Weekend Sports Roundup, Jan 17-Jan 18, 2025

RPI Kumpf Invite - 1/18

Result: Women's - 1st out of 5 teams; Men's - 2nd out of 5 teams

Both the men's and women's swim and dive team performed excellently during RPI’s Kumpf Invite this Saturday. The women's team placed first, ahead of competitors Hobart and William Smith, Ithaca College, Skidmore, and SUNY Cortland, claiming 15 podium positions, six of which were first place. The women's team was led by a strong performance by Shannon Brown, who finished first in both the 100-yard Individual Medley, 100-yard Freestyle, and helped her Mixed 200-yard Medley relay team achieve a first place finish. Vera Korff and Sierra Pargett both finished first in the Women’s 50-yard Freestyle and Women’s 200-yard Freestyle, respectively, and the two of them helped their relay team win first place in the Mixed 200-yard Freestyle Relay.

The men's team also performed well, achieving a second place finish behind Ithaca College, attaining five first place finishes and 12 total podium finishes. Mike Dowd anchored the team, securing three first place finishes in the 50 yard Freestyle, 100 yard Freestyle, and Mixed 200 yard Freestyle Relay. Jason Weller placed first in the 200 yard Backstroke, second in the 200 yard Freestyle, and helped his relay team win the Mixed 200 yard Medley Relay.

Both teams cumulatively achieved a podium position in 20 of the 24 events. The Engineers achieved 1-2 finishes in the Women's 50 Yard Freestyle, the Men’s 50 Yard Freestyle, and the Women's 100-Yard Individual Medley.

Men and Women's Track and Field - 1/17

The men’s and women’s track and field teams both put in strong performances at the Utica Winter Opener on Friday, which included over a dozen colleges, along with a collection of track clubs and unattached players. The women's team collectively attained seven first-place finishes. Christine Mallette and Katie Manning both won first place in their individual competitions—the 200 and 400 Meter Dash, respectively—and combined to win the 4x200 Meter Relay. Erin vonHousen achieved first place in the 800-Meter Run and second place in the 1-Mile Run, just 0.14 seconds behind fellow teammate Jules Bleskoski, who took first. Both Engineers in the 1 Mile Run smashed the previous All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Conference (AARTFC) record of 5:20 by over 20 seconds. Alice Brambati clinched a first place finish in the women's triple jump record, breaking the AARTFC record of 10.9 meters with her 11.12.

The men's team would grab six first place finishes, and 17 podium placements. Standouts include Josh Ihegihu, who would win first in both the preliminaries and finals of the 60 Meter Dash and third in the 200 Meter Dash, both beating AARTFC records. Ihegihu, along with fellow Engineers Alex Flynn, Cam Caso, and Donovan Myrick, won first place in the 4x200 Meter Relay. Tobin Durham gained first in the 3000 Meter Run and third place in the 1 Mile Run, just behind RPI’s Danny Gall. Both the womens and mens teams will hope to continue their form into next week’s match at Springfield College next Saturday.

Women's Basketball - 1/17

Result: Rensselaer 57-58 Vassar

Valiant efforts by RPI’s Siena Smith and Callie Flynn were not quite enough as the Engineers fell in overtime to Vassar 58 to 57. Flynn scored 14 points, including a two-point jump shot with 56 seconds left to level the score, and would also make a critical block with a second left to keep the score tied going into overtime. Smith achieved a double-double, leading both teams with 21 points and 10 rebounds. The game itself was a back-and-forth affair, with the lead being traded 19 times throughout the four quarters and neither team leading by more than five points. A tense five-minute overtime period would finally see the Brewers pull ahead for good with a free throw with two seconds left.

