Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Men's Hockey - Arizona State (11/12 Dec)

The first half of the regular season rolled to a close with a non-conference weekend against the Sun Devils of Arizona State, a first-year program arguably the weakest opponent on RPI's schedule this year. While such weekends have often left Engineers fans nervous about success, RPI left no doubt in taking care of business at home, sweeping ASU 5-1 and 4-1 on back-to-back nights to halt their winless streak at three and give the Engineers a run of 12 games unbeaten in their last 14 for calendar year 2015.

Friday
Melanson-Bubela-Wood
Liljegren-Miller-Rodriguez
Bourbonnais-Schroeder-Nanne
Ohrvall-Fulton-Gillespie

Bradley-Prapavessis
Grant-Reno
Moore-Hampton

Kasdorf

The most significant change in the RPI lineup was the splitting of the vaunted "M-N-M" line, as the top three lines each included a member of the Engineers' most prolific attacking trio of the last two seasons. Fresh off his shutout against Harvard, Jason Kasdorf's number was called for the second consecutive night - while Jared Wilson was out of the lineup for an undisclosed reason.

It took RPI a little bit of time to get things going in the early going - Arizona State actually hit the post about 8 minutes into the game for the closest either team came to scoring to that point - but once they found paydirt, things began to accelerate. A drop pass by Jake Wood for Drew Melanson ended with the sophomore picking out his corner to beat ASU's Ryland Pashovitz top shelf to put the Engineers ahead 1-0. Then, just 15 seconds later, Riley Bourbonnais scored his 9th goal of the season, crashing the net to put home a shot by Lou Nanne to give RPI the 2-0 edge.

Minutes later, the Sun Devils got a huge opportunity to get themselves back into the game with a long 5-on-3 power play thanks to successive penalties by Melanson and Mike Prapavessis. The RPI penalty kill, strong in recent weeks, held up to the scrutiny, and the Engineers closed out the first period with the 2-0 edge on a 15-7 lead in shots.

RPI hit the gas again in the second period, going up 3-0 on the first collegiate goal for Jesper Ohrvall about seven minutes in. Waiting just outside the crease, the freshman backhanded to the roof of the cage a rebound off a shot by Kenny Gillespie as part of a barrage that saw the Engineers lace Pashovitz with 16 shots in the middle stanza.

Jake Wood's 6th goal of the year came just over five minutes into the third period, basically sealing the game up tight on a tight-angle shot to Pashovitz's left. ASU would spoil Jason Kasdorf's bid for a second straight shutout with a power play goal by Joey Raats with six minutes left to play, but RPI gained the four-goal lead back three-and-a-half minutes later with Ohrvall connecting for the second time on the evening, going north-south and goalpost to goalpost before shooting to the back of the cage to make it 5-1 RPI.

The Engineers unleashed 45 shots on the evening to power the victory, while Kasdorf finished with a respectable 23 saves on 24 shots for his fourth win of the year.

Saturday
Melanson-Bubela-Wood
Liljegren-Miller-Rodriguez
Bourbonnais-Schroeder-Nanne
Ohrvall-Fulton-Gillespie

Bradley-Grant
Prapavessis-Reno
Moore-Hampton

Hackett

A minor swap on defense as Tommy Grant was paired off with Chris Bradley (which happened late in Friday's game), while Mike Prapavessis and Parker Reno, RPI's top two assist leaders, were also paired off. Cam Hackett also got some additional playing time in as the Engineers' split the weekend in net.

RPI wasted little time in picking up where they left off the previous night, and once again, an RPI freshman managed to notch his first collegiate goal in the process. Five minutes into the game, a loose puck bounced to the top of the slot, and Tommy Grant moved up from the blue line to rip one through traffic to the net for the 1-0 lead on Grant's first college point.

But that was as far as the Engineers would get in the first period - they seemed to lack the urgency they played with on Friday night, urgency that had ASU coach Greg Powers calling RPI the hardest working team the Sun Devils had played against to that point. Shots in the first period were relatively even at 10-9 Engineers, and it looked like there'd be a possession fight over the last 40 minutes.

There was a different kind of fight instead about six minutes into the second period - not a full blown scrap, but a serious bout of pushing and shoving that resulted in two Arizona State penalties against just one for RPI, creating a power play for the Engineers. Jesper Ohrvall solved RPI's long-running power play woes, at least for one outing, by notching his third goal of the weekend by sending a nice feed from Meirs Moore into the net about 30 seconds into the man advantage to put the Engineers ahead 2-0.

