Ninety minutes proved to be not enough time to separate the two sides as Rensselaer men’s soccer faced off against the Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers in their first Liberty League contest. Both sides traded attacks throughout the game, but neither could break the deadlock as time would expire with a goalless 0-0 draw.
Following RIT’s kickoff, both teams quickly set the tone offensively. Rensselaer started out with a shot from midfielder Harrison Brownlow in the fifth minute that just barely went wide of the goal, followed a minute later by a shot from RIT’s forward that fired just over top of the goal.
The Engineers dominated the game offensively for the first half, with Rensselaer’s centerbacks holding down the back line, making line-breaking passes to the midfield and delivering diagonal crosses to their wingers with pin-point accuracy. A foul by RIT gave Rensselaer a free kick that showed promise at a chance at opening up the scoring for the Engineers. The ball was played over the top, and the Tiger’s goalkeeper punch was unable to make a full clearance. After bouncing around on a couple heads, the ball eventually found the back of the net following a header from defender Matt Schlotterbeck in the 35th minute. Celebrations were cut short however, as the officials ruled an earlier offside that disallowed the goal. The remainder of the half saw little more action, Rensselaer’s Alesio Barquin picking up a yellow card along with an RIT forward.
RIT took the attacking reins after halftime, but was met with defensive brilliance from Rensselaer. The Tiger’s offense came out after the break with clear attacking intent, but Rensselaer’s defenders rose to the occasion. Every RIT chance was met with gritty defense and hard clearances, holding the line and protecting the goal. The final scoreline ended up a goalless draw, with neither team able to make the most of their opportunities. The Engineers look to build momentum away from home as they take on Union College on October 3. The box score for the game can be found here.
