Trouble With A Capital T

6-0. Six to Nil. Seis a Cero.

No matter how you write it, it doesn't change the fact that RPI got blown out of the building last night. They allowed 20 shots on goal IN THE FIRST PERIOD and Lange somehow managed to stop 18 of em. I didn't listen to the game but he must have been standing on his head.

Where is the defense? Is anyone hitting? Blocking shots? Clearing pucks?

The offense? Not much better. Did not crack 10 shots once in a period and was 0-3 on the powerplay.

The problem with scheduling tough opponents to start the season is that if you get blown out or constantly lose, the team runs the risk of being demoralized. You saw it last year when RPI started off hot, then played nothing but Top 16 caliber teams, lost a bunch of games in the third period and where so beaten down that their ECAC run starting January on was terrible.

The USCHO message boards seem to point to a lack of effort in this game and games like Bentley. Does this point to Appert being a better recruiter than coach? Depending on how this season goes, I think its a legitimate question to ask. In any event, a shorter leash is required than his predacessor.

Check out another prospective about the "rut" we are in: http://www.hockeyjournal.com/Article.php?ArtID=575565

Mass Me?

Ahh a Tuesday game for the lads. 28th (ish) in the nation in the USCHO poll, they certainly will pose a tough test to RPI tonight. Even tougher has been their competition over the first 2 games. A loss to MSU and then a win over North Daokta. There was also that 6-0 waxing of New Brunswick in the exhibition season where RPI struggled with their exhibition game against a U team!

The defense has to play well and there can't be a third period meltdown. If Lange can keep them competitive perhaps they can pull out a win and start turning around this season. Once can only hope!

Mathias Stands Tall But...

41 shots against and only 1 goal allowed. That definitely says something about RPI goaltender Mathias Lange. Sure, RPI lost 1-0 in a worrying lack of offense again but damn! Stopping 40 of 41 shots is nothing to sneeze at! Last year, lack of shots were a hallmark of RPI's offense and once again, it seems to be revisiting the cherry and white. Of course, this is another top of the conference team that was played but hopefully some of what was learned on Friday can translate into the ECAC schedule.

As for Saturday night, RPI scored more goals (3!!) then they have in awhile but still ended up with the loss in overtime. Tyler finally got on the board for the lads but once again, shots on goal were an issue. RPI had 8, 9, 5 and 1 shots respectively during each period. Is it asking too much that they break the 10 shot barrier once against a team like Bentley??? I mean its Bentley. Allen York only saved 21 of 25 shots for an unimpressive GAA which, coupled with Lange's performance on Friday, points to Mathias continuing to take the reigns for the full season.

RPI plays on Tuesday against Massachusettes at 7pm. Game preview tomorrow and hopefully the lads can get off the snide.

This Weekend In ECAC Play

RPI at UNH:
Wow, what a start to the season!!! First UVM now another U school. Considering how last weekend went, I am not expecting much out of RPI in this game. Still I think it will be closer than USCHO predicts. I say a loss of 4-2.

USCHO:
The Wildcats aren't really a "tuneup" kinda team for a developing program like RPI's ... 5-1 UNH.

RPI at Bentley:
Playing in a division that barely has any teams, Bentley only does well against the Cansius' of the world. I fully expect a win and if there isn't one forthcoming, then its definitely worry mode for the Cherry and White. Maybe 3-0 for the first shutout of the year?

USCHO agrees with me:
Bentley @ Rensselaer
Thank goodness it's not UNH, right? RPI bounces right back, 4-1

USCHO makes a good point in their weekly notebook about the Puckman jerseys. When I was a lad growing up and watching RPI those were the jerseys I wore and that I associated with the program. I realize that while the other sports programs are the Redhawks or whatever they are, the hockey programs was allowed to keep their Engineers. Still, I would like to see them go from the nondescript Rensslear jersey and back to the Puckman. And while we are at it, bring back the swarm!

USCHO's Take:

• Rensselaer — the good: Vermont went only one-for-nine on the man advantage last Saturday. The bad: RPI went zip-for-five to follow up a miserable .071 performance last season. (Tangent: The Engineers played a league-low 19.2 percent of their ECAC contests with the lead.) Hopefully ‘Tute’s three-for-10 effort against the Under-18s on Sunday will inspire a little more confidence in the fledgling Engineers as they hit No. 6 New Hampshire Friday night.

Not that anyone asked me, but … I miss the Puckman jerseys. There’s nothing wrong with the current sweaters (Easton? That’s a novelty), but ditching Puckman is on par with the Penguins ditching the scarf (they couldn’t even bring it back for the Winter Classic; are you kidding me?). I actually liked the Pens’ stylized triangular logo too, but that’s neither here nor there.

4-1 Eh?

Perhaps RPI is not to that "elite" level yet. You have to crawl before you can walk and I reserve judgment on this team until I see them play some ECAC teams.

All I can say, again, is WHAT HAPPENED IN THE THIRD PERIOD???? All of last year, that was this team's downfall and so it is with letting up 3 goals in the third.

On 6 shots nonetheless!?!?!?!

I wish I were at the game because I have never gone to Quebec City but that result must have been disappointing to all the cherry and white fans that made the trip up the Northway.

This team is still not ready to hang with the CCHA's and the Hockey East's of the world but I remain confident that they are built for ECAC play and the results will show either this season or certainly next.

Let's go RPI!

Aaaaaaand Back!

Hello everyone- with RPI's season about to get underway, I figured the blog should get back to business as well. Sure there were things that happened in the offseason in terms of recruits and all of that but with the warm weather, I guess I wasn't in the hockey blogging mood.

I am also going to do a better job in providing RPI hockey links on the side of the board and more photos of the guys as culled from the web this year.

Season Overview:
I think this year will be a real turning point year for RPI. Last year was a disaster of sorts as SA had the boys ready to play for 2 periods but then had some epic collapses in the third periods. I think the losses in the early going to tough teams kindof deflated the confidence a bit and the Cherry and White had a so-so ECAC run. This season, things are different, other than the Catamounts as the first game in Quebec this weekend (please tell me your experiences in the comments!) RPI has a pretty ho-hum schedule until January when they play BU and Denver. Hopefully they will have some confidence built up by then and can really turn it on in the second half.

The team will look to Mathias Lange again this year to help shepard them through the schedule. I never agreed with splitting the goalies and York being a freshman, hopefully they will be able to ride Lange the whole year. Consistency is the watch word with this team and that also applies to the defense.

RPI has a lot of sophomores and juniors on the blue line this year and hopefully they are now fully on board with the system and will help out Lange as much as possible.

Tyler Helfrich (your my boy Blue!) and Halpern are going to be looking to anchor an impossibly young starting lineup. I really have no idea what to expect from the variety of underclassmen on the wings this year. Appert was known as THE recruiter for that Denver program and his recruiting classes have been in the top 15. You hope that you can see the hype being justified with all of these freshmen running around.

Predictions:
The goal this year is to get home ice for the ECAC playoffs and try to ride that to Albany. Then, with momentum, hopefully taking the crown and getting into the NCAA's. Honestly, I think this team is a year away from the NCAA's but I remain hopefull.

Win the Governor's Cup (Against Union then Colgate)
Win Black Friday (Against Harvard)
Lose the Holiday Tourney (Lose to Mercyhurst but beat Princeton)
Lose the Denver Tourney (Lose to BU but beat CHC)
Win the Big Red Freakout (Against Yale)
And Beat Frickin St Lawrence on Senior Night.

Go Red!!!!

New Recruits

Hot off the press releases are the summaries for the new recruits for Ripeee. It was also reported by RPIhockey.net yesterday (from the Troy Record) and I just thought I would repost the release here:

MEN’S HOCKEY ANNOUNCES CLASS OF 2012

Six forwards, one defenseman and a goalie among eight newcomers

TROY, N.Y. – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) head men’s hockey coach Seth Appert has announced the team’s Class of 2012. The group of eight student-athletes includes six forwards, a defenseman and a goaltender. Two from the incoming class are from the United States while the others hail from Canada.

“Shawn (Kurulak) and Jim (Montgomery) have again traveled many miles to put together a deep and nationally competitive class.” said Appert. “These eight student-athletes will continue to push our program and our returning players to higher levels of success.”

