You could see the team being deflated after the Florida tourney last year. They got blown out by nationally ranked teams and then played the second half of the ECAC schedule like they just wanted the year over with.
This year, there was a slight bump in the middle of the season where the team found its scoring touch, the defense did NOT act like pylons and Lange was not platooned that it looked like RPI might actually make a run. The home and home series against Union took care of all of that.
Now this team is just on cruise control and looking forward to finals (if any college student actually looks FORWARD to finals). This last weekend included a 4-2 loss to Clarkson (out shot 11-4 in the first period, 4-0 after 2, Tyler being the only bright spot in the third) and a 2-0 shutout on Senior Night (Lange, predictably in net, 0-6 on the powerplay, allowing 2, count em TWO powerplay goals).
So what is coming up for RPI this weekend? A first round matchup with Dartmouth. If I was a betting man, I would put it all on the Big Green. Seriously, what campus does not have a mascot for its teams? Although, I might give the big D a pass for having a de facto mascot like this: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~jacko/keggy/2006-03-30/Keggy_2006-03-30_02_big.JPG
Let us take a quick look at Dartmouth shall we? 14-12-3 overall, 8-5-2 at home. Games against RPI, 5-2 win and, surprise, surprise, a 5-2 win! Well that doesn't bode well does it? Especially with RPI's stellar 3-10-1 away record. The only positives is that Dartmouth has lost 3 of their last 4 games by a COMBINED score of 8 to 17. They are reeling but methinks will get healthy against and overmatched and, more importantly, unmotivated RPI squad.
More thoughts later in the week but clearly they aren't going to get any more positive!
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