Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Schedule Is Finalized!!
MEN’S HOCKEY ANNOUNCES 2006-07 SCHEDULE Engineers to open 35-game slate on October 7th against York TROY, N.Y. The 2006-07 schedule for the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men’s hockey team has been finalized. The Engineers, who open their 105th season on October 7, will play 35 games, including 18 home games at the Houston Field House in Troy, N.Y. Rensselaer’s season opener the first game under new head coach Seth Appert is an exhibition game against York University of Ontario at the Field House. The Engineers host perennial national power Boston University one week later before going to the University of Denver where Appert served as an assistant coach for the last nine years for a two-game set on October 20-21. Those games begin at 9pm eastern. RPI returns to the Capital District for a pair of games at the Pepsi Arena in Albany on October 28-29, beginning with a matchup with area-rival Union on October 28 at 8pm. The Engineers will face either Colgate or Quinnipiac the next night at 5pm or 8pm at the Pepsi Arena. Those two games are non-league affairs. Rensselaer kicks off its ECAC Hockey League schedule and its longest home stand of the season on November 3 when Princeton visits the Field House for the 4th Annual Black Friday. Quinnipiac, the Tigers’ travel partner, is in Troy the next night. The Engineers then play just one game in each of the next two weekends, including a 2pm contest against Merrimack on November 12 and a game against Sacred Heart on November 17. The home stand concludes with the 56th Annual Rensselaer/Bank of America Holiday Tournament, the oldest college hockey holiday tournament in the nation, on November 24-25. This year’s field features Colgate, Niagara and Ohio State with the Engineers opening against Niagara at 7pm. Colgate and Ohio State meet at 4pm. RPI is on the road for four league games over the next two weekends, including a trip to Central New York, before returning to the Field House to close out the fall semester with a non-league game against UMass Lowell on December 16. Following a 13-day layoff, Rensselaer travels to Burlington to participate in the University of Vermont’s Tournament on December 29-30. The month of January begins with three straight home league games as Harvard (Jan. 5), Dartmouth (Jan. 6) and Union (Jan. 12) visit the Field House. The game against the Dutchmen is the start of a home-and-home series between Rensselaer and Union. The Engineers travel to Schenectady the next night. Following the games with Union, the Engineers host Clarkson on January 19 and St. Lawrence on January 20. The game with the Saints, which will be preceded by the Annual Alumni Game (12pm), is the 30th Annual Big Red Freakout!. RPI will attempt to extend its Freakout! unbeaten streak to 17 games (12-0-4). Rensselaer returns to the road for its next four games, including trips to Yale (Jan. 26) and Harvard (Feb. 3), before welcoming Colgate and Cornell on February 9-10. The Engineers visit St. Lawrence and Clarkson on February 16-17 before finishing the regular season with home games against Brown and Yale on February 23-24. The contest against the Bulldogs is Senior Appreciation Night. Rensselaer finished the 2005-06 season with an overall record of 14-17-6, including an 8-8-6 league mark. The 2006-07 Engineers return 18 players from this year's team, including two of the top three scorers and their starting goaltender. In addition, Kirk MacDonald, the team's top scorer in 2004-05 who was a medical red-shirt this season, is also expected to return. 2006-07 SCHEDULE NOTES: The Engineers’ Annual Red/White Game is September 30 at 5pm, followed by the Annual Skate with the Engineers at 7:15pm … Rensselaer plays 13 non-league games, including seven at home … The Engineers’ start date of October 7 matches the earliest the team has ever opened. RPI hosted Ottawa last season on the same date … Rensselaer has never faced York … The game against Boston University is on Homecoming Weekend … RPI faces Denver for the first time since January 3, 1982, a 4-3 loss in Troy … The Engineers are 3-0 all-time on Black Friday … They are 18-7-4 all-time in the Big Red Freakout! … The last Freakout! loss came at the hands of St. Lawrence on January 27, 1990 … The Big Red Freakout! has been held in January on four previous occasions, most recently on January 31, 1998 … RPI is 1-3-0 in January Freakouts! … Three of the teams on RPI’s schedule played in the 2006 NCAA Tournament. They are Boston University, Cornell and Harvard … Based on the known opponents, the Engineers play one game against a Canadian school, three versus Hockey East foes, two games against a WCHA opponent, one each from College Hockey America and Atlantic Hockey and 24 against ECACHL teams … Rensselaer plays 15 games on Fridays, 18 on Saturdays and two on Sundays … The Engineers play six games in October and November, seven in December and eight in January and February … The ECACHL Playoffs run from March 2 to March 17, beginning with the best-of-three first round matchups March 2-4. The league semi-finals and finals are March 16-17 at Pepsi Arena … The NCAA Tournament runs from March 23 to April 7. The 2007 Frozen Four is at the Savvis Center in St. Louis … Of the Engineers’ 19 returnees, seven will be seniors, six will be juniors and six will be sophomores.
Friday, April 21, 2006
Appert Introduced!
Please join us at the Mueller Center tonight at 8pm for the introduction of Seth Appert, the new head coach of the men's hockey team, to the media and community. The Mueller Center is located on 15th Street between the AS+RC & Public Safety/Visitors Information Buildings. For those who cannot attend, the event will be broadcast live on WRPI, 91.5 FM, and www.wrpi.org. Thank you. Kevin Beattie Sports Information Director Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute beattk@rpi.edu http://www.rpiathletics.com
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
New Head Coach!
SETH APPERT SLATED TO BECOME HEAD MEN'S HOCKEY COACH TROY, N.Y. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) President Shirley Ann Jackson today announced the selection of Seth Appert as the new head men's hockey coach. Appert is slated to become the 12th head men's hockey coach in RPI's storied hockey history. "Rensselaer attracts the best of the best and once again we have done so with the hiring of Seth Appert," President Jackson said. "He is a proven teacher and a leader. His passion for the sport and commitment to education make him a perfect fit for the Institute and we enthusiastically welcome him into the Rensselaer family." "Seth is recognized throughout college hockey as a winner on and off the ice," said Director of Athletics Ken Ralph. "He is a person who consistently brings out the best in his players and we fully expect him to do so at Rensselaer." Appert, who succeeds Dan Fridgen, is taking over a program that returns 18 players from the 2005-06 season, including two of the top three scorers and the starting goaltender. In addition, Kirk MacDonald, the team's top scorer in 2004-05 who was a medical red-shirt this season, is also expected to return. "I am honored to lead the hockey program at such a prestigious institution as Rensselaer," said Appert. "I am confident that my goals for the hockey program are consistent with Rensselaer's institutional vision that stresses the overall excellence of the students and the athletes. I am looking forward to the challenge of developing and maintaining a hockey program that both the institution and the community will be proud to call their own." "Seth is a dynamic coach who embraces the Rensselaer tradition of not compromising academic standards," Vice President of Student Life Eddie Ade Knowles said. "He will contribute to the development of our student-athletes into winners in all aspects of their lives." Appert recently concluded his ninth season 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 has 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. Three of his goaltenders have been draft picks of the National Hockey League, including one Hobey Baker Award finalist. Two of those netminders played in the NHL this season. Appert has helped Denver sign nationally ranked recruiting classes each of the past seven years. Among those he has coached or recruited are 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 have averaged over 23 wins per year in his tenure as an assistant coach and have 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 one child, a 1-year old daughter, Addison. Appert has verbally agreed to, and is in the process of finalizing, a four-year contract with Rensselaer.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Croxton Returns to A-town
Kevin Croxton was one of my favorite players on RPI in the last 20 years. I am glad to see that he is doing well in Springfield!
Croxton flies with Falcons as AHL rookie
RPI star gets assist in Springfield debut
By DAN FARRAND, Special to the Times Union First published: Thursday, April 6, 2006
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Kevin Croxton was waiting. His anticipation grew, his body tensed, but the moment passed in silence.
"That was the weirdest part," Croxton said after making his pro debut with the American Hockey League's Springfield Falcons last Friday against the Hartford Wolf Pack at Mass Mutual Center. "Not the uniform or the number, but during the anthem, and not hearing the 'Red' from the crowd was strange."
That was Croxton's wake-up call. That and taking a hard check that left him sprawled out on the ice from Wolf Pack defenseman Dale Purinton on his first AHL shift in the Falcons' 9-3 loss.
"It hurt," the Calgary, Alberta, native said. "There's more selective hitting at this level. Guys don't hit as much, but when they do it hurts."
Croxton said that early in the game, he was just trying to stay out of his own way, but he found his groove when he notched his first career point with an assist on Dan Cavanaugh's goal in the second period.
Croxton created the scoring opportunity by breaking out of his own zone, taking a pass from teammate Zbynek Hrdel at the center face-off circle, drawing both defenders as he crossed the blue line, and dropping a pass to a trailing Cavanaugh who beat Wolf Pack goaltender Robert Gherson on a shot that deflected off a Hartford defenseman.
Croxton, who led RPI with 15 goals and 25 assists in 31 games this season, called it a "garbage assist."
Claude Loiselle, assistant general manager of Springfield's parent club, the Tampa Bay Lightning, didn't see it that way.
