Box Score  Box Score

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.  – The Seventh-ranked Rensselaer men's soccer team shutout Vassar, 4-0, on goals from four different players to earn the first-seed in the Liberty League Tournament,  which begins next week. With the win the Engineers improve to 13-1-2 (6-1-0 Liberty League), while the Brewer, who needed a win to make the four-team tournament, fall to 9-6-1 (3-3-1 Liberty).

RPI got the help it needed to have a chance at the top seed in the playoffs less than an hour before kick-off, when Hobart beat Hamilton, 2-1 on a late marker.

Needing a win to lock up home field advantage, the Engineers protected a one-goal halftime lead with three second half goals, to keep their one-loss season intact.

In a physical first half of play with 15 fouls between the teams, the Engineers held the edge, out-shooting the Brewers 8-4 and taking a 1-0 lead into halftime. RPI got on board in the 21st minute as freshman Tom Kelly stole the ball in the midfield and turned towards goal. A Vassar defender got in front of Kelly and attempted to clear the ball but it went right back to Kelly who fired a shot on goal that deflected off a diving Brewer into the back of the net.

The Brewers kept up the pressure and had numerous close calls in the minutes following RPI's first goal. In the 27th minute a throw-in from freshman Zander Mrlik landed directly in front of the net. Senior Brian Bianchetti got his head on the ball, but it caromed off an RPI defender out of bounds. Minutes later junior Jimmy Worboys sent a direct kick into the box from about 40 yards out. Mrlik out-jumped the crowd and directed a header on net, but it narrowly sailed over the crossbar.

Senior Lincoln Field got the Engineers started in the second half, netting his seventh goal of the season in the 50th minute. With a defender on his back about 20 yards out, Field turned and lofted an incredible shot on net just under the crossbar and beyond the fingertips of senior goalie Jake London.

RPI's third goal came in the 63rd minute as senior Sean Fleury streaked up the left sideline and sent a cross into the box. Sliding into the pass, classmate Jabel Prom managed to one-time a shot into the back left corner of the net, his sixth goal of the season.

With just over a minute left in the game, the Engineers added on one more, as junior Bryce Hutchinson converted a cross from Kelly to net his third goal of the season.

The Engineers held an 18-11 advantage in shots in the game. The Brewers had the edge in corner kicks, 6-1, but were unable to convert as junior keeper Alex Penny proved solid in the net, punching away many of the offerings. Penny finished the day with two saves to improve to 12-1-2. London made six saves in goal in his final game for Vassar, including a diving block on a Hutchinson shot in the 76th minute.