Without a Peer: RIT

Showing posts with label RIT. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Men's Hockey - Niagara/RIT (21/22 Oct)

After a couple of weekends on the road to start the season, the Engineers began a rather long homestand (9 in 10, with the odd game out in Schenectady) with a pair of non-conference tilts against Niagara and RIT - the only non-conference weekend on the schedule featuring two different squads. A strong performance on Friday night ended in a very dissatisfying 3-3 draw with Niagara (the proverbial "bad tie"), but sticking with the same themes on Saturday led to the Engineers' first victory of the season, scoring a 6-3 victory over the Tigers.

Niagara
Bourbonnais-Tironese-Melanson
Nanne-Hayhurst-Ohrvall
Wood-DeVito-Liljegren
Marrello-Polino-Rodriguez

Prapavessis-Reilly
Wilson-Grant
Bell-Reno

Perry

Jake Marrello made his RPI debut on Friday night as the Engineers returned to a standard 12x6 lineup to take on the Purple Eagles, still searching for their first positive result of the season after starting off with three losses in as many games.

Early returns were not positive for the Engineers, although game remained scoreless for well over 30 minutes. Nine penalties were called before the game's first goal, and all of them were of the "obstruction" type that the NCAA is cracking down on this year (interference, slashing, hooking, tripping, holding, and the sort). The first eight - four per team - were killed off without great incidence, and the RPI penalty kill reached a rather impressive 21-for-21 to start the season while the power play reached a miserable 1-for-23.

RPI's perfect penalty kill was ended by the goal that put Niagara up 1-0 a little over halfway through regulation. A one-timer from the left faceoff circle by Derian Plouffe evaded Chase Perry to put the Purple Eagles ahead - but they would not hold the lead for long. Just 38 seconds later, Evan Tironese one-touched a pass from Riley Bourbonnais to the back of the cage from the middle of the slot to even the game back up.

After 21 straight successful penalty kills, RPI made it two power play goals in a row given up just 57 seconds after that, as Johnny Curran scored 10 seconds into a Parker Reno penalty on a floater that beat Perry top shelf to put Niagara back in front, 2-1.

1:44 into the third period, the Engineers tied the game for the second time, with Lou Nanne scoring his first goal of the season doing what he typically does to score goals - redirecting shots from the perimeter. A slapper by Tommy Grant was tipped in front by the RPI junior and past Niagara's Jackson Teichroeb to knot the score once again.

The biggest pivot of the game came in the denouement of regulation, as on their 7th power play opportunity of the night, the Engineers finally scored their second power play goal of the year, coming off a big shot from the blue line by Jared Wilson for his second goal of the year (both of RPI's power play goals for the season), giving the Engineers their first lead of the game late in the contest at 3-2.

About a minute later, a dustup between Plouffe and Viktor Liljegren ended with both in the box, but Plouffe with an extra two minutes for holding, putting the Engineers back on the power play with 4:15 left in regulation. Seconds later, Wilson appeared to give the Engineers a two-goal cushion with a goal that was practically a mirror image of the one he'd just scored a minute-and-a-half earlier, but it was immediately wiped out, as the officials called a slashing penalty against Jimmy DeVito, essentially for making a solid stick-check that allowed Wilson to take the loose puck in the first place.

Before an outraged Field House crowd, Niagara won the ensuing faceoff in the RPI end at four-on-four, and an ill-advised no-look pass by Tironese was picked off by Curran, who one-timed it past Perry to tie the game back up at 3-3, only further enraging the RPI partisans.

A Niagara penalty for cross-checking in the final minute of regulation carried over into the overtime period, but the Engineers were unable to get anything done on the man advantage, finishing the night 1-for-9 on the power play. Meanwhile, both teams put up four shots in the extra period, but neither were able to find the game winning goal, and the contest ended with a very unsettling 3-3 tie.

Other than the continued struggles on the power play and the seemingly botched ending late in the third period, the game did display an RPI team that looked like they were ready to compete. They unleashed 41 shots on the evening, and full credit has to be given to Teichroeb, who simply didn't let up a great many rebounds.

RIT
Bourbonnais-Tironese-Melanson
Nanne-Hayhurst-Ohrvall
Wood-DeVito-Liljegren
Reisinger-Polino-Rodriguez

Prapavessis-Reilly
Wilson-Reno
Manley-Grant

Hackett

Max Reisinger made his RPI debut against RIT on Saturday night, replacing Marrello in the lineup, and Charlie Manley returned as well, replacing Bradley Bell. Finally, Cam Hackett got his first start of the season in net for the Engineers.

A fortunate angle got RIT on the board first midway through the first period. A pass by Abbott Girduckis to Caleb Cameron on a two-on-one break didn't result in a shot, but as Cameron passed by Hackett, he tried to blindly backhand the puck back into the slot. It didn't get there - instead it hit off the back of Hackett's leg and into the back of the net, a goal certainly created by the two-on-one that the Tigers earned but certainly one that falls into the category of "good puck luck" in the end.

The Engineers got their stroke of luck about four minutes later as Riley Bourbonnais sniped a shot that RIT netminder Christian Short probably should have nabbed with his glove - instead it flew into the cage over that glove as Bourbonnais scored his second shorthanded goal of the season (perhaps only technically a shorthanded goal, as it came exactly as a 4x4 ended) to tie the score.

On the power play to start the second period, Mike Prapavessis gave Houston Field House a glimpse of the potential that RPI has on the man advantage, scoring with a snap shot from the point just over a minute into the second period to put the Engineers ahead 2-1 - Prapavessis being part of a potentially potent 1-2 punch with fellow power play QB Jared Wilson. Then, just 33 seconds later, Evan Tironese notched his third goal in as many games on a nifty wraparound to make it 3-1 and ending Short's night, as the RIT sophomore made just 7 saves on 10 shots in 21:41 of work. He was replaced by RIT's usual netminder, Mike Rotolo.

RIT clawed one back about two minutes later on one of the many four-on-four situations that would arise over the course of the game, as a disorganized RPI defense left Gabe Valenzuela open to roof one and cut the RPI lead in half. 10 minutes later, late in the second period, the Tigers got things square once more with a goal by Erik Brown, again taking advantage of a disjointed RPI defense.

But the Engineers would regain the lead for good with about two minutes left in the second period as Jared Wilson scored his third goal of the year - and third power play goal of the season - this time with a slapper from the top of the left faceoff circle, giving the Engineers a 4-3 lead heading into the final period.

The Tigers worked hard in the third period trying to find the tying goal, but the Engineer defense did a good job of bending without breaking. Hackett secured 13 saves in the last 20 minutes to help bolster the victory, and the Engineers ultimately got an insurance goal from Bourbonnais on a perfectly executed give-and-go while behind the defense with Tironese during a 4x4, and Jake Wood added his second goal of the season on an empty netter with just over a minute to play to seal the game up for a 6-3 victory.

Tironese ended the night with a goal and four assists, having been a part of the scoring combination on every RPI goal against the Tigers with the exception of Prapavessis' power play blast early in the second period. His career night was a first in several years for the Engineers in a pair of categories - it was the first four assist performance for RPI since Chase Polacek against Brown in December 2010, and the first five point night for an Engineer since Kevin Croxton (3 goals, 2 assists) against RIT in December 2005. Those are a pair of names that put Tironese in some very exclusive company in relatively recent RPI history. With nine points in five games, he is now 7th in the nation in scoring, averaging 1.80 points per game.

RPI's offense does look a bit more improved, with a goals per game now at 2.80, closing in on that coveted 3.00 GPG that they've been missing for some time. Tironese, Bourbonnais, Wilson, and Prapavessis all look fairly dangerous in their various scoring roles, just as we'd hoped to start the season.

The problem is that they've also given up three goals in all five games they've played this season, calling into question a defense that was supposed to be one of the team's brightest points.

Continued improvement on both of those aspects is needed in a hurry, as the ECAC schedule opens this coming weekend against Union in the annual home-and-home set, of which the Engineers have won four contests in a row against the Dutchmen (and six of seven overall when including the Mayor's Cup). They'll be keen on the need to stop Union senior Mike Vecchione, who won ECAC Player of the Week plaudits over Tironese by scoring six goals on the weekend against the same two teams that RPI did battle with, including four against Niagara.

Niagara at RPI
Non-Conference Game - Houston Field House (Troy, NY)
10/21/16 - 7:00pm

RESULT: RPI 3, Niagara 3 (OT)

BOX SCORES
College Hockey Stats
USCHO

RECAPS
RPI
Troy Record
Albany Times Union

VIDEO
Full game (RPI TV)
Highlights (RPI TV)

RECORD: 0-3-1

RIT at RPI
Non-Conference Game - Houston Field House (Troy, NY)
10/22/16 - 7:00pm

RESULT: RPI 6, RIT 3

BOX SCORES
College Hockey Stats
USCHO

RECAPS
RPI
Albany Times Union
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

VIDEO
Full game (RPI TV)

RECORD: 1-3-1

Upcoming games
28 Oct - Union
29 Oct - at Union
04 Nov - Brown
05 Nov - #17 Yale
11 Nov - Clarkson

Friday, October 21, 2016

Dial It Back

The Engineers (0-3-0) open their home schedule with a doozy of a homestand - nine in 10 within the friendly confines of Houston Field House, with the oddball being the short journey to Houston Field House West just up Route 7 next weekend. That's more than half of the entire home schedule taking place within the next five weekends - only seven games remain on the regular season tableau after a weekend series with Ohio State on the 18th and 19th of November. It would be prudent for the team to produce some results in the next five weeks.

They get that mission underway tonight against Niagara (0-2-1) and tomorrow night against RIT (1-1-1). No offense to the Purps or the Tigers, but they're not quite Maine (who are off to a surprisingly strong start) and they're not quite North Dakota (enough said). Look at the last two weekends as a resistance run. Back when I ran cross-country in high school N years ago, we'd take a couple of practices and run down to the beach, where we'd do wind sprints while knee-deep in Lake George. It helped make running down a nature trail seem a whole lot easier.