Below is an alphabetical list of Rensselaer’s recruits with their 2007-08 regular season statistics, notes (if applicable) and a quote from Appert:

Alex Angers-Goulet F 5-10 180 St. Augustin, QC/Langley Chiefs (BCJHL)

44 GP … 12 goals and 28 assists for 40 points … 15 PIMs … Named team’s playoff Most Valuable Player after scoring 15 points (7 goals, 8 assists) in 12 games … Brother, Matt, will be a senior forward on the Engineers in 2008-09.

“Alex is an explosive, high-speed player who will fit well in our style of play.”

Mike Bergin D 6-3 200 Kanata, ON/Smiths Falls Bears (CJHL)

33 GP … 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points … 38 PIMs

“Mike should be one of the best freshman defenseman in the country. His skating ability, toughness and two-way play make him a multiple threat.”

Patrick Cullen F 6-0 190 Washington, DC/Indiana Ice (USHL)

58 GP … 8 goals and 18 assists for 26 points … 52 PIMs

“Patrick is a goal scorer with a big-time shot who has the ability to be a point producer at our level.”

Christian Morissette F 5-10 180 Beaconsfield, QC/Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)

53 GP … 8 goals and 19 assists for 27 points … 22 PIMs

“Christian brings stick skill, imagination and a great offensive mind to our program.”

Josh Rabbani F 5-11 200 Woodland Hills, CA/St. Louis Bandits (NAHL)

57 GP … 20 goals and 28 assists for 48 points … 31 PIMs … Team won National Championship … Had 12 points (4 goals, 8 assists) in 11 playoff games.

“Josh has the mind and stick skill to produce at this level as he has produced at every level he has played.”

Justin Smith F 6-2 205 Hampton Plains, NS/Langley Chiefs (BCJHL)

53 GP … 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points … 32 PIMs

“Justin is a big physical power forward who will bring passion, energy and toughness to our team.”

Jordan Watts F 5-10 175 Oakville, ON/Aurora Tigers (OPJHL)

35 GP … 15 goals and 27 assists for 42 points … 74 PIMs … Tallied 17 points (8 goals, 9 assists) with 29 PIMs in 19 playoff games

“Jordan has speed and skill but it is his intensity and abrasiveness to opponents that will excite our team and fans.”

Allen York G 6-4 180 Wetaskiwin, AB/Camrose Kodiaks (AJHL)

37 GP … 24 wins, 5 losses, 3 ties … 2.24 GAA … .911 save % … Team played in Royal Bank Cup Championship for second consecutive season … Posted 11-3 record with 1.86 GAA and .935 save % in 14 playoff games … Sixth round draft pick (158th overall) of Columbus Blue Jackets in 2007.

“Allen is a proven winner who has the size, talent and competitiveness to be an elite collegiate goaltender.”

Thoughts Turn To Quebec

Sorry for not posting my thoughts on the end of season losses to Yale but considering how the lads played down the stretch, I guess you could see that series coming.

The NCAA's just concluded with BC taking the crown. They whupped up on Notre Dame in the final who had schooled RPI twice before this season. Watching these games reminded me that while RPI has come a ways in terms of speed in recent years, they are still lightyears from the cream de la creme of the college hockey world. One hopes that Appert can keep the third period meltdowns from occurring next year.

It was nice to see Jake Morissette and goaltender Jordan Alford get invited to the skillz competition during the weekend.

Still, now my thoughts are turning to a great contest coming up this fall in Quebec City. Partially put together by Joey J, the lads will be taking on Vermont on October 11th. Get on the RPI listserv to get hooked up with information about travel plans up there. I might be making the trip and would love to see the lads north of the border.

Don't forget the hockey banquet is this Friday. Raise a glass to the lads in Cherry and White and I will see you next season!

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

No, its not hockey player Santa- it be the ECAC playoffs. College hockey is great in that no matter how bad a team played during the regular season (see RPI), there is always the chance of redemption and running the table in the tourney in order to get an automatic bid.

That is what RPI is faced with as it goes on the road to Yale this weekend. A split last weekend really did nothing for RPI other then get them acquainted with the Bulldogs.

The questions remains- can Appert stop a third period collapse. Can the young guns score in bunches? Will the passing be there? Which goalies will start?

All of these questions will be answered this weekend. Personally, I think RPI survives this weekend and moves on. Your predictions are welcomed in the comments. Go Red!

Last Stand

Here we go folks- the last weekend of the regular season. RPI's season has been a disappointment. There has been massive losing streaks, third period meltdowns and the first Freakout loss in forever. If this team is going to inspire me with any hopes for any type of playoff run, this is the weekend to do it.

Going up against weaker Ivys should do the trick. I predict a sweep this weekend for the cherry and white. Of course, it matters not as they are the road team next weekend for the ECAC playoffs but let's show some spirit. USCHO disagrees with me. Do you?

USCHO's picks.

Rensselaer @ Brown
Brown has been playing better, and holds an advantage in a game between two sputtering offenses. 3-2 Bruno.

Rensselaer @ Yale
No reason for it, but just to demonstrate my wild and wacky antics, I'm picking RPI on a hunch. 4-2, and this one's a 5:30 p.m. start at the Whale.

Different Location Same Results

On non-consecutive weekends, RPI played SLU and Clarkson and came away 1-1-0 from the weekend. What does this mean? Is it the only team RPI can defeat is SLU? Why didn't Clarkson know that they still suck?

TH is coming on in the goal scoring category which I think is more important for the team then him racking up assists. He has been consistently the leading point scorer on the team but with much more assists. Hopefully he will develop into a goal scorer which seems to be lacking recently.

I really don't have much to add as I am very fearful the season will end with the first round of the playoffs this year. Maybe I will feel better if they destroy the Ivyies this weekend.

Weekend Fun

Ok- here we go. My last post was pretty depressing. And I am kind of keeping that theme for this weekend's predictions. I mean, I thought they would split and now they have the North Country contingent coming to town. If I had hope, I would say they would beat SLU and lose to Clarkson but at this point I say a tie with SLU and a loss to the Golden Knights. There needs to be a change in the team's attitude and this is definitely the weekend to do it.

USCHO picks:

St. Lawrence @ Rensselaer
"Oh dear God, you're speechless. I won I won an argument Jack, it's unprecedented. We'll be at the playground drinking beer. Oh God, we love beer." Rensselaer wins this argument, and celebrates accordingly. At the playground. 4-2 'Tute.

Clarkson @ Rensselaer
"Or ... we could skip the day-trip to Unnecessary Land and instead simply concede that Mrs. Wilk is my patient and that, while we are both attendings, we are in no way equals — we are in fact not equals. We are — hmmm — unequals." These teams? Unequals. 5-2 Knights.

Shellacked

Wow- was I wrong. Here I was thinking the Dartmouth game was a turning point in the season. Something to look back upon and say- hey this team is FINALLY going in the right direction but what do we have......

4-0 and 7-1 losses? Sure Central New York is not kind this year but man, that was just rough. I guess for me, its really all about seeing if they can do anything in this next stretch of games otherwise its just looking at my watch until they lose in the first round of the playoffs.

These are dark times in RPI-fan-land. I think the team gave up after that holiday tourney in Florida. Once they went up against the cream de la creme and lost AGAIN they spiraled downward. Appert clearly can't steer this team back this year. Here is to next year!

The Weekend That Will Be

A tough stretch of games in the heartland of NY for sure but who isn't pumped up after that spirited comeback last week? USCHO seems less than positive about this weekend's tilts but I still hold out hope. Will the cherry and red beat Cornell? Doubtful. Will they give Colgate a good tussle- yes! I foresee a split weekend which would be a good confidence builder for the lads (its sad that is where we are in the season but so be it).

RPI 4-3 over Gate and 5-2 losers against Cornell. You heard it here first!


Rensselaer @ Colgate
Could be a good one; RPI's alright on the road, and Colgate's got a good home record. Goalie battle? 2-1 Raiders.

Rensselaer @ Cornell
Lynah is a harsh mistress to those who don't feed her daily. Open up, we've got some Engineer for you... 3-1 Cornell.

Turning The Corner?

Its not a win but damn it was exciting to read about how RPI "roared" back from a 4-0 deficit to tie Dartmouth! Uryadov with the game winner (and pretty sick from the Troy Records recounting).

TH with a goal and an assist very nice.

Great quote from SA

“I wasn’t happy that we gave them that lead,” Appert said, “…but when all seemed to be going against us, we were struggling … to have the resiliency to come back and to play that hard, I was really happy to see that. It showed (there’s) a lot of character in that room.”

