RPI, Sacred Heart, NJIT, and Molloy move on to the semifinals of the Tri-State Conference after all won quarterfinals this weekend.

This wasn’t easy for the winners. Molloy, which finished 1st in the South division at 5-1 just got by Marist 21-17 and Marist was 2-3 in the regular season. NJIT, 5-1 in the regular season, edged Siena 34-27.

Sacred Heart put together one of their better efforts, beating Vassar 50-23, burning Vassar on turnovers and scoring three early tries to help them cruise. Meanwhile, RPI, which started their season losing 16-12 to Siena in a game played just a week after the Engineers got to campus, continues to see their results improve. with three 40-point wins since that opener, and now a 50-point victory 62-12 over Montclair State.

Flyhalf Anthony Cormace to RPI going early with two tries in the opening ten minutes. Flanker Brady Condron added another for a 17-0 lead early.

“The match was back and forth with sloppy play from both sides and quite a few penalties after that,” said RPI club president Will Howard. During that time, Montclair scored a try, but, said Howard, the Rensselaer players settled down.

“We regrouped and came out firing and put in four tries before halftime,” said Howard. Condron touched down for his second, and wins Seamus Holland and Guenter Hubert also scored, as did scrumhalf Strom Williams.

Montclair State at 17-5 might have self another try would have put them right back in it. Instead they entered the break down 43-5.

Fullback Frank Emory got an early try in the second half, and while the game devolved into choppiness and penalties, Emory scored two more to finish off the game 62-12.

“We made a lot of subs who all came in and played well,” said Howard.

Of all the teams in the region, Rensselaer Polytechnic seems to be in the best form. New Jersey Institute of Technology will be a tough clash, though, next week. The Sacred Heart v Molloy game is a rematch of a clash from October 18, which Sacred Heart won 33-19 with a sterling forwards’ effort they will need again. RPI is the only team from the North division to make the semis.