If RPI can take a three really tough road games and play the same way at home against teams less likely to burn mistakes, less likely to simply outclass, and less likely to make life in general super difficult, it could be a strong bounce in the correct direction - and perhaps prove that losing your first three games isn't necessarily a season killer, especially if it prepares you for games that will ultimately matter more... games which start next weekend.

Continuing our selection of Tragically Hip pumpups, here's "Fifty Mission Cap," a song that relates the true story of hockey player Bill Barilko. If you don't know it, learn it. Certainly one that will help get the blood flowing as the Engineers return home after a couple thousand miles of road trip to start the year.

Monday, June 20, 2016

Know Your Enemy: RIT

The Engineers will have home games against all four competitors in last season's NCAA East Regional, which was held in Albany. Two are cheating, of course, since Quinnipiac and Yale made up half of that field, but the other two are also making a quick jump up 787 from where they entered the national tournament to tangle with RPI, including this week's KYE entry, which was unable to make their second trip to Albany for the NCAAs pay off with a second trip to the Frozen Four.

Rochester Institute of Technology

Key players: F Caleb Cameron, sr.; G Mike Rotolo, sr.; F Todd Skirving, sr.; F Danny Smith, sr.; D Matt Abt, jr.; D Brady Norrish, jr.; D Chase Norrish, jr.; F Myles Powell, jr.; F Erik Brown, so.; F Abbott Girduckis, so.; F Liam Kerins, so.; F Gabe Valenzuela, so.; D Darren Brady, fr.; F Reed Delainey, fr.; D Chris McKay, fr.

Previous KYE installments:

It has been claimed that RIT benefits from getting to play in Rochester when they reach the Atlantic Hockey semifinals. We wouldn't go that far - but it certainly doesn't hurt. The Tigers are the two-time reigning Atlantic Hockey champions off of third and fifth place finishes in the last two years, but give them credit for being a gutty, difficult out pretty much any year in the Atlantic Hockey tournament. They get the job done based on a little more than home cooking.

The Tigers finished their sixth winning season in as many tries after joining Atlantic Hockey following their last tussle with the Engineers, a 2-0 road victory for RPI in Scott Diebold's first collegiate victory and shutout. Both goals in that game came during a five-minute major power play that RPI picked up early in the second period, the only scoring in an otherwise evenly played contest. That probably didn't really speak well for either team, especially since RPI went on to get absolutely shelled in giving up 27 goals in their next six games.

RIT's streak of winning seasons came to an end the following season, and in 2014 RIT lost 20 games in one year for just the second time since joining the Division I ranks in 2005 - the only other time being their very first season as D-I independents. But the last two seasons have been a marked return to form with their two Atlantic Hockey titles, which included another upset NCAA victory over a top-ranked team in 2015 - a 2-1 win over Minnesota State in the Midwest Regional that put the Tigers one win away from a second Frozen Four in six years.

This past year, there was hope that RIT's somewhat unexpected Atlantic Hockey title would lead to another fantastic trip in the NCAAs, especially returning to the "scene of the crime" where they shocked the college hockey world in 2010, but Quinnipiac snuffed out those hopes with a dominant performance in the third period for a 4-0 victory in a game that was probably closer than the final score indicated.

One name in particular should stand out to RPI fans - Liam is Paul Kerins' cousin. The younger Kerins had a phenomenal freshman season for the Tigers, tying for second on the team in goals with classmate Valenzuela with 13, and just two behind the team leader, Powell. Chase Norrish (8) and Brown (7) were also among the team leaders in that category last year.

Rotolo is the team's starting netminder, and as a senior he should probably see the majority of time in net. He missed 9 weeks of the season during the stretch run with an ankle injury, during which time RIT's other two goaltenders did a fantastic job keeping the Tigers in contention and positioning the team for the run they made in the playoffs when Rotolo returned. His career numbers in the pipes are fair enough to keep RIT in games when they aren't lighting up the cages on the other side, but they're not quite "singlehandedly stealing games" level.

RIT is the last team on which the Engineers have hung double digits - a 10-7 win in Troy in December 2005, with the Tigers a year removed from Division III. That won't be happening this year - RIT is going to be too good defensively and RPI simply hasn't been a team that can even approach that level of offensive explosiveness, even if they do manage to provide early answers to the offensive question marks they have coming into the season. But it's probably fair to say that, at home, the Engineers will be favored in this game. It won't be by as much as they will be expected to win the previous night against Niagara, but it'll still be likely to be a situation where a loss will come as something of a disappointment. RIT's last non-conference victory on the road was against St. Lawrence in January 2013 - and they haven't beaten anyone outside of Atlantic Hockey but SLU (which they've done three times) since a 5-4 OT upset of Michigan in October 2012.

That being the case, RPI sleeps on the Tigers at their own peril. They have demonstrated ability to be one of the best teams in Atlantic Hockey even above and beyond the fact that they are reigning back-to-back champions and they are more than passable on both sides of the puck. When one factors in the raucous fans that they tend to bring with them on the road, we can expect a fun atmosphere for the contest, but one that can turn dangerous for the home team if they allow the home fans to get deflated early. Having that kind of dependable traveling fan base is a wonderful intangible that can help build a team's confidence when they're finding success.

Expect a solid slugfest when the Engineers and Tigers clash at Houston Field House in late October.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Moving Parts

Yesterday, some big news hit the college hockey world - Notre Dame is moving out of Hockey East after the 2016-17 season concludes and joining the Big Ten as an associate member for hockey.

For those of you who have your ear to the ground, the move isn't terribly shocking. There have been murmurs that the Irish were unhappy in Hockey East for a little over a year, and obviously the Big Ten's struggles across their first three seasons have been well documented. This is a move that seems to make sense for both parties involved.

During the 2011 schism in the college hockey world caused by the formation of the Big Ten, Notre Dame's final landing spot was much debated. At the time, the Big Ten wasn't an option for them because the conference was not open to adding anyone who wasn't a member in every sport. That changed in 2013 when the Big Ten added Rutgers and Maryland to its ranks, two schools that sponsored lacrosse. With only five schools playing the sport, they added long-time independent Johns Hopkins (a D-III school in every other sport) for lacrosse only as an affiliate member to make six.

The Big Ten has lusted after Notre Dame's storied football program for decades, but that's always been a non-starter. So it's no surprise that the Big Ten, three years into a hockey experiment that has seen the conference embarrassed for basically all of the last two seasons with just one NCAA bid both years, was willing to admit the Fighting Irish this time around.

On Notre Dame's side, there's the understandable travel issue. While they had no problems financially taking a trip to New England every other weekend, and other teams didn't mind having to trek to Indiana once a year, the Irish had a problem with being the only team that had to go on long road trips all the time - a competitive balance issue. The travel within the mostly-Midwest Big 10 shouldn't be too much of an issue.

But that does now leave Hockey East with 11 teams, and moves the Big Ten to seven. The dominoes are starting to fall once more - and an odd number of teams is usually difficult to deal with on the long-term, due to issues with scheduling and playoff seeding. So what happens next?

Arizona State: The Sun Devils completed their first Division I season this year as an independent and they will do it again next year, this time with some additional home games against D-I teams. After that, they've said they want to be in a conference, and the Big Ten has long been touted as an understandable landing point. The one sticking point was considered to be the open question of whether the Big Ten would be OK with having affiliation in hockey. That question has certainly been resolved.

ASU may be in the hinterlands when it comes to hockey, but on the larger scale, they're a big deal - a power school in a power conference. But unless (until?) their Pac-12 brethren start adopting hockey, they need somewhere to reside. The only two conferences that ever made sense on a power and location basis were the Big Ten and the NCHC - the WCHA as it exists now is certainly too small to interest Arizona State.

With Notre Dame's decision and the news that ASU's discussions with the NCHC haven't been plentiful lately, it does seem like the Sun Devils becoming a second affiliate is a lot closer to reality. But it's not certain by any stretch of the imagination. ASU likely needs to start making some progress on their still nebulous plans for an on-campus rink. Their current homes are a tiny rink in Tempe that is the smallest in Division I and the Gila River Arena in Glendale (where the Coyotes play) that is the largest, impossible to fill.

But... who else could it be? Well, Miami has had some notable concerns about their travel situation in the NCHC. They've been strong enough in hockey for the last decade that the Big Ten might be willing to consider them as an affiliate (recall that Johns Hopkins is a lacrosse powerhouse, and Notre Dame is Notre Dame). That quality might open the door to North Dakota (who has traditional rivalries with Wisconsin and Minnesota) or Denver (certainly a storied enough program) as well, who would arguably have a better claim. Both of those schools, however, were among the driving forces behind the NCHC's very creation, and the NCHC certainly isn't having any problems.

Or, the Big Ten could stay with seven. It would be odd, but so is what they've already got going.

That leaves... Hockey East. With 11 teams, they're certainly going to want to get themselves back to 12. Five years ago, we pontificated on who the 12th team would be if Notre Dame was the 11th (basically at the bottom of that link). The answer ended up being UConn - but only after a serious change in their status quo fomented by their hockey loving governor.

Now, the question can be asked again, with UConn off the table. The top three answers are more or less the same.

Quinnipiac: Last time out, we thought Hockey East would arguably be more interested in RPI than in Quinnipiac despite the Bobcats having the newer facilities and the New England location. But in the last five years, there's no question that the Q has established themselves as a powerful program, and the opening in Hockey East probably couldn't have come at a better time if you're on the "Quinnipiac to Hockey East" bandwagon.

We still have to wait and see how the 2016 NCAA tournament plays out, but as the #1 overall seed, Quinnipiac have certainly made themselves the favorites to win the national championship. They played in the national championship game in 2013. The women's team is certainly on the rise, having just won the ECAC championship for the first time. Looking at things from Hockey East's perspective, there's no way at all that, among currently existing programs, they'd have anyone but the Bobcats at the top of their list.