So is this the turning point? Is this when we look back on this season as the point where the team didn't give up and instead turned on the jets in the third period and beat teams? This couldn't come at a better time due to the Central New York swing with two very tough teams in Cornell and Colgate (thoughts on this coming later in the week). Still, a hopefully night at the Troy Fieldhouse.

I can't say it any better than this:

“Goals seems to come in bunches, especially when you’re struggling,” said RPI captain Jake Morissette. “You get that (first) one and the confidence comes and you’re able to put a couple more in the net.”

Here We Go Again

The fanbase is restless. Reading the fan posts over on the USCHO forum is an exercise in trying not to kill yourself when looking at this team. Passing seems to be an issue. Why is this an issue- haven't these guys been playing for all of their lives? Scoring seems to be an issue. Again.....

This weekend, we get one of the weaker teams (like us!) in the ECAC. My dad's old alma mater. Dartmouth over the last few years have shed their pathetic hockey lineage but this year has em right back in the crapper again and if there is anything to look forward to (i.e., home ice in the ECAC playoffs) this is the game to kick start things. I agree with USCHO, this should be a win.

Dartmouth @ Rensselaer
The Big Green are looking greener by the minute, at 0-3-1 in their last four, and in the midst of a four-game road swing. RPI needs to pounce here and now if the 'Tute wants to stay in the running for home ice. 3-1 Engineers.

What The Hell???

17 Freakouts without a loss until this one. Losing to a team called the Bobcats.

I had a conversation with my father about this ridiculous situation and it seems to me that SA is a better recruiter than coach. After all, doesn't this seem exactly like last year. The team starts off super hot and then go through a prolonged losing streak?

Is it time to start thinking of a change?

Get Your Freak On!!!!

I have my Freakout shirt all ready to wear in solidarity for the lads in Troy this weekend. Growing up, this was my favorite time to go to RPI. Every year I would beg my dad to take me and then get me one of those great red noise horns. There was a stack of them in my parent's house until recently.

This is one of the great traditions in college sports (not just hockey) and I am a wee bit sad that I will miss it. In honor of the weekend I am predicting a sweep for the lads in cherry and white. USCHO is doing the same! Any thoughts are welcomed in the comments:

USCHO's take:

Quinnipiac @ Rensselaer
These two teams always play it close. RPI's trying to rebound from the skid, and will be mighty driven to take two points going into the Freakout. 3-2 'Tute.

Princeton @ Rensselaer
I just can't pick a Freakout! to go bad in good conscience. If anyone belongs at an event called "The Freakout!" it's me. 4-2 'Tute.

Princeton @ Rensselaer: Saturday, 7 p.m.

It’s the Big Red Freakout! It’s also the meeting of one of the league’s top teams, Princeton, and one that’s under more teams than it’s on top of, in Rensselaer.

The programs are surprising in opposite ways thus far. The Tigers were picked to finish eighth by the coaches and media (and seventh by yours truly) in the preseason poll, and yet were in possession of first place as of two weeks ago. RPI, well, the Engineers were picked low, but I doubt even their heartiest detractors expected the Engineers to suffer a 10-game losing streak midseason.

It’s the second game of the weekend for each team, and RPI hasn’t lost a Freakout! game in decades.

“The fans at RPI are with you through thick and thin,” said volunteer assistant coach (and former Engineer captain) Ben Barr. But the Big Red Freakout! is an entirely different beast.

“You can be there an hour before the game, and the place is packed; it’s electric. It’s one of those things that seems to be sold out before tickets even go on sale.”

RPI head coach Seth Appert deferred to Barr on the Freakout!, as Appert has only experienced one so far, and none as a player.

Early each February for the past quarter-century, the school’s Alumni Weekend has corresponded with an otherwise everyday hockey game. It’s not a Homecoming game; there is no traditional pageantry or pomp to accompany the game. It is as though an arbitrary contest were picked off the calendar, but everyone in Troy knows when it is and where to be.

“You kinda get goosebumps as you walk out” to the ice, said Barr. “You don’t want to let your community down, or your school.” The energy is raw, dynamic, and contagious.

Barr noted a couple of contests from his playing days, in which rival Clarkson had come to town for the Freakout! “You can get jacked up, and let the moment control you a bit and get you running around,” Barr said of some of the undesirable side effects.

While that happened against ‘Tech, it didn’t sink the ‘Tute.

“We came back from down 3-0 [in 2002] and 2-0 [2004] late to win. It’s not the way you want to do it, but the fans loved it,” Barr recalled.

“Right now, this is one of the toughest weeks of the season,” said Appert, whose team draws Quinnipiac on Friday before the big fiesta on Saturday. “The power play’s taken a step in the right direction [2-for-6 last weekend] … Quinnipiac has one of the most dynamic offenses in our league.”

Appert and the team are focused first and foremost on Friday. But if you feel a little extra buzz around the Capital District on Saturday evening, now you know why.

Now We Know Where We Stand

RPI is not an elite team in the ECAC. They couldn't beat Clarkson. However, they aren't the worst team in the ECAC as they finally beat SLU. And, 6-3 with 1 for 3 on the powerplay nonetheless!!!

I think this is pretty much how the rest of the season will play out. Most likely it means going on the road for the playoffs. This obviously was not the expectation going into the season or certainly after the first month of the season. However, I am confident in the future. A few more wins (including beating freaking Union) will alleviate my spirits.

Well........

OK, here we are a few weeks into the ECAC sched. Sorry I haven't updated recently but I have been out and about in Utah and thankfully missed that back to back drubbing by Union. Seriously, 9 straight, 9 straight losses??????

Isn't this typical of Appert's tenure so far? Fast starts and then the team drops of the face of the earth? I still have faith in SA but man, 2 seasons showing a trend makes me less than secure.

This weekend is the typical North Country swing which should result in two losses. However, since Clarkson is one of those teams, and the fact that they still suck, I will give that game to RPI and the loss to SLU.

I am not optimistic anymore but I still love those Cherry and White lads! Go RPI!

Of course, USCHO's previews follow bellow:

Rensselaer @ Clarkson
Nine goals in eight games for RPI. Clarkson's 9-1-0 at Cheel. Things aren't looking good for the Engineers. 5-2 Knights.

Rensselaer @ St. Lawrence
SLU people seem to think I have it in for them, predictions-wise. No reason to mollify them now RPI for the upset, because — let's face it — they're going to win sometime. 3-2, by the same score the 'Tute last beat the Saints, in '04-05.

Bring On The ECAC

Well, the less that is said about the Maine game, the better. This weekend kicks off the true meat of the ECAC schedule for RPI. I hope, if anything, Appert has the lads whipped up in a frenzy after the last month. I think with Cornell and Gate, RPI has as good a measuring stick as they will get to see how the rest of the season plays out. I am predicting a split and a .500 record the rest of the way. of course, I want the lads to prove me wrong.

Go RPI!

Of course, here are USCHO's picks.


Cornell @ Rensselaer
The Engineers have scored six goals in their last four games. Granted, these were games against high-class competition. That said, Cornell's no slouch. So something's bound to go wrong here: either the Big Red Revival will hit a bump in the road, or RPI will be left groping for the emergency brake on this slide. I'm picking the 'Tute, on sheer desperation, 4-3.

Colgate @ Rensselaer
The Engineers are home for the weekend, and need to make up some ground in the wake of their non-conference losing streak. Colgate will certainly put up a fight, but when it comes right down to it, I think RPI has the better odds. 3-2 'Tute.

RPI vs Da Bears

Normally this would be a blowout in favor of those dreaded Hockey East Bears but I think RPI actually has a shot against them. Most people who have been following Maine this year seem to be writing this off as a down season and if Appert can't light a fire under this after the whole Florida fiasco, I don't know when he will.

Here is USCHO's take- let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Rensselaer at Maine (Cumberland County Civic Center; Portland, Maine)
I’ll pick RPI here, because I’ll give Seth Appert the benefit of the doubt ... that despite the results, the Engineers really are playing great hockey. 4-2 ‘Tute over the stumbling BlueBears.

I Mean Seriously

Here is a question for you. Would you rather have a team that is bad for the entire game against elite teams but know you have young talent in the pipeline (thus excited for the future) OR would you have a team that has a lot of potential but gets blown out in the third period by the elite teams in the country in frustrating fashion?

