As good as the men have been since the beginning of December, one thing sticks out as the heart of the ECAC schedule begins: they are in last place in the ECAC. Non-conference wins can bolster your confidence and put you on a better plane nationally, but they don't do jack for positioning yourself for March.
That starts now.
The hits, they just keep on coming for the men, as they prepare to face their sixth game in the last seven against a ranked opponent, and third in a row against an opponent in the national Top 10. Much is being made of Quinnipiac's run: 10 straight wins to open the ECAC schedule has the Bobcats sitting pretty. A .500 record the rest of the way would easily sew up the bye for them - hell, they could afford to lose every game from now until March and they'd still see home ice. That's a position one would call enviable.
And then there's Princeton, and all bets are off with Princeton when they're playing RPI. You never know what you're gonna get with the Tigers. Two tough games, and despite the fact that tonight's is against a team that doesn't do anything but win, it's still an important game for the Engineers. Lose tonight, and that's three in a row, disheartening no matter how good you play.
The women wrap up their non-conference schedule with a pair in Troy against Providence. The Friars won't be pushovers, but they do at least make for a needed breather before heading off to Harvard and Dartmouth next weekend to try and duplicate (or even improve on) last week's performance.
Allow the Bad Boys from Boston to welcome the beginning of the meaty part of the schedule...
Friday, January 11, 2013
Thursday, January 10, 2013
The Pipe Dream is Over
With non-conference games winding down for the season, it's safe to say at this point that the ECAC is having an "up" year, if nothing else. There are just a handful of non-conference games left. One of them is RPI-Union at the Times Union Center in Albany, which might as well be a conference game for the impact it'll have on the balance of power between conferences.
Excluding that, we're left with...
UConn at Quinnipiac on January 22
Sacred Heart at Princeton on January 27
Harvard in the Beanpot on February 4/February 11
If QU and PU can't pick up wins in those games I'll be shocked. Harvard has to play Boston College in the first round of the Beanpot, if history holds true they'll lose that game (the Crimson haven't beaten anyone other than Northeastern in the first round since 1998) and then take on Northeastern in the consolation the following week, which is a winnable game for them.
What's that mean? Well, for starters, it means that the ECAC's place in the national discussion is more or less solidifying at this point, since the rest of the schedule contains internecine squabbling. Unless the league leaders all fall off significantly, the league is looking to be in halfway decent shape for three NCAA bids, which is usually considered a pretty good haul. This last happened two years ago, when RPI, Union, and Yale all grabbed bids.
A couple of months ago, there was some giddy shrieking suggesting that the league could nab four or five bids. We scoffed. From the looks of things, that seems to have been a pretty good opportunity to say "told ya."
That's not to say that things didn't start looking like they could turn out like that, but, to be honest, last weekend's non-conference roll pretty much squelched that idea. Union getting swept by Lake Superior State, Cornell getting swept by Denver, Clarkson getting swept by UMass-Lowell, St. Lawrence splitting with RIT, and even RPI's twin defeats at BU and UNH really brought things back down to earth - the only really good result was Yale's 3-3 tie against Boston College, but the rest of it hurt a lot.
If the tournament started today, it would include Quinnipiac, Dartmouth, and Yale. Only the Bobcats are on really solid ground - in fact, they'd be the #2 overall seed if things started today. Just outside would be Colgate, and Cornell and Union are a bit behind the eight-ball right now. Is four possible? Yes. Two is also still a possibility, which would be more of a "normal" season for the ECAC.
Just something to keep in mind going forward.
Excluding that, we're left with...
UConn at Quinnipiac on January 22
Sacred Heart at Princeton on January 27
Harvard in the Beanpot on February 4/February 11
If QU and PU can't pick up wins in those games I'll be shocked. Harvard has to play Boston College in the first round of the Beanpot, if history holds true they'll lose that game (the Crimson haven't beaten anyone other than Northeastern in the first round since 1998) and then take on Northeastern in the consolation the following week, which is a winnable game for them.
What's that mean? Well, for starters, it means that the ECAC's place in the national discussion is more or less solidifying at this point, since the rest of the schedule contains internecine squabbling. Unless the league leaders all fall off significantly, the league is looking to be in halfway decent shape for three NCAA bids, which is usually considered a pretty good haul. This last happened two years ago, when RPI, Union, and Yale all grabbed bids.
A couple of months ago, there was some giddy shrieking suggesting that the league could nab four or five bids. We scoffed. From the looks of things, that seems to have been a pretty good opportunity to say "told ya."
That's not to say that things didn't start looking like they could turn out like that, but, to be honest, last weekend's non-conference roll pretty much squelched that idea. Union getting swept by Lake Superior State, Cornell getting swept by Denver, Clarkson getting swept by UMass-Lowell, St. Lawrence splitting with RIT, and even RPI's twin defeats at BU and UNH really brought things back down to earth - the only really good result was Yale's 3-3 tie against Boston College, but the rest of it hurt a lot.
If the tournament started today, it would include Quinnipiac, Dartmouth, and Yale. Only the Bobcats are on really solid ground - in fact, they'd be the #2 overall seed if things started today. Just outside would be Colgate, and Cornell and Union are a bit behind the eight-ball right now. Is four possible? Yes. Two is also still a possibility, which would be more of a "normal" season for the ECAC.
Just something to keep in mind going forward.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Men's Hockey - at Boston University and New Hampshire (4/5 Jan)
Sometimes, it's possible to continue making progress even when you lose - not that you really ever want to lose, especially when you've got leads, but for RPI's Hockey East road trip this past weekend, a 3-2 overtime loss to BU followed by a 5-2 loss against a very, very good UNH team can really only be classified as a bad weekend if you think RPI's a national championship contender this year. (Spoiler alert: They aren't.) Nonetheless, despite two losses, there were continued signs of improvement, as well as some high level "things to change" that came out of the weekend.
Boston University
Lee-Laliberte-Haggerty
Higgs-McGowan-Tinordi
Zalewski-Miller-Bubela
Burgdoerfer-Rogic-O'Grady
Leboeuf-Bradley
Leonard-Bokenfohr
Curadi-Dolan
Lee-Laliberte-Haggerty
Higgs-McGowan-Tinordi
Zalewski-Miller-Bubela
Burgdoerfer-Rogic-O'Grady
Leboeuf-Bradley
Leonard-Bokenfohr
Curadi-Dolan
Merriam
Jason Kasdorf's shoulder was no longer slinged, but the decision was made to keep him out for the weekend in order to make sure he was ready to go for the return to ECAC play. Bryce Merriam, who had two wins over BU notched on his belt prior to this season, was given the nod in net for the second straight game as Scott Diebold was suffering the effects of the flu. Also notable was the absence of Nick Bailen, who was benched for what appear to be disciplinary reasons, and Matt Neal, who suffered "whiplash" against Sacred Heart.
Ryan Haggerty got RPI onto the board first with a goal exactly halfway through the first period as he one-timed a pass across the goalmouth into the net to put an end to what was a very sloppy first 10 minutes of the contest with both teams seeming to be unable to link together a couple of passes.
Nonetheless, RPI had the 1-0 edge, but they would hold it for only 5:07 as BU responded with a goal scored on a delayed penalty to Bo Dolan, but before the extra skater could come on. The Terriers attacked a loose puck in the crease, and the goal was allowed to count after review when it was found that a BU player thought to have been in the crease was clear.
C.J. Lee picked up his second goal in as many games in the second period to make it 2-1 RPI, but the middle period was largely dominated by the Terriers. Merriam stood huge in net for the Engineers, stopping all 14 shots he saw in the second period to give him 22 saves on 23 shots after two periods of play, a major reason why RPI was able to take that 2-1 lead into the third period.
That shot domination carried over into the third period as BU again outshot RPI big time, 15-4 in this instance. The Terriers tied it 5:30 into the third, but Merriam's strong play in net again frustrated BU, who went 0-for-5 on the power play, pushing the game into overtime.
The extra period was far more even for as long as it lasted, with both teams having good opportunities to end it in their favor, but eventually BU was able to find Cason Hohmann all alone to Merriam's left, and the Terrier forward was able to skate in towards the net unabated, outwait Merriam, and pot the puck home to give BU the 3-2 overtime victory on their first lead of the night.
It was a heartbreaking ending for an RPI team that produced 1-0 and 2-1 leads on the evening, but at the very least, it proved the Engineers capable of running with a top 10 team.
New Hampshire
Lee-Laliberte-Haggerty
Tinordi-McGowan-Burgdoerfer
Zalewski-Miller-Bubela
Fulton-Rogic-Commers
Leonard-Bailen
Leboeuf-Bradley
Curadi-Dolan
More lineup changes were in line the following night as Bailen returned to the lineup, but Brock Higgs and Marty O'Grady, upperclassmen who had been fighting injuries for practically the entire season - and struggling on the ice while playing through them - were pulled out of the lineup to give them the chance to heal better and return when they can be more productive.
Scott Diebold also got the start in net, which Appert called a "gut feeling" with the sophomore having recovered from his illness.