The bigger question is this: does Quinnipiac really want to leave the ECAC? Five years ago, Hockey East was an obvious step up from the ECAC. Today it's still a step up, but it's not nearly as big - the gap has been closed slightly. And as things stand, it's hard to argue that Quinnipiac isn't one of the clear cut top programs in the league - which wouldn't necessarily be the case in Hockey East. Is it better to be a big fish in a smaller pond or a medium-sized fish in a bigger pond? That's the question that Quinnipiac will likely be asking itself.

Hockey East does have some benefits that the ECAC can't offer - national exposure is still far higher in Hockey East. But the ECAC also offers Quinnipiac guaranteed games with Yale every year, something they seem to cherish. The Yale-Quinnipiac "rivalry" is still very one-sided even despite (perhaps even because of) the 2013 national championship game. It's basically RPI-Union from the late-1990s, with Yale playing the role of RPI. Will Yale ever really care about Q though, at least enough to play them regularly in different conferences? It's hard to get an Ivy League team to care about a non-Ivy. That's just history working against the non-Ivy, and history trumps geography big time.

Holy Cross: The Crusaders are still kinda there in the discussion if only because they're right smack in the middle of the league's footprint. But nothing has changed in Worcester since 2011. They're still kinda middling in Atlantic Hockey. They're still playing in the same small rink on campus attached to their basketball court (which will be renovated soon, but not made bigger or more impressive). Their women's team is still in Division III. If anything, things may have dipped a bit for Holy Cross. Paul Pearl, an alum who was head coach of the team for almost 20 years, left in 2014 to become an assistant at Harvard. And they haven't been back to the NCAA tournament since that well-known upset of Minnesota in 2006.

The hangup in 2004 when Holy Cross applied to the ECAC was that they weren't interested in paying equal attention to their women's team. There doesn't seem to be anything that's changed there, which makes CHC a tough sell to Hockey East.

RPI: Much has changed for the Engineers in the last five years. Back then, we thought RPI might have made the most sense for Hockey East, and they probably still did if UConn's sudden epiphany had not happened. Much of what we wrote back then remains true.

But from RPI's perspective, the allure of staying in the ECAC has certainly changed. While five years ago we pondered that an RPI move to Hockey East could strengthen the program simply by playing in a higher-end conference, today the Engineers are playing in a conference that has produced two of the last three (and are favorites to make it three of the last four) national champions. The move would be slightly more lateral than it had been back then, and that makes the difference in the academic profile a bit more difficult to deal with.

And this time around, they're definitely second banana to Quinnipiac as things stand, at least from a Hockey East perspective.

More on this in the near future. As with five years ago, the topic of RPI to Hockey East deserves a more detailed look at this blog.

So... what if there's an open spot in the ECAC? What happens then?

Holy Cross: Basically, the same as above. There's no way Holy Cross goes anywhere unless they agree to move women's hockey to Division I, and if they're happy with where it is right now, they're probably happy being in Atlantic Hockey.

RIT: If only Rochester were closer to... Albany, or Worcester, or something, RIT is the totally obvious choice. Academics, history, everything's there. They'd be an 8th program without athletic scholarships.

The problem - and this is a problem - is that the ECAC has a really good thing going with its travel partner system, and RIT doesn't fit into it well. It might work if RPI ends up bailing for Hockey East, but almost certainly wouldn't if it's Quinnipiac. Without RPI, Union is orphaned, and one could see a Colgate-Union pairing and a Cornell-RIT pairing sort of working (or Colgate-RIT and Cornell-Union). If Quinnipiac bounces, Princeton could go back with Yale, but who does RIT pair with that doesn't turn that road trip (and likely, others) into a nightmare? It's a logistical problem for a league that depends on some easier travel schedules to stay a manageable bus league.

If RIT comes large with an ECAC bid, the league could certainly bend quite a bit in order to make it work, especially since they'd add a solid following. There's a lot that RIT has going for it and, geography aside, they bring everything you'd want to the table. But whatever they come up with has got to fit with the Ivy League's preferences, too. The Ivies have the power to blow up the league, so that makes their opinion matter just a little bit more.

Bentley or Sacred Heart: They fit the footprint, but not the gusto. Bentley at least is taking steps in the right direction on getting themselves an on-campus rink, but neither are ready for a step out of Atlantic Hockey.

Army: They've been in the ECAC in the past, and they're a fellow Patriot League member with Colgate, but if you can find anything that would suggest that they'd have a better time in the ECAC than the last time they were there that led to their departure, we'd love to hear about it.

Mercyhurst, Niagara, Canisius, or Robert Morris: No shot. Too far away for all of them. Canisius at least has a sparkly new rink, but that's about it.

American Interna OK, I can't even get to the joke here.

So the quick answer is that there's no really good answer to who makes the ECAC "whole" again if Quinnipiac or RPI leave. And that's problematic for the five non-Ivies that would be left - because if the Ivy League isn't satisfied with how things shake out, they've always got the option of striking out on their own, an option which arguably created Hockey East in the first place.

The real answer of "which team would best make #12" is a team that hasn't been around since 1978: Penn. The Quakers would pair supernaturally well with Princeton, and everything else would stay the same. Unfortunately there's no magic pixie dust that can be used to re-create a team at Penn in order to save the ECAC's bacon. Not to mention that Penn's addition would only make for a stronger possibility of an independent Ivy League down the road, possibly one day made whole if they ever learn about hockey in Morningside Heights.

Bottom line? It's time to tread carefully right now, especially if you're Hockey East and Quinnipiac is unavailable, because there's no other really good answer for #12. If you're Quinnipiac and RPI, you've got to ask yourself if moving to Hockey East is really the best long-term plan, and if not, is the ECAC going to stay iron clad after Hockey East gains a new member?

Monday, October 12, 2015

Women's Hockey - at RIT (9/10 Oct)

Non-conference play continued for the Engineers this weekend with a short jaunt over to Rochester to take on RIT. RPI fared well against the Tigers, picking up a 6-2 win Friday night followed by a 3-1 victory Saturday afternoon.

Friday

Wash/Gruschow/Tomlinson
Horwood/Schwalbe/Rooney
Grigsby/Mankey/Tremblay
Hylwa/Thomas/Renn

Hansen/Godin
Banks/Behounek
Kimmerle/Orzechowski

Selander

Mari Mankey scored two goals, nine Engineers recorded points, and freshman Lovisa Selander stopped 15 of 17 shots as RPI defeated RIT on Friday night.

Mankey's goals included the eventual game-winner which put RPI up 3-0 in the first period, as well as the last goal of the game late in the second which made it 6-2 on the power play.

Katie Rooney got things going for RPI just 1:05 in, picking up Laura Horwood's rebound and putting it past Brooke Stoddart for a 1-0 lead.

Aly Tremblay doubled the RPI lead with a goal off a 3-on-1 at 9:24, and Mankey's first goal followed about three minutes later.

RIT got on the board at 13:50 when Cassie Clayton scored on a one-timer, but Shayna Tomlinson gave RPI their three-goal cushion back with 11 seconds left in a busy first period.

The Tigers again drew within two with a Carly Payerl goal early in the third, but Laura Horwood made it 5-2 before Mankey scored her second of the night late in the middle frame to leave the score at 6-2, where it remained through the third period.

Saturday

Wash/Gruschow/Tomlinson
Horwood/Schwalbe/Rooney
Grigsby/Mankey/Tremblay
Raspa/Thomas/Renn

Hansen/Godin
Banks/Behounek
Kimmerle/Orzechowski

Till

After combining for eight goals on Friday, RPI and RIT scaled things back a little on Saturday, only racking up four goals as the Engineers beat the Tigers 3-1.

Alexa Gruschow scored twice for the Engineers, while Katie Rooney tacked on a goal and Sarah Till finished with 20 saves.

RIT jumped out to an early lead off a Carly Payerl power play goal at 7:15 of the first, but Rooney scored just 42 seconds later off an RIT turnover to tie it up.

Gruschow scored her first goal 3:44 into the second period, picking up a Jenn Godin rebound and tucking it behind goalie Jetta Rackleff. She gave the Engineers an insurance goal on the power play in the third period to make it 3-1 which held up as the final score despite nearly two minutes spent by RIT with the extra attacker.

The Engineers close out their early season non-conference play next weekend as they host Robert Morris, then will start off ECAC play on the road at Cornell and Colgate.

-----

RPI at RIT
Non-Conference Game - Gene Polisseni Center (Rochester, NY)
10/9/15 - 7pm
RPI 6, RIT 2

BOX SCORES:
RPI: http://www.rpiathletics.com/boxscore.aspx?path=whock&id=5180
College Hockey Stats: http://collegehockeystats.net/1516/boxes/wrenrit1.o09

RECAPS:
RPI: http://www.rpiathletics.com/news/2015/10/9/WICE_1009153037.aspx?path=whock
RIT: http://www.ritathletics.com/news/2015/10/9/WHOCKEY_1009153910.aspx

RECORD: 1-2 (0-0 ECAC)

-----

RPI at RIT
Non-Conference Game - Gene Polisseni Center (Rochester, NY)
10/9/15 - 3pm
RPI 3, RIT 1

BOX SCORES:
RPI: http://www.rpiathletics.com/boxscore.aspx?path=whock&id=5181
College Hockey Stats: http://collegehockeystats.net/1516/boxes/wrenrit1.o10

RECAPS:
RPI: http://www.rpiathletics.com/news/2015/10/10/WICE_1010150313.aspx?path=whock
RIT: http://www.ritathletics.com/news/2015/10/10/WHOCKEY_1010151810.aspx

RECORD: 2-2 (0-0 ECAC)

-----

Upcoming Schedule

Oct. 16 - Robert Morris (7pm)
Oct. 17 - Robert Morris (4pm)
Oct. 30 - at Cornell (3pm)
Oct. 31 - at Colgate (3pm)

Friday, October 9, 2015

Beast of the East

Another season, another difficult October, another slew of injuries to start the season.