I think what really gets me about games like what happened this past weekend in Fla is that this team clearly has talent. They have tremendous speed, good hands, a decent goaltending tandem (although Lange was a better goalie when it was just he carrying the load). All elements into making this team a really good one to watch and to root for after many many disappointing years of the Fridgen era.

YET- it is clear something is going on between the second and third period in which RPI decides to rip out the hearts and crush the expectations of its fans. In some ways, to revisit my question above, I would rather be completely blown out by the top tier teams then to keep losing in this fashion.

Even if RPI does well in its ECAC matchups and ends up going to Albany this year, does anyone expect them to compete on that level or even in the NCAA's at this moment? We (meaning RPI hockey) do not have the horses right now to be considered an elite program.

I have faith in Appert. I think he is a hell of a recruiter and I am excited by the future. However, I am not longer excited by the present.

The Third Period

Here are two quotes from the USCHO article about the RPI games this weekend:

"For the second straight game, the RedHawks dominated the third period against the Engineers."

"Meanwhile, the Engineers (8-7-3) have been outscored 25-6 in the third."

As I have stated on here many, many times, RPI can compete in the ECAC but run out of juice in the third periods of games against top-tier opponents. I mean, when you get throughly dominated by the best teams in the country, doesn't that say something about the team and the coaching?

Sure, they lads only have so much energy but if you know they are going to skate hard for two periods and get blown out in the third, can't you up the conditioning and/or change coaching strategies to counteract this? Seth, I have been a big proponent of you and I believe in your skill for recruiting but wow, can we right this ship at some point for the ECAC stretch run (I think the holiday tourney is a lost cause at this point)?

Thoughts comments on the weekend that was?

Here We Go

This is the weekend isn't it? The weekend where RPI puts all of its 2 period skills to the test against the dreaded Numero Dos team in the nation. Its such a big contest that its the front page story on uscho.com.

I am excited but wary. I mean, this RPI team skates great against top tier teams for 2 periods and then blows it in the third. Minnesota and ND anyone? I think the long layoff will hurt them in the first game but I think they will win the seond one. Anyone's opinions are welcomed in the comments.

GO RPI!

Halo

Ok the weekend is here- another slate of games and yours truly is feeling pretty excited after that dominating Harvard win. Yet, RPI is not playing this week. Man, what a momentum killer. And then to come back rusty with Miami???? I don't think that weekend will go well but a good tuneup for the holiday tournament in FLA.

USCHO has lots of RPI goodies in its weekly column I figure I will reprint here. Have a great weekend.

USCHO gives us their month of December predictions:

Saturday, December 15

Miami at Rensselaer
4-1 RedHawks

Sunday, December 16

Miami at Rensselaer
4-3 RedHawks

Saturday, December 29

Rensselaer vs. Colorado College (Lightning Classic, Tampa, Fla.)
4-2 Engineers

Sunday, December 30

Notre Dame vs. Rensselaer (Lightning Classic Championship, Tampa, Fla.)
3-2 Engineers

Another treat from USCHO:

Red Storm Rising

Sorry Cornell, but it’s not always about you.

Seth Appert has Rensselaer rolling right now, though you may not suspect it at first glance.

“We’ve had a chance to win in every game we’ve played,” said the second-year Trojan. “We’ve had a chance to win in every third period we’ve played,” he added, almost incredulous at his team�s misfortune in translating effort into victories.

Appert pointed out that of the Engineers’ five overall losses, four were to highly ranked opponents (Minnesota, Boston College, Harvard and Notre Dame). The fifth loss was at highly potent and highly regarded Quinnipiac, who has fallen short of preseason expectations thus far.

However, it looks like the ‘Tute might finally be seeing some results to match their improved play.

With a 4-2 win over Harvard in the rearview, Appert was positively impressed with his charges’ game.

“It was probably our best effort of the season…as a combination of skill, execution, and physical intensity,” he said.

Putting four pucks past Kyle Richter should count as a victory in and of itself this season, but RPI made sure to take care of business on both ends of the ice to earn the true W.

“We got traffic to the net…where we were settling for fadeaway jumpers [before] ,” he said, to use a basketball analogy. “Part of the reason we were able to beat Harvard on Tuesday was playing BC, playing Minnesota, and coming close but not close enough.”

“There were more guys on the team who wanted the puck against Harvard and Princeton than there ever were against Minnesota and BC…they all wanted to sit back and wait out the win [back then] .”

“It’s too early to say that we’ve turned the corner, but the signs are there that we’re taking the proper steps,” said Appert.

Tuesdays Are Great

Why are Tuesdays so great? Well it just so happens because RPI beat up Havahd 4-2 last night.

This was the best clause in the entire USCHO article: "The 19th-ranked Engineers became the first team to score four goals on the league’s top goalie this season".

Lange got the win and TH got 2 assists. Overall a great night. This has me thinking good thoughts that this game will mark the turnaround in the ECAC for RPI. Now I am just gearing up for their run to Florida!

Isn't It Time?

To admit what I have been railing about on this website for the last year is correct?

Isn't it time to admit that the 2 goalie rotation is NOT the way to go. If you can't decide between Lange and Alford at least pick the hot hand and keep playing them until they lose.

What happened this weekend? Lange and Alford started and we got 1 win and 1 loss.

At this point I suggest going with Lange. Not only his is GAA better (1.96 to 2.1) but his save percentage is better (.936 to .926).

I was hoping this weekend RPI would establish themselves in the ECAC but they seem unwilling to win a full weekend. In the ECAC-only weekends so far, RPI has split 2 series and tied games in the other weekend. They did beat 2 ECAC teams in the Gov Cup but since USCHO has the (nc) after the game, it doesn't count in division for me either.

Whose with me?

The Southern Swing

Tonight and tomorrow, RPI is in my neck of the woods with trips to NJ and CT. I think both of these teams are about RPI's "speed" so I look for 2 wins this week. Does Appert continue to rotate goalies? I think he should stick with Lange at this point. Thoughts?

USCHO's previews:

Rensselaer @ Princeton
Now there’s a strange sight; Princeton is 0-3-0 at home, but 4-1-0 on the road. They’re a good team, but hey, if that’s the way they want to play it... 4-3 RPI.

Rensselaer @ Quinnipiac
QU can weather the hot-and-cold RPI attack ... if it’s toward the “cold” end of the spectrum. If both offenses happen to be on, however, it will be a fun fun game. For the heck of it, I’ll take QU, 5-2.

This Weekend

Well, first off, I have to say it was an amazing experience to be back at the HFH for last weekend's tilt. Its always great to be somewhere with a lot of people wearing the cherry and white. Check out my pics!

As for the games, well for Friday's contest, there was good and bad. The good definitely came in the form of numbers. Particularly 23, 27, 9 and 15. The speed on offense was explosive and while the passing wasn't quite there, the crashing the net was great.

The negative is that the defense was too slow. AIC's forwards were beating the RPI D ALL THE TIME and getting quality breakaways they had no business getting. This could be solved by having the fast forwards backcheck which they weren't doing. There is no way RPI should have a tie in the books from that game.

Saturday's game, what can you say? In what was basically a repeat of the Minnesota game, get out way ahead and have the other team come roaring back. What is it about top tier teams and RPI running out of gas? Clearly I think RPI has the horses to run in the ECAC but can only truly muster 2 periods against the upper echelon.

What were your thoughts of the game? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Thanksgiving

Well here we are, the day before I stuff my face full of turkey. Of course, I couldn't be happier as I am traveling up to the Capital District for this and will be catching the holiday tournament and the good ol HFH.

The tourney is always a kick off to the holiday season and I look forward to it every year. Hopefully I will get another travel mug!

RPI, as typical with their tourney has scheduled an opponent from a conference I have never heard in the first game and then scheduled someone from the WCHA or CCHA in the other part of the bracket. Sure its their tourney and they want to advance to the finals but American International? Some of the teams similarly scheduled over the years have been Bowling Green, Merrimack, Niagara and Robert Morris.

This is not to say all of the teams are creampuffs. RPI has played some great teams in the tourney year after year- here is a listing: http://www.augenblick.org/rpi/h_rrvo.html In fact, just recently they have played OSU, Mercyhurst, Northeastern, among others.

Also, it seems that the CCHA/WCHA opponent will usually have the advantage just by playing in a tougher conference. I remember a few years ago seeing Lake State play at the HFH and while they were the dregs of the CCHA at the time (in between their title runs in the early 90s and their current resurgence) they handled the teams at the holiday tourney pretty easily. I am not saying that RPI will be a pushover to Notre Dame in the final but I have my doubts.