As with the previous night, RPI's best period was in the first. After the Engineers held off a very strong UNH attack off for the game's first ten minutes, the Wildcats got on the board first with what would become a running theme throughout the night - a defenseman down low being left alone and scoring.
About six and a half minutes later, RPI tied it at one with Curtis Leonard's second goal of the season, a laser slapshot from the blue line that found the net top shelf, somehow avoiding all traffic in front of the net. RPI outshot the Wildcats 11-6 in the first period.
The shot differentials weren't as stark after the first period as they had been against BU, but UNH took control nonetheless as RPI, playing its fifth game in nine days, began to wear down over the next two periods. New Hampshire took the lead for good five minutes into the second period on a bouncing puck play, then made it 3-1 a little over two minutes later with another goal by a defenseman down low.
A third defenseman below the faceoff dots helped make it 4-1 just 2:45 into the third, and by that time UNH was able to go into practical lockdown mode. Keeping RPI limited to the perimeter all night long, the Wildcats used their outstanding skill on both sides of the puck to wear down the clock as well as the weary Engineers.
Looking to make something happen with under five minutes to play and down by three, Appert pulled Diebold from the net prior to a faceoff in the UNH zone, but the Wildcats won the draw and promptly put the puck down ice and into the net after just nine seconds, making it 5-1.
Leonard would notch his second of the game in almost the same fashion as the first to grant RPI a degree of pride at the end of the game. The goal came on the power play, marking just the fourth time on the entire season UNH's #1 penalty kill in the nation had given up a power play goal, and boosting the GAA of Casey DeSmith, who entered the game with a GAA of 1.91.
Hard as it must have been to be happy after a three-goal loss, RPI faced adversity in Durham and were ultimately beaten by a better team - indeed, they would have had to have played nearly mistake-free hockey on Saturday night to even have a shot, and while they didn't, they still by and large played well considering all of the circumstances in place - especially that UNH hadn't played the night before.
Jason Kasdorf's shoulder was no longer slinged, but the decision was made to keep him out for the weekend in order to make sure he was ready to go for the return to ECAC play. Bryce Merriam, who had two wins over BU notched on his belt prior to this season, was given the nod in net for the second straight game as Scott Diebold was suffering the effects of the flu. Also notable was the absence of Nick Bailen, who was benched for what appear to be disciplinary reasons, and Matt Neal, who suffered "whiplash" against Sacred Heart.
Ryan Haggerty got RPI onto the board first with a goal exactly halfway through the first period as he one-timed a pass across the goalmouth into the net to put an end to what was a very sloppy first 10 minutes of the contest with both teams seeming to be unable to link together a couple of passes.
Nonetheless, RPI had the 1-0 edge, but they would hold it for only 5:07 as BU responded with a goal scored on a delayed penalty to Bo Dolan, but before the extra skater could come on. The Terriers attacked a loose puck in the crease, and the goal was allowed to count after review when it was found that a BU player thought to have been in the crease was clear.
C.J. Lee picked up his second goal in as many games in the second period to make it 2-1 RPI, but the middle period was largely dominated by the Terriers. Merriam stood huge in net for the Engineers, stopping all 14 shots he saw in the second period to give him 22 saves on 23 shots after two periods of play, a major reason why RPI was able to take that 2-1 lead into the third period.
That shot domination carried over into the third period as BU again outshot RPI big time, 15-4 in this instance. The Terriers tied it 5:30 into the third, but Merriam's strong play in net again frustrated BU, who went 0-for-5 on the power play, pushing the game into overtime.
The extra period was far more even for as long as it lasted, with both teams having good opportunities to end it in their favor, but eventually BU was able to find Cason Hohmann all alone to Merriam's left, and the Terrier forward was able to skate in towards the net unabated, outwait Merriam, and pot the puck home to give BU the 3-2 overtime victory on their first lead of the night.
It was a heartbreaking ending for an RPI team that produced 1-0 and 2-1 leads on the evening, but at the very least, it proved the Engineers capable of running with a top 10 team.
New Hampshire
Lee-Laliberte-Haggerty
Tinordi-McGowan-Burgdoerfer
Zalewski-Miller-Bubela
Fulton-Rogic-Commers
Leonard-Bailen
Leboeuf-Bradley
Curadi-Dolan
Diebold
More lineup changes were in line the following night as Bailen returned to the lineup, but Brock Higgs and Marty O'Grady, upperclassmen who had been fighting injuries for practically the entire season - and struggling on the ice while playing through them - were pulled out of the lineup to give them the chance to heal better and return when they can be more productive.
Scott Diebold also got the start in net, which Appert called a "gut feeling" with the sophomore having recovered from his illness.
As with the previous night, RPI's best period was in the first. After the Engineers held off a very strong UNH attack off for the game's first ten minutes, the Wildcats got on the board first with what would become a running theme throughout the night - a defenseman down low being left alone and scoring.
About six and a half minutes later, RPI tied it at one with Curtis Leonard's second goal of the season, a laser slapshot from the blue line that found the net top shelf, somehow avoiding all traffic in front of the net. RPI outshot the Wildcats 11-6 in the first period.
The shot differentials weren't as stark after the first period as they had been against BU, but UNH took control nonetheless as RPI, playing its fifth game in nine days, began to wear down over the next two periods. New Hampshire took the lead for good five minutes into the second period on a bouncing puck play, then made it 3-1 a little over two minutes later with another goal by a defenseman down low.
A third defenseman below the faceoff dots helped make it 4-1 just 2:45 into the third, and by that time UNH was able to go into practical lockdown mode. Keeping RPI limited to the perimeter all night long, the Wildcats used their outstanding skill on both sides of the puck to wear down the clock as well as the weary Engineers.
Looking to make something happen with under five minutes to play and down by three, Appert pulled Diebold from the net prior to a faceoff in the UNH zone, but the Wildcats won the draw and promptly put the puck down ice and into the net after just nine seconds, making it 5-1.
Leonard would notch his second of the game in almost the same fashion as the first to grant RPI a degree of pride at the end of the game. The goal came on the power play, marking just the fourth time on the entire season UNH's #1 penalty kill in the nation had given up a power play goal, and boosting the GAA of Casey DeSmith, who entered the game with a GAA of 1.91.
Hard as it must have been to be happy after a three-goal loss, RPI faced adversity in Durham and were ultimately beaten by a better team - indeed, they would have had to have played nearly mistake-free hockey on Saturday night to even have a shot, and while they didn't, they still by and large played well considering all of the circumstances in place - especially that UNH hadn't played the night before.
Other junk - Ranked teams in the ECAC this week include #5 Quinnipiac (swept Dartmouth/Harvard, no change with two first place votes), #12 Dartmouth (swept by Quinnipiac/Princeton, down four), #14 Yale (tied Boston College, up three), #15 Cornell (swept by Denver, down three), #16 Union (swept by Lake Superior State, down three), and #19 Colgate (swept Sacred Heart, previously unranked). No other ECAC teams received votes. Also ranked on the RPI schedule are #4 New Hampshire (no change), #8 Boston University (up one), #11 Minnesota State (up three), and #18 St. Cloud State (down three). Also receiving votes were Ferris State (50) and Mercyhurst (2).
Next up is Quinnipiac, still on its amazing run. They're up to 14 straight games without a loss, and they've won their first 10 ECAC contests. In theory, they could lose the rest of their games this season and still have home ice in the playoffs - and they could statistically be locking up a first round bye if they can sweep RPI and Union this coming weekend. Just a reminder, it's still early January here, people. That's followed by a Princeton team that always plays RPI hard and has completed two home sweeps themselves this season (their only wins of the year in league play). After that it's three more games against ranked opponents, though all in the Capital District. The hits just keep on coming.
ECAC Standings (by winning percentage in parentheses)
1 (1). Quinnipiac - 20 points (10-0-0)
2 (4). Princeton - 11 points (4-3-3)
3 (2). Dartmouth - 9 points (4-3-1)
4 (3). Union - 9 points (3-2-3)
5 (7). Cornell - 8 points (3-3-2)
6 (5). Clarkson - 7 points (3-3-1, +3 GD)
7 (6). Yale - 7 points (3-3-1, -2 GD)
8 (8). Colgate - 7 points (3-4-1, -6 GD)
9 (9). Harvard - 6 points (3-5-0)
10 (10). Brown - 4 points (0-3-4, -3 GD)
11 (11). St. Lawrence - 4 points (1-4-2, -9 GD)
12 (12). RPI - 4 points (1-5-2)
RPI at #9 Boston University
Non-Conference Game - Agganis Arena (Boston, MA)
1/4/13 - 7:30pm
RESULT: Boston University 3, RPI 2 (OT)
BOX SCORES
College Hockey Stats
USCHO
Next up is Quinnipiac, still on its amazing run. They're up to 14 straight games without a loss, and they've won their first 10 ECAC contests. In theory, they could lose the rest of their games this season and still have home ice in the playoffs - and they could statistically be locking up a first round bye if they can sweep RPI and Union this coming weekend. Just a reminder, it's still early January here, people. That's followed by a Princeton team that always plays RPI hard and has completed two home sweeps themselves this season (their only wins of the year in league play). After that it's three more games against ranked opponents, though all in the Capital District. The hits just keep on coming.
