RPI’s First Wins of the Season Come in Dominating Fashion vs Union
The two teams in the Route 7 Rivalry could not have been on more opposite ends of the spectrum going into the home-and-home series this weekend. Union made leaps up the national rankings after a 4-0-1 start that included a sweep on the road at #12 Northeastern. The Dutchmen entered Friday night's matchup with RPI as the 11th ranked team in the country.
Then, there were the Engineers. Early on in Dave Smith's second season as the head coach, RPI was 0-3 and had only managed to score a total of three goals in those games. All signs pointed to a fun and heated return to the rivalry, but one that was sure to lopsided in Union's favor.
After all, the Dutchmen were on a six game winning streak against their rival and had no problem scoring so far this season. Plus, Darion Hanson stopped 68 shots in that weekend series at Northeastern. All of it was quickly erased with a second period resurgence Friday night leading to a 5-3 win and then a dominating performance Saturday at Messa Rink; a 4-2 win for the Engineers.