Late in the period, a power play chance for ASU while the Sun Devils trailed 2-0 gave them the golden opportunity to get back into the game for the second consecutive night. And while RPI's penalty kill did their part by killing off the penalty, the aggressive kill also lengthened the Engineer lead. A clearance by Phil Hampton went to Riley Bourbonnais, who had snuck behind the ASU blueline along with Milos Bubela. A 2-on-0 breakaway was put home by Bubela, who scored his third short-handed goal of the season to make it 3-0 RPI, capping a dominant second period in which the Sun Devils simply could not control the puck for any serious stretch of time, as borne out by the 14-3 edge in shots for the Engineers.

As on Friday night, the Sun Devils avoided being shut out in the final 10 minutes of regulation, this time scoring an even-strength goal as they slowly, across the third period, began to swing some momentum back in their direction. Cody Gylling's third goal of the season on a 2-on-1 break with 7:24 left in the 3rd period spoiled Hackett's push for his first collegiate shutout, but that was as much as ASU would be able to muster. Bourbonnais scored his third point of the evening and 10th goal of the year with an empty-netter in the final minute to give RPI a 4-1 victory and the weekend sweep.

So ends the first half of the season - RPI now has a three-week break for the holidays, picking back up on the road against Miami. The RedHawks have struggled this season, to an extent that we haven't seen in the previous three seasons in which RPI and Miami have done battle. The RedHawks have won seven in a row against the Engineers, including six in the Appert era, but if RPI can return from break playing the way they have for the last two months, they may be able to find a breakthrough of some kind in Ohio.

Current ECAC Standings
1. Quinnipiac - 14 pts (6-0-2)
2. Cornell - 13 pts (6-1-1)
3. Harvard - 11 pts (4-1-3)
4. RPI - 11 pts (4-1-3)
5. St. Lawrence - 9 pts (4-2-1)
6. Yale - 8 pts (3-3-2)
7. Princeton - 6 pts (3-5-0)
8. Dartmouth - 6 pts (3-5-0)
9. Brown - 6 pts (2-5-2)
10. Union - 5 pts (2-5-1)
11. Colgate - 5 pts (2-6-1)
12. Clarkson - 2 pts (0-5-2)

By winning percentage
1. Quinnipiac (.875)
2. Cornell (.812)
3. Harvard (.688)
4. RPI (.688)
5. St. Lawrence (.643)
6. Yale (.500)
7. Princeton (.375)
8. Dartmouth (.375)
9. Brown (.333)
10. Union (.312)
11. Colgate (.278)
12. Clarkson (.143)

Arizona State at RPI
Non-Conference Game - Houston Field House (Troy, NY)
12/11/15 - 7:00pm

RESULT: RPI 5, Arizona State 1

RECORD: 9-6-3 (4-1-3 ECAC, 11 pts)

Arizona State at RPI
Non-Conference Game - Houston Field House (Troy, NY)
11/12/15 - 7:00pm

RESULT: RPI 4, Arizona State 1

RECORD: 10-6-3 (4-1-3 ECAC, 11 pts)

Upcoming games
02 Jan - at Miami
03 Jan - at Miami
07 Jan - at Princeton
15 Jan - #9 Cornell
16 Jan - Colgate

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Ain't Nothin' But a G Thang

Delaying the usual weekend recap by a day - in part because the mid-season break is upon us, but also to mark a special occasion here at WaP.

We weren't really sure what we were getting into when we started this place up six years ago, but we're still pretty psyched that we did. It's a labor of love, and even though those labors have changed (our lives make it pretty difficult these days to do the podcasts and goofy/cheesy/awful photoshops that we used to have more or less on a weekly basis, and the number of editorials have sadly decreased), we're still here, and still cranking away. Still recapping weekends, pumping up, offering occasional words of wisdom, and cracking wise on Twitter between live tweets.

And this post is something of a mid-season thank-you note to our readers: it is our 1,000th post on the blog. We wouldn't have gotten this far if nobody read us. We're nothing without you.

So, in honor of this milestone, a hearkening back to the "old" WaP, which included goofy/cheesy/awful photoshops. And the winner is... a three-goal weekend by Jesper Ohrvall, finally getting the monkey off his back (and earning ECAC Rookie of the Week honors for his efforts).

Be gone, monkey. Be gone.


Friday, December 11, 2015

Devilish

So, what do we know about Arizona State? The basic details.

* They're not as young as you'd think. At an average age of 22 years and 2 months, the Sun Devils are tied for the 17th oldest team in the nation in just their first Division I season. (RPI's average age is 21 years and 7 months.)

* Still, they've got a lot of freshmen. 15 of them on their 33 man roster, although one is redshirting.

* Nearly all of them, including the ones who were brought up from their club team, played junior hockey at a fairly high level - many from the USHL, NAHL, and the BCHL.

* They've won three games against Division I opponents - one against Alaska on "neutral" ice in Anchorage, two against Lake State in Sault Ste. Marie.

