Following two overtime periods of non-conference action, both the RPI men’s soccer team and the SUNY Cobleskill Tigers were unable to convert, settling for a 0-0 tie during last Wednesday’s game at Renwyck Field. RPI is now 7-2-1 overall on the season, while Cobleskill presently holds a 4-2-1 record.
Both teams suffered from sluggish play in the first half, although each had its own bright spots and periods of excellent play. RPI picked up speed in the second half, however, outshooting the Tigers by a margin of 12-8. There were many excellent scoring opportunities for both squads, although neither was able to place the ball into the net.
Cobleskill’s best opportunity came at the 69th minute of play, when freshman Aaron Gallusser navigated through the RPI defense but choked at the shot, sending it wide of the net. “We defended really well this game,” said Head Coach Adam Clinton. “We never let them get behind us, and the only dangerous opportunity Cobleskill had was late in the second, off our own mistake.” Less than 10 minutes later, at the 76th minute mark, the Red Hawks had their own chance to control the game. Junior forward Jabel Prom made a right-to-left cross to classmate Michael Long, whose shot was stopped by Cobleskill freshman goalkeep Brad Johnson, who lost control of the ball following the initial shot. Before any Red Hawks were able to capitalize on the open rebound, the Tiger defense was able to scoop it up and send the ball back up field.
Several missed calls during regulation play led to many scrums during the 20 minutes of overtime play, including three yellow cards handed out in the second overtime period.
Cobleskill maintained a 2-1 shot advantage during each overtime frame; however, RPI had the best scoring opportunity during extra minutes. In the final five minutes of play for the evening, Prom crossed the ball to freshman forward Andrew Tambasco, who was camped out in front of the net. Tambasco was unable to fully control the ball, and as a result the shot deflected off the crossbar and over the net. “The only thing that disappointed me this game was our finishing. While we never let the other team get behind us, we were never able to get quite behind them,” explained Clinton. “We had at least 10 opportunities to score within six yards of the net, and couldn’t even get a foot on the ball at one point when it was a tap-in only a yard away.”
RPI sophomore goaltender Alex Penny stopped six shots in the match, while Johnson kept eight shots out of the net. Rensselaer held a 22-16 shot advantage on the day. Having faced many Division-1-caliber soccer players on Cobleskill, Clinton was overall pleased with the team’s performance. “Everyone played very well against a bunch of kids originally recruited by the University of Albany, but didn’t quite have the grades to make it in the school. This just shows that we can also compete on that level and do well,” said Clinton.
Men’s soccer returns to action this weekend, as they face-off against Liberty League foes St. Lawrence University on Friday at 4 pm, and Clarkson University Saturday at 2 pm. The technical style of the St. Lawrence Saints and the physical play of the Clarkson Golden Knights will pose a challenge for the team; however, Clinton is hopeful that they will continue on with the successes seen so far this season. Both games will be played at Renwyck field, as Rensselaer looks to remain undefeated in conference play.
