The RPI men’s soccer team swept another tournament this past weekend, blowing out John Jay College 8-1, and shutting out Worcester State College 3-0 at the Union Men’s Soccer Classic Invitational. The Red Hawks are currently on a four-game winning streak, seven dating back to the ECAC year-end tournament at the conclusion of the previous season.
Leading the way against the John Jay Bloodhounds was freshman Jordan Ward, who added two goals and a game-high five shots in the victory. Three of RPI’s eight tallies came in the first half alone, although none by Ward. Junior Lincoln Field scored the game’s first goal at 16:06 off a rebound by classmate Andrew Tambasco. He would add another assist to his record with a pass to junior Jabel Prom, who one-timed the ball just inside the right post past Bloodhound goaltender Christopher Adao a mere two minutes later. Sophomore Jeff Herbert closed out the half when he finished a cross pass from junior Ben Russell at 35:17.
Starting out the second half just like the first, junior Michael Long put RPI up 4-0 with a rocket shot from 25 yards out at 48:45. Sophomore Bruce Hutchinson added his own tally at 57:28, as did freshman Matt Koliopouis at 78:09. Ward’s first goal of the game came a minute later at 79:22 off a rebound by junior Luke Burton, pulling the Red Hawks ahead 7-0. In a late-game effort, John Jay scored its sole goal of the tournament at 86:57 from senior Christopher Tapia. Ward added his second goal of the game, with a midfield shot off the restart to seal the win for RPI. Sophomore goaltender Alex Penny and senior Mike Prince evenly split the game for the win, as Adao collected the loss.
Despite the inclement weather during Saturday’s contest against the Worcester State College Lancers, the game trudged on. A few questionable missed calls along with stormy conditions made it seem more like a rugby scrum than a soccer match. Both teams remained in a scoreless tie during a close-fought first half that saw the Red Hawks hold the ball for much of the time. Long put RPI on the board first at 48:34 when he converted on a Worcester State turnover midfield. Ten minutes later, sophomore Benjamin Poser added another when he connected on a rebound amidst a crowd gathered in front of the Lancer’s net. Long scored his second goal of the game off a one-timer, with a pass from Koliopouis.
“We didn’t really give up many chances,” stated Head Coach Adam Clinton. “Our effort and our energy [were] tremendous.”
RPI outshot Worcester State 20-6, including nine shots on goal. Penny earned the shutout, having to make only a single save the entire bout. “Our goalkeeper was very good on Saturday night,” said Clinton. Even though Penny did not need to make many saves, Clinton noted that “with the wet conditions it was very easy to make mistakes.”
Following the weekend’s stellar team performance, three players were tabbed with Liberty League weekly awards. Long and Penny were named Offensive Performer and Defensive Performer of the Week, respectively, as Ward took home Rookie of the Week honors.
“We are happy with where we’re at right now, but we have a lot of work to do,” explained Clinton. He cited runs in the box and services, as well as playing a more organized defense, as some of the things the team still needs to work on. “If you’re not getting better, you’re falling behind.”
The Red Hawks remain on the road as they head out to Colorado Springs, Colo., to face Cornell College this Friday, and Colorado College on Sunday, with games at 6 pm and 3 pm, correspondingly.
