Home Against The North Country

St. Lawrence and Clarkson (who still sucks) comes into the HFH this weekend. And what a weekend it could be. As everyone is aware in Cherry and White land, RPI is on a bit of a roll and going up against StL which has been mired in the ECAC's basement along with RPI and is 0-4-1 in its last 5. If RPI wants to keep its roll going, this is the team to do it against.

On Saturday, RPI faces off against Clarkson and this will be a tougher test. Clarkson is playing about .500 hockey but beat Yale last weekend. What is working in RPI's favor though is that the majority of Clarkson's wins this year have been at home and their record is pretty spotty away. If RPI really takes it to StL then I think they should definitely continue their roll over Clarkson for another 4 point weekend.

That is my prediction and I am sticking to it! Go Red!


As always, here are USCHO's picks:

St. Lawrence at Rensselaer

An RPI win would move them out of last place and into a tie with the Saints. The Engineers were the only team to get four points last weekend, while St. Lawrence is mired in an 0-4-1 rut. What the heck…make it three in a row for RPI. RPI 3-1

Clarkson at Rensselaer

Don’t look now, but another RPI four-point weekend couple with another winless Yale weekend would make the two teams dead even. Of course, that’s looking too far ahead, as the Engineers still have to get by the Golden Knights,  who emerged from a holiday slump to go 2-0-1 over their last three.  Clarkson 2-1

Read more: http://www.uscho.com/ecac-blog/2012/01/26/ecac-picks-jan-27-28/#ixzz1kftUMmIm

I Know I Know

I have been a bad RPI fan this month. Not many blog posts, not much analysis, not much of anything.

The reason is the 2011 version of this team wore me down. They struggled mightily against the non-conference foes and ECAC alike. So what have they done in the month of January? Only have gone 3-2-1 with a weekend sweep against Brown and Yale ON THE ROAD.

Is up down? Black white? I though RPI was about a .500 team this year and it seems like they are finally playing like it, and yes, that is a good thing!

There are some great positives to take away for the last few weeks. First and foremost, scoring. RPI is averaging 2.1 goals in wins and losses which is great. The juniors and seniors are starting to lead the team in points and while I am a firm believer in the future is now and we should play the youngin's as much as possible but having the tested Cherry and White step to the forefront midway through the season is welcomed.

Also welcomed is Merriam increasing his save percentage as well as lowering his GAA over the last few weeks. This team is rounding into form and makes me much more interested in the season. This is my 248th blog post over the last few years and I have to admit to some Engineers fatigue over the last few months. That being said, this team is re-energized and has re-energized me and I can't wait for this weekend. Previews coming up!

Halo RPI-Verse!

Well, I took a couple of weeks off for the holidays. What did I miss? Oh yea, 3 more losses. At least RPI is stepping it up in the offensive category and scoring a a 2 goal a clip game but the defense has completely abandoned the lads having let up 15 goals in 3 games.

We have to face facts as the team turns in January, it just isn't very good. The goaltending isn't helping either. Merriam is 2-11 but his save percentage is at least above .900 which is better than the frosh Diebold. The mantra should be "the future is now" when it comes to goaltending and the rest of the team. 4 of the top 5 scorers on the team are the freshmen and sophomores.

There are 16 games left and I am a diehard Cherry and White as you guys know but I think at this point we have to play for next year and that means major minutes for the youngs.

On the plus side, RPI will be on the NBC Sports Network this Friday night as they go up against the Big D. Also on tap this weekend is Harvard with both games at the HFH. Of RPI's 4 wins this season, 3 have come at home. I would love for the lads to suck it up and sweep the weekend. We will see if they do.

As always, GO WHITE!

Festivus o Festivus!

Tournaments have come and gone over the years as I have followed the ECAC. RPI had its historic "Holiday Tournament" which I have reminisced about many a time, mainly due to them giving out souvenir mugs with drink orders. I miss those mugs, I really do.

Then of course there was the Governor's Cup. There wasn't anything spectacular about the Cup other than it allowed RPI to play Union at the Knick (I refuse to call it anything else). That was always a fun with two large fan bases intermingling. I have good memories of the Cup.