I really think it has to do with the level of play in the conferences. The CCHA, WCHA and Hockey East generally have better recruits and tougher opponents in conference. The ECAC, Atlantic and CHA while having good teams, are on a slightly lower tier competition wise. That is why I am glad Appert has scheduled so many tough non-conference games. Minn, BC, CC, Maine, ND. All of these opponents will be good to cut the ol "teeth" on for RPI and will make them a better program.

Regardless, I will be cheering my RPI heart out this weekend for the lads. Congrats to RPI for maintaining their ranking at 16- http://www.uscho.com/rankings/?data=uscho1m

I will have lots of pics up on Monday and have a happy and safe turkey day! Go RPI!

Cold Enough For Ya?

Looking up the weather for the Capital District has me lacing up the boots. Seriously, 29 degrees is the low tonight? Makes me glad I am living in the temperate NYC area. I will be up there next weekend for Turkey Day and hopefully catching a few games but this cold weather has me thinking hockey and has me thinking about this weekend.

More specifically, how can RPI be idle this weekend? I can't remember the last time they had a weekend off during the ECAC swing of the schedule. It leaves a little less meat on the bone for the blog and my weekend options.

So question, who is going to the Holiday tourney next weekend? Does Turkey Day inhibit your RPI watching? How many of those travel mugs do you have? I must have 3-5 collected over the years. I look forward to this tourney a lot and can't wait to see the Cherry and White skate American International and probably get beat bad by Notre Dame. Have a good weekend!

We Are Who We Thought They Were

To borrow a quote from Dennis Green. Well, the weekend, went pretty much as expected. RPI, shutout by a superior Harvard team and then (with Appert lighting a fire under them) destroyed Dartmouth 7-4.

TH had 2 assists in the game which, of course, I have to note.

So where does this weekend leave RPI? Its early in the season. We have seen them beat up on the weaklings of the college scene, run out of gas against the top programs and have third period problems against the middle of the pack teams. I guess what this suggests is that RPI will be in the middle of the pack in the ECAC and battling for home ice advantage come playoff team.

I do think they have the talent to be in the final four for the ECAC tourney in Albany. Let me know your thoughts about the weekend and the future in the comments section. Go RPI!

The Weekend Is Here!

First off- thanks for all the great discussions going on in the last post- I think this site has finally found its stride after a year!

Second- to echo some of the comments, I LOVE our freshmen (especially TH as many of you know) but they are "pass first" type of players. Maybe we put some of them on the line with Ornelas who is a true scorer in my book we can turn those passes into assists.

Coach Appert seems to share the same opinions as many of us in his recent quotes on USCHO:

Rensselaer head coach Seth Appert is asking his team for more shots, more shots, more shots.

“We’re being too selective at times,” Appert continued. “We need to crash and drive the net … and create rebounds,” he said.

The Engineers put only 94 shots on net in their last four games combined, including last weekend’s back-to-back overtime contests against Yale and Brown (both ties).

“The confidence starts to slip [when you’re not scoring] ,” explained the coach, leading to fewer drives toward the net, and more cutesy peripheral passing. Despite holding a 2-0-2 record over those previous four, RPI only totaled eight goals.

Either way, this weekend is a true test for the lads as we see what they are made of on a roadtrip through the ECAC. While I would like them to go 2-0, I think I have to agree with Brian Sullivan's assessment for the weekend. Harvard always seems to have a good program and I am just not sold that RPI's speed can solve them. Let me know your thoughts in the comments and go RPI!


Rensselaer @ Harvard
Harvard took a win from St. Lawrence in the North Country, after losing 2-1 at Clarkson. RPI struggled against Brown and Union. It's Harvard's home opener, too ... what, you haven't seen all the commercials? 5-3 Crimson.

Rensselaer @ Dartmouth
The 'Tute could sneak up on you this year. Especially early, before Ken Schott and I write a whole lot more about them. 4-2 RPI.

Ummmm, what?

2 ties? Ties against teams RPI should beat? From what I heard, Yale out skated RPI and with Brown- once again there were third period problems in allowing them to come back. A "T" is not an "L" but what does this say about how RPI will fare against the rest of the ECAC? Anyone there at the games care to comment?

Friday Is Here

Are you prepared for the RPI Swarm, errr Engineers, errr Res Hawks, errr the RPI Men's Hockey Team? I know I am! I also know that for the second year in a row, I have high expectations for the hockey team. We will see if they cool off from their 5-2 17th ranked start, I am hoping not!

As always, here are the USCHO's picks for this weekend and I disagree. Really, with how the team is playing, how can you not expect a 2-0 weekend? Brown always plays terrible at HFH so that should be a win.

Yale @ Rensselaer
Engineers keep rolling along. Wish I'd seen that coming earlier this season. 3-1 RPI.

Brown @ Rensselaer
Brown in the upset. Bruno is a strong defensive team at heart ... but the Bears will have to show it too, not just feel it. 2-1 Brown.

Black Friday Cometh

Today is Wednesday but it is Halloween and appropriate kickoff to Black Friday at the Field House. Since I live in the NYC area, I have never gone to this event (much less have been able to bid on a jersey which is now becoming much coveted in my household). Its great that a program like RPI with so many traditions (Freakout) and cheers (revolving around the word "suck") can start a new one and have it become an instant classic. I think the dimensions of the HFH help with this. It is a smallish arena and has a real intimate feel to it and when you pump up the crowd with hockey + something else, it usually leads to a special event. I remember as a kid getting those red noise horns every year to cheer on the Cherry and White. It will be an experience that sticks with me before I go senile and I think Black Friday has the same potential.

G Cup Reviewed

Here I am, back fresh from Albany. What a weekend! RPI continues undefeated in G Cup play! And their PP and PK continue to be awful! They are tremendous in person with team speed and creativity. They are terrible in non 5-on-5 situations. Appert was yapping at the refs, Lange and Alford both played well, TH padded the stats but looked a little out of it from my vantage point. Good to see Ornelas play well without benefit of the CEO line. Uryadov creates lots of chances. Is it just me or does RPI have a great collection of international talent for a college program. I mean, St. Petersburg, Klagenfrut and Boca Raton. Craziness. I hope you enjoy the pics!

G Cup

First of all I would like to say hello to the few commentators that have visited this site recently. I have been out and about the last few weeks but will start posting here more regularly.

As for last week's games, RPI SHOULD have won those games and did. I think Appert is finally getting the horses he needs through his great recruiting skills to implement a plan of attack that should take RPI deep into the post season over the next few years.

In terms of the goalie situation as a few commentators pointed out, you can go back to previous posts but I have never been in favor of a rotation of goalies. I personally think you should stick with one and go with it. I have always been a supporter of Lange over Alford due to his rookie year but at this point I am willing to say JUST PICK ONE!

Below are USCHO's picks for the weekend. I will be up in Albany for the Cup and can't wait. I am also looking into getting Helfrich on my Puckman jersey but probably won't get it in time. I am not worried about the Union matchup but if they play SLU I think they may lose. It will be a good early season test for RPI with some solid conference rivals.


Rensselaer vs Union (nc, Governor's Cup)
Rensselaer played well at Minnesota and did away with Army and Sacred Heart last weekend. Union hasn't played an NCAA game in two weeks, and may be a bit rusty. 4-2 'Tute. Shrader: RPI

St. Lawrence vs Rensselaer (nc, Governor's Cup championship)
To reiterate, SLU = favorites. My job = predict probable victor. Favorite = probable winner. Saints, 3-2. Shrader: RPI

This Weekend's Contests

Summaries by Brian Sullivan by USCHO:

Rensselaer @ Army
The Engineers put on a good show at Minnesota, regardless of the results. This weekend, the effort should be rewarded on the scoreboard. 4-1 RPI.

Sacred Heart @ Rensselaer
The Engineers hit Houston once more, hosting Sacred Heart and looking for the four-point weekend. SHU is no pushover, and RPI will have its hands full ... but the win is still there for the taking, 5-3.

He's right, this should be a 4 point weekend. Hopefully, RPI can stay out of the box and my boy Tyler can keep adding to his point totals!

We Played The Big Boys

And lost 2 games. Many people believe the ECAC is light years behind the power conferences and while there is a kernel of truth to this, RPI had a good showing against Minnesota and should have won that game. The BC game, I think you can contribute to a let down after the first game.

