TROY, N.Y. – Senior co-captain Joe Johnson (Hopewell Junction, NY/John Jay) scored a goal in each half to lift the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men’s soccer team to a 2-2 double overtime tie with Skidmore College in Liberty League action.  The Red Hawks are now 0-1-1 in the league and 5-2-1 overall, while the Thoroughbreds move to 1-0-1 and 5-2-1.

“Joe Johnson came up big for us again,” said head coach Adam Clinton.  “He’s a big-time player who consistently makes big-time plays.”

Skidmore opened up the scoring at 30:32 in the first half when junior Mark Melly (Farmington, CT/Farmington) received a cross from the corner and scored past Rensselaer goalie John Thibdeau (Altamont, NY/Bethlehem).

Johnson tied the game with less than a minute remaining in the first half.  Off a corner kick from sophomore Sal Mangano (Syracuse, NY/Westhill), Johnson put it past Skidmore goalie Jake Densen (Summit, NJ/Summit) at :58.

Skidmore struck back in the second half when junior Ben Shriner (Noblesville, IN/Trinity Pawling) fought off a defender to get open in front of the net, putting it past Red Hawks goalie Nick Bochette (Schaghticoke, NY/Hoosic Valley) at 60:16.  Pat Phelan (Wallingford, CT/Choate Rosemary Hall) assisted on the goal.

Johnson scored his second of the game unassisted at 77:40 in regulation, fighting through a defender and finding the net.  The teams battled through two ten-minute overtime periods, neither able to grab a goal for the victory.

“Once again it was a hard-fought game.  We played much better today than yesterday,” said Clinton.  “If we continue to improve as we did today, then we will be alright in the league.”

Jensen, a co-captain, made seven saves while Thibdeau made one stop while playing the first half and Bochette, who is a junior, stopped five shots. Rensselaer returns to action on Wednesday at 7pm when it hosts Plattsburgh St. at Harkness Field.  Skidmore is back in action on Tuesday at 4:30pm when it travels to Elmira, N.Y., to take on Elmira College.