The frustration was evident in Rensselaer Head Coach Tom Korrie’s eyes, and the disappointment resonated in his voice after the men’s lacrosse team failed to show up on Harkness Field Saturday, losing RPI’s inaugural meeting with the Connecticut College Camels, 9-6.
“If you’re not ready at the whistle, nothing else really matters,” Korrie said, referring to his team’s lackadaisical approach in the first half. RPI allowed the Camels—the NESCAC champions for three straight years—to jump out to a 5-1 lead after giving up four consecutive goals in just eight minutes, which spanned the end of the first and start of the second quarters. Connecticut’s Jesse Stevenson scored two of his game-high three goals during the Camels’ run.
“We did not start with the intensity we needed,” Korrie said. “We picked it up, but by that point Connecticut had a foot-lock on the game. It’s tough to play catch-up when you play a zone defense.”
Losing 13 of 16 face-offs, including all five in what proved to be the deciding second period, didn’t help either. Alex Scaripanti was sensational on the ‘X’ for Connecticut, but he also got a lot of help from his wingers.
“We have to find ways to generate more possessions,” Korrie said. “It was evident in the Hamilton game; when we get the ball we can score.”
The Camels’ dominance in the faceoff circle allowed Connecticut to dictate the flow of the game, successfully wearing down the RPI defense and eliminating the Red Hawk attack. The offense only attempted 13 shots in the first half compared to Connecticut’s 21.
Two quick goals in the third quarter from senior Adam LoGiudice, who finished with three goals in the contest, narrowed the margin to 6-4 midway through the third. The Red Hawks were able to generate several scoring opportunities by forcing Connecticut to make 16 turnovers. RPI, however, committed 13 turnovers of their own, which obviously left Korrie exasperated.
“Turning the ball over while trying to make a play is one thing, but we have just been careless with the ball at times,” Korrie said. “That is simply a lack of focus.”
With the lead cut to two, Connecticut would respond with a 2-0 run of their own to push the lead back to four early in the fourth quarter, virtually sealing RPI’s fate. Stevenson led the Camels with three goals while Brad Luckhardt tallied a goal and three assists for the winners.
LoGiudice led all RPI scorers with senior Chris Sherman and sophomore Alex MacDiarmid notching two and one goals, respectively. Ryan Michels had 13 saves in net for Rensselaer.
The loss drops RPI to 4-6. The Red Hawks have struggled with their non-conference opponents, and they still must face the nation’s second-ranked school, Middlebury, in a make-up game next Tuesday at 5 pm on Harkness Field.
“I think some guys are beaten down mentally by the losses,” Korrie said, but the fourth-year head coach has stuck by his decision to load RPI’s non-conference schedule with match-ups against the nation’s best teams.
“Adversity will really show our character,” Korrie said. “I want to see who will rise to the top.”
Korrie has been relying on his seniors, especially LoGiudice and Sherman along with veteran defensemen Matt Curtis and Brandon Recchia, to set examples for a team comprised mainly of sophomores and freshmen.
LoGiudice, who leads the Red Hawks in every offensive category, has done his part on offense with 22 goals and 16 assists for 38 points. Sherman is filing his share of stats with 15 goals, good for second on the team, while Curtis and Recchia have been standouts on a defense core that is still trying to find its niche in a zone setup.
The Rensselaer seniors will need to rally their teammates Saturday if they want to remain undefeated in Liberty League play with a much-improved Clarkson team invading Harkness Field on Saturday at 5:30 pm. RPI beat the Golden Knights 4-3 in horrific weather and field conditions last season in Potsdam, N.Y. That win proved to be the clincher to get the Red Hawks into the postseason, and Korrie is expecting the game to be of similar importance and style this year.
“If there is anyone who can’t get psyched for this game,” Korrie said, “then they shouldn’t even bother putting on a jersey. It’s Clarkson.”