Alas the Cup went the way of the Holiday Tournament and now the ECAC is trying something new, Lake Placid. Having held several Halloween tilts over the last few years, LP is now hosting the Festivus Tourney which will feature, of course, RPI vs. Union.

How are the "young" upstarts fairing this year? Well Union is middle of the pack of the ECAC with a 7-3-5 record overall. Their power play is just a shade under 25% in efficiency and they are outshooting their opponents by over a 100 shots which translates into their goals for to be 3 and their GAA to be 1.93. In other words, they are having a pretty good season.

RPI on the other hand, as we know, is struggling to put it together this year. Can we get a Festivus miracle and pull off a win in the North Country? RPI broke out of its goal slump and seems poised to be able to hang in a track meet with teams, which is exactly what Union is offering. If Diebold is in net, RPI might just have the chance to hang around with Union but ultimately I think Capital District B will be the stoopidhead winner. 

In any event, hope you get up to Lake Placid for the festivities and GO RPI!

As always, here is USCHO's take on the game:



RPI vs Union
It's the opening game of the Festivus Faceoff, and RPI has plenty of grievances to air in the season's early going. While Union has suffered little hangover from its early NCAA exit, the same can't be said for the Engineers. RPI finally started scoring some goals, but simply made too mistakes and turned the puck over too much against Quinnipiac last weekend. Look for the Dutchmen to take this one in Lake Placid
Union 4, RPI 2

Read more: http://www.uscho.com/ecac-blog/2011/12/09/ecac-picks-dec-9-11/#ixzz1g3XCSCD0

We'll Take It

Well RPI got close but no cigar this weekend going 0-2 against the P&Q's. While this season from a standings perspective is probably going downhill with a bullet, the team PLAYED better and well, considering what has come before, gave us Cherry and White fans an offensive explosion.

RPI scored 5 goals over 2 games. This is sadly the same amount of goals they scored in the previous SIX games so this offense was a welcomed site. In some ways I don't even care if they won because of the goal/shot totals. Also, Diebold played well in the loss to the Q and as the season becomes more of a "learning experience" than a quest for the ECAC crown, I think having the younger guns play and gain experience for the next season should probably be the way to go.

We will see what happens over the Christmas break. RPI has several games beforehand of course and we will cover them all here at RPIHockey. Go Red!

Connecticut Swing

I used to live in Jersey (ssshhh, don't tell anyone) and always anticipated the RPI swing through to Princeton and then up to the Q. Now living on the West Coast it is all the same to me as I follow RPI by Internet and by box score.

Not just for selfish reasons but I also enjoyed the swing because RPI traditionally has played well against Princeton and has taken their fair share of games from the Q during the SA era. This year will be a bit different as RPI has been "struggling" while P and Q have been bouncing along. Still, I think there is a gleam in RPI's eye after the last two weekends. Perhaps this team is finally rounding into form.

While the start of the season was certainly disastrous, most of those games were NC games and if RPI can put together a little run with in the ECAC, then be in decent position for the playoffs. I have nothing to base this on, no statistics, no W-L arcs but I think the lads in Cherry and White will split this weekend and get them back into all things ECAC.

As always, here is USCHO's take:

Rensselaer at Princeton
A last place finish entering December wasn't the way RPI was looking to start after making the NCAA tournament last year.   Princeton hasn't been much better, but I'll take the home team here. The Tigers are led by a junior class that has accounted for 14 of their 22 goals.
Princeton 3, RPI 2

Read more: http://www.uscho.com/ecac-blog/2011/12/01/ecac-picks-dec-2-3/#ixzz1fOV5x6P7

Rensselaer at Quinnipiac
I'll be stringing this game for the Albany Times Union.  So in the spirit of Monday Night Football, should I abstain from making a pick? Nah, I'll go for it. This is definitely an important  game for two teams that I'm sure have no desire to remain near the bottom of the conference. The big difference? Quinnipiac is 8-6-2 overall, while the Engineers are just 3-10.
I'm going to give a slight edge to the host Bobcats, although I wouldn't be surprised to see it go either way.
Quinnipiac 3, RPI 1

Read more: http://www.uscho.com/ecac-blog/2011/12/01/ecac-picks-dec-2-3/#ixzz1fOVDiVJu

FINALLY!

