The men’s lacrosse team continued to dominate UCAA play as they racked up another two wins over the weekend.
In the opening contest, the Red Hawks played host to area rival Skidmore. The Thoroughbreds jumped on top with a goal by Attacker Jonas Jeswald 2:50 into the first quarter. Following this, Rensselaer responded with 3 goals to end the quarter and added another 2 at the start of the second to complete a 5-0 run.
Skidmore did manage a goal to end their scoring drought, but the Red Hawks rolled off another 4 in a row, and it seemed that a blowout was in the works. Somehow, the Thoroughbreds managed to rally at the end of the second to score 3 of the last 4 goals, making it a 10-4 RPI lead at the half.
The third quarter would see Rensselaer add 3 more goals when Midfielder Dave Perlman, Attacker Ben Terzulli, and Midfielder Kevin ten Brinke each found the back of the net, while the defense shut down the Skidmore attack. The Thoroughbreds third quarter goose egg gave the Red Hawks a 13-4 advantage heading to the fourth.
The spread proved to be too much for Skidmore to overcome in the last quarter, the final tally 17-9.
Attackers Ben Terzulli, Tom Terzulli, and Midfielder Rich Mokay each had 3 goals, while Perlman and Attacker John Boxberger each had 2.
On Saturday, the Red Hawks hosted archrival Union College on Harkness Field. Rensselaer came out strong and shut out their opponents in the first quarter, while posting 3 goals of their own.
The scoring streak continued into the second quarter as the Red Hawks built a 7-0 lead before the Dutchmen managed to get on the board. During the run, Ben Terzulli scored 3 goals, while Tom Terzulli had a goal and three assists.
At the intermission, the scoreboard showed the Red Hawks leading 8-2.
In the third quarter, Union had picked up another goal, as they managed to outscore the Red Hawks 3-2, cutting the lead to 10-5.
In the fourth, after Union cut the lead to 10-6, Rensselaer proceeded to reel off three unanswered goals to make the final 13-6.
Tom Terzulli finished with 3 goals and six assists, while Ben Terzulli turned in 4 goals and an assist to lead the way. Rookie Attacker Lucas Ruglis finished with 3 goals and an assist on his way to earning UCAA Rookie of the Week honors.
In addition to Ruglis, Goalie Matt Moog picked up UCAA Goaltender of the Week as he stopped 37 of 52 shots on the weekend. RPI completed a sweep of the UCAA awards as Tom Terzulli picked up UCAA Player of the Week honors.
The two weekend wins upped the Red Hawks’ record to 5-2 (3-0 in the UCAA). The team also held steady at No. 11 in the national rankings.
The big-league test should come next weekend when the Red Hawks travel to the North Country to take on St. Lawrence and Clarkson. Both teams have been receiving votes in the national poll and may present the biggest road block to the Red Hawks’ quest to lock up the UCAA title and the automatic NCAA bid that goes along with it.