"Just from that little play there, you could see his talent," said Loiselle, who signed Croxton to an amateur tryout contract on March 24. "He saw we had control of the puck; he broke to open ice and got the puck on his backhand."
Loiselle -- a former Adirondack Red Wing -- said Croxton's intelligence, hands, speed, and play-making ability piqued Tampa Bay's interest.
Loiselle was thrilled to see Croxton get on the board early.
"It's terrific, especially at this level," Loiselle said. "The next step is the National Hockey League; you're playing with a lot of good players out there, so getting a quick point can aide a player's confidence."
While Croxton appears to be taking to the professional game on the ice, he is suffering a tougher adjustment off it.
"It can get pretty boring," Croxton said. "Practices only go for about 30 to 45 minutes, an hour at the most, because we have so many games. It can be tough to really get your legs into it."
Croxton's former RPI teammates Kirk MacDonald, Brad Farynuk, Jonathan Ornelas, Jake Morissette and Mathias Lange made the trip to Springfield for last Friday's game.
Croxton's 149 games for the Engineers were the most in school history. His 86 assists leave him ranked 19th and his 143 career points place him 24th on the school's all-time list. His 15 goals and 15 assists in the 2002-03 season made him the first freshman to lead the Engineers in scoring since Joe Juneau in 1987-88.
The senior, despite leaving early, will also still graduate in May, having completed the core requirements for his management degree before this semester.
Croxton will remain with the Falcons until their season ends April 15 against the Portland Pirates. He will then become a free agent and be reevaluated by the Lightning organization.
Loiselle said Croxton could be one of about 30 players invited to the Lightning's rookie development and conditioning camp in Tampa sometime in mid-July. Meanwhile, Croxton is living his dream.
"It's unbelievable to play professional hockey," Croxton said. "Hopefully I can keep it going as long as possible."
Croxton flies with Falcons as AHL rookie
RPI star gets assist in Springfield debut
By DAN FARRAND, Special to the Times Union First published: Thursday, April 6, 2006
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Kevin Croxton was waiting. His anticipation grew, his body tensed, but the moment passed in silence.
"That was the weirdest part," Croxton said after making his pro debut with the American Hockey League's Springfield Falcons last Friday against the Hartford Wolf Pack at Mass Mutual Center. "Not the uniform or the number, but during the anthem, and not hearing the 'Red' from the crowd was strange."
That was Croxton's wake-up call. That and taking a hard check that left him sprawled out on the ice from Wolf Pack defenseman Dale Purinton on his first AHL shift in the Falcons' 9-3 loss.
"It hurt," the Calgary, Alberta, native said. "There's more selective hitting at this level. Guys don't hit as much, but when they do it hurts."
Croxton said that early in the game, he was just trying to stay out of his own way, but he found his groove when he notched his first career point with an assist on Dan Cavanaugh's goal in the second period.
Croxton created the scoring opportunity by breaking out of his own zone, taking a pass from teammate Zbynek Hrdel at the center face-off circle, drawing both defenders as he crossed the blue line, and dropping a pass to a trailing Cavanaugh who beat Wolf Pack goaltender Robert Gherson on a shot that deflected off a Hartford defenseman.
Croxton, who led RPI with 15 goals and 25 assists in 31 games this season, called it a "garbage assist."
Claude Loiselle, assistant general manager of Springfield's parent club, the Tampa Bay Lightning, didn't see it that way.
"Just from that little play there, you could see his talent," said Loiselle, who signed Croxton to an amateur tryout contract on March 24. "He saw we had control of the puck; he broke to open ice and got the puck on his backhand."
Loiselle -- a former Adirondack Red Wing -- said Croxton's intelligence, hands, speed, and play-making ability piqued Tampa Bay's interest.
Loiselle was thrilled to see Croxton get on the board early.
"It's terrific, especially at this level," Loiselle said. "The next step is the National Hockey League; you're playing with a lot of good players out there, so getting a quick point can aide a player's confidence."
While Croxton appears to be taking to the professional game on the ice, he is suffering a tougher adjustment off it.
"It can get pretty boring," Croxton said. "Practices only go for about 30 to 45 minutes, an hour at the most, because we have so many games. It can be tough to really get your legs into it."
Croxton's former RPI teammates Kirk MacDonald, Brad Farynuk, Jonathan Ornelas, Jake Morissette and Mathias Lange made the trip to Springfield for last Friday's game.
Croxton's 149 games for the Engineers were the most in school history. His 86 assists leave him ranked 19th and his 143 career points place him 24th on the school's all-time list. His 15 goals and 15 assists in the 2002-03 season made him the first freshman to lead the Engineers in scoring since Joe Juneau in 1987-88.
The senior, despite leaving early, will also still graduate in May, having completed the core requirements for his management degree before this semester.
Croxton will remain with the Falcons until their season ends April 15 against the Portland Pirates. He will then become a free agent and be reevaluated by the Lightning organization.
Loiselle said Croxton could be one of about 30 players invited to the Lightning's rookie development and conditioning camp in Tampa sometime in mid-July. Meanwhile, Croxton is living his dream.
"It's unbelievable to play professional hockey," Croxton said. "Hopefully I can keep it going as long as possible."
Thursday, April 06, 2006
End Of Season Awards Announced
MEN'S HOCKEY ANNOUNCES YEAR-END AWARDS Croxton and Lange share team's Most Valuable Player honor TROY, N.Y. - The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's ice hockey team recently held its' season-ending banquet, where the team's 2005-06 award winners were announced. The men's ice hockey staff handed out five awards. Sharing the team's highest award, the Most Valuable Player, were forward Kevin Croxton and goaltender Mathias Lange. A senior from Calgary, Alb., Croxton led the Engineers in scoring with 14 goals and 25 assists for 39 points in 31 games played. He had two power play goals and two game winning goals as well. Croxton finished his collegiate career with 57 goals and 86 assists for 143 points in a school record 147 games. A USCHO.com Pre-Season All-American Honorable Mention in his junior season and a three-time ECACHL All-Academic, he was the team's leading scorer in three out of his four years at Rensselaer. Lange started 34 games in goal for the Engineers. A freshman from Klagenfurt, Austria, he posted a 13-15-6 overall record with a 2.70 goals against average and a .901 save percentage. He had two shutouts. Lange also set the school record for ties in a season with six and was a unanimous selection for the ECACHL All-Rookie Team. The Engineers' Most Improved Player was junior defenseman Ryan Swanson, who tallied a goal and seven assists for eight points in 35 games. A native of Woodbury, Minn., he had played in 14 games through his first two seasons at Rensselaer, registering one assist. Taking home this year's Coaches Award was senior Keith MCWilliams. The defenseman from Valencia, Calif., tallied nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points in 34 games. He had three power play goals and one game-winning goal. He finished his collegiate career with 15 goals and 25 assists for 40 points in 114 games. In addition to being named to the All-ECACHL Third Team at season's end, MCWilliams was a three-time ECACHL All-Academic. Sophomore Andrew Lord, a forward from West Vancouver, B.C., earned the Scholar-Athlete Award, which is presented to the player with the highest cumulative grade point average over a minimum of three semesters at Rensselaer. On the ice, the management major, who garnered his first ECACHL All-Academic honor this year, played in 32 games, tallying seven goals and six assists for 13 points, including four power play goals, and two game winning goals.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Schedule Announced
2006-07 Schedule
Below is what is known of RPI's schedule for the 2006-07 season.
October 13 or 14
BOSTON UNIVERSITY
October 20
@Denver
October 21
@Denver
October 28
7:00 PM
vs. Union at Pepsi Arena
October 29
2:00 or 5:00
vs. Colgate/Quinnipiac at Pepsi Arena
November 3
7:00 PM
PRINCETON - Black Friday
November 4
7:00 PM
QUINNIPIAC
November 24
7:00 PM
NIAGARA - Holiday Tournament
November 25
4:00 or 7:00
COLGATE/OHIO STATE - Holiday Tournament
December 2
7:00 PM
@Colgate
December 3
7:00 PM
@Cornell
December 8
7:00 PM
@Quinnipiac
December 9
7:00 PM
@Princeton
December 29
vs. St. Cloud State in Burlington, VT
December 30
vs. Union/UVM in Burlington, VT
January 5
7:00 PM
HARVARD
January 6
7:00 PM
DARTMOUTH
January 19
7:00 PM
CLARKSON
January 20
7:00 PM
ST. LAWRENCE
January 26
7:00 PM
@Yale
January 27
7:00 PM
@Brown
February 2
7:00 PM
@Dartmouth
February 3
7:00 PM
@Harvard
February 9
7:00 PM
COLGATE
February 10
7:00 PM
CORNELL - Big Red Freakout!
February 16
7:00 PM
@St. Lawrence
February 17
7:00 PM
@Clarkson
February 23
7:00 PM
BROWN
February 24
7:00 PM
YALE
Notes:
The ECAC schedule will also include home and road games against Union, probably on January 12 and 13.
The non-conference schedule will also include a home game against UMass-Lowell and a road game at Army, as well as a twelfth game not named yet.