ECAC Standings (by winning percentage in parentheses)
1 (1). Quinnipiac - 20 points (10-0-0)
2 (4). Princeton - 11 points (4-3-3)
3 (2). Dartmouth - 9 points (4-3-1)
4 (3). Union - 9 points (3-2-3)
5 (7). Cornell - 8 points (3-3-2)
6 (5). Clarkson - 7 points (3-3-1, +3 GD)
7 (6). Yale - 7 points (3-3-1, -2 GD)
8 (8). Colgate - 7 points (3-4-1, -6 GD)
9 (9). Harvard - 6 points (3-5-0)
10 (10). Brown - 4 points (0-3-4, -3 GD)
11 (11). St. Lawrence - 4 points (1-4-2, -9 GD)
12 (12). RPI - 4 points (1-5-2)
RPI at #9 Boston University
Non-Conference Game - Agganis Arena (Boston, MA)
1/4/13 - 7:30pm
RESULT: Boston University 3, RPI 2 (OT)
BOX SCORES
College Hockey Stats
USCHO
RPI at #4 New Hampshire
Non-Conference Game - Whittemore Center (Durham, NH)
1/5/13 - 7:00pm
RESULT: New Hampshire 5, RPI 2
BOX SCORES
Non-Conference Game - Whittemore Center (Durham, NH)
1/5/13 - 7:00pm
RESULT: New Hampshire 5, RPI 2
BOX SCORES
RECORD: 6-9-4 (1-5-2 ECAC, 4 points)
Upcoming games
11 Jan - at #5 Quinnipiac
12 Jan - at Princeton
18 Jan - #19 Colgate
19 Jan - #15 Cornell
26 Jan - vs. #16 Union (Albany, NY)
11 Jan - at #5 Quinnipiac
12 Jan - at Princeton
18 Jan - #19 Colgate
19 Jan - #15 Cornell
26 Jan - vs. #16 Union (Albany, NY)
Women's Hockey - Dartmouth & Harvard (4/5 Jan)
Harvard and Dartmouth have historically been one of the toughest pairs of opponents on the ECAC schedule, but it's been a down season for the Big Green, who are hovering near the middle of the pack in the conference standings. Harvard, meanwhile, is undefeated in league play and ranked #4 in the country.
It was not terribly surprising, then, that RPI managed to take a 2-1 victory over Dartmouth on Friday before falling to Harvard by the same score on Saturday. Overall, it was a good weekend of hockey for the Engineers, with two hard-fought games resulting in a big win and a loss that could easily have gone either way.
Dartmouth
Smelker/Horton/Svoboda
Mahoney/Gruschow/Mari Mankey
Sanders/Wash/Walsh
Letuligasenoa/Missy Mankey
Daniels/Banks
Le Donne/Godin
Schilter/Marzario
O'Brien
After much of the Engineers' season has been spent struggling on special teams (especially the penalty kill), RPI returned from the holiday break with a top-notch special teams performance, scoring shorthanded and power play goals en route to a 2-1 victory over Dartmouth.
A scoreless first period saw the Engineers successfully kill a pair of penalties and rack up an 8-3 advantage in shots over Dartmouth, which had trouble generating any sustained pressure in the period.
The second period saw the Big Green put up ten shots, however most of the ten came on a pair of power play opportunities, with Dartmouth again struggling to generate opportunities at even strength.
With Ali Svoboda off on a tripping call and the faceoff in the Engineers' zone, Dartmouth won the puck back to the point where Taylor Horton took it from the defenseman and broke down ice with Jordan Smelker on a 2-on-1. After a couple of quick moves with the puck, Horton fired it five-hole where it just squeaked through Lindsay Holdcroft's pads for a shorthanded goal and a 1-0 lead.
Lauren Wash doubled RPI's lead about seven minutes later with a power play tally, forcing home a rebound off Alexa Gruschow's shot with both teams crashing the crease hard. It was Wash's fifth goal of the season and Gruschow's team-leading ninth assist.
A pair of RPI penalties early in the third period turned the momentum back in Dartmouth's favor, and the Big Green cut the RPI lead in half at 6:39 when Jenna Hobeika was able to roof a third try at a rebound just past Kelly O'Brien's glove hand to make it 2-1.
Dartmouth pressured hard in the latter half of the third period, outshooting the Engineers 14-4 in the final frame, but O'Brien and the RPI defense held strong to keep the score at 2-1 and give the Engineers a well deserved victory on Friday night.
Harvard
Smelker/Horton/Svoboda
Mahoney/Gruschow/Mari Mankey
Sanders/Wash/Walsh
Letuligasenoa/Missy Mankey
Daniels/Le Donne
Banks/Godin
Schilter/Marzario
O'Brien
After Friday night's win, the Engineers faced a tougher test on Saturday afternoon as the fourth-ranked and undefeated in ECAC play Harvard Crimson arrived in Troy after shellacking Union 9-0 the night before.
There would be no blowout for the Crimson on Saturday, however, as RPI held the potent Harvard offense (averaging over four and a half goals per game in league play) to two goals, and an inability to convert on a long 5-on-3 ended up costing the Engineers a chance of at least a tie as they lost 2-1.
The first period went by extremely quickly, with a strech toward ten minutes without a whistle and no penalties or goals to slow things down. Neither team had many quality chances in the frame, which only saw a 6-4 shot tally in favor of Harvard despite the back-and-forth play.
Kalley Armstrong opened up the scoring just 2:54 into the second period, after being allowed to float undetected to within about five feet of O'Brien for a one-time feed from behind the net which the RPI netminder had no chance to stop.
RPI outshot the Crimson 8-7 in the second and Mari Mankey was able to knot the score at one in the latter minutes of the frame, scoring from an improbable angle right along the goal line with a shot that appeared to deflect into the net off Harvard goalie Emerance Maschmayer's pads.
Harvard turned up the pressure in the third and scored what would end up the game winner at 5:56 on the power play, with Kelly Romatoski threading a shot through a crowd from the point to make it 2-1.
The Engineers had a golden opportunity to tie things up late in the period when consecutive Harvard penalties resulted in a long 5-on-3, but the top ranked (in ECAC play - second nationally) Harvard penalty kill held RPI at bay to keep it a 2-1 game.
In all it was a great effort from the Engineers and not a bad result against a team that outscores their opponents by over three goals a game on average. If the Engineers continue the level of play exhibited this weekend in the remainder of the ECAC schedule, a once-questionable chance of making the playoffs looks to be a much more likely scenario.
RPI will have its final non-conference matchup of the season next weekend as they host Providence (7pm Friday, 4pm Saturday) for a weekend set. The Friars sport a .500 record but were handily defeated by Harvard and Dartmouth on opposite ends of the holiday break and have struggled against stronger opponents, picking up their wins against Vermont, Maine, Union, and Yale, for example.
After Providence, the Engineers get right back into the thick of it with a rematch on the road against Harvard and Dartmouth before the Union home-and-home and remainder of the league schedule.
-----
RPI vs. Dartmouth
ECAC Hockey Game – Houston Field House (Troy, NY)
1/4/13 - 7pm
RPI 2, Dartmouth 1
BOX SCORES:
USCHO: http://www.uscho.com/box/womens-hockey/2013/01/04/dartmouth-vs-rensselaer/
College Hockey Stats: http://collegehockeystats.net/1213/boxes/wdarren1.j04
RECAPS:
RPI: http://www.rpiathletics.com/news/2013/1/4/WICE_0104133556.aspx
Dartmouth: http://www.dartmouthsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205875961
Video Highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_Yr6z_51MM
RECORD: 6-11-2 (4-5-0 ECAC)
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RPI vs. Harvard
ECAC Hockey Game – Houston Field House (Troy, NY)
1/5/13 - 4pm
Harvard 2, RPI 1
BOX SCORES:
USCHO: http://www.uscho.com/box/womens-hockey/2013/01/05/harvard-vs-rensselaer/
College Hockey Stats: http://collegehockeystats.net/1213/boxes/wharren1.j05
RECAPS:
RPI: http://www.rpiathletics.com/news/2013/1/5/WICE_0105133422.aspx
Harvard: http://www.gocrimson.com/sports/wice/2012-13/releases/20130105cgzzff
Video Highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpvyLXm-4_o
RECORD: 6-12-2 (4-6-0 ECAC)
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ECAC Standings
1. Harvard - 18 points (9-0-0)
2. Quinnipiac - 17 points (8-3-1)
3. Cornell - 16 points (8-2-0)
4. Clarkson - 14 points (7-1)
5. St. Lawrence - 12 points (6-2-0)
6. Dartmouth - 9 points (4-4-1)
7. RPI - 8 points (4-6-0)
8. Princeton - 6 points (2-8-2)
9t. Brown - 4 points (2-6-0)
9t. Colgate - 4 points (1-7-2)
11t. Yale - 3 points (1-6-1)
11t. Union - 3 points (0-7-3)
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Upcoming Games
Jan. 11 - Providence (7pm)
Jan. 12 - Providence (4pm)
Jan. 18 - at Harvard (7pm)
Jan. 19 - at Dartmouth (4pm)
It was not terribly surprising, then, that RPI managed to take a 2-1 victory over Dartmouth on Friday before falling to Harvard by the same score on Saturday. Overall, it was a good weekend of hockey for the Engineers, with two hard-fought games resulting in a big win and a loss that could easily have gone either way.