Whew, that was quite the catharsis wasn't it? RPI scored more than 1 goal, two in fact and beat RIT 2-0 on RIT's home rink!

Diebold played great and had a shutout and RPI scored twice on the powerplay. Also, RPI managed 28 shots on goal which is a big step up over the last few weeks. Its small steps with this team and I think that finally, this is a step in the right direction. That makes it 2 wins in the last 3 games and I think things are looking up for RPI.

Back In Action

Halo RPI Fans. Did you enjoy Turkey Day and the food related comas we are all in at the moment?

Well time to WAKE UP out of those comas and support the lads in Cherry and White as they take on the RIT Tigers. It will be a tough test as the game is in Rochester and while RIT is currently 5-3, they are 5-1 at home. RPI conversely is 0-5 on the road.

Still, RPI has to take advantages and wins where they can and with RIT allowing exactly the same number of goals against as goals for (an amazing 2.60 GAA and 2.60 GFA) and they give up a similar number of shots that they take to shots that they make (sounds like a Beatles song).

What I am trying to say is that the games they play seem to be close and RPI isn't winning any game 5-1 at the moment so we need a team that allows other teams to shoot a lot (check) and keeps the scoring close so we have a chance (check).

Do I think RPI has a shot this weekend? Of course! This team might be in the statistical bottom of college hockey but they have talent, they have good goaltending, they just have to start putting together some offense and there is no time like the present to start. I think the lads will actually kick it up a notch and get their first road win of the year. GO RED!

3 More Games In The Books

That Tuesday game threw me for a loop with regular posting as RPI played Union the other night. After splitting the weekend series 1-1 (as predicted here!) RPI faced dreaded rival Union and got blown out 5-1.

Apparently SA pulled the goalie midway through the 3rd period as an attempted spark. This reminded me of the Toronto Maple Leafs a few years ago who were so terrible that they started pulling their goalie midway through the third and actually started to play BETTER! I think they only gave up a few goals 4 on 5.

Whether SA, look again at another 4-1 score decided it wasn't enough and let's lose 5-1 but at least get some energy out of the lads.

Regardless who is in net, regardless what is going on with the D, this year's RPI team starts and ends with the offense. Over the last 3 games, they are averaging less than a goal a game. In 12 games, they have 11 goals. I don't care if you had in-his-prime Dominick Hasek in net, less than a goal a game is not going to get it done.

I honestly don't know at this point what should be done. A few posts ago I suggested playing the young ones. At this point, with 1 win on the season and averaging the goals for and goals against, why not?

May as well shake it up somehow and someway. I will always cheer for the Cherry and White and hopefully the team gives us something to cheer about for the rest of the season. GO RED!

Home Cookin

Another weekend of college hockey is upon us and RPI hosts 2 games this weekend at the good ol HFH.

First up is Yale. Yale surprisingly hasn't had much of a N/C schedule and instead sits at just 2-1-1 at this date in November. Special teams seems to be their strong suite as they have a 23% power play and a 92% penalty kill. They are being slightly outscored by their opponents 2.25 to 2 goals a game. The fact that its low scoring works in RPI's favor. RPI has to try and stay out of the penalty box (they seem to put up snowmen in that category most games) and if so, maybe we can steal one at home.

Then Saturday night is the perpetually challenged Brown. Like Yale, Brown has foregone the N/C schedule and sits at 2-2 at this point. Their games seem to be wide open affairs as the goals for/against averages are above 3 and the shots are above 25 for them and their opponents. RPI has the wheels to compete in a wide open game and over the years SA has had them playing that style (whether they had the personnel to play that way or not) so perhaps RPI can really open it up against Brown.

