TROY, N.Y. – The No. 9/14 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's soccer team extended their school record unbeaten streak to 13 games by edging Rochester Institute of Technology, 3-2, in overtime on Saturday afternoon at East Campus Stadium. With the win, the Engineers are now 13-1-1 overall (5-0-1 Liberty League), while the Tigers drop to 4-8-1 (2-4-0 Liberty League).
Trailing by a 1-0 in the waning moments of regulation, the Engineers struck in the 84th minute, when junior
Trevor Bisson (Baton Rouge, LA/Episcopal) forced his way behind the Tigers' back line and buried the equalizing goal. His fourth tally season drew an assist from classmate
Michael Harten (Merrick, NY/Sanford H. Calhoun), who headed a ball over the top of the defense.
Just over a minute later, the Engineers took a 2-1 lead, when senior
Dylan Confair (Williamsport, PA/Williamsport Area) took down an aerial ball from junior
Joe Di Miceli (Rockville Center, NY/Oceanside) and and volleyed it past RIT sophomore goalkeeper Spencer Raymond-Smith (Stow, OH/Stow-Munroe Falls) for his third goal of the season.
The Tigers then drew level with 20 seconds on the clock, as senior Simon Garno (Hilton, NY/Hilton) headed home his sixth goal of the year, off a cross from Nate Verso (Souderton, PA/Souderton Area).
RPI nearly won the game in the 98th minute, when junior
Tommaso Valagussa (Arlington, MA/Arlington) found himself free in the middle of the penalty area, but his well struck right-footed shot was kept out by Raymond-Smith.
A minute later, Valagussa was fouled going up for a header at the top of the box and the Engineers were awarded a penalty. Freshman
Josh Gaudiano (Manhattan Beach, CA/Mira Costa) stepped up and slotted home the game-winner, just inside the left post. The tally was his 15th of the season, extending his point streak to 10 straight games.
Senior goalkeeper
Matt LaBranche (Wilbraham, MA/Minnechaug Regional) picked up the win for RPI, stopping three, while Raymond-Smith had five saves at the other end if the field.
The victory snaps a four-game losing streak to the Tigers and is RPI's 12th in the last 13 games. The Engineers' 13 victories overall are tied for the third most in program history and are just one away from the school record of 14, which was accomplished in 1996 and 2009.
RPI is back in action next Saturday, when it visits Clarkson University in a battle for first place in the league (2pm). The Tigers host Union College next Saturday (1pm).