Yup.

The men get their season underway tonight in Lowell as they take on the two-time Hockey East finalists from UML - and they'll be missing plenty of names. Miller. Wood. Rodriguez. Tironese. All out nursing injuries. Freshman defenseman Meirs Moore makes his RPI debut tonight... as a forward.

And it doesn't get any easier after they come home - just #1 Boston College on Sunday afternoon. Woof.

For the women, they also hit the road for the first time this season, taking on RIT in a pair of games in Rochester - can they build on a halfway decent showing against North Dakota last weekend? We'll find out.

In the meantime, here's something bouncy to get you going for a weekend full of hockey.

Monday, December 1, 2014

Women's Hockey - RIT (28/29 Nov)

A return to action after a week off saw RPI host fellow tech school RIT, who they hadn't played for nine seasons since elevating to Division I, for a pair of non-conference games at Houston Field House. The Engineers came out strong on Friday night, skating to a 4-1 victory, but a sweep was not in the cards as they were shutout in Saturday afternoon's rematch by a 3-0 margin.

Friday

Horwood/Tomlinson/Svoboda
Mahoney/Gruschow/Raspa
Rooney/Mankey/Hylwa

Middlebrook/Schilter
Kimmerle/Behounek
Renn

O'Brien

A big first period had the Engineers ahead 3-1, and Kelly O'Brien put up 26 saves en route to her second win of the year as RPI beat RIT 4-1 on Friday night.

It was RIT scoring first on the night, with Lindsay Grigg banging home a rebound on the doorstep for the early 1-0 lead.

Shayna Tomlinson knotted it up near the midpoint of the period, taking a feed from Laura Horwood who had just won a puck battle along the back boards and putting it past goalie Brooke Stoddart.

Marisa Raspa tallied the game-winner at 16:20 of the period, when Stoddart misplayed a dump-in behind the net, allowing the Engineer freshman to poke the puck into a wide open net and give RPI the lead.

Ali Svoboda topped off the period for RPI with a power play goal at 18:53. The play was set up when Whitney Renn blocked a clearing attempt at the blue line, feeding the puck to Laura Horwood for a shot which was blocked by a sliding Tiger defenseman. The rebound was ripe for Svoboda to put top shelf and the shot was on target for a 3-1 lead.

After a second period which saw neither scoring nor penalties for either team, Taylor Mahoney scored an insurance goal late in the third, taking advantage of yet another rebound opportunity given up by Stoddart.

Though the shot tally finished deadlocked at 27, the Engineers had the best of the play despite playing with a short bench and looked to be in good position going into Saturday's game with several players returning to the lineup.

Saturday

Horwood/Tomlinson/Svoboda
Mahoney/Gruschow/Raspa
Rooney/Mankey/Hylwa
Wash/Walsh

Middebrook/Behounek
Kimmerle/Renn
Godin/Banks

O'Brien

More players on the bench didn't translate to a stronger performance for RPI on Saturday as they were shutout 3-0 by RIT at Houston Field House. Jetta Rackleff, taking over in net for Stoddard, earned her second shutout of the season in a 20-save effort.

The Tigers scored once in each period, with the first goal coming off the stick of Celeste Brown at 10:39 of the first. Brown's wrister beat O'Brien from the faceoff circle and Cassie Clayton picked up the assist with the pass that set Brown up to break into the zone.

Marissa Maugeri doubled the RIT lead late in the second period, putting a rebound past O'Brien after the RPI netminder stopped a breakaway a moment earlier.

Brown's second of the game put RIT ahead 3-0 at 11:27 of the third, and things got a little chippy in the game's closing minutes - including an odd pair of matching delay of game penalties called out of a scuffle that included some high cross-checks.

RPI will need to rediscover some offense next weekend as they close out the 2014 portion of the schedule at home against Brown and Yale. Both teams have had a hit-or-miss start to their season and hold a 1-3 record in ECAC play. With both opponents likely to feature in the lower half of the league standings, a pair of wins would go a long way to giving the Engineers a foothold into the playoff race.

-----

RPI vs. RIT
Non-Conference Game - Houston Field House (Troy, NY)
11/28/14 - 7:00pm
RPI 4, RIT 1

BOX SCORES:
College Hockey Stats: http://collegehockeystats.net/1415/boxes/wrenrit1.n28
RPI: http://rpiathletics.com/boxscore.aspx?path=whock&id=4436

RECAPS:
RPI: http://rpiathletics.com/news/2014/11/28/WICE_1128143316.aspx
RIT: http://www.ritathletics.com/news/2014/11/28/WHOCKEY_1128142528.aspx
Video Highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW47PQ3MdgQ
Complete Game Video: http://rpitv.org/productions/872-womens-hockey-vs-rit

RECORD: 2-10-2 (0-4-0 ECAC)

-----

RPI vs. RIT
Non-Conference Game - Houston Field House (Troy, NY)
11/29/14 - 4:00pm
RIT 3, RPI 0

BOX SCORES:
College Hockey Stats: http://collegehockeystats.net/1415/boxes/wrenrit1.n29
RPI: http://rpiathletics.com/boxscore.aspx?path=whock&id=4437

RECAPS:
RPI: http://rpiathletics.com/news/2014/11/29/WICE_1129142242.aspx
RIT: http://www.ritathletics.com/news/2014/11/29/WHOCKEY_1129144208.aspx
Complete Game Video: http://rpitv.org/productions/873-womens-hockey-vs-rit

RECORD: 2-11-2 (0-4-0 ECAC)

-----

Upcoming Schedule

Dec. 5 - Brown (7pm)
Dec. 6 - Yale (4pm)
Jan. 2 - Princeton (3pm)
Jan. 3 - Princeton (3pm)

Friday, November 28, 2014

Bring the Funk

It's back to hockey after the post-Thanksgiving food coma.

At home in Troy, the women take on RIT, the reigning CHA champions. This season for the Tigers... a lot of ups, a lot of downs, a lot of what-have-yous. Cross your fingers here that the Engineers are finally getting over the injury bug.

That's something the men have been doing over the last couple of weeks, and they've persevered pretty well. We're just waiting to see when Lou Nanne and Zach Schroeder get back into the lineup. If it's not this weekend against Michigan, hopefully, it's at least next week against Yale and Brown, games which arguably will go a lot farther in helping RPI succeed this season.

The Engineers have historically held some kind of mystical advantage over the Wolverines. From that epic and immortal takedown in the 1954 national tournament to the win in the 2009 GLI, RPI has an unexpected 7-3-1 all-time record against Michigan. That's pretty nifty. Let's extend it, eh?

It's been a while. Let's go retro this weekend, just for fun (as always, if you have any killer pumpup ideas, feel free to tweet at us). Ann Arbor's likely to be fixated on its hatred of Ohio State this weekend, so let's slip on into Funkytown and slip out with a couple of good results.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

What If: Purity

* January 2004: Division III grandfathers programs with Division I scholarships

OutKast - Hey Ya!

When word got out in the summer of 2003 that the president of Middlebury College was proposing to restrict Division III schools that "play up" in Division I from offering athletic scholarships in their Division I sports, it sounded like a cruel joke.

"Let's issue is athletic scholarships, " John McCardell had said. "Let's debate that issue. The evidence is the [1983] waiver [allowing the "play up" scholarships]. It's a general acknowledgement that what they're doing is at variance from what is the Division III philosophy."

Thus, the gauntlet was thrown down. Division III was suffering the impure stain of scholarships offered by eight institutions - RPI in men's hockey, Clarkson and St. Lawrence in men's and women's hockey, Colorado College in men's hockey and women's soccer, Johns Hopkins in men's and women's lacrosse, Oneonta State in men's soccer, Hartwick in women's water polo, and Rutgers-Newark in men's volleyball. In McCardell's view, this was an affront to the 416 other Division III schools, and demanded their immediate revocation, for the sake of Division III purity. Proposition 65 was born.

McCardell assembled his allies. "There's nothing that prevents them from continuing their Division I competition, but do it without giving financial aid. Division III schools should never give athletic-related financial aid, ever." So said Donna Ledwin, commissioner of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference, against all semblance of logic.

"It's special interest legislation that gives special treatment to eight members," declared Lincoln College president Ivory Nelson.

Battle lines were drawn. Twenty years after RPI's first scholarship athletes graduated, that privilege was in serious danger. The old Tri-State League rivals - RPI, Clarkson, and St. Lawrence, bitter enemies on the ice, found themselves sharing a foxhole in a fight for survival. Fortunately, RPI had a dynamic young leader helming the athletic department in Ken Ralph. In just his second year on the job, he was facing a serious threat to his school's premier athletic program, and he was ready to take the lead in order to fight it.

Ralph banded together with his counterparts at the other seven institutions to put together an all-out counteroffensive against McCardell's crusade, seeking to educate presidents and athletic directors all over Division III about the importance of defeating the measure - after all, it was one that affected only a very small percentage of the wider D-III membership, and could easily have just been voted in without a great deal of thought.

Ralph and his cohorts pulled out the big guns, launching an internet campaign called Stop Prop 65. Hockey games turned into pseudo-political rallies. Senator Charles Schumer hosted a press conference at Houston Field House urging the NCAA to defeat Proposition 65. The greater college hockey community mobilized - Ralph even received a phone call from a season ticket holder at Northern Michigan, a school RPI had never and still has never played, asking what he could do to help.

And still, heading into the NCAA's Division III convention in Nashville, no one was sure of success. There had been a great deal of hemming and hawing "we'll see" responses, and plenty of support for the measure to be found. So as the convention began, the eight schools went on offense. They proposed an amendment to Prop 65 - Proposition 65-1 - that would bar Division III schools from offering athletic scholarships, but grandfather the eight institutions which were already doing so.

