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Monday, December 18, 2006

RPI Wins!

Yeaa!!! Way to go Mathias!!!! I think he should be the starter. He was great last year and did right by RPI on SAturday. Now a long layoff until the next game. The USCHO recap is below:

RPI Downs Mass.-Lowell
Compiled by USCHO Staff
TROY, N.Y. — Paul Kerins and Matt Angers-Goulet both had a goal and an assist to lead Rensselaer to a 2-1 win over Mass.-Lowell at the Houston Field House.
The Engineers broke out on top at 4:43 of the first period when Kerins deflected a low Reed Kipp shot past Lowell goaltender Vinny Monaco. Kipp, who took a slapshot from between the circles at the blueline, collected a pass from the left point from Angers-Goulet, who earned the secondary assist.
Angers-Goulet doubled RPI’s lead when he scored on a wristshot from the left faceoff circle on a two-on-one at 10:12 of the first frame. Kerins, who scored his fifth goal of the season earlier in the period, made the head-man pass to Angers-Goulet, who also tallied his fifth goal. Kipp, a defenseman, earned his second assist of the game on the play.
The River Hawks pulled to within one goal when sophomore forward Nick Monroe scored on a backhander under the cross bar from the bottom of the right faceoff circle at 9:49 of the third period. Mark Roebothan earned the primary assist and Cleve Kinley the secondary. For Monroe, the goal was his first of the season.
Mathias Lange earned the win in goal by making 22 saves, including 10 in the third period. Monaco finished with 23 saves.
Rensselaer (5-5-6), which snapped a seven-game winless streak (0-4-3), is next in action on December 29 against the University of Vermont in the Sheraton/TD Banknorth Catamount Cup at 7pm. Mass.-Lowell (3-10-4), which is now winless in nine games (0-8-1), plays Brown on December 29 in the Wells Fargo Denver Cup beginning at 6:30pm.

Friday, December 15, 2006

UMASS Next

Ok- its go time for RPIee. Let's see if they can bounce back from this 2 week slide and take it to UMass Lowell. The key is that if they get a lead HOLD ON TO IT! And stop taking penalties.

Go Red!!

Monday, December 11, 2006

RPI Is In Trouble

Ok tie to Qpac and lose to Princeton? WTF???? RPI seems to be regressing from just a few weeks ago. After reading the summaries of the games I think the same things that have been plaguing RPI all season continue on. Where for art though Appert? Was this team just playing above its head for the first month of the season and this is what we should expect going forward or is the team better than this?

Thoughts?

Friday, December 08, 2006

RPI Looks To Right The Ship

Ok, its go time now. RPI has to start getting wins and has to stop letting teams back into games.

This is their chance this weekend and USCHO has all the previews. Here they are for your reading enjoyment:

Rensselaer @ Quinnipiac: QU hasn't lost at home this season. The Bobcats have never lost a league game at the venerable NIP, soon to be abandoned for a sparkly new pad. No such thing as an easy win, a sure win, or even a probable win in the ECACHL, but I'm taking the 'Cats to NIP the visitors, 5-3.

Rensselaer @ Princeton: Will both teams be up, down, or will one team have a momentum edge? The way I've picked so far, it'll be the Tigers with that edge, and I'll award them with my home-win pick. 2-1.

Monday, December 04, 2006

RPI Hockey Where For Art Thou?

Geez guys- statement weekend in the ECAC and it turned out as very telling for RPI. First, what seems to be like the definitive trend of the season RPI had Cornell on the ropes, they come from behind and tie.

http://www.uscho.com/recaps/20062007/m/12/01/rpi-cor.php

Then on Saturday they let the Gate back in the game after a 2 goal deficit.

http://www.uscho.com/recaps/20062007/m/12/02/rpi-col.php

Too many penalites- too many leads blown.

Obviously Appert has them playing well at the beginning at the game but what about the middle and the end? There are too many people with experience on this team to let this happen!

Friday, December 01, 2006

This Weekend Is Big

I feel the Red and White lads have hit a bit of a wall over there in Troy NY. They went from 16th in the country to barely getting any votes in the recent INCH/USCHO polls.

I am not saying these are MUST wins but I think the program has a chance for success THIS year with the talent they have and who doesn't want to see RPI do well?

First up is Cornell and here is USCHO's predicitions:

Rensselaer @ Cornell: Cornell's in good shape, and at home, I think the Big Red can overcome some haphazard play in their own zone. I'll take Cornell, in another close one. (They're all close ones.) 3-2.

And then after is Colgate- here is USCHO's take:

Rensselaer @ Colgate: Erm... tie? Low-scoring game, in any event, as the two-headed monster tending the 'Tute's net faces off against the defending ECACHL goalie of the year. I'll take the road team, if only on precedent. RPI, 2-1.

I am not sure how much I agree with Appert's description of the offense but certainly that defense needs shoring up:

Offense gelling for Appert
While the results have lacked consistency for the Engineers, the play and productivity on offense has been a steep incline as far as coach Seth Appert is concerned.
Despite two losses and a tie in the last three games, the first-year leader at RPI says, "Actually, we're probably playing better offensively. We're starting to grasp how we want to play."
A bright spot has been the play of sophomore Andrei Uryadov.
"He's playing extremely well. He has as high as skill set as anyone on the team-maybe higher. He's got great hands ... and creativity, and a really great shot.
"I mean, he can really really zip it," emphasized Appert.
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound native of St. Petersburg, Russia, earned a spot on the first line with seniors Oren Eizenman and Kirk MacDonald.
Appert also likes what he sees between some of his players.
"We're starting to develop combinations, five-on-five and on the power play, that are playing well," he said.
One such duo is Jake Morissette and Seth Klerer, who have combined for 18 total points on the season. Another is Matt Angers-Goulet and Paul Kerins.
"[They have] really provided some quality offense, even when it doesn't show up on the scoresheet," praised Appert.