The first-round matchups in the Holiday Tournament and UVM's tournament are not definite.
Below is what is known of RPI's schedule for the 2006-07 season.
October 13 or 14
BOSTON UNIVERSITY
October 20
@Denver
October 21
@Denver
October 28
7:00 PM
vs. Union at Pepsi Arena
October 29
2:00 or 5:00
vs. Colgate/Quinnipiac at Pepsi Arena
November 3
7:00 PM
PRINCETON - Black Friday
November 4
7:00 PM
QUINNIPIAC
November 24
7:00 PM
NIAGARA - Holiday Tournament
November 25
4:00 or 7:00
COLGATE/OHIO STATE - Holiday Tournament
December 2
7:00 PM
@Colgate
December 3
7:00 PM
@Cornell
December 8
7:00 PM
@Quinnipiac
December 9
7:00 PM
@Princeton
December 29
vs. St. Cloud State in Burlington, VT
December 30
vs. Union/UVM in Burlington, VT
January 5
7:00 PM
HARVARD
January 6
7:00 PM
DARTMOUTH
January 19
7:00 PM
CLARKSON
January 20
7:00 PM
ST. LAWRENCE
January 26
7:00 PM
@Yale
January 27
7:00 PM
@Brown
February 2
7:00 PM
@Dartmouth
February 3
7:00 PM
@Harvard
February 9
7:00 PM
COLGATE
February 10
7:00 PM
CORNELL - Big Red Freakout!
February 16
7:00 PM
@St. Lawrence
February 17
7:00 PM
@Clarkson
February 23
7:00 PM
BROWN
February 24
7:00 PM
YALE
Notes:
The ECAC schedule will also include home and road games against Union, probably on January 12 and 13.
The non-conference schedule will also include a home game against UMass-Lowell and a road game at Army, as well as a twelfth game not named yet.
The first-round matchups in the Holiday Tournament and UVM's tournament are not definite.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
The Committee Convenes
RPI forms committee to find hockey coach
Athletic director says he has 40-50 inquiries so far
By TIM WILKIN, Staff writer Click byline for more stories by writer. First published: Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Of the 59 schools that play Division I college hockey in the United States, only two of them have coaching vacancies.
One of them is at RPI. Athletic director Ken Ralph doesn't know how long the vacancy will remain but vows to keep looking until the best possible coach is found.
"We want a teacher and a motivator and someone with an unquenchable thirst to win hockey games," Ralph said Tuesday. "We want someone who will push himself and the students to the highest level of achievement. We want to be very clear we want to win hockey games at RPI."
Dan Fridgen, RPI's coach the past 12 years, resigned last week. He was in the final year of a three-year contract that was set to expire June 30. The other Division I coaching job opened up Tuesday, when Yale announced coach Tim Taylor would be reassigned within the university after 28 years with the program.
Since then, Ralph said, a search committee of 10 people has been formed. He also said the school has received between 40 and 50 inquiries about the job.
Ralph declined to name any of those who made inquiries but did say the committee will take as much time as it needs.
"They will evaluate all the applications and, after interviews, they will make a recommendation to me," Ralph said.
The final recommendation, he said, will be his. Then he will go to RPI President Shirley Jackson for the final decision.
"On this one, we just have to be sure," Ralph said. "This is an important hire for us. If we have to interview 10 people, we'll interview 10 people. Right now we have had 15 or 16 hard applications already in, and we'll probably have another 10 before the end of the day (Tuesday)."
He said he has made calls to people he thought would be interested.
Ralph said the only person who has said he is not interested is former RPI goalie Kevin Constantine (1977-80), now coach of the Everett (Wash.) Silvertips of the Western Hockey League.
Constantine had stints in the National Hockey League coaching with the San Jose Sharks (1993-96), Pittsburgh Penguins (1997-2000) and New Jersey Devils (2001-02).
Providence assistant coach Stan Moore, a former ECAC coach of the year at Union (1997) and Colgate (2004), is expected to be a candidate. He did not return a call left at his office.
Ralph said he doesn't expect the interview process to start until after the Frozen Four, college hockey's championship tournament April 6-8 in Milwaukee. Ralph said whether he attends the championship would depend on how much progess has been made in the search.
He also said he is not opposed to hiring a former RPI player and said he has had contact with former Engineers star Joe Juneau. But he said that conversation was about people Juneau thought would be possible candidates for the position and not about Juneau himself.
Athletic director says he has 40-50 inquiries so far
By TIM WILKIN, Staff writer Click byline for more stories by writer. First published: Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Of the 59 schools that play Division I college hockey in the United States, only two of them have coaching vacancies.
One of them is at RPI. Athletic director Ken Ralph doesn't know how long the vacancy will remain but vows to keep looking until the best possible coach is found.
"We want a teacher and a motivator and someone with an unquenchable thirst to win hockey games," Ralph said Tuesday. "We want someone who will push himself and the students to the highest level of achievement. We want to be very clear we want to win hockey games at RPI."
Dan Fridgen, RPI's coach the past 12 years, resigned last week. He was in the final year of a three-year contract that was set to expire June 30. The other Division I coaching job opened up Tuesday, when Yale announced coach Tim Taylor would be reassigned within the university after 28 years with the program.
Since then, Ralph said, a search committee of 10 people has been formed. He also said the school has received between 40 and 50 inquiries about the job.
Ralph declined to name any of those who made inquiries but did say the committee will take as much time as it needs.
"They will evaluate all the applications and, after interviews, they will make a recommendation to me," Ralph said.
The final recommendation, he said, will be his. Then he will go to RPI President Shirley Jackson for the final decision.
"On this one, we just have to be sure," Ralph said. "This is an important hire for us. If we have to interview 10 people, we'll interview 10 people. Right now we have had 15 or 16 hard applications already in, and we'll probably have another 10 before the end of the day (Tuesday)."
He said he has made calls to people he thought would be interested.
Ralph said the only person who has said he is not interested is former RPI goalie Kevin Constantine (1977-80), now coach of the Everett (Wash.) Silvertips of the Western Hockey League.
Constantine had stints in the National Hockey League coaching with the San Jose Sharks (1993-96), Pittsburgh Penguins (1997-2000) and New Jersey Devils (2001-02).
Providence assistant coach Stan Moore, a former ECAC coach of the year at Union (1997) and Colgate (2004), is expected to be a candidate. He did not return a call left at his office.
Ralph said he doesn't expect the interview process to start until after the Frozen Four, college hockey's championship tournament April 6-8 in Milwaukee. Ralph said whether he attends the championship would depend on how much progess has been made in the search.
He also said he is not opposed to hiring a former RPI player and said he has had contact with former Engineers star Joe Juneau. But he said that conversation was about people Juneau thought would be possible candidates for the position and not about Juneau himself.
Monday, March 27, 2006
New Booster Club
Hey- if anyone is interested in becoming part of a RPI Hockey Booster Club- click on the link below and sign up.
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/friendsofengineerhockey/
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/friendsofengineerhockey/
Players Upset About Fridgen "Resignation"!
TROY - "RPI hockey always has and always will be a family," junior winger Kevin Broad said Tuesday. "Seeing one of your family members leave is never easy."Broad summed up the feelings of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute players Tuesday afternoon, hours after they learned Dan Fridgen had resigned as their head coach."This is not the lasting impression this senior class wanted to leave on the program, being the last one to be coached by coach Fridgen," said senior tri-captain Kevin Croxton, the team's leading scorer."It's tough," Croxton said. "It happened so quickly, we haven't had much time to think about it. It hasn't really sunk in yet. "And it's tough, someone you've been around with (so long). I've known him for six years because they recruited me for a couple years. He was very good to me."The players learned of the decision that the Institute would not offer Fridgen - who spent 12 years as the head coach and five as an assistant to Buddy Powers - an extension of his contract and his subsequent resignation early in the morning. "Our captains told us (Monday) night to come in a 7 a.m.," Broad said. "Coach came in and told us. It says a lot about the kind of man he is, how he came in and told us himself rather than letting somebody else do it. "You never know what's coming," Broad said, "we've been here at 7 a.m. before."Broad said Fridgen was somewhat emotional but wished each player the best."It was tough for him," Broad said. "Being with a program for 17 years, knowing that it was the last time he was going to address us, it was tough."Right winger Kirk MacDonald missed the entire season, battling testicular cancer and recuperating from several related surgeries.Fridgen housed MacDonald for weeks after he was diagnosed last spring. "Coach did a lot of great things for me," MacDonald said. "He helped me out since I got here. Last year taken me into his house for a month at the end of the year. I'll always be thankful for that, all the things he and his family did for me. I can't say enough about that. "It's always tough when you see this kind of thing happen," MacDonald added."It was sad to see him go," said junior defenseman Ryan Swanson. "I had a good relationship with him the whole three years I've been here. I got really close to him."Swanson pledged that whomever RPI hires to replace Fridgen, the players "will support him right off the bat."Broad said he "has a lot of respect for coach Fridgen. "Coach was a player's coach. He treated you like he was one of you own. He always had an open-door policy. If something was bothering you, you'd just go in and see him, whether it was hockey, classes, whatever. Not a lot of coaches will do that for you. Going back to what he did for Mac ... he's just a great person."Fridgen often was too protective of his players when it came to critiques because he felt, regardless of how expensive was the education they were receiving for free, they were amateurs.Broad says those who suggest he was soft on them are dead wrong."No, that wasn't the case," he said. "He held everybody accountable. He was a hard-nosed coach. He coached like he played."He expected nothing but the best out of players," Broad said. "That's what he asked for an I'd like to think that's what we gave him."It's an unfortunate situation and we wish the best for him."