Dartmouth
Smelker/Horton/Svoboda
Mahoney/Gruschow/Mari Mankey
Sanders/Wash/Walsh
Letuligasenoa/Missy Mankey
Daniels/Banks
Le Donne/Godin
Schilter/Marzario
O'Brien
After much of the Engineers' season has been spent struggling on special teams (especially the penalty kill), RPI returned from the holiday break with a top-notch special teams performance, scoring shorthanded and power play goals en route to a 2-1 victory over Dartmouth.
A scoreless first period saw the Engineers successfully kill a pair of penalties and rack up an 8-3 advantage in shots over Dartmouth, which had trouble generating any sustained pressure in the period.
The second period saw the Big Green put up ten shots, however most of the ten came on a pair of power play opportunities, with Dartmouth again struggling to generate opportunities at even strength.
With Ali Svoboda off on a tripping call and the faceoff in the Engineers' zone, Dartmouth won the puck back to the point where Taylor Horton took it from the defenseman and broke down ice with Jordan Smelker on a 2-on-1. After a couple of quick moves with the puck, Horton fired it five-hole where it just squeaked through Lindsay Holdcroft's pads for a shorthanded goal and a 1-0 lead.
Lauren Wash doubled RPI's lead about seven minutes later with a power play tally, forcing home a rebound off Alexa Gruschow's shot with both teams crashing the crease hard. It was Wash's fifth goal of the season and Gruschow's team-leading ninth assist.
A pair of RPI penalties early in the third period turned the momentum back in Dartmouth's favor, and the Big Green cut the RPI lead in half at 6:39 when Jenna Hobeika was able to roof a third try at a rebound just past Kelly O'Brien's glove hand to make it 2-1.
Dartmouth pressured hard in the latter half of the third period, outshooting the Engineers 14-4 in the final frame, but O'Brien and the RPI defense held strong to keep the score at 2-1 and give the Engineers a well deserved victory on Friday night.
Harvard
Smelker/Horton/Svoboda
Mahoney/Gruschow/Mari Mankey
Sanders/Wash/Walsh
Letuligasenoa/Missy Mankey
Daniels/Le Donne
Banks/Godin
Schilter/Marzario
O'Brien
After Friday night's win, the Engineers faced a tougher test on Saturday afternoon as the fourth-ranked and undefeated in ECAC play Harvard Crimson arrived in Troy after shellacking Union 9-0 the night before.
There would be no blowout for the Crimson on Saturday, however, as RPI held the potent Harvard offense (averaging over four and a half goals per game in league play) to two goals, and an inability to convert on a long 5-on-3 ended up costing the Engineers a chance of at least a tie as they lost 2-1.
The first period went by extremely quickly, with a strech toward ten minutes without a whistle and no penalties or goals to slow things down. Neither team had many quality chances in the frame, which only saw a 6-4 shot tally in favor of Harvard despite the back-and-forth play.
Kalley Armstrong opened up the scoring just 2:54 into the second period, after being allowed to float undetected to within about five feet of O'Brien for a one-time feed from behind the net which the RPI netminder had no chance to stop.
RPI outshot the Crimson 8-7 in the second and Mari Mankey was able to knot the score at one in the latter minutes of the frame, scoring from an improbable angle right along the goal line with a shot that appeared to deflect into the net off Harvard goalie Emerance Maschmayer's pads.
Harvard turned up the pressure in the third and scored what would end up the game winner at 5:56 on the power play, with Kelly Romatoski threading a shot through a crowd from the point to make it 2-1.
The Engineers had a golden opportunity to tie things up late in the period when consecutive Harvard penalties resulted in a long 5-on-3, but the top ranked (in ECAC play - second nationally) Harvard penalty kill held RPI at bay to keep it a 2-1 game.
In all it was a great effort from the Engineers and not a bad result against a team that outscores their opponents by over three goals a game on average. If the Engineers continue the level of play exhibited this weekend in the remainder of the ECAC schedule, a once-questionable chance of making the playoffs looks to be a much more likely scenario.
RPI will have its final non-conference matchup of the season next weekend as they host Providence (7pm Friday, 4pm Saturday) for a weekend set. The Friars sport a .500 record but were handily defeated by Harvard and Dartmouth on opposite ends of the holiday break and have struggled against stronger opponents, picking up their wins against Vermont, Maine, Union, and Yale, for example.
After Providence, the Engineers get right back into the thick of it with a rematch on the road against Harvard and Dartmouth before the Union home-and-home and remainder of the league schedule.
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RPI vs. Dartmouth
ECAC Hockey Game – Houston Field House (Troy, NY)
1/4/13 - 7pm
RPI 2, Dartmouth 1
BOX SCORES:
USCHO: http://www.uscho.com/box/womens-hockey/2013/01/04/dartmouth-vs-rensselaer/
College Hockey Stats: http://collegehockeystats.net/1213/boxes/wdarren1.j04
RECAPS:
RPI: http://www.rpiathletics.com/news/2013/1/4/WICE_0104133556.aspx
Dartmouth: http://www.dartmouthsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205875961
Video Highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_Yr6z_51MM
RECORD: 6-11-2 (4-5-0 ECAC)
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RPI vs. Harvard
ECAC Hockey Game – Houston Field House (Troy, NY)
1/5/13 - 4pm
Harvard 2, RPI 1
BOX SCORES:
USCHO: http://www.uscho.com/box/womens-hockey/2013/01/05/harvard-vs-rensselaer/
College Hockey Stats: http://collegehockeystats.net/1213/boxes/wharren1.j05
RECAPS:
RPI: http://www.rpiathletics.com/news/2013/1/5/WICE_0105133422.aspx
Harvard: http://www.gocrimson.com/sports/wice/2012-13/releases/20130105cgzzff
Video Highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpvyLXm-4_o
RECORD: 6-12-2 (4-6-0 ECAC)
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ECAC Standings
1. Harvard - 18 points (9-0-0)
2. Quinnipiac - 17 points (8-3-1)
3. Cornell - 16 points (8-2-0)
4. Clarkson - 14 points (7-1)
5. St. Lawrence - 12 points (6-2-0)
6. Dartmouth - 9 points (4-4-1)
7. RPI - 8 points (4-6-0)
8. Princeton - 6 points (2-8-2)
9t. Brown - 4 points (2-6-0)
9t. Colgate - 4 points (1-7-2)
11t. Yale - 3 points (1-6-1)
11t. Union - 3 points (0-7-3)
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Upcoming Games
Jan. 11 - Providence (7pm)
Jan. 12 - Providence (4pm)
Jan. 18 - at Harvard (7pm)
Jan. 19 - at Dartmouth (4pm)
Friday, January 4, 2013
Time For Battle
"Great moments are born from great opportunity. And that's what you have here tonight... Tonight, we skate with them. Tonight, we stay with them. And we shut them down because we can! Tonight, we are the greatest hockey team in the world." - Kurt Russell as Herb Brooks in "Miracle"
Being great doesn't have to be a physical thing - it can be something you believe in. As Henry Ford said, "Whether you believe you can do something or believe you can't, you are right." That's precisely what the Engineers are going to need this weekend in both men's and women's hockey.
The men have been playing great over the last month or so. There's room for improvement, to be sure, but by and large they are a better team than we saw in October and November. Nonetheless, they head into their next-to-last non-conference weekend of the season as decided underdogs against #9 BU and #4 UNH, both of which are coming off of rough outings last weekend and are playing at home. Will they win? It won't be easy.
Can they win? Yes, they can.
The women have no less difficult a task, but at least they get to do it in Troy. Tonight is a matchup with a Dartmouth team that was in the NCAA tournament two years ago and has traditionally been one of the powers of the league. Tomorrow afternoon, it's #4 Harvard, unbeaten and untied in the ECAC coming into the weekend. Will they win? It won't be easy.
Can they win? They've done it to these teams in the past. Yes, they can.
There's nothing wrong with believing. This weekend, we believe in greatness.
Being great doesn't have to be a physical thing - it can be something you believe in. As Henry Ford said, "Whether you believe you can do something or believe you can't, you are right." That's precisely what the Engineers are going to need this weekend in both men's and women's hockey.
The men have been playing great over the last month or so. There's room for improvement, to be sure, but by and large they are a better team than we saw in October and November. Nonetheless, they head into their next-to-last non-conference weekend of the season as decided underdogs against #9 BU and #4 UNH, both of which are coming off of rough outings last weekend and are playing at home. Will they win? It won't be easy.