Women's Basketball - 1/18

Result: Rensselaer 71-42 Bard

After a close loss the night before, Rensselaer responded by routing Bard 71 to 42 on Saturday afternoon. The Engineers would start hot off the gate, stifling Bard 25 to 2, punctuated by nine points from RPI’s Siena Smith, who would go on to finish the game with a team best 15 points, followed by Callie Flynn who would score 10. Flynn’s performance extended her streak of consecutive ten or more point games to five. The onslaught would allow a variety of Engineer players to make their mark. This included Jessica Sterbens, who scored her first two points for the season. The win against Bard sees RPI improve to 10-5 on the season as they host Ithaca and Union College next weekend.

Men's Basketball - 1/17

Result: Rensselaer 59-63 Vassar

Rensselaer’s men's team suffered a similar fate to their women compatriots at Vassar, dropping a close match 63 to 59. The Engineers started the game slowly, finding themselves in eleven point deficits at multiple points throughout the first half. Rensselaer would chip away at Vassar’s lead, thanks in part from a flurry of shots from Dylan Matchett that would keep the Engineers within arms reach of Vassar for the rest of the first half. Matchett continued to lead the Engineers in the points column, scoring 17 points and going 4 for 6 past the arc. Rensselaer would tie the game at 40 through back-to-back three pointers by Chuck Clemons seven minutes into the second half. From here, both teams found themselves in a dogfight for the game, with both teams grabbing the lead for brief spasms of time. The Engineers held a slim lead with less than three minutes on the clock, but a Vassar three pointer would put them in the lead for good, as they would clinch victory with a 7-2 run in the final minute of the game.

Men's Basketball - 1/18

Result: Rensselaer 78-70 Bard

PJ Scalisi led the team with 23 points and five three-pointers as Rensselaer dispatched Bard to split their weekend road trip. While the lead was contested for much of the first half, a layup from Chuck Clemons would give the Engineers the lead for good. The Engineers would take momentum of the game early in the second half, with a dominant 14-2 run from the Engineers - punctuated by three pointers from Dylan Matchett, Clemons, and Scalisi - putting the game well out of reach for the hosts. The victory improves Rensselaer’s record to 12-3 as they will host critical matches against Ithaca and Union College this weekend at ECAV. Victories in these next two games will give the Engineers the ability to reclaim first place position from Ithaca in the Liberty League conference.

Women's Hockey - 1/17

Result: Rensselaer 3-1 Harvard

Rensselaer’s women's ice hockey team would fare better than the men, cruising to a 3-1 victory away against Harvard Crimson. The Engineers would put pressure on Harvard’s defense throughout much of the game, firing a barrage of shots on the Crimson goal throughout the first two periods. The Engineers eventually broke the deadlock six minutes into the second period, as puck deflected off an unmarked Nina Christof to find the back of the net on a power play. Harvard would finally put one on the scoreboard early in the third period, but the Engineers would eventually respond to put the game away for good. With a second left on a power play, Sofie Helgeson would fire in a shot from range, falling to Natalie Tulchinsky who regained the lead from point blank range. The power play would continue to haunt Harvard, snuffing out any chance of a comeback as Ellie Kaiser fired a puck into the back of the net on another power play, putting the game away for good. The victory on Friday broke the Engineers’ 4-game skid, regaining their winning record.

Women's Hockey - 1/18

Result: Rensselaer 0-0 Dartmouth, Dartmouth wins shootout 1-0

Rensselaer would ensure an unbeaten weekend as they drew with Dartmouth, falling to them in the shootout. The game was a closely contested affair, with neither team able to take advantage of the ebb and flow of the match. Dartmouth had a 5 to 3 advantage on the ice for 50 seconds in the first period due to penalties on the Engineers, but were unable to convert this opportunity into goals. Rensselaer’s Reese Keating was the keystone of the Engineer’s stout defense, saving all 22 shots she faced. The scoring drought continued through overtime until the shootout, where Dartmouth’s captain was the lone player to convert her shootout opportunity. However, with the tie secured, RPI improves to 12-11-3 over this weekend. Rensselaer will return to the Capital Region next weekend for a double header against local rivals Union College, including the Mayor’s Cup which will take place in MVP Arena at Albany on Saturday.