Friday, March 24, 2006
More News On The Search!
RPI to move fast on coach
AD eyes five weeks to find a replacement
By PETE IORIZZO, Staff writer Click byline for more stories by writer. First published: Wednesday, March 22, 2006
TROY -- RPI athletic director Ken Ralph said a few things about his next men's hockey coach. Among them: He will be a motivator. He will be energetic. And, most notably, he will be hired soon.
But Ralph did not offer any names.
"There is no predetermined list, where we can say, 'These five guys are really the short list,' " Ralph said. "This really kind of just snowballed in the last few days. We have not gotten to the point where we have a short list already."
Ralph said he's still assembling a search committee to find a replacement for Dan Fridgen, who resigned Tuesday. Ralph said he hopes the committee can begin meeting early next week. He expects to select Fridgen's replacement within five weeks.
The only candidates Ralph noted by name were assistant coaches Frank Bretti and Jeff Matthews. Both joined the RPI staff in 2004. Bretti previously served as the head coach at Iona. Though Matthews has no previous Division I head-coaching experience, he graduated from RPI in 1995.
"I'm certainly going to be willing to talk to them," Ralph said.
Bretti seemed uncomfortable discussing his candidacy, saying, "We'll have to see that in the coming days. Right now I'd feel more comfortable looking back at Dan's career and thanking him for everything he's done for the program."
Matthews was not available for comment.
RPI is the only Division I job currently open, so Ralph expects to draw plenty of applicants. Among the most intriguing possibilities is Providence assistant coach Stan Moore, who is a two-time ECACHL coach of the year. Moore won the award as a rookie coach at Union in 1997 and again in 2004, when as a one-year interim coach with Colgate he won 22 games.
Moore did not address his potential candidacy Tuesday, saying only he was "shocked" by Fridgen's resignation.
Union's current coach, Nate Leaman, is another possibility, though his interest in the job is unknown. When reached by phone Tuesday, Leaman said only, "I'm very happy at Union," and declined further comment.
Other possible candidates include Graeme Townshend, a scout with the San Jose Sharks and former RPI captain, and Bill Beaney, the coach at Middlebury College.
If RPI really wanted to recapture the Capital Region's attention, it could reach out to two of its most famous alumni, former NHL stars Adam Oates and Joe Juneau.
The idea isn't so far-fetched. Two years ago, Harvard hired Ted Donato, an alum and former NHL player without coaching experience. He won 21 games his first season and led the Crimson to the ECACHL Tournament championship last weekend at Pepsi Arena. The Crimson will be back in town this weekend for the East Regional.
The only candidate Ralph dismissed was RPI women's coach John Burke, a former assistant with the men's squad.
"I would never want to end up in a situation where I say, 'The best coach is on our women's team, so I'm taking him away from the women,' " Ralph said. "That's not going to be the case."
Free-lance writer Dan Farrand contributed to this report.
AD eyes five weeks to find a replacement
By PETE IORIZZO, Staff writer Click byline for more stories by writer. First published: Wednesday, March 22, 2006
TROY -- RPI athletic director Ken Ralph said a few things about his next men's hockey coach. Among them: He will be a motivator. He will be energetic. And, most notably, he will be hired soon.
But Ralph did not offer any names.
"There is no predetermined list, where we can say, 'These five guys are really the short list,' " Ralph said. "This really kind of just snowballed in the last few days. We have not gotten to the point where we have a short list already."
Ralph said he's still assembling a search committee to find a replacement for Dan Fridgen, who resigned Tuesday. Ralph said he hopes the committee can begin meeting early next week. He expects to select Fridgen's replacement within five weeks.
The only candidates Ralph noted by name were assistant coaches Frank Bretti and Jeff Matthews. Both joined the RPI staff in 2004. Bretti previously served as the head coach at Iona. Though Matthews has no previous Division I head-coaching experience, he graduated from RPI in 1995.
"I'm certainly going to be willing to talk to them," Ralph said.
Bretti seemed uncomfortable discussing his candidacy, saying, "We'll have to see that in the coming days. Right now I'd feel more comfortable looking back at Dan's career and thanking him for everything he's done for the program."
Matthews was not available for comment.
RPI is the only Division I job currently open, so Ralph expects to draw plenty of applicants. Among the most intriguing possibilities is Providence assistant coach Stan Moore, who is a two-time ECACHL coach of the year. Moore won the award as a rookie coach at Union in 1997 and again in 2004, when as a one-year interim coach with Colgate he won 22 games.
Moore did not address his potential candidacy Tuesday, saying only he was "shocked" by Fridgen's resignation.
Union's current coach, Nate Leaman, is another possibility, though his interest in the job is unknown. When reached by phone Tuesday, Leaman said only, "I'm very happy at Union," and declined further comment.
Other possible candidates include Graeme Townshend, a scout with the San Jose Sharks and former RPI captain, and Bill Beaney, the coach at Middlebury College.
If RPI really wanted to recapture the Capital Region's attention, it could reach out to two of its most famous alumni, former NHL stars Adam Oates and Joe Juneau.
The idea isn't so far-fetched. Two years ago, Harvard hired Ted Donato, an alum and former NHL player without coaching experience. He won 21 games his first season and led the Crimson to the ECACHL Tournament championship last weekend at Pepsi Arena. The Crimson will be back in town this weekend for the East Regional.
The only candidate Ralph dismissed was RPI women's coach John Burke, a former assistant with the men's squad.
"I would never want to end up in a situation where I say, 'The best coach is on our women's team, so I'm taking him away from the women,' " Ralph said. "That's not going to be the case."
Free-lance writer Dan Farrand contributed to this report.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
The RPI Recruits Thus Far
From ICH:
RENSSELAER
Erik Burgdorfer D 6-1 181 12/11/88 Apple Core (EJHL)
Jordan Cyr F L 5-9 175 5/12/86 Brockville (COJHL)
Jason Fortino D L 6-0 185 1/2/87 Milton (OPJHL)
Paul Kerins F 5-11 167 4/10/87 North York (OPJHL)
RENSSELAER
Erik Burgdorfer D 6-1 181 12/11/88 Apple Core (EJHL)
Jordan Cyr F L 5-9 175 5/12/86 Brockville (COJHL)
Jason Fortino D L 6-0 185 1/2/87 Milton (OPJHL)
Paul Kerins F 5-11 167 4/10/87 North York (OPJHL)
Ken Ralph Speaks!
Q&A with Rensselaer AD Ken Ralph
by Adam Wodon/Managing Editor
We spoke to Rensselaer athletic director Ken Ralph on Tuesday afternoon, just a few hours after coach Dan Fridgen announced his resignation.
CHN: Obviously, there's probably a truth out there that goes deeper than Dan Fridgen just resigned. What was the chain of events here?
Ralph: We had a program evaluation going on. A tremendous number of people on our campus were involved and other administrative areas on campus. We wanted to take a long look at what we were doing in hockey. Are we providing the right levels of support? Are we playing to win? We wanted to make sure we were putting the best product on the ice that we can. If we're going to spend this much money on a program — it's fully funded, it's fully staffed.
CHN: Is it clear that the president cares if you win or not?
Ralph: She (Dr. Shirley Jackson) cares deeply whether we win or lose. And it's important to her that we move in that direction. ... (Fridgen) was in the final year of his contract and he was concerned about not being renewed. He did the very professional thing and decided to step down. He told the team this morning. ... He's incredibly professional and fantastic to work with.
CHN: Is it fair to say he saw the handwriting on the wall?
Ralph: That's probably fair to say. ... He's always represented the school well. He wanted to tell the team personally, and I think that's important. And he's earned the right to do that.
CHN: Obviously, these things are tough, because they're not always personal. You have nothing against your coach. Not that too many people will sympathize with you, but these are tough decisions to make.
Ralph: These kind of days are part of the job. The main thing is making sure we're working with the students involved, and looking at taking hockey to the highest level, and get a coach they're excited about, and trying to win a championship.
CHN: To what extent is that still possible? You have a deep fan base who goes back a long time and remembers some glory years, such as the '80s. But — and this is an issue for everyone in the ECAC, St. Lawrence, Clarkson, and so on — the schools like Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan are just getting bigger and bigger. So can you win on that level again?