Can they win? Yes, they can.
The women have no less difficult a task, but at least they get to do it in Troy. Tonight is a matchup with a Dartmouth team that was in the NCAA tournament two years ago and has traditionally been one of the powers of the league. Tomorrow afternoon, it's #4 Harvard, unbeaten and untied in the ECAC coming into the weekend. Will they win? It won't be easy.
Can they win? They've done it to these teams in the past. Yes, they can.
There's nothing wrong with believing. This weekend, we believe in greatness.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
ECAC Power Rankings - December
Apologies for the relative lateness of these rankings... travel, RPI's odd Thursday/Friday/Monday schedule, and a return to work delayed the weekend recap.
December is a quirky month in college hockey - a lot of teams take most of the month off for the holidays, yet pretty much everyone ends up playing some meaningful games during this transitional period. Despite the low number of games, our power rankings jumbled pretty good, with just one team retaining the same position we had them in after November.
Without further ado, the league as we see it after the third month of the season. Last month's ranking is in parentheses, records are their overall mark followed by the team's record during our December rating period (Saturday, December 1 was counted for November).
1 (3). Quinnipiac (14-3-2 - 4-0-0) - After sweeping Nebraska-Omaha and extending their national-best unbeaten streak to 11 straight games, it's time to put the Bobcats on top. They're ranked fifth in the nation, possess the country's top winning percentage, have five more wins than anyone else in the conference, and they still have a perfect ECAC record after sweeping their travel partners, Princeton. They've set the standard, and they're more than halfway to the 26 points or so history tells us should be good enough for a first round bye. They've got to be on top until proven otherwise at this point. What's more, the Bobcats are at home for all five of their January games, including four ECAC contests. That's a recipe for more success.
2 (1). Dartmouth (8-3-2 - 3-1-0) - Really tough to move the Big Green down here especially after a win over New Hampshire, and it's neck and neck at the top, but it's hard to argue against an 11-game unbeaten streak and an undefeated and untied league record. Nevertheless, good times are largely still underway in Hanover. Dartmouth did fall to UMass in the championship game of their own tournament, but that has been the only home blemish for the league's turnaround team of the year to date. The move down is more about Quinnipiac being good than Dartmouth doing anything wrong, but we'll find out tomorrow if the Big Green can recapture top billing when they travel to face the Bobcats. With nothing but ECAC games left in front of them, it's time for Dartmouth to shine if they want to break their long NCAA drought.
3 (4). Cornell (7-4-2 - 1-1-0) - There's a bit of a gulf between second and third right now, and Cornell's move up in the rankings is the inverse of Dartmouth's move down - it's largely because there was another team that had a rougher December. Granted, the Big Red only played two games, and picked up a win over fading Ferris State, but the loss to a Maine team that doubled its season's win total in Florida and still hasn't won at home doesn't stand out in the "good" column. Nevertheless, the opportunity exists for Cornell to prove its mettle this weekend with a series at Denver before closing out January with four ECAC games - games they will need to excel in if they want to return to their usual "bye favored" status after their early season stumbles.
4 (2). Yale (7-4-2 - 1-2-1) - The Bulldogs certainly had a "blah" December. After being trounced by last place RPI, they needed to come back from a 2-0 deficit to tie Union. A 4-2 win over UMass provided a pick-me-up heading into the holiday break, but a 5-4 loss to Holy Cross that was probably worse than the final score (the Crusaders led 3-0 at one point) provided a bad result bookend to the month. The good news for Yale is that they've still got a solid overall record heading into tomorrow's game at a Boston College team missing Johnny Gaudreau, who will be playing for gold at the World Juniors instead, but they certainly need to better establish themselves to get out of the murky middle of the ECAC when their league schedule picks back up next weekend in the North Country.
5 (8). Colgate (9-7-2 - 2-0-0) - The Raiders tied for the lightest schedule of all in December, but sweeping UMass on the road is fairly impressive, especially considering that the Minutemen later beat Dartmouth. As well, their earlier wins over Niagara (which was a blowout) and Quinnipiac are now looking much better through the lens of the present. Colgate has just one loss in their last seven games, and will tune up for the heart of the ECAC schedule with what should be a pair of home beatings of Sacred Heart this weekend. If their fab frosh can keep up the high scoring pace they've set - and which they needed following the massive loss of offense in the offseason - the Raiders can put themselves in good position to repeat last year's top four finish, something which looked iffy at the start of the year.
6 (5). Union (9-4-4 - 1-1-2) - A combination of a weak schedule and a weak December showing has the Dutchmen slipping down to the middle of the power rankings. After a torrid start to the season against some poor teams, Union has just one win in their last six games, a 4-1 win against Merrimack in Vermont that avenged their 4-1 loss at home to start the season. They lost a night before to a suddenly surging Catamounts squad, but three ties in their last three ECAC games helped stall out an otherwise impressive start to the season. The Dutchmen are still in an OK place to put together a run that would lead them to their fourth straight top three finish (if not necessarily their third straight regular season crown), but the truth is, it's hard to know if they're capable of it based on the teams they've played.
7 (11). RPI (6-7-4 - 3-1-1) - Surging at just the right time, the Engineers still have to dig their way out of the ECAC basement, something their December record shows them as capable of doing, but capacity and result have frequently been different things with RPI in the past. Their thrashing of Yale and their road split with St. Cloud State has them on the cusp of getting back to .500 for the first time since October, but the path back could be difficult. The Engineers have a 5-2-2 non-conference record heading into tough games at Boston University and New Hampshire, but their ECAC record is abysmal, which puts them behind the eight-ball heading into January. While a top four finish is almost certainly going to be too heavy a lift for this team, if they can parlay their recent play into league points in the next few weeks, home ice for the playoffs isn't that far off.
8 (6). Harvard (4-5-1 - 0-2-1) - Only three games in December for a team already light in the "games played" category, the Crimson certainly underwhelmed in basically all three. With the team's roster now squeezed by players leaving school due in all likelihood to the academic dishonesty scandal that swept campus last year, a 2-2 tie at Merrimack proved to be Harvard's best performance of the month. That was very much overshadowed by a combined 10-1 showing at home against UMass-Lowell and Northeastern. Since beating Cornell on November 16 to place their record at 4-2-0, the Crimson have been outscored 13-3 in the last four games, an offensive and defensive outage that the team will have to solve this weekend without their top freshman scorer, Jimmy Vesey, who is in Russia at the World Juniors.
9 (7). St. Lawrence (7-8-2 - 0-3-0) - It looks like the rollercoaster that St. Lawrence was on last year simply continued into this season, only with bigger peaks and lower valleys. Much as with Harvard, the Saints are suffering from a combined inability to score goals or to stop them on the other side, and in December that manifested itself twice in four days in twin losses against Clarkson, as well as a thrashing a week later against a resurgent Vermont. Otherwise, the Saints are developing the same problem Union has - they've got the wins, but except for the season opener at Western Michigan and the team's last win over Colgate on November 30, few of them came against decent teams. Two home games against a downtrodden RIT this weekend will be crucial for SLU to reverse the trend and get themselves back on track for the remainder of the ECAC schedule, where they'll need to get themselves out of the cellar.
10 (10). Brown (4-6-4 - 1-1-2) - The Bears are an odd team to figure out. They win the games they're supposed to win - all four came in non-conference play, three of them against Atlantic Hockey opponents - and they hang in there against pretty much everyone else, but that ability to stick around hasn't turned into wins yet. Their December consisted of come from behind ties against Union and RPI, an empty-netter loss to nationally ranked Minnesota State, and blowing the doors off of usually hopeless AIC, which is apparently only less hopeless than usual this season. There's absolutely a lot of potential for this team to avoid finishing in last place for the second straight year, but they're a bit hampered in being the only team in the ECAC without a league win yet. The four ties at least has them hanging in there, but they need a breakthrough and soon. January is make or break time for Bruno.
11 (12). Clarkson (4-8-5 - 2-1-0) - Any Clarkson alum or even just run of the mill fan will tell you that two wins over St. Lawrence is enough to brighten any year, let alone month... or week, as the case was in December. But when the Golden Knights lost to Mercyhurst at home a week later to complete their Atlantic Hockey-heavy first half with a record of 0-3-4 against that conference, the bloom was certainly off the rose a little. A home series against UMass-Lowell this weekend isn't likely to help matters much, but at least Clarkson can thank their lucky stars for three ECAC wins, which at least gives them somewhere to start if they can make a second half run. Five straight home games to start January (including the Lowell contests) doesn't hurt, either, especially since Brown and St. Lawrence are among the other teams coming to Potsdam.
12 (9). Princeton (3-7-4 - 0-3-1) - Sure, two of the losses were against Quinnipiac, but with the winless streak now at seven straight and the only win since a shock home sweep of Cornell and Colgate a one-goal victory at Sacred Heart, the Tigers are a floundering side. Like their travel partners on the opposite end of the spectrum, they've got the opportunity to feast on five consecutive home games. The only thing they've got going for them is their power play, which is outstanding at 23.5% on the season - their penalty killing isn't half bad, either. Unfortunately, the defense is rough at best when the game's at even strength, and that's what's dragging Princeton down. If they can't get things turned around on this upcoming homestand, it's probably a lost cause for the Tigers.
