Halfway There: Icemen Shut Down RPI, 5-1

They could hardly restrain themselves, waiting for the opening faceoff last night at Bright. The Engineers, boasting the East's top offense and almost all playing in their first playoff game, raced out to center ice for the lineup introductions, looking psyched to knock off the Crimson.

It was all downhill from there for RPI

The Harvard hockey team held the ECAC's most feared attack to a single goal--the Engineers' lowest output of the season as it cruised to a 5-1 victory in the first game of the two-game ECAC quarterfinal series.

Tie Still Needed

Even with the convincing win, the Crimson still must pull off at least a tie in tonight's rematch, or else the series will be decided in a 10-minute non-sudden-death tiebreaker, to be followed by a sudden-death period if needed.

But if RPI hopes to make it that far, its much-vaunted offense will probably have to produce more red lights than it did last night Mustering only 25 shots on goal (barely hall of RPI's total in its last game against Harvard), the Engineers struck just once, when their big guns--the freshman trio of George Servinis. Adam Oates and Mark Jooris-clicked on a power play Other than that. Harvard's line of Greg Britz. Greg Chalmers and Tony Visone kept the high-scoring trio off the stat sheets.

RPI's size advantage also went for naught At home in the ECAC's smallest rink and playing last night in the largest, it couldn't keep up with the much faster Crimson. And while the Engineers occasionally took the body, "they still have to catch you to hit you," as Harvard Coach Bill Cleary said later.

Scott Fusco made that point clear enough late in the first period when he put the home team on the scoreboard With RPI shorthanded, he took a pass from brother Mark, slipped it past defenseman Mike Kondra and, avoiding the check, put a backhander behind netminder Gerry Fink.

The elder Fusco picked up another assist late in the period, taking the puck from a crowd along the boards and finding Visone on the doorstep for what proved to be the winning goal.

The middle 20 was barely underway before Harvard took full control of the contest by grabbing a three-goal lead RPI's Fink stopped an initial shot by center Phil Falcone but gave up a big rebound, which Falcone was quick to put away, at the 2:10 mark.

For the remainder of the period the Engineers managed to show a few signs of life, and only some sharp defensive plays kept them from scoring more than once. Mitch Olson made two key plays in the period, relieving RPI's John Carter of the puck right in front of the Crimson goal at one point and later poking it off the stick of Kraig Neinhuis as be tried to Jam the disc just inside the post from in close.

The Engineers' powerful freshman line finally put one home at the 12:12 mark when Oates knocked in a rebound of a Jooris shot.

From then on Harvard goalie Grant Blair was impeccable, turning away eight RPI shots in the final period. But what really destroyed any chance for a serious rally was the Crimson's fourth goal, scored 6:55 into the third by Scott Fusco on a penalty shot.

Defenseman Mark Hemingway was cited for covering the puck in the goal crease, giving Harvard its first penalty shot of the season Fusco moved in slowly, waiting for Fink to move first before finally skating to his left and lifting the puck just over the diving goalie.

Jim Turner closed out the scoring in the final minute, beating Fink on a breakaway. THE NOTEBOOK. Greg Olson's recently healed ankle bothered him again on the very first shift, he may miss tonight's game. RPI  0  1  0-1 Harvard  2  1  2-5

H. Scott Fusco (Mark Fusco) 14:36:H, Tony Visone (M. Fusco, Sheyne Kukulowicz) 19:39:H, Phil Falcone (Dave Connors, Say North) 2:10:R, Adam Oates (Mark Jooris, George Servinis) 12:12:H, S. Fusco (penalty shot) 6:55:H, Jim Turner (Brad Kwong, Mitch Olson) 19:25.

Saves: R. Gerry Fink, 11-8-16--35:H, Grant Stair, 9-7-8--24.

H. Scott Fusco (Mark Fusco) 14:36:H, Tony Visone (M. Fusco, Sheyne Kukulowicz) 19:39:H, Phil Falcone (Dave Connors, Say North) 2:10:R, Adam Oates (Mark Jooris, George Servinis) 12:12:H, S. Fusco (penalty shot) 6:55:H, Jim Turner (Brad Kwong, Mitch Olson) 19:25.

Saves: R. Gerry Fink, 11-8-16--35:H, Grant Stair, 9-7-8--24.