Ralph: We'll have to find some ways to do some things in the program that are a little different — do things more efficient than the big programs. But Rensselaer as a school is really gorwing. It has much more name recognition from a non-hockey perspective. We need to leverage some of the momentum the school has earned back into the hockey program. I do think we can bring someone in who can win. We can make changes that will take us back to the top. We'll be realistic, of course. We first have to concentrate on our own conference. And if we're competitive in conference, we'll be competitive nationally. Even this year, Dan led this team to wins over BU, Cornell, Harvard — those are (NCAA) Tournament teams — and took Miami (Ohio) deep into overtime. We can get it done. We got to make sure we do it consistently.
CHN: Of course, the inevitable question is, who will be the next coach? I'm sure you'll get plenty of good applicants.
Ralph: We want to make sure we're putting a well thought out list together. We want to make sure we go through a search expeditiously. We don't want it hanging out there.
CHN: Do you think you'll just see who applies, or will you actively pursue someone?
Ralph: I do think there will be excellent candidates, but we'll wait until we put a search committee together before deciding who to pursue. But it's correct to assume there may be some people we solicit an application from.
by Adam Wodon/Managing Editor
We spoke to Rensselaer athletic director Ken Ralph on Tuesday afternoon, just a few hours after coach Dan Fridgen announced his resignation.
CHN: Obviously, there's probably a truth out there that goes deeper than Dan Fridgen just resigned. What was the chain of events here?
Ralph: We had a program evaluation going on. A tremendous number of people on our campus were involved and other administrative areas on campus. We wanted to take a long look at what we were doing in hockey. Are we providing the right levels of support? Are we playing to win? We wanted to make sure we were putting the best product on the ice that we can. If we're going to spend this much money on a program — it's fully funded, it's fully staffed.
CHN: Is it clear that the president cares if you win or not?
Ralph: She (Dr. Shirley Jackson) cares deeply whether we win or lose. And it's important to her that we move in that direction. ... (Fridgen) was in the final year of his contract and he was concerned about not being renewed. He did the very professional thing and decided to step down. He told the team this morning. ... He's incredibly professional and fantastic to work with.
CHN: Is it fair to say he saw the handwriting on the wall?
Ralph: That's probably fair to say. ... He's always represented the school well. He wanted to tell the team personally, and I think that's important. And he's earned the right to do that.
CHN: Obviously, these things are tough, because they're not always personal. You have nothing against your coach. Not that too many people will sympathize with you, but these are tough decisions to make.
Ralph: These kind of days are part of the job. The main thing is making sure we're working with the students involved, and looking at taking hockey to the highest level, and get a coach they're excited about, and trying to win a championship.
CHN: To what extent is that still possible? You have a deep fan base who goes back a long time and remembers some glory years, such as the '80s. But — and this is an issue for everyone in the ECAC, St. Lawrence, Clarkson, and so on — the schools like Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan are just getting bigger and bigger. So can you win on that level again?
Ralph: We'll have to find some ways to do some things in the program that are a little different — do things more efficient than the big programs. But Rensselaer as a school is really gorwing. It has much more name recognition from a non-hockey perspective. We need to leverage some of the momentum the school has earned back into the hockey program. I do think we can bring someone in who can win. We can make changes that will take us back to the top. We'll be realistic, of course. We first have to concentrate on our own conference. And if we're competitive in conference, we'll be competitive nationally. Even this year, Dan led this team to wins over BU, Cornell, Harvard — those are (NCAA) Tournament teams — and took Miami (Ohio) deep into overtime. We can get it done. We got to make sure we do it consistently.
CHN: Of course, the inevitable question is, who will be the next coach? I'm sure you'll get plenty of good applicants.
Ralph: We want to make sure we're putting a well thought out list together. We want to make sure we go through a search expeditiously. We don't want it hanging out there.
CHN: Do you think you'll just see who applies, or will you actively pursue someone?
Ralph: I do think there will be excellent candidates, but we'll wait until we put a search committee together before deciding who to pursue. But it's correct to assume there may be some people we solicit an application from.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
BREAKING FRIDGEN NEWS!!!
Fridgen Tenders Resignation From RPI
Compiled by USCHO Staff
TROY, N.Y. — After 12 years at the helm of the Rensselaer Engineers, Dan Fridgen has resigned as the head coach. In his 12 years he had compiled a record of 211-193-38, the most wins of any head coach in Rensselaer history.
Before taking over in 1994 for Buddy Powers, Fridgen was an assistant coach for the Engineers.
"Rensselaer has offered me a tremendous opportunity over the past 17 years," Fridgen said. "My family and I are very thankful for all the experiences we have shared with some tremendous people in the program, on the campus and in the community. I wish the team nothing but success."
"Dan Fridgen has served Rensselaer admirably over the past 17 years, including 12 as the head coach, and his efforts are greatly appreciated," said RPI AD Ken Ralph. "As we enter this period of transition, there is great excitement about the new opportunities ahead for our student athletes and dedicated fans."
"I applaud Dan for his hard work and dedication to the Institute and for the compassion and commitment he has exhibited to his players. We wish him all the best," said Rensselaer President Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson. "Rensselaer has a great hockey tradition, and we will now take the necessary steps to begin a new chapter in our program's history."
"We are very proud of the outstanding student-athletes Dan has recruited and introduced to the Rensselaer community," said Dr. Eddie Ade Knowles, vice president of student life. "Building on Rensselaer's strong tradition of scholar athletes, we will continue to field a team that is solid on the ice and in the classroom."
In those 12 season he compiled eight winning seasons, including five 20-win campaigns, and his teams finished in the top three in the league standings three times. The Engineers won the ECAC Championship in his first year as the head coach in 1995.
The last four years have been difficult for Fridgen as his team’s finished 11th, 5th, 11th and 6th. This past season the Engineers battled through injuries to finish in a tie for 6th place in the ECACHL, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to Quinnipiac in two games.
A search for his replacement will begin immediately.
The 2006-07 Engineers return 18 players from this year's team, including two of the top three scorers and their starting goaltender. In addition, Kirk MacDonald, the team's top scorer in 2004-05 who was a medical red-shirt in this season, is also expected to return.
Compiled by USCHO Staff
TROY, N.Y. — After 12 years at the helm of the Rensselaer Engineers, Dan Fridgen has resigned as the head coach. In his 12 years he had compiled a record of 211-193-38, the most wins of any head coach in Rensselaer history.
Before taking over in 1994 for Buddy Powers, Fridgen was an assistant coach for the Engineers.
"Rensselaer has offered me a tremendous opportunity over the past 17 years," Fridgen said. "My family and I are very thankful for all the experiences we have shared with some tremendous people in the program, on the campus and in the community. I wish the team nothing but success."
"Dan Fridgen has served Rensselaer admirably over the past 17 years, including 12 as the head coach, and his efforts are greatly appreciated," said RPI AD Ken Ralph. "As we enter this period of transition, there is great excitement about the new opportunities ahead for our student athletes and dedicated fans."
"I applaud Dan for his hard work and dedication to the Institute and for the compassion and commitment he has exhibited to his players. We wish him all the best," said Rensselaer President Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson. "Rensselaer has a great hockey tradition, and we will now take the necessary steps to begin a new chapter in our program's history."
"We are very proud of the outstanding student-athletes Dan has recruited and introduced to the Rensselaer community," said Dr. Eddie Ade Knowles, vice president of student life. "Building on Rensselaer's strong tradition of scholar athletes, we will continue to field a team that is solid on the ice and in the classroom."
In those 12 season he compiled eight winning seasons, including five 20-win campaigns, and his teams finished in the top three in the league standings three times. The Engineers won the ECAC Championship in his first year as the head coach in 1995.
The last four years have been difficult for Fridgen as his team’s finished 11th, 5th, 11th and 6th. This past season the Engineers battled through injuries to finish in a tie for 6th place in the ECACHL, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to Quinnipiac in two games.
A search for his replacement will begin immediately.
The 2006-07 Engineers return 18 players from this year's team, including two of the top three scorers and their starting goaltender. In addition, Kirk MacDonald, the team's top scorer in 2004-05 who was a medical red-shirt in this season, is also expected to return.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Excuses, Excuses, Excuses
This article from Graves made me upset- I seriously doubt that this team was done in by injuries and freshmen. Those issues are not the best for a team but to hav ethe coach not take responsibility for his own shortcomings, its just another reason Danny's got to go!
Fridgen: Team showed unity
Says Engineers grew amid continued adversity
By MATT GRAVES, Special to the Times Union First published: Monday, March 6, 2006
TROY -- It will go into the record books as a second consecutive losing season and two-and-out playoff appearance, but RPI's season can't be measured simply by wins and losses in light of the adversity the 2005-06 team faced.
Beginning with the devastating news that leading returning scorer Kirk MacDonald would miss the season through complications from testicular cancer, the dark cloud seemed to hover over the team almost to the end.
Injuries kept the Engineers (14-17-6, 8-8-6 ECACHL) from having much continuity in the lineup for any sustained period of time, yet they managed to remain competitive. Other than a 5-0 loss at Yale on Jan. 21, RPI was in the hunt in virtually every game.
With a number of freshmen prematurely called to extended duty because of injuries to veterans, RPI still managed to finish in a tie for sixth place and counted eight one-goal losses among its 17 setbacks. RPI won the season series against both arch-rivals, Cornell and Clarkson (1-0-1).