What became clear from the game summaries on USCHO is that RPI took way too many penalties which directly lead to penalties. Minn scored 3 PP goals. With BC- 9 penalties in the third period????? Yeeesh.

I have every confidence in Appert, I don't think RPI is quite to the level of the big boys yet, I am much more interested to see how they fare in the ECAC conference this year.

HERE WE GO!

Sure it was against a team that by all rights should be in Division III but damn, a shutout to start the season? I will take it. Plus my "boy" Helfrich got TWO assists! Think TH is the real deal and will be rooting for him during his 4 years here.

Next up- a HUGE test for the Appert system now that he has his "horses". The IceBreaker Invitational. The Engineers play Minnesota, the 6th-ranked team in the nation, on Friday at 8:30pm and either #2 Boston College or #9 Michigan on Saturday at 5:30pm.

Let's Go Red!

Red & White Game This Sunday!

Press Release!

TROY, N.Y. - The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men’s hockey team will conduct its Annual Red/White Scrimmage this Saturday, October 6, beginning at 5pm at the Houston Field House. Following the scrimmage, which marks the collegiate debuts of the team’s nine newcomers, both the men and women’s teams will take part in the Annual Skate with the Engineers.

Both the scrimmage and the skate, which will begin at approximately 7pm, are free and open to the public. The skate-a-long will run until approximately 8:30pm. All those interested in participating are required to bring their own skates.

Players and coaches from both squads will be on hand to skate, “meet and greet” fans, sign autographs and pose for photos.

Rensselaer’s men’s team finished the 2006-07 season with an overall record of 10-18-8. The 2007-08 Engineers return 17 players from that team, including ten forwards, four defensemen and three goaltenders.

Rensselaer opens the 2007-08 campaign on Tuesday, October 9, against Bentley College at 7pm at the Houston Field House. The Engineers then travel to Minnesota to play in the IceBreaker Tournament at the Xcel Energy Center. RPI plays the University of Minnesota, the fifth-ranked team in the country, on Friday, October 12 (8:30pm) and either #2 Boston College or #10 Michigan on October 13 at 5:30pm.

We Are Rocking Recruiting!

Check it out RPI fans- INCH has ranked us 13th in the country! Go Red!

13.	Rensselaer
Top freshmen: D Bryan Brutlag, F Tyler Helfrich, F Chace Polacek

Go USA!

APPERT NAMED AN ASSISTANT WITH TEAM USA
Head men's hockey coach to work with National Under-18 squad

TROY, N.Y. - USA Hockey announced the roster and coaching staff for its 2007
U.S. Under-18 Select Team that will compete in the 2007 Under-18 Memorial of
Ivan Hlinka from August 14-18 in Piestany, Slovakia and Hodonin, Czech
Republic and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's head coach Seth
Appert has been chosen to serve as an assistant coach.

Appert, who will be an assistant to Roger Grillo with the U.S. team, is
entering his second season with the Engineers, having led RPI to a 10-18-8
record in 2006-07.  The 2007-08 Engineers return 17 players from that team,
including ten forwards, four defensemen and three goaltenders.  Nine
newcomers are expected in the fall. 

Prior to joining Rensselaer, Appert spent nine seasons as an assistant coach
at the University of Denver, where he was responsible for recruiting, on-ice
coaching, video breakdown, and game analysis work. He also played a big role
in the development of Denver's goaltenders.

A collegiate netminder at Ferris State University, Appert individually
coached one All-American, two All-Western Collegiate Hockey Association
(WCHA) honorees, two WCHA Playoff Most Valuable Players, and two Frozen Four
Most Outstanding Players at Denver. Three of his goaltenders were draft
picks of the National Hockey League, including one Hobey Baker Award
finalist. Two of those netminders have gone on to play in the NHL.

Appert helped Denver sign nationally ranked recruiting classes during his
nine-year tenure with the Pioneers. Among those he coached or recruited were
the 2006 Hobey Baker Award winner, eight All-Americans, a WCHA Player of the
Year, 22 All-WCHA picks, three WCHA Defensive Players of the Year, two WCHA
Student-Athletes of the Year, and 17 NHL draft picks at Denver. The Pioneers
averaged over 23 wins per year during his tenure as an assistant coach and
captured two NCAA National Championships, three WCHA playoff championships,
and two WCHA regular-season titles in his years of coaching at Denver.

A four-year letterwinner at Ferris State from 1992-96, Appert and his wife,
Jill, have two daughters, Addison and Campbell.

The Recruits Cometh

From the Troy Record- I take a look at this and can't help but get excited!

RPI recruits show promise

By: Ed Weaver, The Record

04/26/2007

TROY - Seth Appert's first recruiting class at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute shows promise - plenty of it. Throw in a early signees from the 2008-09 freshman class, and Appert and his staff are excited.
"We are very excited about this recruiting class," Appert said. "They bring a lot of differ¬ent elements in a nice blend of skill, speed and grit and com¬petitiveness. I think they'll improve us in every area."
The biggest three additions among the eight newcomers are right winger Tyler Helfrich, defenseman Bryan Brutlag and center Joel Malchuk, the final recruit of former coach Dan Fridgen.
Each was previously reported by The Record to be among the 2007-08 freshman class, as were left winger Ben Contini and right winger Scott Halpern.
The newest three additions to the program are solid defense-minded defenseman John F. Kennedy, who's expected to step right in and help the Engineers still painfully young defen¬sive corps, and right wingers Chase Polacek and Kevin Beauregard.
Polacek was a teammate of Brutlag at Academy of the Holy Angels High in Richfield, Minn.
Helfrich, who can also play center, had 18 goals and 32 assists in 42 games in the Alberta Junior Hockey League,
Brutlag was a First Team member of the Minnesota All-State team and Malchuk had 22 goals, 39 assists and a whopping 190 penalty minutes in 53 games in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.
Appert praised assistant coaches Shawn Kurulak and Jim Montgomery for "the out¬standing job they did in putting this class together. The three of us covered a lot of miles and they did a real good job, especially in their first year together."
Here's Appert's brief description of each recruit, with each's position, height, weight and hometown:
Joel Malchuk, C, 5-foot-10, 170, Brandon, Man. - "We feel like he's our recruit. Joel is a very strong two-way center who plays with passion and an edge. We need more of that around here."
Bryan Brutlag, D, 5-11, 180, Lakeville, Minn. - "Bryan is a very dynamic offensive threat from the blue line. His skill level and competi¬tiveness have made him one of the top defen¬sive recruits in the nation. We've found our power-play point man defenseman."
Tyler Helfrich, RW-C, 5-10, 190, Calgary, Alb. - "Tyler is a gifted offensive player with excellent hands and vision to make his teammates better. He is a proven point producer at every level at which he's played and we expect the same from him at RPI."
John F. Kennedy, D, 6-0, 195, Saginaw, Mich. - "John is a very competitive young man who is a real shut-down defenseman. He's a battler, a tough, tough kid and he's a leader."
Ben Contini, LW, 6-0, 175, Toronto - "Ben is an explosive offensive player. He will be one of our fastest and most talented players upon arrival to campus."
Chase Polacek, RW, 5-8, 165, Edina, Minn. - "Chase is a goal-scorer with great quickness and speed. He has been a high-level point-pro¬ducer for one of the best high school programs in the country."
Scott Halpern, RW, 5-10, 170 - "Scott has the speed and intensity to become an effective two-way forward for us. He has the ability to excel in any role he's put in."
Kevin Beauregard, RW, 6-4, 215, South Windsor, Conn. - "Kevin is a raw talent who has the size and mind to develop into a strong power forward."
Appert says the recruiting class isn't com¬plete.
"There will be at least one more," he said. "Another defenseman at least and if we can a (forward) ...
"You're never done recruiting," Appert added. "If you see a player in July or August who can help your program, you have to go get him."
The 2007-08 RPI roster will have seven sen¬iors on it Appert and his assistants have already gotten a big jump on next year's recruiting.
With high-scoring left winger Patrick Cullen and center Christian Morissette (no relation to captain Jake Morissette) and solid two-way defenseman Mike Bergin, the nucleus of that class is almost set.
"Again, we're excited," Appert said. "We've still got a ways to go, but we're on the way."

It's The Playoffs- Let's Get It On!!!!