If RPI keeps it tight with Yale, I think they take it. If Brown puts up a lot of shots, I think RPI is going to bite it. Still a 1-1 weekend would be an improvement and hopefully right this ship. I will be cheering on the lads today and tomorrow no matter what, go RPI!

State Of The Team

Here are the bleak numbers this Monday morn:

RPI is averaging 1 goal a game. RPI's opponents are averaging 3.00 goals a game. RPI is averaging 24 shots a game and their opponents are averaging 27 shots a game. RPI seems really to be beaten up in second periods as they have been outshot 88 to 62 and outscored 7 to 4. Special teams are no source of consolation as the penalty kill is below 90% at 88% and the power play has yet to crack double digits and sits at 6%.

Still both goaltenders are over .900 in their save percentages and 2 or just a little over in their GAA's. I really think if the offense gets clicking and the D helps out by blocking a few more shots, RPI is back to a .500 team. It doesn't sounds like much but .500 can go a long way in the ECAC and if RPI can position itself there, it might win a berth into the NCAA's.

I still think this team is a year away from serious contention which doesn't do the seniors on this team like AG, Bergin or Burgdoerfer any good as they have sweated and bled for this program through some pretty rollercoaster times. But the horses are clearly the freshmen and its clear they are not ready yet to step up for this team.

I am not a doom and gloom guy and at the end of the day these guys are just college kids and no matter what, I cheer them on and thank them for play for the Cherry and White. Hopefully SA can get the offense loose here and get RPI back into some games.

Go WHITE!

1 Minute Left and

Any RPI knows how the rest of that goes. Well RPI travels to the North Country this weekend for another swing into the ECAC. Enough of that depressing NC schedule, let's get some ECAC hockey on with big rivals!

Sadly Clarkson is hot at the moment despite having beat up on "powerhouses" like Bentley and RPI is decidedly not. I am a big believer in momentum in hockey. I have seen one goal spark huge comebacks and I have seen teams get on huge win streaks. It is a streaky sport.

In college, streaks are tempered somewhat due to the 5-6 day layovers between games so momentum is tough to build. Minnesota State hasn't won a game since playing RPI for example.

It remains to be seen if Clarkson's early season success translates into ECAC success but given the way RPI has been playing recently, I don't see either teams trends changing. I do see RPI taking it to St. Lawrence on Saturday night though and splitting the weekend 1-1.

As always, here is USCHO's take:

Rensselaer at Clarkson
The Engineers' travail has been well-documented: injuries lead to minimal offense, which leads to mounting losses. Clarkson, on the other hand, has quietly amassed a 5-1-2 record, albeit against the dregs of Division I hockey (home sweeps of Sacred Heart and American International, a road win/tie at Bentley). I've said my piece about scheduling, but in Clarkson's case, a) at least the Knights are winning these games, which makes them a bit more palatable, and b) though the schedule was likely completed in advance of Casey Jones' hiring, it's not a bad way to get new systems in place before encountering the meat of the season. Plus, since Clarkson is winning these games, CCT should be feeling pretty confident about its abilities and its odds. I'll take confidence any day. 4-2 'Tech (that's Clarkson, newbies.)

Read more: http://www.uscho.com/ecac-blog/2011/11/04/ecac-picks-nov-4-5/#ixzz1cl8ucnsI

Rensselaer at St. Lawrence
*Deep sigh* This is not a game I want to pick, because these are two teams that don't need any speck of negative energy to fall atop the mounting pile of suck that is the first month of the 2011-12 season. I'm going to make an admittedly (and deliberately) arbitrary decision: home-ice advantage; SLU, 3-2.

Read more: http://www.uscho.com/ecac-blog/2011/11/04/ecac-picks-nov-4-5/#ixzz1cl8zTAQO

Well That Hurt

Sure there were several empty net goals but being outscored 8-2 regardless how those goal came hurt.

From the sounds of the game, RPI never really got sustained pressure except on the power play (or that great penalty kill goal).

While Meriman had a save percentage of .937 he gave up all of his goals in the early going while Diebold had a .884 percentage but let in goals throughout. Can this be blamed on D or goalies? Who knows but the GAA for both is way to high. WAY.