"I thought as a team we really grew over the course of the season," said coach Dan Fridgen, whose contract extension ended this weekend. "We certainly finished higher than what we were picked in the preseason (9th by the coaches, 8th by the media)."
But the Engineers lost a key defenseman in senior Alexander Valentin for the last half of the season, and several other key players at different times.
"We faced some adversity where we had some injuries, this season more than any I can remember," Fridgen said. "I thought guys did a great job of picking up the slack and really gelling together. These guys were very, very coachable this year."
Ultimately, RPI's undoing was its penalty killing (11th among 12 teams in the ECACHL) and its inability to score more than two goals in any of its last four games. The Engineers surrendered three power-play goals in the playoff series against Quinnipiac and scored only three goals of any kind.
Fridgen praised his players, seven of whom completed their hockey careers this weekend.
"There's a process to growth and development for student-athletes when they go through four years of doing well academically and playing at such a high level as Division I ice hockey," he said. "They're to be commended for it. We didn't leave anything in the locker room; we left it all on the ice."
Senior captain Kevin Croxton completed a brilliant career as the team's leading scorer with 39 points (14-25) in 31 games, and junior Oren Eizenmen was the team's most improved player with a team-leading 16 goals and 38 points. He scored in both playoff games.
"This season had a lot of ups and downs," said Croxton, who uncharacteristically missed six games with a foot injury. "We grew as a team and we got better every day. That's what we asked the guys to do at the start of the year. This was an easy team to lead ... a great group to be around."
Defenseman Scott Romfo completed his best season for the Engineers, scoring 17 points (2-15) in 34 games.
"We worked hard every practice, every shift of every game," he said. "We just tried to move forward and not let there be excuses. There were rough times, but we battled every night."
Fridgen: Team showed unity
Says Engineers grew amid continued adversity
By MATT GRAVES, Special to the Times Union First published: Monday, March 6, 2006
TROY -- It will go into the record books as a second consecutive losing season and two-and-out playoff appearance, but RPI's season can't be measured simply by wins and losses in light of the adversity the 2005-06 team faced.
Beginning with the devastating news that leading returning scorer Kirk MacDonald would miss the season through complications from testicular cancer, the dark cloud seemed to hover over the team almost to the end.
Injuries kept the Engineers (14-17-6, 8-8-6 ECACHL) from having much continuity in the lineup for any sustained period of time, yet they managed to remain competitive. Other than a 5-0 loss at Yale on Jan. 21, RPI was in the hunt in virtually every game.
With a number of freshmen prematurely called to extended duty because of injuries to veterans, RPI still managed to finish in a tie for sixth place and counted eight one-goal losses among its 17 setbacks. RPI won the season series against both arch-rivals, Cornell and Clarkson (1-0-1).
"I thought as a team we really grew over the course of the season," said coach Dan Fridgen, whose contract extension ended this weekend. "We certainly finished higher than what we were picked in the preseason (9th by the coaches, 8th by the media)."
But the Engineers lost a key defenseman in senior Alexander Valentin for the last half of the season, and several other key players at different times.
"We faced some adversity where we had some injuries, this season more than any I can remember," Fridgen said. "I thought guys did a great job of picking up the slack and really gelling together. These guys were very, very coachable this year."
Ultimately, RPI's undoing was its penalty killing (11th among 12 teams in the ECACHL) and its inability to score more than two goals in any of its last four games. The Engineers surrendered three power-play goals in the playoff series against Quinnipiac and scored only three goals of any kind.
Fridgen praised his players, seven of whom completed their hockey careers this weekend.
"There's a process to growth and development for student-athletes when they go through four years of doing well academically and playing at such a high level as Division I ice hockey," he said. "They're to be commended for it. We didn't leave anything in the locker room; we left it all on the ice."
Senior captain Kevin Croxton completed a brilliant career as the team's leading scorer with 39 points (14-25) in 31 games, and junior Oren Eizenmen was the team's most improved player with a team-leading 16 goals and 38 points. He scored in both playoff games.
"This season had a lot of ups and downs," said Croxton, who uncharacteristically missed six games with a foot injury. "We grew as a team and we got better every day. That's what we asked the guys to do at the start of the year. This was an easy team to lead ... a great group to be around."
Defenseman Scott Romfo completed his best season for the Engineers, scoring 17 points (2-15) in 34 games.
"We worked hard every practice, every shift of every game," he said. "We just tried to move forward and not let there be excuses. There were rough times, but we battled every night."
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Reasons To Fire Dan
Ok- its very simple to say Dan should go but the more involved question is why? Here are my 3 reasons RPI needs a new coach.
1) The record: During Dan's tenure he is 211-193-38 (barely over .500). NCAA appearances? 1 in his first season 94-95 which you could argue was due to Buddy Power's presence rather than what Dan did (who's team also made it to the NCAA's).
2) Recruiting: We have known for a while that he isn't a good recruiter but this is getting ridiculous. First off, players last year were going around in the offseason trying to recruit and now Juneau says he wants to try and help recruit people. The COACH should be doing this not players and former players. I am very happy that they feel so much love for RPI that they are willing to step up for the coach but the coach must do this.
3) The 05-06 team was talented; but a 14-17-6 record where you have a goaltender getting 3 player of the weeks, 3 rookie of the weeks and a team that has the CEO line (one of the most offensively potent lines in the ECAC)?
I asked a question of one of CSTV's analysts earlier this year whether Fridgen should be fired and he responded that while it is up to the AD, Fridgen has had a longer leash than most other coaches with his record. Ya think? Its time for Ralph to put this horse out to pasture!
1) The record: During Dan's tenure he is 211-193-38 (barely over .500). NCAA appearances? 1 in his first season 94-95 which you could argue was due to Buddy Power's presence rather than what Dan did (who's team also made it to the NCAA's).
2) Recruiting: We have known for a while that he isn't a good recruiter but this is getting ridiculous. First off, players last year were going around in the offseason trying to recruit and now Juneau says he wants to try and help recruit people. The COACH should be doing this not players and former players. I am very happy that they feel so much love for RPI that they are willing to step up for the coach but the coach must do this.
3) The 05-06 team was talented; but a 14-17-6 record where you have a goaltender getting 3 player of the weeks, 3 rookie of the weeks and a team that has the CEO line (one of the most offensively potent lines in the ECAC)?
I asked a question of one of CSTV's analysts earlier this year whether Fridgen should be fired and he responded that while it is up to the AD, Fridgen has had a longer leash than most other coaches with his record. Ya think? Its time for Ralph to put this horse out to pasture!
Monday, March 06, 2006
Fire Fridgen!!!
All I can say after this weekend is that he needs to go. He can't recruit, RPI hasn't sniffed the NCAA's in years and with the talent that was on this team this year- Dan needs to go
Quinnipiac Knocks Off RPI, 4-2
Bobcats Claim First ECACHL Playoff Series Win In First Try
by Rob Tricchinelli/Special to USCHO
TROY, N.Y. — For the second night in a row, the Rensselaer Engineers found themselves playing comeback hockey against Quinnipiac. And for the second time in as many nights, they couldn’t draw even. The Bobcats grabbed a two-goal lead in the first period and weathered a late RPI storm to complete a first-round sweep, 4-2.
RPI struck first when Engineer Oren Eizenman scored a power play goal just 41 seconds in. A point shot deflected to him in the slot, and he fired it over goalie Bud Fisher.
The Bobcats, though, held on and responded.
“I was very impressed with RPI’s intensity out of the gate,” said Bobcats head coach Rand Pecknold. “Their backs were to the wall and they got that early goal. We responded well.”
Despite falling behind early, Quinnipiac got three goals in the first period—two on the power play—and a momentum-killing tally late in the second, just 1:28 after RPI drew within one, to take game two of the series and advance.
With the Bobcats holding a 3-1 lead in the second period, Kevin Broad scored for RPI at 15:23 to halve the lead. He used a Quinnipiac defenseman as a screen and fired a shot that deflected up over Fisher’s shoulder.
At 16:51, the Bobcats’ John Kelly stole the puck in the neutral zone and crossed the blue line along the right wing. His quick wrister beat RPI goalie Mathias Lange and defused the Engineer comeback effort.
“It was tough because we had all the momentum after Kevin scored to make it 3-2,” said RPI head coach Dan Fridgen. “I felt good on the bench, I think the guys felt real good, and the guy snaps one in. That game of comeback hockey is a tough game to play, especially when it’s two goals.”
Ben Nelson tied the game at 4:50 of the first. Quinnipiac showed off some deft passing skill on the power play. Brian Leitch sent the puck from the right-wing corner to the faceoff circle, where Jamie Bates delivered a one-touch pass to the other side of the ice, right to Nelson’s tape. His one-timer was true and Lange had no chance of getting over to make the save.
A point shot from Reid Cashman trickled under Lange’s legs to give Quinnipiac the lead at 13:55 of the first, with the Bobcats on a 5-on-3. They doubled the lead later in the period on a defensive-zone turnover. An Engineer coughed up the puck in his own end right to Leitch. Leitch set Bates up with a perfect cross-ice pass, which Bates buried.
