It's Hot: Icemen Take on RPI Saturday

Two years ago, ninth-seeded RPI bounced the top-seeded Harvard men's hockey team from the ECAC tournament, 4-3 in overtime, in one of the most shocking upsets in tournament history.

Last year, RPI ended Harvard's 10-game mid-season winning streak with a 6-3 win in Troy, N.Y.--only the Crimson's second loss of the season, and the first time it had given up so many goals.

But Harvard went on to defeat the Engineers in the ECAC consolation finals by the same score and secure a bid to the NCAA tournament.

Back and forth between Houston Field House and the Bright Hockey Center--with occasional stops in the Lake Placid Olympic Complex--these two teams are part of the hottest ECAC rivalry of the '90s.

Both the Engineers and the Crimson are eternally in the hunt for postseason accolades, and in an interesting footnote Harvard Coach Ronn Tomassoni graduated from RPI in 1980.

Now, it's 1993. Until this weekend, the ninth-ranked Crimson has faced the traditionally weaker teams of the ECAC. Its toughest competition has come from the unlikely sources of Colgate and Brown, who handed the Crimson its first loss and tie respectively.

But this weekend, Harvard travels to New York to face the Skating Dutchmen of Union today and the seventh-ranked Engineers of RPI tomorrow.

The big game of the weekend is Harvard-RPI, but both games are important for the team to win.

"I've been trying to stress all week that we cannot overlook Union," Coach Ronn Tomassoni said. "They are a much improved team. They played a tough game against Clarkson and tied UMass-Lowell, two good teams. It would be a mistake pointing everything to RPI."

RPI Coach Buddy Powers has similar worries on his mind for his team this weekend.

"We're taking it one game at a time," Powers said. "Our first concern is Brown, we'll worry about Harvard after that."

Coming off two big wins last weekend--Maine and Bowling-Green at the Dexter Classic in Orono, Maine--the Engineers ride a three-game winning streak.

The big offensive force to look out for at RPI is forward Xavier Majic, who scored the game-winning goal against Maine.

Still, his coach says Majic has yet to play his best hockey.

"So far Majic has had an up and down year," Powers said. "He's not really satisfied with his play. He played really well over the weekend, though, scoring that last goal."

But at RPI, the main obstacle for the Crimson to be wary of is goaltender Neil Little--named MVP of the Dexter classic last weekend and ECAC Player of the Week for his 83-save performance in two games.

"Neil is our big guy," Powers said. "Any team that's going to win a lot of games has got to have a good goaltender. The talent on the ice is too close, you need a goaltender you can be extra confident in. We're glad we have Neil as I'm sure you're happy to have Israel and Tracy."

Fortunately, Harvard has its own phenomenal goaltending tandem taking care of the net for the Crimson. Sophomores Aaron Israel and Tripp Tracy have performed well this year for Harvard with Israel riding the top of the ECAC with a .900 save percentage and a 2.27 goals-against-average.

Despite being the hot goaltender at the moment, Israel will get the start against Union and Tracy will face RPI. While it should be Tracy's turn to start next in the rotation, last year Tracy tended to be the big-game goalie for the Crimson and Tomassoni is clearly hoping for a big-game performance.

"Both are outstanding goalies," Tomassoni said. "We have confidence with both in net. We have a good chance to win whichever we start with."

With its league-leading 4-1-1 record within the ECAC, Harvard still has a tough road ahead. Before the Crimson plays its next home game, it will make trips to Minnesota-Duluth (December 15 and 16) and also to Portland, Me., to face second-ranked Maine on January 3.

The team will not return to the Bright Hockey Center until January 7 for a game against St. Lawrence.

So this weekend is especially crucial.

"This weekend we want to take both teams," captain Sean McCann said. "We especially want to win at RPI: They're a strong team and have a high national ranking. So we want to do well and show we can play up there with anyone."