There isn't much to say about last weekend. RPI is clearly not in the class of NC teams right now. In a year with everyone maturing, this team will be a force to be reckoned with until then, give em Hell RPI (in the ECAC)!

Colorado College

So here goes RPI, back into the breach. And into the maelstrom of the WCHA. CC is 2-0 and looking fierce, what with an GFA of 4.5 and a GAA of 2.5. However, there is room for RPI to do some damage because while only playing 2 games to this point, CC is only averaging 14% on the powerplay and 50% on the penalty kill.

RPI has a chance but has faired poorly against WCHA teams in the past. I retain some optimism though and think RPI can go 0-1-1 on the weekend. It is at home and Houston Field House can be a rocking place. Let's go Rippeee!

As always, here is USCHO's take:

Colorado College at Rensselaer (Friday-Saturday)
Josh: OK, here is the best chance the Engineers are going to have to break their 1–4 overall record. They went 1–1 to start the season at Houston Field House against Minnesota State before losing three straight on the road, including a role as the Washington Generals to Notre Dame’s Harlem Globetrotters when ND opened its shining, new Compton Family Arena on Friday.
The Tigers have all the power in this match-up. For starters, they scored more goals (nine) in two games against Bemidji State than Rensselaer has in its first five games (six).
The Engineers have strong defense on their side. They haven’t been blown out, giving up an average of 2.6 goals per game, and Bryce Merriam has taken care of an impressive 92.2 percent of the 134 shots RPI has given up. The Engineers should pull out a win at home. I say Friday.
Rensselaer 2–0, Colorado College 4–1

Read more: http://www.uscho.com/ecac-blog/#ixzz1c6XaX0yI

Thoughts On Friday

So RPI got shellacked at ND. It was not quite the 2-1 game predicted here but sometimes a real trouncing can be more illuminating than a close game.

A few observations from watching the live ND stream (which looked great BTW! When will RPITV get into the live stream mix for us out of town fans?):

1) ND blocked a lot of shots, RPI, not so much. Of course, the way RPI was playing contributed to this. RPI in this game had the habit of firing a lot of shots from the point. ND defenders blocked a lot of these. There wasn't much movement from RPI forwards or their forward-thinking Dmen to cut and control play lower than the faceoff circles. As a consequence, fewer shots got through.

2) Once again RPI got outshot by an opponent. RPI mustered 19 shots on goal, 2 of which went for goals. Again, the way RPI played the game bore this out. They did not control the zone that much, the odd man rushes lead to a few shots but they did not build and sustain pressure. There were very few times when 5 on  that the D passed the puck in order to keep everyone in the offensive zone. RPI has been outshot so many times this season, one is starting to see a pattern.

3) Is it time to start the frosh in net? I greatly appreciate SA sticking with one goalie over the last few weeks (especially after his horribly rotational policy when he first came into RPI) but is he sticking with the right one? Merriam has earned his dues playing under York but considering how well Diebold played in defeat to start the season, shouldn't SA at least split them until one really takes the reigns. Nothing against Merriam, I am rooting for whoever is in net for the Cherry and White but sometimes a gearshift can wake up the other lads.

4) This team has some SPEED. Watching Rogic rush down the wing and Schroeder create instills and RPI fan with a team with a 1-4 record with some hope and optimism. We need everyone on this team to be healthy but clearly the horses for this year and the next few will be these frosh and soph-o-mores.


Overall ND handed us our hat on Friday night but if the lads can start playing a sustaining free wheeling system that SA is trying to implement then I think success can be had. As always, let's go RPI!

The Rare One Off

College Hockey really tries to keep the "student" in student-athlete by scheduling games on Fridays and Saturdays and often minimizes travel by having travel partners (at least in the ECAC). When you come to play RPI, you play them and then Union or RPI even twice. The past 2 weekends, RPI has played their opponents twice whether traveling or hosting but tonight is a weirdo one.

What can only be the result of backroom negotiations when both sides were not getting enough sleep, RPI is traveling all the way to Notre Dame for one game this Friday night. It is ND's only game of the "weekend" as well. 