December is a quirky month in college hockey - a lot of teams take most of the month off for the holidays, yet pretty much everyone ends up playing some meaningful games during this transitional period. Despite the low number of games, our power rankings jumbled pretty good, with just one team retaining the same position we had them in after November.
Without further ado, the league as we see it after the third month of the season. Last month's ranking is in parentheses, records are their overall mark followed by the team's record during our December rating period (Saturday, December 1 was counted for November).
1 (3). Quinnipiac (14-3-2 - 4-0-0) - After sweeping Nebraska-Omaha and extending their national-best unbeaten streak to 11 straight games, it's time to put the Bobcats on top. They're ranked fifth in the nation, possess the country's top winning percentage, have five more wins than anyone else in the conference, and they still have a perfect ECAC record after sweeping their travel partners, Princeton. They've set the standard, and they're more than halfway to the 26 points or so history tells us should be good enough for a first round bye. They've got to be on top until proven otherwise at this point. What's more, the Bobcats are at home for all five of their January games, including four ECAC contests. That's a recipe for more success.
2 (1). Dartmouth (8-3-2 - 3-1-0) - Really tough to move the Big Green down here especially after a win over New Hampshire, and it's neck and neck at the top, but it's hard to argue against an 11-game unbeaten streak and an undefeated and untied league record. Nevertheless, good times are largely still underway in Hanover. Dartmouth did fall to UMass in the championship game of their own tournament, but that has been the only home blemish for the league's turnaround team of the year to date. The move down is more about Quinnipiac being good than Dartmouth doing anything wrong, but we'll find out tomorrow if the Big Green can recapture top billing when they travel to face the Bobcats. With nothing but ECAC games left in front of them, it's time for Dartmouth to shine if they want to break their long NCAA drought.
3 (4). Cornell (7-4-2 - 1-1-0) - There's a bit of a gulf between second and third right now, and Cornell's move up in the rankings is the inverse of Dartmouth's move down - it's largely because there was another team that had a rougher December. Granted, the Big Red only played two games, and picked up a win over fading Ferris State, but the loss to a Maine team that doubled its season's win total in Florida and still hasn't won at home doesn't stand out in the "good" column. Nevertheless, the opportunity exists for Cornell to prove its mettle this weekend with a series at Denver before closing out January with four ECAC games - games they will need to excel in if they want to return to their usual "bye favored" status after their early season stumbles.
4 (2). Yale (7-4-2 - 1-2-1) - The Bulldogs certainly had a "blah" December. After being trounced by last place RPI, they needed to come back from a 2-0 deficit to tie Union. A 4-2 win over UMass provided a pick-me-up heading into the holiday break, but a 5-4 loss to Holy Cross that was probably worse than the final score (the Crusaders led 3-0 at one point) provided a bad result bookend to the month. The good news for Yale is that they've still got a solid overall record heading into tomorrow's game at a Boston College team missing Johnny Gaudreau, who will be playing for gold at the World Juniors instead, but they certainly need to better establish themselves to get out of the murky middle of the ECAC when their league schedule picks back up next weekend in the North Country.
5 (8). Colgate (9-7-2 - 2-0-0) - The Raiders tied for the lightest schedule of all in December, but sweeping UMass on the road is fairly impressive, especially considering that the Minutemen later beat Dartmouth. As well, their earlier wins over Niagara (which was a blowout) and Quinnipiac are now looking much better through the lens of the present. Colgate has just one loss in their last seven games, and will tune up for the heart of the ECAC schedule with what should be a pair of home beatings of Sacred Heart this weekend. If their fab frosh can keep up the high scoring pace they've set - and which they needed following the massive loss of offense in the offseason - the Raiders can put themselves in good position to repeat last year's top four finish, something which looked iffy at the start of the year.
6 (5). Union (9-4-4 - 1-1-2) - A combination of a weak schedule and a weak December showing has the Dutchmen slipping down to the middle of the power rankings. After a torrid start to the season against some poor teams, Union has just one win in their last six games, a 4-1 win against Merrimack in Vermont that avenged their 4-1 loss at home to start the season. They lost a night before to a suddenly surging Catamounts squad, but three ties in their last three ECAC games helped stall out an otherwise impressive start to the season. The Dutchmen are still in an OK place to put together a run that would lead them to their fourth straight top three finish (if not necessarily their third straight regular season crown), but the truth is, it's hard to know if they're capable of it based on the teams they've played.
7 (11). RPI (6-7-4 - 3-1-1) - Surging at just the right time, the Engineers still have to dig their way out of the ECAC basement, something their December record shows them as capable of doing, but capacity and result have frequently been different things with RPI in the past. Their thrashing of Yale and their road split with St. Cloud State has them on the cusp of getting back to .500 for the first time since October, but the path back could be difficult. The Engineers have a 5-2-2 non-conference record heading into tough games at Boston University and New Hampshire, but their ECAC record is abysmal, which puts them behind the eight-ball heading into January. While a top four finish is almost certainly going to be too heavy a lift for this team, if they can parlay their recent play into league points in the next few weeks, home ice for the playoffs isn't that far off.
8 (6). Harvard (4-5-1 - 0-2-1) - Only three games in December for a team already light in the "games played" category, the Crimson certainly underwhelmed in basically all three. With the team's roster now squeezed by players leaving school due in all likelihood to the academic dishonesty scandal that swept campus last year, a 2-2 tie at Merrimack proved to be Harvard's best performance of the month. That was very much overshadowed by a combined 10-1 showing at home against UMass-Lowell and Northeastern. Since beating Cornell on November 16 to place their record at 4-2-0, the Crimson have been outscored 13-3 in the last four games, an offensive and defensive outage that the team will have to solve this weekend without their top freshman scorer, Jimmy Vesey, who is in Russia at the World Juniors.
9 (7). St. Lawrence (7-8-2 - 0-3-0) - It looks like the rollercoaster that St. Lawrence was on last year simply continued into this season, only with bigger peaks and lower valleys. Much as with Harvard, the Saints are suffering from a combined inability to score goals or to stop them on the other side, and in December that manifested itself twice in four days in twin losses against Clarkson, as well as a thrashing a week later against a resurgent Vermont. Otherwise, the Saints are developing the same problem Union has - they've got the wins, but except for the season opener at Western Michigan and the team's last win over Colgate on November 30, few of them came against decent teams. Two home games against a downtrodden RIT this weekend will be crucial for SLU to reverse the trend and get themselves back on track for the remainder of the ECAC schedule, where they'll need to get themselves out of the cellar.
10 (10). Brown (4-6-4 - 1-1-2) - The Bears are an odd team to figure out. They win the games they're supposed to win - all four came in non-conference play, three of them against Atlantic Hockey opponents - and they hang in there against pretty much everyone else, but that ability to stick around hasn't turned into wins yet. Their December consisted of come from behind ties against Union and RPI, an empty-netter loss to nationally ranked Minnesota State, and blowing the doors off of usually hopeless AIC, which is apparently only less hopeless than usual this season. There's absolutely a lot of potential for this team to avoid finishing in last place for the second straight year, but they're a bit hampered in being the only team in the ECAC without a league win yet. The four ties at least has them hanging in there, but they need a breakthrough and soon. January is make or break time for Bruno.
11 (12). Clarkson (4-8-5 - 2-1-0) - Any Clarkson alum or even just run of the mill fan will tell you that two wins over St. Lawrence is enough to brighten any year, let alone month... or week, as the case was in December. But when the Golden Knights lost to Mercyhurst at home a week later to complete their Atlantic Hockey-heavy first half with a record of 0-3-4 against that conference, the bloom was certainly off the rose a little. A home series against UMass-Lowell this weekend isn't likely to help matters much, but at least Clarkson can thank their lucky stars for three ECAC wins, which at least gives them somewhere to start if they can make a second half run. Five straight home games to start January (including the Lowell contests) doesn't hurt, either, especially since Brown and St. Lawrence are among the other teams coming to Potsdam.
12 (9). Princeton (3-7-4 - 0-3-1) - Sure, two of the losses were against Quinnipiac, but with the winless streak now at seven straight and the only win since a shock home sweep of Cornell and Colgate a one-goal victory at Sacred Heart, the Tigers are a floundering side. Like their travel partners on the opposite end of the spectrum, they've got the opportunity to feast on five consecutive home games. The only thing they've got going for them is their power play, which is outstanding at 23.5% on the season - their penalty killing isn't half bad, either. Unfortunately, the defense is rough at best when the game's at even strength, and that's what's dragging Princeton down. If they can't get things turned around on this upcoming homestand, it's probably a lost cause for the Tigers.