It was a gamble. The eight schools ran the risk of appearing to be asking for even more special treatment, and the supporters of Proposition 65 tried their to make that argument. Ultimately, the education campaign paid off. 65-1 was taken as a legitimate compromise between the nature of the programs in question and the drive for a more pure Division III, it passed 296-106. Proposition 65 was then passed as amended, 304-89. 65-1 was ultimately supported by all but one Division III school that shared a conference with one or more of the affected schools (Union).

Thus, going forward, RPI, St. Lawrence, Clarkson, and Colorado College continue to offer athletic scholarships. This is also why Union and RIT are unable to do so, Union didn't offer them at the time and RIT didn't move to Division I in hockey until 2005.

RPI also made the announcement that women's hockey would move to Division I shortly after the vote.

A win was a win, and a bullet was dodged thanks to some very hard work by a number of stakeholders. But what if their argument had failed to persuade the fence-sitters in Nashville? What if the McCardells of the world had won the day, and scholarships had been stricken from those eight institutions?

At the time, public discussion on what would be done if Proposition 65 passed unamended was pretty much forbidden. After all, it would have done little good for the campaign if it appeared that members were prepared to either swallow the measure or bolt Division III to avoid its effects. For the sake of recruiting, both RPI hockey and Johns Hopkins lacrosse insisted they would continue to play in Division I, but the lack of specifics to potential recruits across the board on whether or not they would still have scholarships as seniors (with Prop 65 slated to take effect in 2008) surely played a negative role regardless of the declarations.

This scenario is easier to examine than some of the other ones, because there were only a few options available as contingencies if Proposition 65 had been enacted.

First, RPI could have chosen to drop the hockey program to Division III for the sake of competitiveness. This was practically always considered probably the least likely scenario, given all that the program had survived over the course of its history.

The next option would have been the "do nothing" option, simply playing in Division I without scholarships in hockey while remaining in Division III in other sports. In hindsight, this possibly could have been made to work, especially given that the last two Division III programs to reach the Frozen Four were... RIT and Union. They're getting by without scholarships, and it's possible that the other four schools could have managed to get by without them too (although Colorado College specifically would have had a much harder go of it), although to say that RIT and Union "don't offer scholarships," without putting the word "athletic" into it, is a bit misleading.

The third option was to move out of Division III, and was ultimately a pair of options - a move to Division II, or a move to what was then Division I-AA. Division II, geographically, was a poor option - it would have left RPI playing against schools like Saint Rose, Le Moyne, Pace, and Adelphi on a regular basis, schools which don't have a great deal in common with RPI other than location.

Division I-AA, however, would have offered some clear potential. As we've mentioned before, RPI would have found a number of similar schools in the Patriot League, and (at the time) would have even been able to keep costs down due to a lack of football scholarships in the league. At the end of the day, this option, presuming the Patriot League would have been open to accepting RPI as a member, would have been the most likely scenario.

Hindsight tells us that RPI's window for Division I accession would have been slim - in 2007, the NCAA issued a moratorium on teams moving into Division I, which means the school would have had three years to get the process underway. With scholarships scheduled to be revoked in 2008, it's likely that it would have been done relatively quickly.

There is one event in particular which took place a month before the vote in Nashville that may have nudged RPI in that direction. The football team, a local laughingstock for decades, broke through with not only its first ever NCAA tournament win, but three in a row as the Engineers advanced to the national semifinals before falling to eventual national champions St. John's just one win from the Stagg Bowl. The football team captivated campus at a time when it was in need of a pick-me-up, given the Prop 65 fight.

The combination of the football team's success and the fight to stop Proposition 65 was a bit of an enlightenment for RPI president Shirley Ann Jackson. Having focused almost entirely on academics since her arrival on campus in 1999, she began to see in full the popularity of athletics between the march through the national tournament in football and the impassioned response of alums to the NCAA threat in hockey. It's not too much of a stretch to suggest that in the wake of a lost battle against Prop 65, she could have been convinced to push forward with expanded early plans for a new East Campus Athletic Village that would allow the football and basketball teams to take on Ivy League opponents with a similar regularity as the hockey team while allowing the school's premiere sport to maintain competitiveness in Division I.

Money was the issue - but Dr. Jackson has never had a problem coming up with money when the urge or the need arises, that's for sure. Had Proposition 65-1 failed, it's very likely that we'd be seeing RPI competing as a Division I Football Championship Subdivision school today - but the possible cost to the hockey program of such a move weighs just as much as what it would have gained through continued ability to offer athletic scholarships.

No longer separated from other offerings by a special distinction, hockey would be jockeying for position with a football team now facing Colgate, Holy Cross, and Yale rather than Union, Merchant Marine, and Alfred, and basketball teams able to tap into the very popular Albany basketball market with competition against Siena and UAlbany, not to mention the money bonanza that would go along with a potential invitation to the March Madness dance.

Despite the likelihood of this scenario, RPI is far better off today because of the success of 65-1 regardless of the excitement that Division I athletics would have brought to campus. Despite its opposition to the purity drive of Prop 65, RPI as an institution does place its emphasis on academics and research, and it's commitment to Division III values allows the school to keep that emphasis there, while allowing for the special history of hockey at the Institute. It's a win-win, despite the allure of what could have become.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Men's Hockey - at RIT (25 Nov)

Ten days after a serious kick in the crotch at home against Union, RPI was afforded the opportunity to turn things around on the road in a non-conference game - not quite the same kind of bang that you'd get out of a home league contest, but a lower-pressure situation to be sure. With a little creative changing to the lines, Seth Appert and the Engineers emerged winners from their first ever trip to RIT as freshman Scott Diebold picked up his first career win and shutout, 2-0.

RIT
Angers-Goulet/Rogic/Malchuk
Higgs/Laliberte/Haggerty

Lee/O'Grady/Schroeder

Tinordi/McGowan/Rabbani

Leonard/Bergin

Koudys/Bailen

Curadi/Dolan

Diebold

With Matt Neal still out with an ankle injury which now may see him sidelined through Christmas, RPI was dealt another blow on the injury front as Patrick Cullen sustained an injury against Union that kept him from making the trip to Rochester.

The only line to remain intact from the Union debacle was the line of Alex Angers-Goulet, Johnny Rogic, and Joel Malchuk. Brock Higgs was moved onto Jacob Laliberte's wing and paired with top forward scorer Ryan Haggerty, while Mark McGowan returned to the lineup in relief of Cullen. Also, Guy Leboeuf did not make an appearance, with Luke Curadi suiting up in his stead.

The Engineers got things going quickly, generating a number of good chances during the first 20 minutes and forcing RIT's Shane Madalora to make 9 stops in the opening period. The only power play of the period went to RIT as Mike Bergin was called for what would be the first of three minor penalties on the night, but the RPI penalty kill stopped the chance without too much hassle.

The game's turning point arrived just 28 seconds into the second period, as RIT's Brad McGowan was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for a borderline call of hitting Bergin from behind. That gave the Engineers their first - and ultimately, only - power play opportunity of the night, but they definitely made it count.

A little under a minute into the major, Nick Bailen took a shot off a pass from Jacob Laliberte that was well screened in front by Josh Rabbani. The big senior forward got right in Madalora's line of sight and then further distracted by leaping over Bailen's shot, which found the back of the net to put RPI up 1-0 on the junior defenseman's third goal of the year.

1:10 later, while still on the major power play, the Engineers struck again, this time with Ryan Haggerty notching his third of the campaign on a nicely timed alley-oop pass from Brock Higgs. The sophomore, who usually suits up at center, pushed a pass laterally through the slot that Haggerty found and immediately one-timed into the back of the net on a play that RPI has tried in practically every game, but as part of their difficulties finishing had generally been unable to convert.

That would do it for the scoring on the five minute advantage, and for much of the remainder of the period, it was penalty kill time for the Engineers. Bergin picked up practically back-to-back calls midway through the period to keep RPI down a man, and calls against Curadi for boarding and Curtis Leonard for cross-checking rounded out the second period. Diebold was called upon to make 11 saves in the middle frame, giving him 16 on 16 shots for the first 40 minutes.

RIT picked things up a little in the third, doing well on Leonard's penalty - the majority of which was held over into the period - and on Joel Malchuk's hooking call four and a half minutes in. During the last 20 minutes, RIT hit a pair of posts, but were unable to get any closer to beating Diebold, who finished with 25 saves in the shutout.

RPI also unleashed some good offense in the third, as they did throughout the game. Madalora finished with 28 shots, and several times in the third period the Engineers came close to increasing their lead. That bodes well for the team going forward as they continue to try to shake their offensive funk which, as we will note shortly, still has some important kinks to work out.

Other junk - Union's stunning destruction of Michigan at Yost Arena boosted the Dutchmen into the national top 10 this week, they pace the ECAC as the 9th ranked team (up four). Also ranked in the ECAC are #14 Yale (lost to Sacred Heart and Boston College, down six), #15 Colgate (beat Vermont, up one) and #17 Cornell (lost to BU, no change). #2 Notre Dame (split with Lake Superior, no change), #6 Ferris State (idle, up one) and #8 Colorado College (swept by North Dakota, down four) are also ranked. Receiving votes were UMass-Lowell (17), Clarkson (5), and Harvard (1).

RPI has gone 440:04 without scoring an even strength goal - that came on Patrick Cullen's first goal of the year, scored 10 seconds after a Colorado College goal in the first meeting between the two sides. That's 4 seconds more than 22 consecutive periods. No, you aren't reading that wrong.

In all but one RPI game this year - the 5-2 loss to Notre Dame - one team or the other (or both) have scored either 1 or 0 goals in the game. Frequently, that's been RPI, but across the Engineers' three wins, they've given up just one goal, underscoring the importance of defense on this team.

Slowly improving, the RPI power play is now up to 10.4% on the season, technically going 2-for-3 on the advantage against RIT. A 6-for-6 night on the penalty kill increased the Engineers' PK rating to 87.5%, 12th best in the country.

