If you can't make the opening playoff game in the
best-of-three series between ECAC hockey rivals Union and RPI Friday at 7 p.m.,
you can watch the action live on NESN, on tape-delay on the YES Network (9 p.m.
on Friday) or on Leafs TV (noon on Saturday).
The Dutchmen host the series for the first time in their
Division I history after placing sixth in the conference. With the first four
seeds receiving a bye, Union hosts Rensselaer
(11th place) in the series to be played at Achilles Rink. Game times
are 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday and (if
necessary) Sunday.
“Orange” alert
With security at the “orange-alert” level, staffers from athletics
have been preparing to stem the cocktail of citrus fruit that has garnished the ice
after Union goals in previous home games against Rensselaer.
Fans will be searched at random and anyone caught throwing
oranges (or anything else) on the ice will face arrest by the Schenectady
police, said Ramsey Baker, associate director of athletics.
Union played RPI to a 3-3 tie on Jan.
10 in a game that saw the Engineers score their final goal in a two-man
advantage set up when Union fans threw oranges, causing a delay of game
penalty.
The orange barrage began years ago with Division III rival
Hamilton, but moved to the RPI games after Union joined
the ECAC in 1991.