TROY, N.Y. — The RPI men's soccer team closed the regular season in emphatic fashion this afternoon, knocking off No. 12 Hobart, 4-1, at ECAV Stadium to secure the third seed in the upcoming Liberty League Tournament.
Justin Woodbine scored twice, while
Harrison Brownlow assisted on three goals as the Engineers improved to 7-6-4 overall and 4-2-3 in conference play.
RPI wasted little time taking control, as
Andy Palm opened the scoring just 6:47 into the contest. Brownlow provided the setup on the early strike, giving the Engineers a 1-0 advantage. RPI continued to generate the better chances throughout the opening half, forcing Hobart goalkeeper Jake Hans into three saves before doubling the lead late in the period.
The second goal came in the 37th minute when
Sam Shmukler finished a feed from
Diego Peredo to put the Engineers ahead 2-0. RPI carried that advantage into halftime after outshooting Hobart 9-3 over the opening 45 minutes.
The Engineers put the contest away with two goals in a span of just over six minutes during the second half. Woodbine scored his first of the afternoon in the 60th minute, finishing a combination from Brownlow and
Alesio Barquin to extend the lead to 3-0. Woodbine struck again in the 66th minute, once more off a feed from Brownlow, pushing RPI ahead 4-0.
Hobart answered less than a minute later when Grady Lewis scored off a setup from Brady Leitner, but the Engineers allowed nothing further.
Noah Churchill made a late save in the 87th minute and finished with two stops while playing all 90 minutes.
Woodbine finished with two goals on two shots, while Palm added a goal on three attempts. Shmukler accounted for RPI's other tally, while Brownlow's three assists highlighted the Engineers' offensive performance. Barquin and Peredo each added one helper. RPI finished with a 14-8 advantage in total shots and put seven attempts on goal.
With the victory, RPI secured the No. 3 seed in the Liberty League Tournament and will host No. 6 seed Ithaca on Tuesday in an opening-round matchup at ECAV Stadium.