Men's Hockey - at St. Cloud State, Sacred Heart (27/28 Dec, 31 Dec)
The Engineers returned to action with three games in the span of just five days after having a 19-day layoff for the holidays, heading to Minnesota for the second time this season before returning home to host the worst team in the nation by practically every metric. They did well in the North Star State, surprising St. Cloud State 4-3 before dropping a tough-fought 2-1 decision on Thursday and Friday, then returned home on short rest to soundly defeat winless Sacred Heart 6-2.
St. Cloud State (Thursday)
Lee-Laliberte-Haggerty
Higgs-McGowan-Neal
Zalewski-Miller-Bubela
Tinordi-Rogic-O'Grady
Leonard-Bailen
Leboeuf-Bradley
Curadi-Dolan
Upcoming games
04 Jan - at #9 Boston University
05 Jan - at #4 New Hampshire
11 Jan - at #5 Quinnipiac
12 Jan - at Princeton
18 Jan - Colgate
Lee-Laliberte-Haggerty
Higgs-McGowan-Neal
Zalewski-Miller-Bubela
Tinordi-Rogic-O'Grady
Leonard-Bailen
Leboeuf-Bradley
Curadi-Dolan
Kasdorf
The big roster change involved the return of Mark McGowan from his bout with mono, he was placed on a line with Brock Higgs and Matt Neal, splitting the "NHL line."
The early part of the first period was largely a feeling-out process for both teams, neither really grasping the upper hand over the other until about 15 minutes in, when St. Cloud scored on a bang-bang play in front of Kasdorf to put the Huskies up 1-0. Just under three minutes later, the Huskies would score again, and just like that, RPI was down 2-0 heading into the locker room and it looked like bad news was in store as the hosts were rolling and nearly notched a third before intermission.
However, it was the Engineers that came out of the locker room looking fired up and ready to go, with St. Cloud looking distinctively off at the same time. Ryan Haggerty scored just under two minutes into the second period to cut SCSU's lead in half, and just about four minutes later a nifty power goal in the slot by Milos Bubela tied the game up at two. Almost exactly three minutes after that, Bubela redirected in a blast from the point by Curtis Leonard to complete the comeback and put RPI up 3-2.
Jason Kasdorf played well in net, but was forced out of the game with a shoulder injury in the waning seconds of the second period after racing to his right to try and make an impossible save on a wide open net. The shooter missed the net anyway, but Kasdorf would leave and not return. Scott Diebold came on in relief.
Diebold had to be sharp in the third period, though his lone blemish led to a tie game with about seven and a half minutes left to play. But the Engineers didn't back down. Despite a lousy performance on what would prove to be their only power play opportunity of the entire game (there were only three penalties called total), RPI would retake the lead about a minute later, with 2:12 left on the game clock, as Mark McGowan would score a five-hole goal in his first game back to give RPI the late lead. Diebold and the Engineers survived the last minute of the game with the extra attacker, and they skated away with the upset 4-3 victory in St. Cloud. In addition to Bubela's two goals, Mike Zalewski picked up three assists on the evening, giving him four on the season to that point.
St. Cloud State (Friday)
Lee-Laliberte-Haggerty
Higgs-McGowan-Neal
Zalewski-Miller-Bubela
Tinordi-Rogic-O'Grady
Leonard-Bailen
Leboeuf-Bradley
Curadi-Dolan
With Kasdorf apparently OK but the team erring on the side of caution - Appert mentioned before the game that he wanted the team doctors in Troy to look at his shoulder before putting him back on the ice - Scott Diebold continued to hold down the fort for the Engineers in net.
The home crowd groaned and began expecting more of the same just 2:43 into the contest as Matt Tinordi scored to put the upstart visitors ahead 1-0, and that is where the score stayed throughout the game's first half. The Engineers weathered two penalty kills in the first period, and carried the lead well into the second period. That's where SCSU began their attack, which RPI continued to withhold until a cross-checking call against Zalewski gave the Huskies their third power play of the game, and first of the second period. That was the tonic they needed to break through against Diebold and finally tie the game over 30 minutes after Tinordi's goal.
RPI could have potentially reached the locker room with the game still knotted, but some very poor defensive play late in the second period cost them as St. Cloud took advantage of a situation where they were playing to the buzzer, scoring with 23 seconds remaining in the second to go up 2-1. All told in the middle stanza, Diebold stopped 13 of 15 shots.
Meanwhile, the Engineers appeared to be running out of steam but still played acceptable defense. Helped out by a bevy of broken sticks on golden SCSU scoring opportunities, they still limited the Huskies to just four shots in the third period, but on the other side of the coin, they could only muster four themselves. Unable to get much going with the extra attacker, the Engineers can at least say they fought to the very last to get the tying goal - avoiding an empty-netter on yet another broken stick by St. Cloud - but had to settle for the series split.
Sacred Heart
Lee-Laliberte-Haggerty
Higgs-McGowan-Neal
Zalewski-Miller-Bubela
O'Grady-Rogic-Burgdoerfer
Leonard-Bailen
Leboeuf-Bradley
Curadi-Dolan
The big roster change involved the return of Mark McGowan from his bout with mono, he was placed on a line with Brock Higgs and Matt Neal, splitting the "NHL line."
The early part of the first period was largely a feeling-out process for both teams, neither really grasping the upper hand over the other until about 15 minutes in, when St. Cloud scored on a bang-bang play in front of Kasdorf to put the Huskies up 1-0. Just under three minutes later, the Huskies would score again, and just like that, RPI was down 2-0 heading into the locker room and it looked like bad news was in store as the hosts were rolling and nearly notched a third before intermission.
However, it was the Engineers that came out of the locker room looking fired up and ready to go, with St. Cloud looking distinctively off at the same time. Ryan Haggerty scored just under two minutes into the second period to cut SCSU's lead in half, and just about four minutes later a nifty power goal in the slot by Milos Bubela tied the game up at two. Almost exactly three minutes after that, Bubela redirected in a blast from the point by Curtis Leonard to complete the comeback and put RPI up 3-2.
Jason Kasdorf played well in net, but was forced out of the game with a shoulder injury in the waning seconds of the second period after racing to his right to try and make an impossible save on a wide open net. The shooter missed the net anyway, but Kasdorf would leave and not return. Scott Diebold came on in relief.
Diebold had to be sharp in the third period, though his lone blemish led to a tie game with about seven and a half minutes left to play. But the Engineers didn't back down. Despite a lousy performance on what would prove to be their only power play opportunity of the entire game (there were only three penalties called total), RPI would retake the lead about a minute later, with 2:12 left on the game clock, as Mark McGowan would score a five-hole goal in his first game back to give RPI the late lead. Diebold and the Engineers survived the last minute of the game with the extra attacker, and they skated away with the upset 4-3 victory in St. Cloud. In addition to Bubela's two goals, Mike Zalewski picked up three assists on the evening, giving him four on the season to that point.
St. Cloud State (Friday)
Lee-Laliberte-Haggerty
Higgs-McGowan-Neal
Zalewski-Miller-Bubela
Tinordi-Rogic-O'Grady
Leonard-Bailen
Leboeuf-Bradley
Curadi-Dolan
Diebold
With Kasdorf apparently OK but the team erring on the side of caution - Appert mentioned before the game that he wanted the team doctors in Troy to look at his shoulder before putting him back on the ice - Scott Diebold continued to hold down the fort for the Engineers in net.
The home crowd groaned and began expecting more of the same just 2:43 into the contest as Matt Tinordi scored to put the upstart visitors ahead 1-0, and that is where the score stayed throughout the game's first half. The Engineers weathered two penalty kills in the first period, and carried the lead well into the second period. That's where SCSU began their attack, which RPI continued to withhold until a cross-checking call against Zalewski gave the Huskies their third power play of the game, and first of the second period. That was the tonic they needed to break through against Diebold and finally tie the game over 30 minutes after Tinordi's goal.
RPI could have potentially reached the locker room with the game still knotted, but some very poor defensive play late in the second period cost them as St. Cloud took advantage of a situation where they were playing to the buzzer, scoring with 23 seconds remaining in the second to go up 2-1. All told in the middle stanza, Diebold stopped 13 of 15 shots.
Meanwhile, the Engineers appeared to be running out of steam but still played acceptable defense. Helped out by a bevy of broken sticks on golden SCSU scoring opportunities, they still limited the Huskies to just four shots in the third period, but on the other side of the coin, they could only muster four themselves. Unable to get much going with the extra attacker, the Engineers can at least say they fought to the very last to get the tying goal - avoiding an empty-netter on yet another broken stick by St. Cloud - but had to settle for the series split.
Sacred Heart
Lee-Laliberte-Haggerty
Higgs-McGowan-Neal
Zalewski-Miller-Bubela
O'Grady-Rogic-Burgdoerfer
Leonard-Bailen
Leboeuf-Bradley
Curadi-Dolan
Merriam
Kasdorf's injury, while apparently not overly serious, were enough to at least suggest that a different goaltender get the start against the basically consensus worst team in America, Sacred Heart (only one computer model does not have the Pioneers in 59th - that one has them 58th). That honor fell to senior Bryce Merriam. Meanwhile, a stomach flu claimed Matt Tinordi, who sat out in favor of Greg Burgdoerfer, who was returning from an injury of his own.