Right now ND is outscoring their opponents 16-13 but have started slowly out of the gate at 2-2. Part of this reason seems to be on the penalty kill where they are only killing 79% of the penalties and that is a place where RPI can take advantage.

They are also only outshooting opponents by 1 shot so given RPI's recent lack of shots, this is good news as the game may be close.

I harbor no illusions, RPI has not played well the first 4 games and ND is a national power over the last few years despite the middling start. I expect RPI to lose this one but lose it "well" 2-1.

As always, here is USCHO's take on the game.

Rensselaer at Notre Dame (Friday)
Brian: The Irish split at champion Minnesota-Duluth to open the season, but split at home with Ohio State last weekend. RPI, of course, split with Minnesota State two weeks ago before dropping consecutive shutouts at Ferris State. Getting blanked in three of four games is bad, but having players like Brock Higgs, Marty O'Grady and Greg Burgdoerfer still on the shelf is worse. At least the Engineers are playing well defensively, and can reasonably hope for an improvement in fortunes when they return. Not feeling too optimistic in this matchup, though.
ND, 3-1
Josh: This is not the ideal situation for an Engineers team that's limping in off a two-loss weekend against Ferris State. They have to travel back to the heartland and be "the other team" when the Fighting Irish open up their new rink, the Compton Family Ice Arena. Rensselaer was taken to school on several fronts against the Bulldogs - it is imperative that the Engineers find some offense after being shut out twice consecutively. The energy surrounding the Papal Gold and Madonna Blue will probably be just too much to overcome on Friday night.
Notre Dame 3-1

Read more: http://www.uscho.com/ecac-blog/2011/10/20/ecac-hockey-picks-oct-21-22/#ixzz1bQkv625H

Well That Happened

Outscored 6-0 by Ferris State. Outshot 60-43 by Ferris State.

What more is there to say? RPI was close but throughout the 6 periods of weekend play, RPI could not muster even a goal and faded down the stretch. I always thought even the weaker teams in a conference like the CCHA are tough tests for RPI and this was no different. Ferris State, in the lower 1/3 of the CCHA this kicked the heck of St. Lawrence last weekend and RPI this weekend.

Suddenly RPI is 1-3 and going against arguably one of the best teams in college hockey, Notre Dame.

Not the best start to the season but certainly with the entirety of the ECAC season ahead, there is much that can be done to help RPI's chances. RPI has to muster more chances and that means more shots. In both games against Minnesota State, RPI was outshot. This needs to change.

Also, RPI has been shut out 3 times and is averaging a goal a game. This comes from a function of more shots and more opportunities but clearly the offense needs to kick it into gear.

It is also clear that Merriam is the favored goaltender by SA at the moment. If this is the case, there needs to be better D in front of him. Teams should not be averaging 30ish shots a game against RPI, there has to be better blocking of shots and better stopping of them by the goalie.

I think RPI has reloaded through recruiting but it may be some time before things gel together. Luckily RPI has time before the ECAC sched kicks in, they aren't doing themselves any favors for national rankings but hopefully things come together to do some damage in the ECAC.

As always, Go Red, Go White!

Bueller? Bueller?

Oh Ferris State, the Cherry and White are coming for ya!

Sure you shellacked fellow ECAC member St. Lawrence but you have been down in dumps in the CCHA for years what could change?

Well as RPI's fortunes change, so too can Ferris' and last weekend should be a wakeup call for RPI. I remember way back in the day when Lake State came for the Holiday Tournament. They were years past the great NCAA championship teams, in the bottom third of the CCHA but they were still an CCHA team. They came in and kicked everyone's ass.

I have pontificated on here before that the ECAC, while a great league and a I league I invest a lot of time in, is a distant fourth to the WCHA, CCHA and Hockey East. That said, if RPI is going to start playing with the big dogs by making the NCAA tourney, they will have to start beating those dogs and it starts this weekend.