One final league weekend of the first semester is on tap for RPI next weekend as they travel to Princeton and Quinnipiac, and we'll find out there if the offensive improvements seen at RIT will be able to carry forward into the rest of the season.

ECAC Standings

1. Cornell - 10 pts (5-1-0)
2. Colgate - 8 pts (4-2-0, +7 GD)
3. St. Lawrence - 8 pts (4-2-0, +1 GD)

4. Dartmouth - 7 pts (3-3-1)
5. Yale - 6 pts (3-1-0)
6. Union - 6 pts (3-2-0)
7. Harvard - 6 pts (2-3-2, -1 GD)
8. Clarkson - 5 pts (2-3-1, +1 GD)

9. Brown - 4 pts (2-2-0)

10. Princeton - 4 pts (2-5-0)

11. Quinnipiac - 4 pts (1-4-2)

12. RPI - 2 pts (1-4-0)

RPI at RIT
Non-Conference Game - Frank Ritter Memorial Ice Arena (Henrietta, NY)
11/25/11 - 7:00pm

RESULT: RPI 2, RIT 0

BOX SCORES
College Hockey Stats
USCHO

RECAPS

RPI
USCHO (with pictures)
Troy Record
Albany Times Union
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

RECORD: 3-10-0 (1-4-0 ECAC, 2 pts)

Upcoming games

02 Dec - at Princeton

03 Dec - at Quinnipiac

10 Dec - vs. #9 Union (Lake Placid, NY)
29 Dec - vs. UMass-Lowell (Storrs, CT)
30 Dec - vs. Army OR at UConn (Storrs, CT)

Friday, November 25, 2011

Stop the Bleeding

It's off to RIT tonight for a single game weekend with another ECAC set looming next weekend. The problems are well documented. Something needs to be done.

The puck has got to go in the net.

We have a suggestion as to what we'd like to see more of tonight. Pump it up.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Today's Podcast: Chris Lerch

We are happy to welcome back to Without a Peer Radio USCHO's Chris Lerch, who covers Atlantic Hockey for the longest-running college hockey website on the information superhighway. He also does play-by-play for RIT hockey on WITR-FM and is a fantastic resource for all things RIT.

We'll talk to Chris about RPI's first ever trip to Rochester, a game featuring a couple of teams that seem to be going in opposite directions. The Tigers have scored more goals in the last four games (all Atlantic Hockey wins) than the Engineers have scored all year - is this RIT's year to pick up their first D-I victory over RPI, and their second all time? We'll also ask about goings on in Atlantic Hockey and the underlying issues with conference realignment - including RIT's relatively well-known deigns on ECAC membership, which may hinge on a 12th member of Hockey East.

Today's podcast gets underway at 4pm Eastern. You can listen live by clicking "Listen to Without a Peer" on the right hand side of the page at the appropriate hour, or you can listen on demand by doing the same after the show.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Know Your Enemy: RIT

It's been a hectic week or so with each of your trusted, loyal, dedicated, and obnoxious WaP correspondents busy with life and other relative inconveniences, but with any luck we're back on the right path. Expect some additional updates later this week, including the continued tsunami watch.

For the second straight week, we talk about a game with a repeat non-conference opponent from last year, an Atlantic Hockey team which has, without question, earned the right to a visit from the Engineers, who make their very first visit to the Rochester area to take on the Tigers this coming season.

Rochester Institute of Technology

Key players: F Cameron Burt, sr.; D Chris Haltigin, sr.; F Adam Hartley, jr.; G Shane Madolora, jr.; D Chris Saracino, jr.; F Ben Lynch, so.; F Adam Mitchell, so.; D Nolan Descoteaux, so.; D Greg Noyes, so.; D Stuart Brownell, fr.; F Brandon Thompson, fr.

Previous KYE installment:

2010-11

Last year's game between the Engineers and Tigers was one of the best of the season for RPI, a very well rounded game highlighted by some of the most solidly physical play from the Tute that many observers can remember seeing in some time. Brock Higgs scored the first two goals of his collegiate career as RPI scored the game's final three goals on their way to a 4-1 victory.

Much as they did in their Frozen Four season, the RIT Tigers struggled through their early nonconference schedule - picking up only an upset in Ithaca over a similarly struggling Cornell team - but once the Atlantic Hockey schedule got underway, it was back to business. The Tigers put together another solid season with their fourth first place finish in their five years in the league.

Unfortunately, that doesn't mean much in Atlantic Hockey - only the team that wins their final game is going to ultimately get a bid to the NCAA Tournament, but that wasn't in the cards for the Tigers. After demolishing American International in two games and putting together a solid win over UConn in the AHA semifinals, the Tigers ran into goaltender Jason Torf and the Air Force Falcons. Despite 40 shots on goal in the championship game, the Tigers could not put one past Torf, and their season ended with a 1-0 loss to Air Force, the other team that has been dominant since joining Atlantic Hockey.

One of the signs of RIT's emergence on the Division I level is their loss, for the second straight year, of an underclassman to a professional contract. The first was defenseman Chris Tanev, who plays for the Stanley Cup tonight with the Vancouver Canucks. The second is forward Tyler Brenner, who led the Tigers in goals last year with 26, twice as many as senior Andrew Favot, who was second. He will be missed, but RIT still returns a gritty, experienced squad. Hartley and Mitchell are the team's top returning goal scorers with 11 each last year, while Lynch and Burt return as the team's top two scorers from last season with 30 and 28 points respectively.

With this game falling the day after Thanksgiving, chances are good that the renowned Ritter Arena crowd probably won't be at peak effectiveness, but it'll almost certainly be a solid, boisterous crowd nonetheless. RIT is replacing their long-time rink (with quite odd dimensions) with a new facility capable of holding a higher capacity in the near future, so if you want a chance to experience what is easily the best atmosphere in Atlantic Hockey and has frequently been cited as one of the best in the nation, it would behoove you to do it this season. Be sure to get tickets in advance.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

What the... ??

You may have noticed that we didn't include links to the USCHO recaps in the link dump that comes at the end of the weekend wraps. There's a reason for that. In the case of the Niagara game, there just wasn't one. But in the case of the RIT game... wow. It was so god-awful that I had to spare the casual reader from encountering it. It was so bad, in fact, that it requires a fisking... but I'll try to minimize the exposure. If you really want to see it, here it is. We are not responsible for seizures or strokes caused by reading this moronic screed.

Let's start at the top. Holy paragraphic headlines, Batman.

RPI continues to roll; tops cross-state engineering rival RIT in front of surprisingly large crowd

Buh? Yes that's 15 words (16 if you include "cross" and "state" as being separate) in a headline. Now, in the internet age, short headlines aren't necessarily a requirement - headlines have always been meant to be concise in print to grab a reader's attention - but this is really a bridge too far. That's almost the first sentence right there. A better answer would have been to leave it as "RPI continues to roll," and if you HAD to, make a sub-head with the rest of it.

It gets worse, though.

We won't reprint all of it, but in a game recap, the author manages to spend the first SEVEN paragraphs talking about attendance at Houston Field House and the fact that the Yankees were playing Texas in Game 6 of the ALCS at the same time.

At some point, the reader has to start asking himself... is this a game recap, or a commentary on crowd size?

The author does include the score relatively early on, but only in passing and in the THIRD paragraph.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute defeated the Rochester Institute of Technology 4–1 and joined Union, who defeated Niagara, in making it a sweep for two ECAC clubs from the capital district over two Atlantic Hockey sides from western New York on Friday.

Uh... first, why is the Union game relevant here? If someone wants to learn about the Union game, they can check out Dan Greene's recap, or even better, pick up the Gazette in the morning and read King Ken's words of wisdom. Second... "Capital District," of course, is a proper noun.

From there, it's more inane commentary on how many people were in the stands. This should have been either part of a sidebar commentary, or part of its own article. If someone's looking for information about the game, they have to read down quite a ways to get to it. I fell asleep in the fifth paragraph or so.

As an addendum, RIT's Chris Lerch - who was at the game broadcasting for WITR-FM - commented on the article that he thought the Field House looked "half full." But we can at least understand where he's coming from on that one. He was standing up on the catwalk during the game, and the only part of the stands you can see from that vantage point is the south side, AKA the library side, which was maybe only 3/4 full and dead as a doornail as is their norm. The north side, which was packed on Friday night, isn't visible from the catwalk. With no band on the non-existent stage to the east and the colorless construction zone (with no seating yet) filling up the west, Mr. Lerch can absolutely be excused for thinking that the Field House looked empty, especially considering that A) he had just broadcast a game from a building with 10,000 people in it the previous week and B) RIT's rink is so small and their tickets so coveted that they tend to jam it completely full (and more so) every night.

But the author of this piece, presumably sitting in the press box, didn't have that problem.

Seth Appert is actually the one who segues into actually talking about the game through his own words, but then the author drops this one:

One of those collisions was started by Chase Polacek only three and a half minutes into the game when he threw a monster hip-check on Jeff Smith right in front of his own bench, charging his teammates and the student section up in the process.

Or John Kennedy. One of the two. They're easy to mix-up, of course. One's a defenseman, one's a forward. One's 6'0" 205, the other's 5'8" 190. One's known for big hits, one's known for scoring goals. One is black, one is white. Oh, I know! They're both seniors. That must have been it.

The next thing to talk about, naturally, was this:

Polacek later continued his pursuit of a second consecutive nomination as a Hobey Baker finalist when he assisted on Rensselaer’s third goal at 15:46 of the second.

Um... what happened to the other two goals? They must not have been terribly important. But I'm glad to know that the Hobey Baker committee is going to say "boy, remember that assist he had against RIT in October? That was a big step right there." That's about as dumb as trying to sneak weed into a courthouse.

The main offensive story of the night

Not mentioned until the 12th paragraph...

was RPI freshman Brock Higgs breaking through and scoring his first two collegiate goals, each breaking a tie to put RPI ahead.

