Welcome Back!

Halo RPI fans, I hope you had a good holiday break! I certainly did as my absence from the blog can attest. Of course, RPI did me a favor by not playing any games over the last 12 million weeks but it feels good to be back and to have Ripeee back in action as well.

RPI is in Alabama for a back to back holiday twofer and I see no reason for them to lose any of these games coming up. RPI does historically well against lesser NC opponents. With Alabama being 2-16 on the season, I would say that qualifies them to be lesser. This should be good to get RPI back into a groove before the always tough North Country boys come to Troy for a true test of the ECAC prowess of the Cherry and White.

As always, Let's Go Red, Let's Go White!


As usual, here is USCHO's picks:

Rensselaer at Alabama-Huntsville — 8:00

I try to make my picks before reading my guest-guessers’, but Mr. Davis’ first sentence below says it all. 5–1 RPI.

BD: Anyway you look at this series it should be all RPI. The Engineers should have no issues with the Chargers even in Alabama. Engineers in a close one due to travel legs 3–1.

Read more: http://www.uscho.com/ecac-blog/2010/12/29/ecac-hockey-picks-week-13/#ixzz19dHkspAd

Rensselaer at Alabama-Huntsville — 4:05

Second verse, same as the first (but a little bit louder and a little bit worse). Oh, Henry the eighth I am, Henry the eighth I am, I am... oh wait, wrong song. 4–2 ‘Tute.

BD: RPI runs all over the Chargers in the final on the week. Engineers 5–1.

Read more: http://www.uscho.com/ecac-blog/2010/12/29/ecac-hockey-picks-week-13/#ixzz19dI7GIa1

The Turnaround?

I do not wish any team ill. College players are not professionals, have off nights and despite fans paying for tickets and jerseys and the rest, the fans still can get caught up in the games.

I do not wish BU ill but for some reason, I wanted them to lose, lose, lose and lose some more to the lads in Cherry and White and that is exactly what they did. RPI brought the hammer down 4-1 against those durr hurrr hurrr Terriers from Boston.

It is only one game and it is a non-conference game to boot but perhaps this team gets RPI going strong into the break and the ECAC schedule with a bit of a jump in their bones and as Without A Peer says, "And when you get a chance to play a highly ranked team, you need to grab the bull by the horns and go for the win."

Go RPI!

Playing With The Big Boys

A beautiful day here in LA and yet thoughts are firmly on the ice as RPI hosts the dreaded Terriers from Boston on Saturday. While RPI has played to my expectations, I recently detailed how they have started to pick it up against NC foes. Well, if there is ever a time to shake off the .500 dusting that has coated the program with winning against perennial National power BU.

BU is currently tied for second in Hockey East and putting together another fine season. Still, I think with home ice advantage and the students still there before finals, RPI has an excellent chance to win this game. No inde-pth analysis this week, just win RPI!!!!


USCHO finally comes through with their picks this week and they are picking the lads!

Boston University at Rensselaer — 3:30

Two teams with a lot to prove: BU squeaked out a comeback home win over low-ish (if not lowly) Northeastern on Wednesday, while RPI is still trying to establish the consistency that carried them so well last year. This is one of those cases where I believe the national stereotype of the ECAC might work for the Engineers, giving them some element of surprise on the shorthanded Terriers. 4–3 RPI in a close one.

TR: I am hesitant to predict the outcome of this game. As you know I bleed cherry red and white, and I would love to see an upset here. R.P.I had the upper hand last year against the Terriers, but B.U. is coming off of a weekend in which they were smacked by B.C. by a combined score of 14 — 7. I would imagine they are going to have extra motivation in this one. That being said... I am still going to go with the Engineers in a 4 — 3 win.

Read more: http://www.uscho.com/ecac-blog/2010/12/10/ecac-hockey-picks-week-11/#ixzz17jDKuRxW

.500? But of course!

So RPI loses 4-2 against Yale and wins 6-2 against Brown. What are we to take from all of this? I think that RPI is in the middle of pack of the ECAC which puts them in the lower half of teams in the country.

Do I think they are better than this? Yes! Do I think they have the goal-tending, the scoring, the coaching to take them to the top of the ECAC and make them competitive against the Hockey East's of the world? Yes! Do I think all these elements are inconsistent and coupled with a suspect D makes for about a .500 team? More than yes.

Do not get me wrong, I root for RPI, win or loss, year in and year out.

I just think that when you look at the body of SA's coaching efforts, they lead right to the middle of success and failure and RPI needs more than that right now. As always, GO RED, GO WHITE!

Back Into The Thick Of It

Ok Non-Conference, ADIOS! The lads of RPI are fully into the ECAC swing of things this weekend with two games in division. Yale and then Brown are on the radar tonight. Yale is putting together an impressive year at 8-1 and 4-0 in the ECAC. Brown is hovering around .500 the same as RPI.

Clearly, based on past history, I am expecting a split although a win against Yale could be a good sign of things to come over the next few months. I have always thought the ECAC was among the weakest divisions in college hockey and for RPI to really start clicking on a national level, they would really have to tear through the ECAC. This weekend could start that. However, I think the way RPI is currently constructed, we are looking at a slightly better than .500 team.

Can't wait to be proven wrong and GO RPI!!!!