as much fan backing as any other program around the nation, so why not try and make it out to the games?