Yes, the first, of course, breaking that all so rare 0-0 tie in the first period.

The author actually does a decent job describing the goals of the game, but it got worse otherwise.

RIT coach Wayne Wilson was unhappy enough with his team’s performance to have them doing calisthenics drills in the public corridor outside their locker room as soon as they had shed their gear.

Yeah, because anyone who's ever milled about five minutes after a game has never seen a team, win, lose, or draw, doing calisthenics drills in the hallways. Wilson was obviously punishing them. Or maybe they had a game the next night and needed to make sure they weren't cramped up for it. That seems possible too, I don't know.

For those who are thinking and saying that RIT is not playing with the swagger and confidence of a program coming off its first Frozen Four appearance, remember that the Tigers started their 2009-10 campaign with five straight losses before dropping only six more the rest of the regular season.

Who is "thinking or saying" this instead of saying "where's the game recap?"

The author finishes... sort of... with the words of Coach Appert.

I haven’t made any decisions on that over the next couple of [non-conference] games, but at some point with what Bryce means to our program, he deserves an opportunity to get

And that's it! Good night from Houston Field House!

This guy is a "contributing editor." Scary.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Men's Hockey - RIT and Niagara (22/23 Oct)

We mentioned last week that the first full home weekend of the season was a "must-win" for the Engineers if they were going to have a shot at presenting themselves as being legitimate contenders in the ECAC. Mission accomplished. RPI played a sound, physical game in taking down RIT 4-1 on Friday before jumping out against Niagara and refusing to fold despite playing a poor third, getting the game winner in overtime, 4-3.

RIT
Lee/Polacek/Helfrich
Angers-Goulet/Malchuk/Brutlag
Rabbani/Higgs/O'Grady
Tinordi/Rogic/Halpern

Bergin/Foss
Kennedy/Dolan
Leboeuf/Bailen

York

RIT is still trying to figure out what they're doing in net - for the RPI game, they decided to go with senior Jan Ropponen, a Finn who has seen minimal action between the pipes in his previous three seasons in Rochester.

RPI came out flying against the Tigers, who played in the Frozen Four last season. From the opening puck drop, the Engineers played aggressively, especially when it came to the forecheck and the physical aspects of the game, with John Kennedy and Matt Tinordi especially dishing out the big hits all over the ice.

Brock Higgs got the scoring started on the power play about 13 minutes into the game, notching the first goal of his college career to put RPI up 1-0. That lead would be short-lived, however. With Jeff Foss in the box for interference, RIT's Cameron Burt fooled Allen York into moving to defend a pass near the net, when actually, Burt had sort of just let the puck continue toward the net off the back of his stick without much of a shot. The puck slipped through York's pads and in to make it 1-1.

The Engineers kept the pressure up in the second period, continuing to work hard physically and on the forecheck. When Tyler Helfrich was called on a questionable tripping call to negate an RPI power play, the hard work paid off on the ensuing 4-on-4. Higgs scored his second of the night four minutes into the 2nd period, giving the Engineers a 2-1 lead. Later in the period, Helfrich would earn his 3rd of the season to give RPI a two-goal cushion. Ropponen faced a blitz of shots in the second period from the aggressive Engineers, making 16 saves on 18 shots.

Seth Appert was less impressed with RPI's play in the third period, but the Engineers still managed to find success. Bryan Brutlag made it 4-1 early in the period for his 2nd goal of the year, but it was one of only 4 shots on the period as RPI started to coast. The defense held up, killing a pair of penalties in the third to finish the night 5-for-6 on the kill, but the team didn't seem overly interested in keeping the pedal down. It didn't much matter, as Allen York stood tall, stopping 9 shots in the period to drop his GAA even farther as RPI won, 4-1.

Niagara
Angers-Goulet/Malchuk/Brutlag
Lee/Polacek/Helfrich
Rabbani/Higgs/O'Grady
Tinordi/Rogic/Halpern

Bergin/Foss
Kennedy/Dolan
Koudys/Bailen

York

A night after getting throttled by Union, Niagara came out and decided to take shots at Allen York early and often. The Engineers didn't play especially well in the first period, in sharp contrast to the previous night's opening frame. Where York made 24 saves all night against RIT, he was forced to make 16 saves in the first period alone to keep the Purple Eagles off the board.

Despite the slow start, RPI still managed the first goal. 12 minutes into the game, the Engineers crashed the net, and Alex Angers-Goulet scored his first of the season, banging away at the puck until it went in to put RPI up 1-0. Josh Rabbani joined the scoring near the end of the period, scoring his first of the year putting back a rebound into an open net to give the Engineers a 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission, despite a generally poor period otherwise.

The RPI power play had three opportunities to break the game open in the second period, but Niagara's Carsen Chubak took his turn to stand on his head, making 17 saves in the period to keep it a 2-0 game.

A roughing penalty to Angers-Goulet gave Niagara the power play early in the 3rd period, and the Purps converted for a goal just a few seconds after Goulet left the box, cutting the RPI lead in half. The goal sparked the Engineers in the immediate aftermath, and Chase Polacek scored about two minutes later to bring the lead back to two at 3-1. In previous years, we'd seen two goal leads evaporate quickly after giving up goals in the 3rd period, and after Polacek's goal, it appeared that had been mitigated to some degree.

But then, discipline became a problem for the Engineers, and the penalty kill, which hadn't been as sharp as usual all night long, started to break down. Foss was in the box when Marc Zanette scored to make it 3-2, and then Rabbani took a penalty shortly after the ensuing faceoff, eventually leading to a Marc Zanette goal that came just two minutes after his brother's, tying the game at three.

In other years, that might have been about it for the Engineers - they would have completely packed it in and either settled for a tie or lost the game late or in overtime. When Matt Tinordi took yet another penalty shortly after the Purps tied the game, it appeared they were doomed for a bad result. But the penalty kill finally came through again, and the Engineers came out aggressive for the overtime. Captain John Kennedy took an opportunistic shot from the top of the faceoff circle that came free to Marty O'Grady in front. O'Grady dished it off to Brock Higgs, who was wide open on the left side of the net, and Higgs shoveled it in for his third goal of the weekend to give RPI a 4-3 overtime victory - their third win in a row to extend their overall unbeaten streak to five games.

Veteran teams find ways to win games when they don't have their best stuff, and they did that on Saturday. At various times this weekend, RPI played with a suffocating forecheck, with brutal force physically, with impressive finishing touch, and with tough defense emanating from both the goal and the blueline. If they find a way to put all of that together regularly, the sky is the limit.

Other junk - On the heels of the 2nd longest active unbeaten streak in the nation, the Engineers are now nationally ranked. Barely. RPI received 57 votes in this week's USCHO.com poll, tying them with Minnesota for 20th in the nation. The Engineers become the 4th team in the ECAC to be nationally ranked, also ranked are #5 Yale (no change, idle), #14 Cornell (down one, won a pair of exhibition games), and #16 Union (up two, beat Niagara and RIT). Also ranked are #6 Boston University (up two, 2 first place votes), and #19 Colorado College (no change). Also receiving votes were Quinnipiac (10) and Northeastern (3).

Patrick Cullen and Greg Burgdoerfer have not played in three consecutive games, and they could be facing extended periods of time in the stands if the lines, as presently constituted, continue to click as well as they have. The fourth line of Tinordi/Rogic/Halpern were impressive as a checking line all night on Friday, especially Tinordi and Halpern. The Polacek line has been impressive all year, and the Malchuk line is seeing good results as well. The revelation this week was with the Higgs line, especially Higgs himself, although Rabbani and O'Grady had outstanding offensive showings this weekend as well. C.J. Lee was the only top-three line forward without a point this weekend, but he was dangerous as well.

The RIT goal ended 22 consecutive penalty kills for the Engineers, but the PK unit is still among the best in the nation. They have converted 37 of 42 penalty kill opportunities (RPI is tops in the nation in penalty kill chances). The difficult third period against Niagara pushed the Engineers below 90%, but they are still 9th in the nation on the penalty kill.

Allen York has keyed a big defensive front. The Engineers currently have the 2nd best defense in the nation, trailing only Boston College, having given up only 10 goals in six games, a rate of 1.67 GAA. York has a personal GAA of 1.62 (with the difference coming in times when he was off for a sixth skater), 5th in the nation. His 370:38 between the pipes remains tops in the nation. He has 166 saves on 176 shots, for a save percentage of .943, which is 4th best in the nation.

The next test for RPI is big - local rivals Union on the big sheet in Lake Placid. Both teams have played two games on Olympic sized ice this year (RPI in Colorado, Union in Alaska), and both teams boast one of the best goaltenders in the nation, and likely the top two goaltenders in the league. Union has displayed that its offense has the potential to be potent, as they have beaten up on a slew of marginal teams. This matchup will come down to York vs. Kinkaid, and may the best team win.

RIT at RPI
Nonconference Game - Houston Field House (Troy, NY)
10/22/10 - 7:00pm

RESULT: RPI 4, RIT 1

BOX SCORES

RECAPS

VIDEO

RECORD: 2-1-2 (0-0-0 ECAC)

Reale Deals
1. F Brock Higgs, 2 G
2. G Allen York, 24 saves
3. F Marty O'Grady, 2 A

Niagara at RPI
Nonconference Game - Houston Field House (Troy, NY)
10/23/10 - 7:00pm

RESULT: RPI 4, Niagara 3 (OT)

BOX SCORES

RECAPS

VIDEO

Post-game press conference

RECORD: 3-1-2 (0-0-0 ECAC)

Reale Deals
1. F Brock Higgs, 1 G, 1 A
2. D John Kennedy, 2 A
3. F Chase Polacek, 1 G

Upcoming games
30 Oct - vs. #16 Union (Lake Placid, NY)
05 Nov - at Dartmouth
06 Nov - at Harvard
12 Nov - at #16 Union
13 Nov - #16 Union (Black Saturday)

Saturday, October 23, 2010

It's a Win-Win

What's that you say? You haven't seen any stupid photoshops yet and you're getting worried?