The road is never a good place to pick up 4 points against the CCHA but let's get it on anyway! My prediction, the team again goes 1-1. I think RPI has the horses to compete with Ferris but the road will take its toll (probably on Friday night).

Another question is who starts in net? SA can start the frosh or Merriam. Since I am not sure who is better at the moment, SA should probably keep the rotation on until one rises above the other. Hopefully they both keep their GAA's at 1.00 so we don't have to choose!


As usual, USCHO has some picks for ya!

Rensselaer at Ferris State (Friday-Saturday)
The Engineers will have to boost its power play production from an unimpressive 2-for-16 performance the first weekend of the season. St. Lawrence made Ferris State look like a world-beater last week, as the Bulldogs scored four power play goals and went 9-for-10 on the penalty kill.
Ferris State, 3-0; Ferris State, 2-1

Read more: http://www.uscho.com/ecac-blog/2011/10/13/joshs-picks-ecac-hockey-oct-14-16/#ixzz1ajaH21hb

The Weekend That Was

Well RPI certainly tried to make my prediction of a 1-0-1 weekend come true by getting squeezed out of game one 1-0 and then shellacking the Mavericks 4-1 in the Saturday contest.

What did we learn this weekend?

• We learned that RPI can lose despite outshooting their opponent by 17 shots and then win by only outshooting them by 6 the next night.
•  We learned that between Merriam and Diebold, there really isn't a frontrunner for the goalie position. You would think Bryce would get the gig just from putting in his dues under York but I still can't figure out how SA handles his goalies 4+ years in and I am not sure how this season will shape up in net.
• The freshmen played big. Haggerty had 2 assists, Schroeder had 1 and Diebold stopped 18 of 19 shots. SA can  recruit, no doubt.
• 1-1 ain't going to cut it in non-conference play. RPI needs to win as many NC games as possible before starting ECAC play in December. This helps with their national rankings for slotting purposes and also gives them a good streak going into ECAC play. Minn was a weak opponent and so is Ferris State coming up. RPI should be 3-0-1 after those 4 games but now I am hoping they don't fall into the .500 trap this team seems to get into season after season and really comes out and takes 2 from Ferris. This is just college and these kids are truly kids but I think RPI is finally coming into its own as a program after many down years and if so, they need to take the bull by the horns and win the games they are supposed to.

Overall, I can't say I am surprised at the split weekend but the way the lads played on Saturday gives you a lot of confidence going into the season. Lots of O from the underclassmen and good goaltending. It makes you optimistic for the future and I think the future looks very Cherry and White indeed.

Feeling Minnesota?

So another season is underway. The lads had a good start in their one warm up game against Acadia but now the test begins Friday night at the Houston Field House.

Last season Minn State finished second to last in the WCHA. Last season they tied St. Lawrence twice and won against Brown, which is sorta depressing that one of the worst WCHA teams was still 1-0-2 against the ECAC.

Still, the WCHA is a step above most of the dwindling number of hockey conferences and this team is not to be taken lightly. They have 12 forwards returning and a senior goaltender in Austin Lee so they will have experience whereas RPI will be a bit green with all their froshes.

That being said, I expect RPI to take the weekend. This is a series that they should take despite losing their two top scorers and best goaltender since Little. Still I am a bit worried that the lads won't be used to the test at the collegiate level so I am thinking they will walk away with a 1-0-1 record.

USCHO has a rather pessimistic season preview but here it is anyway:


9. Rensselaer
Boy, oh boy, did the Engineers get whacked on graduation day — plus that York fella taking off for greener ($$) pastures. This year’s roster doesn’t feature a single player who has scored at least 10 goals in an NCAA campaign, nor a goalie who has played more than 420 minutes of college hockey in a season. All that said, there is ample potential in the ‘Tute locker room, and — as the buttons proclaim — I believe in Seth Appert. Avoiding a first-round road trip should be considered a small accomplishment at this point.

Read more: http://www.uscho.com/2011/10/06/offseason-of-change-means-new-faces-around-ecac-hockey-in-2011-12/#ixzz1a4PrDP5Z

As always, GO RED, GO WHITE!