The Engineers had a number of scoring chances in the third period, but Fisher was there to deny them all. He made a fast glove save on a wraparound chance that Eizenman sent to the top shelf. Engineer captain Kevin Croxton had a shorthanded bid late in the third. He put a move on a Bobcat defender and got by him, but Fisher stopped his quick wrist shot.
“I have no doubt in my mind that we left everything we had out there,” said Croxton. “For every shift, everybody went as hard as they could.”
Fisher also made several saves on point shots that he saw through traffic and held on to, denying any rebound chances.
“The guys were ready to play,” said Pecknold. “We felt confident coming into the weekend that we could win this series. We felt confident that maybe—maybe—we had a shot at a sweep. We took it one game at a time.”
Fisher finished with 33 saves, and Lange only had 14. With the series win, Quinnipiac advances to next weekend’s ECACHL quarterfinals. RPI’s season, on the other hand, comes to a close.
“It’s always a difficult situation when a season ends,” said Fridgen. “I thought we put it all out on the line. It seemed that when we made a mistake, we paid for that mistake.”
“I can’t explain how the littlest mistake would end up as a goal and yet, when they made the mistakes, we just weren’t able to capitalize at the right time,” he added.
RPI finishes the season with a record of 14-17-6, and the Bobcats improve to 19-16-1 with at least another weekend left to play.
Quinnipiac Knocks Off RPI, 4-2
Bobcats Claim First ECACHL Playoff Series Win In First Try
by Rob Tricchinelli/Special to USCHO
TROY, N.Y. — For the second night in a row, the Rensselaer Engineers found themselves playing comeback hockey against Quinnipiac. And for the second time in as many nights, they couldn’t draw even. The Bobcats grabbed a two-goal lead in the first period and weathered a late RPI storm to complete a first-round sweep, 4-2.
RPI struck first when Engineer Oren Eizenman scored a power play goal just 41 seconds in. A point shot deflected to him in the slot, and he fired it over goalie Bud Fisher.
The Bobcats, though, held on and responded.
“I was very impressed with RPI’s intensity out of the gate,” said Bobcats head coach Rand Pecknold. “Their backs were to the wall and they got that early goal. We responded well.”
Despite falling behind early, Quinnipiac got three goals in the first period—two on the power play—and a momentum-killing tally late in the second, just 1:28 after RPI drew within one, to take game two of the series and advance.
With the Bobcats holding a 3-1 lead in the second period, Kevin Broad scored for RPI at 15:23 to halve the lead. He used a Quinnipiac defenseman as a screen and fired a shot that deflected up over Fisher’s shoulder.
At 16:51, the Bobcats’ John Kelly stole the puck in the neutral zone and crossed the blue line along the right wing. His quick wrister beat RPI goalie Mathias Lange and defused the Engineer comeback effort.
“It was tough because we had all the momentum after Kevin scored to make it 3-2,” said RPI head coach Dan Fridgen. “I felt good on the bench, I think the guys felt real good, and the guy snaps one in. That game of comeback hockey is a tough game to play, especially when it’s two goals.”
Ben Nelson tied the game at 4:50 of the first. Quinnipiac showed off some deft passing skill on the power play. Brian Leitch sent the puck from the right-wing corner to the faceoff circle, where Jamie Bates delivered a one-touch pass to the other side of the ice, right to Nelson’s tape. His one-timer was true and Lange had no chance of getting over to make the save.
A point shot from Reid Cashman trickled under Lange’s legs to give Quinnipiac the lead at 13:55 of the first, with the Bobcats on a 5-on-3. They doubled the lead later in the period on a defensive-zone turnover. An Engineer coughed up the puck in his own end right to Leitch. Leitch set Bates up with a perfect cross-ice pass, which Bates buried.
The Engineers had a number of scoring chances in the third period, but Fisher was there to deny them all. He made a fast glove save on a wraparound chance that Eizenman sent to the top shelf. Engineer captain Kevin Croxton had a shorthanded bid late in the third. He put a move on a Bobcat defender and got by him, but Fisher stopped his quick wrist shot.
“I have no doubt in my mind that we left everything we had out there,” said Croxton. “For every shift, everybody went as hard as they could.”
Fisher also made several saves on point shots that he saw through traffic and held on to, denying any rebound chances.
“The guys were ready to play,” said Pecknold. “We felt confident coming into the weekend that we could win this series. We felt confident that maybe—maybe—we had a shot at a sweep. We took it one game at a time.”
Fisher finished with 33 saves, and Lange only had 14. With the series win, Quinnipiac advances to next weekend’s ECACHL quarterfinals. RPI’s season, on the other hand, comes to a close.
“It’s always a difficult situation when a season ends,” said Fridgen. “I thought we put it all out on the line. It seemed that when we made a mistake, we paid for that mistake.”
“I can’t explain how the littlest mistake would end up as a goal and yet, when they made the mistakes, we just weren’t able to capitalize at the right time,” he added.
RPI finishes the season with a record of 14-17-6, and the Bobcats improve to 19-16-1 with at least another weekend left to play.
Friday, March 03, 2006
Playoff Time!
Here we go folks- ECAC playoffs! Let's go RPI!!! Here are McDonald's picks for the weekend.
Who: No. 7 Seed Rensselaer14-15-6 Overall8-8-6 ECACHL11-6-1 Record on Home Ice
vs.
No. 10 Seed Quinnipiac17-16-1 Overall8-13-1 ECACHL7-11-0 Record on the Road
Where:Houston Fieldhouse in Troy, N.Y.
When:Friday at 7:00 p.m.Saturday at 7:00 p.m.Sunday at TBA (if necessary)
Previous Encounters:Rensselaer 4, Quinnipiac 2 Friday November 11th in TroyQuinnipiac 4, Rensselaer 4 (OT) Saturday February 18th in New Haven
In Brief:
In the only first-round series that features two teams who didn't split their regular-season contests, this weekend's playoff match presents a challenge for Rand Pecknold and his Quinnipiac squad.
"We're certainly very excited to move into our first year in the ECACHL playoffs," he said. "But we didn't fare too well this season against Rensselaer, losing to them up there and then getting a tie down here."
"In fact I don't think we've ever beaten Rensselaer as a program," he added.
Pecknold does know what to expect from the Engineers, and his mind the foremost challenge they present is team balance and solid goaltending.
"Rensselaer has a good team and a good goaltender in [Mathias] Lange," he said.
Pecknold thinks his team has the offensive capability to challenge Rensselaer and put some points on the board against Lange. Defensively, though, he has concerns.
"This year we've played better than I expected in some areas, and worse in others," he said. "I'm very happy with our offense; we've scored more goals than I imagined.
"But I'm not happy with our defensive play," he continued. "Both in five-on-five situations and on the penalty kill, we need to improve."
Who: No. 7 Seed Rensselaer14-15-6 Overall8-8-6 ECACHL11-6-1 Record on Home Ice
vs.
No. 10 Seed Quinnipiac17-16-1 Overall8-13-1 ECACHL7-11-0 Record on the Road
Where:Houston Fieldhouse in Troy, N.Y.
When:Friday at 7:00 p.m.Saturday at 7:00 p.m.Sunday at TBA (if necessary)
Previous Encounters:Rensselaer 4, Quinnipiac 2 Friday November 11th in TroyQuinnipiac 4, Rensselaer 4 (OT) Saturday February 18th in New Haven
In Brief:
In the only first-round series that features two teams who didn't split their regular-season contests, this weekend's playoff match presents a challenge for Rand Pecknold and his Quinnipiac squad.
"We're certainly very excited to move into our first year in the ECACHL playoffs," he said. "But we didn't fare too well this season against Rensselaer, losing to them up there and then getting a tie down here."
"In fact I don't think we've ever beaten Rensselaer as a program," he added.
Pecknold does know what to expect from the Engineers, and his mind the foremost challenge they present is team balance and solid goaltending.
"Rensselaer has a good team and a good goaltender in [Mathias] Lange," he said.
Pecknold thinks his team has the offensive capability to challenge Rensselaer and put some points on the board against Lange. Defensively, though, he has concerns.
"This year we've played better than I expected in some areas, and worse in others," he said. "I'm very happy with our offense; we've scored more goals than I imagined.
"But I'm not happy with our defensive play," he continued. "Both in five-on-five situations and on the penalty kill, we need to improve."
Monday, February 27, 2006
RPI Highlights!!
Hey everyone- if you click on the the following link, Fox 23 has highlights from last weekend's action against Gate and Cornell. Go Engineers!
http://www.fox23news.com/mediacenter/#top
http://www.fox23news.com/mediacenter/#top
Way To Go Mathias!!!