Well, have no fear.

Taylor Horton scored a clutch overtime goal for the Engineers in overtime, scoring the ladies' first win of the season in dramatic fashion with a 3-2 upset victory at Providence. Meanwhile, Brock Higgs really punched the accelerator for the Engineers, scoring the first goal of the game (and the first of his career) in the first period, then scoring the game winning goal in the second period to lead the men to a 4-1 victory over RIT. On top of that, his folks won the 50/50 raffle. Some guys have all the luck.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Tough Weekend, We Can't Deny

Think these Atlantic Hockey weekends are a joke? Think again. Atlantic Hockey is improving yearly. Tonight's opponent, RIT, beat Denver and New Hampshire last year in the NCAA tournament, not in some throwaway game. Niagara, the Saturday night opponent? RPI hasn't beaten them in the last four tries, going back to 1997, the first time the two teams met. Still, this is a weekend the Engineers need to sweep - or at the very least, continue to have consistently decent outings - if they're going to be contenders in the ECAC.

The women continue their grueling opening schedule, still in search of their first win. They start off against 5-1-0 Providence tonight - the Friars have already shredded Clarkson 5-0 this season, so... yeah, another tough one. Sunday afternoon brings 3-1-1 Northeastern, but the Huskies did need overtime to beat Union... time will tell.

In the meantime, it's time to get psyched up for another weekend of great hockey. Here's a cover version of the best song ever released on an album of the same name by a band of the same name. The covering band is metal outfit Five Finger Death Punch, who toured Iraq earlier this year, so this pumpup doubles as a salute to our armed forces as we get ready to exercise one of our fundamental rights in a week or so. But for now... it's three days of what should be some great, great hockey.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Upcoming Podcast: Chris Lerch

Well, less than a week after saying we were going to settle into having podcasts every week on Wednesdays at 8pm... yeah, about that...

Wednesday at 8 will be the usual time for our broadcasts, but occasionally, things will come up in life (and sometimes, with our guests) that will require a little flexibility. So this week, we'll be broadcasting at 8pm on Thursday, October 21st instead.

Our guest this week is long-time RIT radio man Chris Lerch. For 15 years, Lerch has been broadcasting Tigers hockey on WITR-FM (89.7, Henrietta) and is an RIT alum himself, so he knows his stuff when it comes to talking about the Tigers. With RIT riding a wave of excitement following their Frozen Four appearance and a big night in front of a huge crowd at Blue Cross Arena last weekend, we'll ask him about their outlook and what to expect from the Tigers on Friday. Chris also covers Atlantic Hockey as a whole for USCHO.com, so we'll touch on issues in the conference, including Niagara (our opponent on Saturday) and Robert Morris entering the league and the early season expectations.

As always, we'll run down the highlights and lowlights of the past weekend for the Engineers and take a look around the nation as well.

Last week, we talked to WRPI's Tim Heiman and newly inducted RPI Athletic Hall of Fame member Cindy Acropolis. Check it out below.

Listen to internet radio with Without a Peer on Blog Talk Radio

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Know Your Enemy: RIT

Part four of "Know Your Enemy" focuses on a school with a lot of striking similarities to RPI in its academic, athletic, and hockey history profiles - RIT.

Rochester Institute of Technology

Nickname: Tigers
Location: Henrietta, NY
Founded: 1829
Conference: Atlantic Hockey
National Championships: 2 (Division II in 1983, Division III in 1985)
Last NCAA Appearance: 2010
Last Frozen Four: 2010
Coach: Wayne Wilson (12th season)
2009-10 Record: 28-12-1 (22-5-1 AHA, 1st place)
Series: RPI leads, 3-1-0
First Game: November 29, 1985 (Troy, NY)
Last RPI win: December 10, 2005 (Troy, NY)
Last RIT win: November 1, 1986 (Troy, NY)

2010-11 game: October 22, 2010 (Troy, NY)
Key players: F Andrew Favot, sr.; F Tyler Brenner, jr.; F Cameron Burt, jr.; D Chris Haltigin, jr.; D Chris Saracino, so.; D Eliot Raibl, fr.; D Greg Noyes, fr.; G Josh Watson, fr.

Usually, when the Engineers are paired up with a team that played in the Frozen Four the previous season, it's guaranteed to be one of the most difficult games of the non-conference schedule. RIT proved last season that they have the chops to win big games under the bright lights against some very difficult opponents, but this isn't exactly your usual situation when it comes to the aforementioned scenario.

RIT, founded in Rochester but later moved to South Henrietta (there's a reason they didn't change their name, obviously), is the newest member of the Division I ranks, but they boast a rich history of hockey that was magnified significantly with their magical Cinderella run through the NCAA Tournament last season.

The Tigers have one of the oldest programs in Atlantic Hockey, but it wasn't until the 1980s that the team became a perennial power in Division III. In 1982, under second-year head coach Brian Mason, RIT won 20 games for the first time in their history, and the Tigers followed it up the following season with their very first national championship in Division II (as there wasn't yet a Division III championship at that time), knocking off Bemidji State in the title game.

Mason left in 1984 to take over at Dartmouth, and was replaced by Bruce Delventhal, who would coach the Tigers to their second national championship in his first season behind the bench as RIT again bested Bemidji State for the title.

The 1985 title as with RPI, remains RIT's final national championship glory, but the Tigers remained among the best teams in Division III for the remainder of their tenure in the lower division despite a virtual revolving door of coaches. Delventhal would be Union's choice to guide the Dutchmen into Division I, and he left for Schenectady in 1988. His replacement, Buddy Powers, guided the Tigers to the national championship game in his only season in Rochester, dropping a two-game series to Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1989 before leaving to replace Mike Addesa at RPI.

In 1994, RIT began a string of 12 consecutive winning seasons that included a national championship game appearance in 1996 (losing to Middlebury) and a nearly undefeated season in 2001, in Wayne Wilson's second season at the helm, going 27-0-1 in their first 28 games before losing in shocking fashion to Plattsburgh in the national championship game, 6-2.

In 2005, it was announced that RIT would be moving its accomplished men's team to Division I, where it would compete in Atlantic Hockey. The following season, the team played as an independent in D-I as part of its probationary period, during which they would be ineligible for the NCAA Tournament for two years. The independent season was rough - the Tigers won only 6 games and among their losses was a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Division III Oswego. But as the program recruited D-I talent, their fortunes immediately turned around in Atlantic Hockey. Barred from the Atlantic Hockey Tournament due to their ineligibility for the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers did the only thing they were able to accomplish that season - win the Atlantic Season regular season crown.

They were unable to repeat as regular season champions the following year, but won their second and third AHA season championships in 2009 and 2010, and followed up with their first AHA Tournament championship in 2010, leading to their first invitation to the Division I NCAA Tournament. What happened from there is still the talk of the college hockey world - the Tigers bumped off heavily favored Denver in the first round, and then demolished New Hampshire to claim the East Regional title and a ticket to the Frozen Four. Still playing the underdog role and with no expectations, the Tigers were pounded by Wisconsin in Detroit, but the message was loud and clear - RIT intends to be a solid competitor in Division I, and woe to the team that overlooks them at any time.

Since they came into D-I after the passage of Prop 65-1 in 2004, the Tigers are barred from offering athletic scholarships since they're still a Division III school (and one that's joining RPI's Division III league this season). Thus, in order to stay competitive, they've needed to be creative with their recruiting. One of their raps that they've received from some corners is that they rely far too much on bringing in older, previously passed over Canadian players. While that's basically true - 16 players on their 25-man roster last season were Canadians, and their youngest player celebrated his 20th birthday during the season - there's also nothing wrong with it, as it's a completely legitimate recruiting strategy.

With that comes the obvious - RIT's players have been playing the game longer than some of their opponents, and while you aren't going to find too many blue chip world beaters on their team, they do have several diamonds in the rough and they play very well as a team, especially in front of their rabid fanbase in Rochester.

A number of the top names from the Frozen Four run are gone - goaltender Jared DeMichiel, defensemen Al Mazur and Dan Ringwald graduated, and Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Year Chris Tanev signed an NHL contract during the offseason. But the Tigers' offensive core is basically all intact, including Burt and Favot, their two top returning scorers. Brenner was an absolute menace in the New Hampshire game.

The Tigers' freshman class should fit in very well with their style of play. Watson is DeMichiel's heir apparent, coming in from Powell River of the BCHL, where he posted a respectable 2.27 GAA last season. Defensemen Raibl and Noyes are both offensive minded and should fit right into the mold established by Tanev, Mazur, and Ringwald nicely. And don't worry, naysayers - every single RIT freshman next season will have reached at least their 20th birthday by the time the puck drops in October, and all but 3 of them come in from Canadian junior leagues.

The last time these teams met, RIT was in its independent D-I season and the game had zero defense whatsoever as RPI came out on the heavy end of a 10-7 score. The only man present as part of that game that will be part of this season's game is RIT coach Wayne Wilson, so if you still remember that slugfest, you can throw it out. Both teams are much better on both sides of the puck than they were that year.

The NCAA Tournament is what it is - a single-game knockout tournament that can produce Cinderella stories at the drop of a hat. That sums up RIT's magical run pretty succinctly - their victory over Denver in March was their first victory outside of Atlantic Hockey in seven tries. The Tigers were one of the last four teams standing last season, but it's hard to make a solid argument that they were one of the four best teams in the nation, even then. Given what the Engineers are bringing back themselves, this should be an enjoyable, probably even close game, but it's still a game RPI should be looking to come out on top in, especially at home. RIT is certainly not to be overlooked, however, and all it will take to get in trouble will be an early goal their way. Defense has to be the watchword early against the Tigers, and scoring first will be crucial.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

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Monday, October 12, 2015

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Monday, December 1, 2014

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Monday, November 28, 2011

Friday, November 25, 2011

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

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