On Sunday, the RPI men’s soccer team completed its run for the ECAC Tournament Championship with a 2-1 victory over Union College. The men defeated first-seeded SUNY Oneonta in the opening round of the tournament 2-0, and then toppled St. John Fisher College in the semifinals 2-0 as well. The win over Union marked the second time Rensselaer took home the crown in the last three years—the last time was 2005—and Head Coach Adam Clinton and company finished the year with a record of 10-6-4.
The first half was a hard-fought battle, but neither team was able to put any points on the board. The Red Hawks were outshot 7-3 in the frame, but tied the Dutchmen in corner kicks, 2-2, and committed one less foul—four compared to Union’s five.
In the second half, the intensity picked up midway through the frame. RPI got on the board first off a corner kick opportunity at the 75:38 mark. Senior Aaron Gundle launched the ball into play where sophomore Lincoln Field corralled it amidst a crowd, and blasted a low shot past Dutchmen goalie Rob Kramer to give Rensselaer a 1-0 lead.
Senior Gary Sroka, who was the Liberty League’s Player of the Year, padded the Red Hawk lead to 2-0 at the 83:15 mark. Sroka made his way along the right sideline and advanced the ball to Gundle. Gundle then made a pass which ended up being an assist back to Sroka who fired the shot past Kramer for the goal.
Union narrowed the gap at the 84:34 mark. The Rensselaer men were unable to control the ball, and it made its way back into their own net for an own goal, making it a 2-1 ballgame. That would be the final score at the end of regulation as RPI held on for the victory and the title.
On the day, the Red Hawks were behind in shots 17-13 as well as corner kicks 5-4, but overcame all that by capitalizing on their own opportunities en route to the win. Freshman Alex Penny made four saves in goal for RPI, while Kramer made five for the Dutchmen.
Swimming & Diving
The RPI men’s and women’s swimming & diving teams competed in a dual-meet with Vassar College on Saturday. Both of Rensselaer’s teams came away victorious, with the men winning 166.5-109.5 and the women winning 185-108.
While many men’s swimmers won individual events over the course of the day, the Red Hawks were paced by two performers who won multiple events. Senior Kevin Sheridan won both the 200-meter butterfly and the 100-meter freestyle events with times of 2:04.75 and 49.72, respectively. Junior Steve Hall also won two events. He took home the 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 1:02.89 in addition to the 200-meter breastroke—where he swam a 2:21.57.
Junior Matthew Culen also had a superb, as well as record-setting, day. He broke the school and Robison Pool record in the 1-meter diving event, earning 295.95 points. The mark had previously been held by graduated RPI star Greg Derevianko who had posted a score of 286.28. Culen also won the 3-meter diving event, scoring 265.13 points.
Sophomore Aimee Catroppa was the catalyst for RPI’s women’s team as she emerged victorious in three different events. She won the 200-meter butterfly, the 200-meter breaststroke, and the 100-meter butterfly with times of 2:15.94, 2:31.64, and 1:02.61, respectively. Catroppa also helped the 200-meter medley relay team to a victory, combining with three others for a time of 1:56.44.
The Rensselaer men are now 3-1 on the season, while the women are now 2-2. Both teams are off until November 30, when they will participate in the Liberty League Championships, a two-day event.
