The Red Hawks had a brief moment in the sun last week, winning their first game of the season at New Paltz on October 3 before falling Tuesday to Keuka in their home opener by a score of 3-1.
Mike Greco, a junior midfielder, was once again the offensive catalyst for the Red Hawks against New Paltz, scoring two goals and assisting on a third as RPI blanked the Hawks, 3-0.
The match was fairly even for the first 25 minutes, with neither team generating many scoring opportunities. Then Greco fed sophomore Erik Jones for the Red Hawks’ third goal of the year, giving RPI a 1-0 halftime lead.
Rensselaer came out hot at the start of the second half, and converted that energy into a quick goal—Greco scored just 25 seconds into the period on a Chris Bohren pass. This was a crucial goal that maintained the Red Hawks’ momentum and kept New Paltz on the ropes.
Greco then put the game away with 20 minutes left in the contest, putting a Nick Ruggio pass through the posts to give RPI a nigh-insurmountable three-goal lead.
In a reversal from previous matches, RPI’s shooting was very accurate in this game, scoring three times on just seven shots—these three goals exceeded the team’s scoring for all previous games this season.
Marc Salmin recorded his first shutout of the season in goal for the Red Hawks; he needed to make only three saves.
Head Coach Aldo Nardiello said that he and his team were "elated" to notch a victory.
"We have not played poorly [this season]," he said. The difference in this game was that the Red Hawks were able to avoid the bad breaks that have dogged them this season.
"This is the best 1-6 team I’ve ever been associated with," he said. He hoped the team would be able to maintain that energy in Tuesday’s match, their first home game of the year.
Unfortunately, the Storm proved to be aptly named, striking twice in rapid succession to open the match and giving Keuka a lead that the Red Hawks were unable to overcome.
After the initial attack, the Rensselaer defense tightened, letting Keuka in only once more, late in the first half.
The Red Hawks attempted to rally in the second half, as sophomore Joseph Tarpill put RPI on the board with a quick goal to start the period, and the defense shut out the Storm for the entire 45 minutes.
However, the team’s offense woes reasserted themselves after Tarpill’s goal—despite several opportunities, the Red Hawks were unable to find the back of the net after that, and they went down in defeat once again.
The team’s record now stands at 1-7, and 0-3 in the UCAA. Nardiello said that the team’s goal at this point is to claw its way up to a .500 record. The Red Hawks have seven games remaining on the schedule, including four conference opponents. Their next match is at home against Skidmore on Friday.