RPI, despite the short turnaround, came out of the gate flying. The Engineers dominated the early part of the game, but it still took a little over seven minutes for them to break on the board. Jacob Laliberte scored into an open net off a rebound from a Ryan Haggerty shot to make the score 1-0. About seven minutes later, with RPI still controlling play, Sacred Heart got themselves onto the board with a nice goal in transition, going to Merriam's right in a two-on-one that evened the score.
That was as close as the Pioneers were going to get. Three minutes later, with just under two minutes left in the first period, Milos Bubela unleashed a wicked wrister in the slot that found the back of the net to make it 2-1 RPI.
Things opened up in the second period, as the Engineers scored three consecutive goals in 8:40 to break the game wide. C.J. Lee netted his first of the year on the power play 53 seconds in to make it 3-1. Then about five minutes later, Greg Burgdoerder notched his second of the season with a put-back of a Nick Bailen shot to make it 4-1. Finally, Bubela scored an emphatic goal, streaking up the side boards and cutting straight to the net to jam it home to put the Engineers ahead 5-1. It was nearly 6-1 shortly thereafter, but a goaltender interference call after review nullified the tally.
Sacred Heart scored their second goal late in the second period, again in transition, but RPI was rolling by this point. Zalewski's third goal of the season, on the power play, finished the scoring in the third period, but by that point the Engineers were ramping down and cruising to their third win in five games. Frequently, RPI has played down to the level of poor opponents in the recent past, that certainly was not a problem on New Year's Eve.
RPI, despite the short turnaround, came out of the gate flying. The Engineers dominated the early part of the game, but it still took a little over seven minutes for them to break on the board. Jacob Laliberte scored into an open net off a rebound from a Ryan Haggerty shot to make the score 1-0. About seven minutes later, with RPI still controlling play, Sacred Heart got themselves onto the board with a nice goal in transition, going to Merriam's right in a two-on-one that evened the score.
That was as close as the Pioneers were going to get. Three minutes later, with just under two minutes left in the first period, Milos Bubela unleashed a wicked wrister in the slot that found the back of the net to make it 2-1 RPI.
Things opened up in the second period, as the Engineers scored three consecutive goals in 8:40 to break the game wide. C.J. Lee netted his first of the year on the power play 53 seconds in to make it 3-1. Then about five minutes later, Greg Burgdoerder notched his second of the season with a put-back of a Nick Bailen shot to make it 4-1. Finally, Bubela scored an emphatic goal, streaking up the side boards and cutting straight to the net to jam it home to put the Engineers ahead 5-1. It was nearly 6-1 shortly thereafter, but a goaltender interference call after review nullified the tally.
Sacred Heart scored their second goal late in the second period, again in transition, but RPI was rolling by this point. Zalewski's third goal of the season, on the power play, finished the scoring in the third period, but by that point the Engineers were ramping down and cruising to their third win in five games. Frequently, RPI has played down to the level of poor opponents in the recent past, that certainly was not a problem on New Year's Eve.
Other junk - Ranked teams in the ECAC this week include #5 Quinnipiac (up four), #8 Dartmouth (up two, with one first place vote), #12 Cornell (down one), #13 Union (no change), and #17 Yale (down two). Also receiving votes were Colgate (50) and Harvard (10). Other ranked teams on the RPI schedule include #4 New Hampshire (down two), #9 Boston University (down three), #14 Minnesota State (up four), and #15 St. Cloud State (up one). Ferris State (47) also received votes.
All skaters on the roster have registered at least one point, with the exception of Andrew Commers (one game), Phil Hampton (three games), and Chris Bradley (15 games). All forwards have registered at least one goal with the exception of Commers, Travis Fulton (six games), and, surprisingly, Brock Higgs (16 games).
Jason Kasdorf, despite playing well in his two periods of play against St. Cloud, fell to a 1.63 GAA (6th in the nation) and .937 save percentage (11th).
Milos Bubela is fifth in the ECAC in freshman scoring nationally, trailing the Spink twins at Colgate, along with Colgate's Kyle Baun and Harvard's Jimmy Vesey.
Nick Bailen is tied for 13th in the nation in scoring among defensemen, third in the ECAC behind Union's Shayne Gostisbehere and Greg Coburn.
The Engineers still have a tough road ahead of them, with the next three games on their schedule coming on the road against opponents ranked in the top 10 nationally. Boston University, New Hampshire, and Quinnipiac beckon, which adds to the Engineers' already difficult schedule to date.
ECAC Standings (by winning percentage in parentheses)
1 (1). Quinnipiac - 16 points (8-0-0)
2 (2). Dartmouth - 9 points (4-1-1)
3 (3). Union - 9 points (3-2-3)
4 (7). Cornell - 8 points (3-3-2)
5 (5). Clarkson - 7 points (3-3-1, +3 GD)
6 (6). Yale - 7 points (3-3-1, -2 GD)
7 (8). Princeton - 7 points (2-3-3, -4 GD)
8 (9). Colgate - 7 points (3-4-1, -6 GD)
9 (4). Harvard - 6 points (3-3-0)
10 (10). Brown - 4 points (0-3-4, -3 GD)
11 (11). St. Lawrence - 4 points (1-3-2, -9 GD)
12 (12). RPI - 4 points (1-5-2)
RPI at #16 St. Cloud State
Non-Conference Game - National Hockey and Event Center (St. Cloud, MN)
12/27/12 - 8:00pm
RESULT: RPI 4, St. Cloud State 3
BOX SCORES
College Hockey Stats
USCHO
All skaters on the roster have registered at least one point, with the exception of Andrew Commers (one game), Phil Hampton (three games), and Chris Bradley (15 games). All forwards have registered at least one goal with the exception of Commers, Travis Fulton (six games), and, surprisingly, Brock Higgs (16 games).
Jason Kasdorf, despite playing well in his two periods of play against St. Cloud, fell to a 1.63 GAA (6th in the nation) and .937 save percentage (11th).
Milos Bubela is fifth in the ECAC in freshman scoring nationally, trailing the Spink twins at Colgate, along with Colgate's Kyle Baun and Harvard's Jimmy Vesey.
Nick Bailen is tied for 13th in the nation in scoring among defensemen, third in the ECAC behind Union's Shayne Gostisbehere and Greg Coburn.
The Engineers still have a tough road ahead of them, with the next three games on their schedule coming on the road against opponents ranked in the top 10 nationally. Boston University, New Hampshire, and Quinnipiac beckon, which adds to the Engineers' already difficult schedule to date.
ECAC Standings (by winning percentage in parentheses)
1 (1). Quinnipiac - 16 points (8-0-0)
2 (2). Dartmouth - 9 points (4-1-1)
3 (3). Union - 9 points (3-2-3)
4 (7). Cornell - 8 points (3-3-2)
5 (5). Clarkson - 7 points (3-3-1, +3 GD)
6 (6). Yale - 7 points (3-3-1, -2 GD)
7 (8). Princeton - 7 points (2-3-3, -4 GD)
8 (9). Colgate - 7 points (3-4-1, -6 GD)
9 (4). Harvard - 6 points (3-3-0)
10 (10). Brown - 4 points (0-3-4, -3 GD)
11 (11). St. Lawrence - 4 points (1-3-2, -9 GD)
12 (12). RPI - 4 points (1-5-2)
RPI at #16 St. Cloud State
Non-Conference Game - National Hockey and Event Center (St. Cloud, MN)
12/27/12 - 8:00pm
RESULT: RPI 4, St. Cloud State 3
BOX SCORES
College Hockey Stats
USCHO
RECAPS
RPI
Troy Record
Albany Times Union
St. Cloud Times
Associated Press
VIDEO
Highlights (YouTube)
RECORD: 5-6-4 (1-5-2 ECAC, 4 points)
RPI
Troy Record
Albany Times Union
St. Cloud Times
Associated Press
VIDEO
Highlights (YouTube)
RECORD: 5-6-4 (1-5-2 ECAC, 4 points)
RPI at #16 St. Cloud State
Non-Conference Game - National Hockey and Event Center (St. Cloud, MN)
12/28/12 - 8:00pm
RESULT: St. Cloud State 2, RPI 1
BOX SCORES
Non-Conference Game - National Hockey and Event Center (St. Cloud, MN)
12/28/12 - 8:00pm
RESULT: St. Cloud State 2, RPI 1
BOX SCORES
Sacred Heart at RPI
Non-Conference Game - Houston Field House (Troy, NY)
12/31/12 - 4:00pm
RESULT: RPI 6, Sacred Heart 2
Non-Conference Game - Houston Field House (Troy, NY)
12/31/12 - 4:00pm
RESULT: RPI 6, Sacred Heart 2
RECORD: 6-7-4 (1-5-2 ECAC, 4 points)
Upcoming games
04 Jan - at #9 Boston University
05 Jan - at #4 New Hampshire
11 Jan - at #5 Quinnipiac
12 Jan - at Princeton
18 Jan - Colgate
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