LANGE NAMED ECACHL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK Freshman netminder honored for the eighth time this season TROY, N.Y. The ECAC Hockey League has announced its weekly award winners and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student-athlete Mathias Lange has been named the Rookie of the Week. A freshman goaltender, Lange has now been honored eight times this season, including four Rookie of the Week awards. He has also been selected as the Goaltender of the Week once and to the Weekly Honor Roll on three occasions. Lange earned this week's honor after posting a 1.01 goals against average and a .962 save percentage in two league games. Both of the two goals he allowed on the 52 shots he faced were power play goals. On Friday night, the Klagenfurt, Austria, native was outstanding in shutting out seventh-ranked Cornell, 2-0. He made six saves in the first period, 13 in the second and 15 in the third for his second career shutout. The next night, a 2-1 loss to 20th-ranked Colgate, he stopped 16 of the 18 shots he faced, allowing two power play goals. He had six saves in the first period, one in the second and nine in the third. In 33 games this season, including 32 starts, Lange is 13-13-6 with a 2.68 goals against average and a .904 save percentage. He has played in 1924:19 minutes, making 807 saves, including seven games with at least 30 stops, on 893 shots. He is two games shy of tying the school's goaltending records for games played in a season (35 by Nathan Marsters in 2003-04) and three games short of most starts (35 by Marsters in 2003-04). Prior to attending, Rensselaer, Lange played the 2004-05 season for the New York Apple Core of the Eastern Junior Hockey League, for whom he was 19-16-6 with a 2.69 average and a .910 save percentage. One of four EJHL MVPs, as voted by Hockey Night in Boston Magazine, he had one shutout. He was also selected as the Most Valuable Player of the 2005 Hockey Night in Boston All-Scholastic Tournament. Lange played two years for the Billings Bulls of the North American Hockey League before joining the Apple Core. Rensselaer concluded it's regular season with a 14-15-6 overall record and an 8-8-6 ECACHL mark. The Engineers are the seventh-seed in the league playoffs and will host tenth-seeded Quinnipiac (17-6-1; 8-13-1) in a best-of-three first round series this weekend. The games are slated for Friday, Saturday and Sunday (if necessary) at 7pm at the Houston Field House. Tickets for those games are on sale now (518-276-6262).
Sunday, February 26, 2006
No Goal????
Lucky Bounces Lift Colgate to Victory
by Rob Tricchinelli/Special to USCHO
TROY, N.Y. — A deflection off a skate here, a non-goal there, and the Colgate Raiders stole two points from the RPI Engineers at Houston Field House on Saturday, edging them 2-1.
After weathering a difficult second period when the Raiders were out-shot 19-2 but still managed to stay even on the scoreboard, Colgate’s conference-leading power play got a lucky bounce at 6:19 of the third. A centering pass from Kyle Wilson deflected off of Jesse Winchester’s skate and found plenty of open net to give the Raiders the lead.
“It’s a crazy game, you know?” said Colgate Head Coach Don Vaughan. “The puck bounces funny and sometimes it bounces your way and sometimes it doesn’t. We got a couple of nice bounces tonight.”
Minutes later, the Engineers appeared to tie things up on a power play of their own. A blast from the right point by defenseman Keith MCWilliams appeared to go in the net. It bounced just inside the crossbar, off a pad on the top part of the net, and back out. The goal light, however, never went on and the officials allowed play to continue.
The crowd reacted angrily, and after the game, RPI Head Coach Dan Fridgen put it very succinctly: “That was no phantom. That was a goal. No question in my mind whatsoever.”
The missed call notwithstanding, the Engineers had plenty of offensive chances in the last two periods, but Raider goalie Mark Dekanich stood tall. He made 35 saves in the win, including 18 in the second, as RPI generated plenty of traffic in front of the net and peppered him with shots from the point. MCWilliams alone had six shots on goal in the second period.
Engineer captain Brad Farynuk gave his team the 1-0 lead at 6:34 of the second while on a two-man advantage. After he and MCWilliams were denied by Dekanich on point shots, Oren Eizenman recovered the puck in the right-wing corner and sent it to Farynuk at the point. Farynuk took a few strides toward the net and fired a shot that beat Dekanich to the stick side.
Farynuk was upbeat about the Engineer effort despite the loss.
“I think that we did a real good job of sustaining pressure for most of the second and most of the third period,” he said. “Give credit to the goaltender; I think he played a heck of a game.”
Colgate’s first goal, which Jon Smyth scored on a behind-the-net feed from Peter Bogdanich, also came on the power play. Three RPI penalty killers were fighting for the puck along the left-wing boards. When the puck popped free to Bogdanich, he had plenty of space to work the puck to Smyth.
Each Raider goal came with Engineer Mark Yurkewecz in the box for interfering with Dekanich. The first penalty was a high-sticking call that came while Yurkewecz fought for the rebound of a Reed Kipp shot, and the second was an obstruction-interference call.
RPI pulled Lange with just over a minute to go and had other chances to tie the game, but the Raiders held on and skated away with the victory despite being out-shot 36-18 and playing much of the game in their own end.
“We found a way to win, and that’s something we’ve done all year long,” said Vaughan.
The win gave Colgate a 14-6-2 conference mark (18-10-6 overall) and guaranteed them a tie for the regular-season ECACHL title. With Dartmouth’s victory over St. Lawrence, the Big Green will share the Cleary Cup with the Raiders. Dartmouth, however, holds the tiebreaker and will enter the playoffs as the No. 1 seed. Both teams will have next weekend off.
The Engineers (14-15-6 overall, 8-8-6 ECACHL) finished tied with travel partner Union for sixth place, but the Dutchmen hold the tiebreaker. RPI will host tenth-seeded Quinnipiac in an opening round, best-of-three series starting on Friday. In the regular season meetings between the teams, the Engineers won 4-2 at home in November, and the two teams skated to a 4-4 tie at Quinnipiac two weeks ago.
by Rob Tricchinelli/Special to USCHO
TROY, N.Y. — A deflection off a skate here, a non-goal there, and the Colgate Raiders stole two points from the RPI Engineers at Houston Field House on Saturday, edging them 2-1.
After weathering a difficult second period when the Raiders were out-shot 19-2 but still managed to stay even on the scoreboard, Colgate’s conference-leading power play got a lucky bounce at 6:19 of the third. A centering pass from Kyle Wilson deflected off of Jesse Winchester’s skate and found plenty of open net to give the Raiders the lead.
“It’s a crazy game, you know?” said Colgate Head Coach Don Vaughan. “The puck bounces funny and sometimes it bounces your way and sometimes it doesn’t. We got a couple of nice bounces tonight.”
Minutes later, the Engineers appeared to tie things up on a power play of their own. A blast from the right point by defenseman Keith MCWilliams appeared to go in the net. It bounced just inside the crossbar, off a pad on the top part of the net, and back out. The goal light, however, never went on and the officials allowed play to continue.
The crowd reacted angrily, and after the game, RPI Head Coach Dan Fridgen put it very succinctly: “That was no phantom. That was a goal. No question in my mind whatsoever.”
The missed call notwithstanding, the Engineers had plenty of offensive chances in the last two periods, but Raider goalie Mark Dekanich stood tall. He made 35 saves in the win, including 18 in the second, as RPI generated plenty of traffic in front of the net and peppered him with shots from the point. MCWilliams alone had six shots on goal in the second period.
Engineer captain Brad Farynuk gave his team the 1-0 lead at 6:34 of the second while on a two-man advantage. After he and MCWilliams were denied by Dekanich on point shots, Oren Eizenman recovered the puck in the right-wing corner and sent it to Farynuk at the point. Farynuk took a few strides toward the net and fired a shot that beat Dekanich to the stick side.
Farynuk was upbeat about the Engineer effort despite the loss.
“I think that we did a real good job of sustaining pressure for most of the second and most of the third period,” he said. “Give credit to the goaltender; I think he played a heck of a game.”
Colgate’s first goal, which Jon Smyth scored on a behind-the-net feed from Peter Bogdanich, also came on the power play. Three RPI penalty killers were fighting for the puck along the left-wing boards. When the puck popped free to Bogdanich, he had plenty of space to work the puck to Smyth.
Each Raider goal came with Engineer Mark Yurkewecz in the box for interfering with Dekanich. The first penalty was a high-sticking call that came while Yurkewecz fought for the rebound of a Reed Kipp shot, and the second was an obstruction-interference call.
RPI pulled Lange with just over a minute to go and had other chances to tie the game, but the Raiders held on and skated away with the victory despite being out-shot 36-18 and playing much of the game in their own end.
“We found a way to win, and that’s something we’ve done all year long,” said Vaughan.
The win gave Colgate a 14-6-2 conference mark (18-10-6 overall) and guaranteed them a tie for the regular-season ECACHL title. With Dartmouth’s victory over St. Lawrence, the Big Green will share the Cleary Cup with the Raiders. Dartmouth, however, holds the tiebreaker and will enter the playoffs as the No. 1 seed. Both teams will have next weekend off.
The Engineers (14-15-6 overall, 8-8-6 ECACHL) finished tied with travel partner Union for sixth place, but the Dutchmen hold the tiebreaker. RPI will host tenth-seeded Quinnipiac in an opening round, best-of-three series starting on Friday. In the regular season meetings between the teams, the Engineers won 4-2 at home in November, and the two teams skated to a 4-4 tie at Quinnipiac two weeks ago.
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