One-goal games are becoming the norm for the Rensselaer men’s lacrosse team.
The Red Hawks had found themselves in three one-goal games this season prior to this week. They lost all three. RPI, however, finally reversed that trend with an 11-10 Liberty League overtime win against Hamilton in Clinton, N.Y., on Saturday.
“You never get comfortable in those games,” Rensselaer Head Coach Tom Korrie said of RPI’s flair for the dramatic. “Comfortable is sitting back on your couch watching television. I think we have finally become more conscious of what it takes to be successful in tight games.”
While Rensselaer currently sits atop the Liberty League with a 2-0 mark, RPI’s overall record is still under .500 after the Red Hawks lost another close game to Ithaca on the road 11-8 last Wednesday.
Offensive efficiency was the key to the Red Hawks’ triumph over the previously undefeated Continentals. RPI’s 11 goals came on just 23 shots, and Rensselaer found the back five times on seven shots in the second period. Hamilton scored its 10 goals on 29 shots, and also tallied five goals in the second quarter on 11 shots.
“The goalies were pulling the ball out of the net more than stopping the ball,” Korrie said. “Both teams were getting quality scoring opportunities and making the most of them.”
The first half was more a compilation of runs by each team than a pull-and-tug affair. Hamilton opened the game scoring the first two goals before RPI took the lead on a 3-0 run of its own to end the first quarter.
Hamilton got the first in the second before Rensselaer rattled off another three straight goals. The Continentals, however, responded by netting four consecutive goals to take the lead 7-6.
With less than 30 seconds left in the half, Hamilton looked to be taking the lead to halftime, but the Rensselaer attack had other ideas. With just 10 seconds remaining, sophomore Mike Sampson made a great individual move to tie the score seven-all, and just six seconds later Sampson found an open Adam LoGiudice who fired a laser past Hamilton goaltender Ethan Shoemaker giving RPI the one-goal lead at halftime.
The scoring slowed substantially in the second half as both team combined for just six scores in the entire second half and overtime. Both teams took a very conservative defensive approach, consolidating their defenses within five to 15 yards around their respective nets.
“We put a quicker unit out in front of [RPI goaltender, junior] Ryan [Michels],” Korrie said. “We were making too many mental errors out there.”
Poor decisions on defense and with the ball plagued Rensselaer all day. Despite winning 70 percent of the face-offs RPI was still out shot 29-23. The reason: the Red Hawks turned the ball over 29 times, a number Korrie said was flat out unacceptable.
The mental miscues allowed Hamilton to claw their way in front 10-9 off Clark Winter’s goal with just 4:05 remaining. The Red Hawks, however, did not panic and their patience paid dividends.
After winning the ensuing face-off, freshman midfielder Josh Secora notched the equalizer less than 45 seconds later. Michels, who finished with 12 saves, was solid in net, making several huge saves over the last three minutes of the fourth quarter and first three minutes of overtime.
Michels’ heroics gave the RPI offense and LoGiudice the chance to deliver some of their own. The Rensselaer senior, who finished the game with three goals and an assist, broke free after a handful of moves and completed a great individual effort with a shot past a sprawling Winter.
Sampson, who was recently moved to the attack line, had an excellent game with a goal and an assist.
“We knew Mike had something to add to our offense,” Korrie said. “We just had to find the right spot for him.”
Secora and sophomores PJ McComb and Alex MacDiarmid each added two goals apiece to pace the Rensselaer offense.
The Hamilton game was strikingly similar to Rensselaer’s battle with Ithaca College last Wednesday, only with a different result. The Red Hawks were again proficient on offense in the first half, getting out to a 6-3 halftime lead, but struggled down the stretch, eventually falling 11-8.
RPI managed just two goals in the entire second half, and was outshot and committed more turnovers than the Bombers. The game remained close, but Ithaca blew the game open when the Red Hawks went to their press defense. Ithaca flattened them, scoring three goals in the last five minutes.
Senior Chris Sherman and LoGiudice led RPI with three goals apiece, but received only sporadic help from their teammates offensively. MacDiarmid and Briggs Thompson added one goal each for Rensselaer.
Next week, RPI will only have one game against a very good Connecticut College team on Saturday at 2 pm on Harkness Field. The contest will conclude a difficult pre-league schedule that saw RPI win just two of eight games. Korrie, however, feels the tough teams RPI faced will aid the Red Hawks as they enter the heart of conference play.
“Playing a tough schedule can really expose your weaknesses,” Korrie said. “The [Western New England College] game really did that for us early. We have learned everything from these losses.”