Can't wait- here we go- ECACHL playoffs live and direct to your face!!!! Let's see if Appert can get the lads playing consistent and get the series from those terrible Gaters.

USCHO's Take:
No. 9 Rensselaer 6-11-5 (10-16-8) @ No. 8 Colgate 7-12-3 (13-19-4)
Head-to-head Split the league series 1-1-0, Rensselaer wins season series 2-1-0.Rensselaer on the road 3-5-3 (4-7-3 overall)Colgate at home 5-5-1 (7-6-1 overall)Special teams power play: RPI, 10th — 13.8% (15.4) Colgate, 11th — 13.5% (14) penalty kill: RPI, 12th — 78.1% (79.5) Colgate, 4th — 85.3% (84.6)Team offense RPI, 10th — 2.50 (2.53) Colgate, 12th — 2.41 (2.53)Team defense RPI, 12th — 3.82 (3.62) Colgate, 4th — 2.73 (2.56)Key matchup Colgate's first line versus RPI's defense.
The Engineers won the Governor's Cup back at the end of October with a 2-1 win over the Raiders. The 'Gate won their league home game over RPI 3-2 on December 2, but the 'Tute drew even on February 9 with a 3-2 overtime win at the Houston Field House. Despite Seth Appert's favored two-goalie approach at Rensselaer, the three games between these teams have all been Mathias Lange-Mark Dekanich showdowns.
Rensselaer started the Appert Era on the right foot, out of the gate with a 4-1-3 record including a win over Denver, the Governor's Cup, and a tie against Boston University. Since then, however, the team has gone 6-15-5, and has only put together back-to-back wins twice all season ... not the best sign entering a best-of-three series.
The Engineers are hardly rolling over, though; the team has fought for 12 points from its last 13 games, and has split its last seven road games with a 3-3-1 record. Lange has played in each of Rensselaer's last seven games, but was replaced in the season finale against Yale and came in to try to get the Engineers into the game in a loss to St. Lawrence on February 16.
Overall, this is a team that has a very good chance of winning the close games, but can get lit up when the defense is forced to push the envelope facing a deficit.
Colgate's story has been well-documented: the Raiders have not won a single game this season in which they've surrendered three or more goals. In 15 such contests, the team is 0-14-1. But look at the bright side: in the remaining games, the squad is 13-5-3, and 7-4-2 in ECACHL play.
The tormented team has fallen prey to the three-goal curse six times in 17 games since the conclusion of winter break, and sports a 6-9-2 record over that period. In what should come as no surprise, but still seems ironically fitting, the Raiders were 6-0-0 in that same time when scoring three-plus in a game.
Colgate has the horses to play the tight, low-scoring games — the Raiders have won four games and tied three others when maxing out at three goals' production — and they have scorers, too: three players averaging a point-per-game overall, and two more with a dozen goals apiece in league (Tyler Burton and Jesse Winchester). Mark Dekanich is still the reigning Dryden Award winner, last time I checked, and finished the season with the ECACHL's second-best save percentage, .923.
The Red Raiders have been a snakebitten team this season, in that the offense just hasn't connected with the frequency necessary to contend for a title. Dekanich, the defense, and the penalty kill have been stellar. But when your team's top scorers in league earn 28, 25, 19, 11, and eight points, you'd darn well better have a top-notch D-corps. When Colgate has lost, it's primarily been by losing the third period, and decisively so. The Raiders have been outscored 10-1 in the final frame of those last six three-goal-plus losses.
I think Colgate has an edge overall in this series, regardless of the results from their matchups earlier (which didn't demonstrate much in the first place). Colgate won't be tested much by an up-tempo but sniper-deficient Engineer offense, and the youth and inexperience on RPI's blue line — not to mention Colgate getting the last change — will probably give the Raiders enough opportunities to earn the ever-important third-period lead.

INCH's Take:

A tournament series between Rensselaer and Colgate isn't that big of a deal this season, considering that the ECACHL playoffs mark the third tournament this year that both teams have participated in. Each took part in the Governor's Cup in downtown Albany on Oct. 28-29 and the Rensselaer/Bank of America Holiday Tournament in Troy on Nov. 24-25.
Past ECACHL Notebooks ECACHL Season Preview Oct. 19 Notebook Oct. 26 Notebook Nov. 3 Notebook Nov. 10 Notebook Nov. 17 Notebook Dec. 1 Notebook Dec. 9 Notebook Mid-Season Report Jan. 11 Notebook Jan. 18 Notebook Jan. 26 Notebook Feb. 1 Notebook Feb. 8 Notebook Feb. 15 Notebook Feb. 22 Notebook
In-season tournaments defined the seasons for these two teams. While both finished the regular season with sub-.500 records overall and in the ECAC Hockey League, they had the chance to test themselves against many quality opponents in pressurized situations. Colgate played in four in-season tournaments and RPI competed in three.
Rensselaer faced Colgate in one of those games, the championship game of the Governor's Cup and won the inaugural event with a 2-1 victory. Dan Peace scored with 49 seconds left in regulation to give RPI the late lead that turned into a victory.
The Engineers celebrated the title on the ice at the then-Pepsi Arena (now Times Union Center) and got to experience a tournament title of any type for the first time since the 2001-02 season.
"It definitely helps you and it's part of the reason you appreciate playing in those tournaments. You get a sense of what it feels like to be in a situation where you need to win to advance, and to compete for a championship," RPI coach Seth Appert said.
The tournaments also fill a need for non-Ivy ECACHL teams, as was mentioned in an ECACHL Notebook earlier this season. Several teams need to find a significant number of non-league games, and making them as meaningful as possible can only help a team once the playoffs roll around.
"You can never mimic what playoff intensity is like and the sense of urgency that you need to have," Appert said. "But with 12 non-league games for the non-Ivy League teams there can be a mental letdown for the non-league games and you try to sprinkle in tournaments like those."
The Engineers were the last team to celebrate on ice in downtown Albany, and their quest for the opportunity to do that again begins this weekend.

No. 9 Renssselaer at No. 8 ColgateR: 10-16-8 (6-11-5 ECACHL)C: 13-19-4 (7-12-3 ECACHL)Season Series: RPI leads 2-1Engineer Fact: RPI has never lost a playoff series to Colgate, but two of those series wins came at Houston Field House.Raider Fact: Colgate's current four-game losing streak is its longest since the middle of the 2002-03 season.How RPI Wins: Get more shots to the net. They averaged just 22.3 shots on goal in the three regular-season games against Colgate.How Colgate Wins: Take advantage when down a man. The Raiders have a strong 84.6 percent penalty kill, and RPI has allowed the most short-handed goals against in the nation (12).

Captain Possibly Being Honored

Good news for Captain Kirk:

KIRK MacDONALD A FINALIST FOR LOWE'S SENIOR CLASS AWARD FOR MEN'S HOCKEYTROY, N.Y. - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student-athlete KirkMacDonald has been named a finalist for the 2006-07 Men's Hockey Lowe'sSenior CLASS Award. A senior captain, he is one of ten finalists for theaward, which was initially developed in response to the trend of collegebasketball players leaving school early to turn professional. This is thefirst year the award has been extended to men's hockey.A forward from Victoria, B.C., MacDonald is Rensselaer's leading scorer with26 points, including a team-best 12 goals, in 31 games. Eight of his goalshave come on the power play - which ranks 17th in the nation - and one was agame-winning marker. He also has 20 penalties for 40 minutes. In hiscareer, MacDonald, the team's Most Valuable Player in 2004-05 and asecond-year captain, has 102 points (47 goals, 55 assists) in 135 games.MacDonald is a management major who has been on the Dean's List on multipleoccasions. He is also a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee(SAAC) and he will be inducted into Olympia, Rensselaer's student-athletehonor society. A cancer survivor, MacDonald is also very active in the community, havingserved in numerous charitable and volunteer activities during his career atRensselaer, including:. Helping organize a season-long campaign to raise funds for cancerresearch and awareness of the importance of being tested and educated abouttesticular cancer. At each home game during the 2005-06 season, two membersof the team volunteered to have their heads shaved if a minimum of $100 wasraised per player. Over $11,000 was donated to the Lance ArmstrongFoundation. The gift was one of the largest ever donated by a college ofRPI's size through a grass roots campaign; . Helping organize and obtaining prizes for raffles to help raisefunds for cancer research and to raise awareness; . Serving as a spokesman at RPI and at other local colleges for cancerawareness; . Serving as a member of the committee and Master of Ceremonies forthe inaugural American Cancer Society Relay for Life at Rensselaer, whichraised over $124,000; . Being named to the American Cancer Society Youth Council for NewYork and New Jersey; . Volunteering for the Troy Turkey Trot & as a youth hockey coach; . Helping organize a food drive to benefit Unity House of Troy byreplenishing the organization's shelves after Thanksgiving; . Currently working on the Second Annual American Cancer Society Relayfor Life at RPI.In addition to being named a finalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award,MacDonald is also a finalist for the Hockey Humanitarian Award as well asthe 2007 NCAA Skills Competition. He also won the 2007 Rensselaer AlumniAssociation Community Service Award.CLASS is an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying inSchool. The award was launched during the 2001-02 season to honor theattributes of college senior athletes who remain committed to theiruniversity and pursue the many rewards that a senior season can bringVoting for the finalists - who were chosen based on personal qualities thatdefine a complete student-athlete (classroom, character, community, andcompetition) - will be done nationwide by fans, coaches, media, andsponsors. Fan balloting begins on March 10 at www.seniorclassaward.com.

