In a game that seemed to be taking place at a neutral sight rather than the friendly confines of Bright Hockey Center, the Harvard men's hockey team opened up the ECAC playoffs with a hard-fought 2-2 tie with RPI last night. RPI  2 Harvard  2

Harvard (14-13-2) overcame the lackadaisical home crowd and a lackluster second period that saw it fall behind 2-0 to come storming back on the strength of a Perry Cohagan tip-in late in the second and a beautiful tally by Brad Konik at 10:54 of the third period.

Both teams began the game with plenty of intensity, but sloppy offensive play limited the scoring chances early on. Harvard registered 10 first-period shots on goal, but RPI (16-13-4) had the best chance to take the lead when Tim Regan stripped the puck from Harvard defenseman Ashlin Halfnight and broke in alone only to be denied by goaltender Tripp Tracy.

That save inspired Tracy, who managed to keep the Engineers off the board for the rest of the period.

"I'm encouraged by the way the breakaways turned out," Tracy said. "It gives me something to build on."

However, neither team did any building at all in the first period. The most dramatic moment occurred when Harvard freshman Doug Sproule collided with RPI goalie Mike Tamburro, angering the junior netminder and inciting the crowd to taunt him.

Harvard's only sustained pressure of the first period came during the Crimson's two power plays, when Steve Martins and Kirk Nielsen each had excellent chances. But Harvard continually shot itself in the foot by nullifying both power plays with penalties of its own.

RPI, however, was also unable to capitalize on any of its man-up situations, failing to register a shot on either of two first-period power plays.

The Crimson entered the second period looking to seize the advantage in this tight-checking game. But it was RPI that got on the board first when a sloppy Harvard breakout allowed Engineer Bryan Richardson to move the puck back to Bryan Tapper at the point. Tapper proceeded to fire a low, hard slapper that found its way through a crowd in front and trickled through Tracy's legs to give the Engineers a 1-0 lead.

Harvard earned another power play at 4:03 of the second period when RPI's Jeff Matthews--who moments earlier had gotten away with punching Martins--was whistled for a comparatively tame elbow. However, Harvard yet again gave away the advantage when Martins was called for holding.

RPI wasted little time capitalizing on a four-on-four situation midway through the second. Richardson won the ensuing face-off to an open Tim Regan who wristed the puck through Tracy's pads, extending the lead to 2-0.

Tracy refused to be discouraged by yet another pin-point RPI shot.

"Those goals were just the kind of goals that found holes," Tracy said. "I was in good position on them."

For the rest of the period it was Harvard that carried the play, only losing momentum temporarily when yet another Crimson power play was washed away with a penalty.

At 16:31 of the second period, Harvard's tenacity finally paid off on its fifth man advantage of the night.