Quiet Before The Storm

Here we go- another weekend in the ECACHL. The playoffs are coming- here is what rpi fans gave to look forward to.

Brown @ Rensselaer: RPI has indeed played quite well despite prima facie appearances, and with home ice only two points away, Brown may fall victim to home-ice energy. 3-2 Engineers.

Yale @ Rensselaer: Yale goes into the postseason on a mini-high, as Alec Richards saves the day in hostile territory. 3-2 Eli.

Rensselaer: The Engineers have surrendered 48 goals in their last 10 losses, all since the winter break. Their four wins in that time have each been by one goal. In those losses, the average difference has been a full 3.6 goals, with only one empty-net goal against. On the other hand, the 'Tute is 2-0-8 in overtime games; hard to hope for much better.

RPI looking beyond the Ls
Many teams would be content taking a point from the North Country this season.
Rensselaer and head coach Seth Appert were not.
"I'm disappointed," he said.
St. Lawrence won 6-3, exploding for three goals in the last seven minutes of the game following the Engineers' game-tying goal five minutes into the frame. Clarkson drew their contest even with four seconds remaining on the clock in the 3-3 tie.
"We don't have the ability to score a lot of goals," Appert assessed, "our strength has been winning the close games."
In discussing the significant margin of the team's recent losses, Appert pointed out that when losing close games, you have to take risks that will certainly make the team more vulnerable to counterattacks.
Plus, he said, "in the majority of our recent losses, we've out-chanced our opponents."
The state of his inherited team is one of a young and inexperienced defense, and a talented but productively limited offense. Hence, Appert adjusted his strategy to a quasi-possession game, maintaining the up-tempo style that he prefers despite the lack of intimidating scorers.
Oren Eizenman is doing his part though. Coming back off an injury, he had "probably his best weekend of the year" last week, said his coach.
The Engineers play two at the Houston Field House with postseason home-ice in sight.

0-1-1

Well not quite the trip envisioned by the RPI faithful but clearly this is a team on the cusp but not there yet. Hopefully SA will get the lads tuned up for a respectible showing in the ECAC's

North Country

Here comes RPI! Well, they could use a sweep this weekend and certainly the quality of opponents they face this weekend will make that a difficult task. But it will be interesting to see if Appert really has em revved up for the ECAC playoffs or if this is a quick swan song....

As always, from USCHO:

Rensselaer @ St. Lawrence: How can you not pick the Saints right now? Even I can't not pick them! 5-3 SLU.

Rensselaer @ Clarkson: Against my instinct, I'll stick with my early-season love for the new RPI: 4-2 Engineers.

Mixed Bag Again

Another win/loss weekend for the lads of Troy. RPI currently sits 9th in the ECAC and would face Princeton without home ice advantage if the playoffs were to commence today.

The good news is that RPI is only 2 points out of the 8th spot which could be made up this week guaranteeing RPI home ice advantage. Either way though, you have to wonder about Lange.

As anyone knows, I have been a big supporter of Lange based on his performance last year and felt his one game in one game out rotation Appert has been doing all season has been hurting his consistency. Yet, when he played back to back games he was great in the first and then yees- 6-1 loss in the second!

I am not ready to give up on Mathias but he needs to show me something in the last part of the season and the playoffs....

RPI Get Ready

Here we go- the weekend is here- grab a beer! And grab some RPI hockey. The predictions come from USCHO:

Colgate @ Rensselaer: RPI has been struggling for offense, and Colgate has taken the concept of defense to a whole new level (11 goals against in the last six games). Sorry Engineers, but this isn't your night. 4-2 Raiders.

Cornell @ Rensselaer: RPI has looked solid lately, and Cornell has struggled to put pucks in the net with any consistency. I think home ice could be the difference in a defensive struggle. 3-2 Rensselaer.

Also some good quotes from Appert:

"I don't think you can analyze hockey the same way as baseball or football," said Rensselaer head coach Seth Appert, who uses the same basic stats that can be found in most comprehensive game notes.
The Engineers, according to their coach, have 10 set objectives for which they strive every game. These include such straightforward goals as winning the third period, blocking more shots (by percentage) than their opponent, winning 55 percent of faceoffs, and winning the special-teams battle.
"I think when we hit six or seven of those, we're undefeated," said Appert.

Well 0-2 after this weekend although everyone who listened or saw the games said htey are playing much better. It still seems RPI is a few seasons away at this point.

I will let Kevin's email update all of you on the weekend that was and the weekend that will be:

The Engineers went 0-2-0 last week against Dartmouth and Harvard. Junior Jordan Alford (Red Deer, AB) posted 24 saves in Friday’s 5-2 loss against the Big Green and sophomore Mathias Lange (Klagenfurt, Austria) stopped 20 shots in a 3-1 loss to the Crimson. Rensselaer is now 8-13-7 overall with a 4-8-4 ECACHL mark and returns to action this weekend when it hosts Colgate (Friday) and Cornell (Saturday). Both games begin at 7pm and can be heard live on 91.5, WRPI and at www.wrpi.org. Live stats for both games will be available at http://livestats.internetconsult.com/rpi/mhockey/.

Friday night's game against Colgate is Ned Harkness Night when the former legendary coach of the Engineers will be added to the prestigious Ring of Honor at the Houston Field House. Saturday's game against Cornell is the 3rd Annual White Out, to which all fans are encouraged to wear white. During the first intermission of that game, senior forward Kirk MacDonald will be presented with his Hockey Humanitarian Award finalist trophy.

The hockey team will also raffle off signed NHL jerseys at both games this weekend, with all proceeds going to the American Cancer Society. In addition, the Engineers will donate their half of the 50-50 drawing.

RPI On The Move?

According to USCHO:
RPI on the move
The Engineers took four points on the road from Yale and Brown last weekend, and hit Dartmouth and Harvard this week to conclude a four-game road trip.
"Our attention to detail is becoming a lot better," said coach Seth Appert of his team's newfound confidence. "We had trouble earlier on with our physical intensity and our execution ... sometimes we'd be too intense [and make aggressive mistakes] and not execute."
Appert will stick with his rotation of Mathias Lange and Jordan Alford, content with the results so far.
"Jordan had two big road wins [at Union and Yale] ... and Lange had a tough win on the road against Brown."
Catalysts of the team's success have been senior defenseman Jake Luthi and redshirt senior Kirk MacDonald. Luthi leads the team in points (22) and assists (19), while MacDonald has been "everything we'd want in a player this year."
"His leadership and passion are infectious," said Appert of his captain.
As far as this weekend is concerned, "Harvard and Dartmouth put a whoopin' on us [at home]," said Appert. "They embarrassed us on our home ice ... and dominated both games."
While the coach wouldn't go so far as to call it a chance at redemption, the weekend's results will go a long way in indicating exactly what kind of team — and what kind of tenacity — Rensselaer really has this season.

I certainly think RPI has a long way to go this season to cash in the promise of the start of the season but let's seem em beat up on Big Green and the Crimson!

Here are the USCHO predicitions:

Rensselaer @ Dartmouth: RPI is streaky so far this year, but it's the ECACHL — everyone's streaky. I'm not going to bail on the Engineers as my surprise team of the season just yet. 4-2 RPI.

Rensselaer @ Harvard: RPI cools Harvard, if only temporarily. 3-2 Engineers.