* Pounded arch-rivals Arizona (still a club team) 8-1 in their first game, and annihilated D-III Southern New Hampshire by a 16-3 margin in two games. They're very legit D-I already.

* Led Clarkson 2-1 in Potsdam in the 2nd period before falling 3-2 and then 4-1 the next night.

* According to KRACH, they're at least better than Sacred Heart, Canisius, Niagara, and American International already. Two of those have been to the NCAA tournament recently.

So if you're expecting the Engineers to just waltz into this one without cares, rack up goals, and go home happy, you're probably going to be disappointed.

First off, that really doesn't happen with RPI - they do have an earned reputation for playing to the level of their opponent, which is something they should probably focus on this weekend - play their game, not the opponent's game.

Second, Arizona State's certainly not bad. They've only been shut out twice, and one of those was Quinnipiac.

But... Jason Kasdorf and Cam Hackett are probably the best two goaltenders they've seen since playing Michael Garteig and the Bobcats. Especially if Kasdorf can keep up his momentum from his amazing 43-save comeback against Harvard, and if Hackett can keep playing like he's been playing, it's probably going to be a long weekend for the Sun Devils.

RPI's focus has got to be on not having a letdown against a team they know they should be able to beat. That's been the struggle in recent years. End the calendar year on a positive note and come back in three weeks picking up where they left off. That's what we need to see - so they certainly need to show off a little devil here tonight.




Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Men's Hockey - Dartmouth/Harvard (4/5 Dec)

A mixed bag weekend is nothing new for Engineer fans, but returning home for the last ECAC weekend of the calendar year, it's possible that RPI's string of good luck when it comes to bounces may have run its course - or maybe there's a bit of regression to the mean to be done. Still, despite a 1-point weekend courtesy of the team's first ECAC loss (2-1 to Dartmouth) and a fairly thrilling goaltender's duel (a scoreless draw with Harvard), there's plenty of reasons for optimism when it comes to handicapping the Engineers the rest of the way.

Dartmouth
Liljegren-Bubela-Rodriguez
Melanson-Miller-Nanne
Bourbonnais-Schroeder-Wood
Ohrvall, Gillespie

Bradley-Prapavessis
Wilson-Reno
Moore-Hampton
Grant

Hackett

Alex Rodriguez earned an upgrade to the top line thanks to his outstanding play in his first four college outings, while Seth Appert chose to return to the 11x7 lineup that RPI had run so well during its stretch of injuries, pulling Travis Fulton out and replacing him with Tommy Grant in order to better matchup with Dartmouth's size.

The Engineers came out flat in their return to home ice, and Dartmouth pounced, challenging Cam Hackett with 11 shots in the opening period, picking up the game's first goal thanks to some very strong forechecking which persisted throughout the opening 20. Carl Hesler dug out a puck by acing Kenny Gillespie to the punch and quickly rifling it through traffic in front and past Hackett on the short-side to put the Big Green ahead 1-0.

RPI responded much better in the second period, putting a little bit more pressure on Dartmouth sophomore Devin Buffalo, who was in just his second collegiate game (following a 1-1 draw with Michigan a week prior). While the Big Green did a decent job all game long of shutting down the wings, the Engineers pounced on a turnover in the neutral zone for a solid counter-attack that tied the game up. Mike Prapavessis picked out Rodriguez well on the wing, and the freshman burst up the boards to get off a shot that rebounded off Buffalo and right to a trailing Milos Bubela, who put it home for his third of the season.

Dartmouth's wing control helped them secure what proved to be the game winner in the third period. As freshman Karan Toor pinched the wall to keep the puck in the zone following an RPI clearance attempt, he moved it quickly to Grant Opperman, who found Brett Patterson with lots of open ice. Patterson took his shot from the top of the faceoff circle, simply beating Hackett to the same side that produced Dartmouth's first goal of the night, making it 2-1 with 11 minutes left in the third period.

The RPI comeback effort was seriously hampered by an odd five-minute call against Lou Nanne for hitting from behind. Off a faceoff in the Dartmouth end, Nanne went into the corner with a Big Green defenseman and seemed to trip near the zamboni entrance, going head first into the boards and colliding with the defender. Despite being the one shaken up by the play, Nanne was called for the major by the trailing referee, requiring the Engineers to kill five minutes of penalty time while trailing, and leaving their top scoring line without one of its dynamic cogs.

The Engineers had their chances late to tie it up, rolling with the extra attacker for 96 seconds, but they were unable to put one past Buffalo, who finished with 28 saves on 29 shots for his first collegiate win as RPI fell for the first time in seven ECAC matches.

Harvard
Liljegren-Bubela-Rodriguez
Melanson-Miller-Nanne
Bourbonnais-Schroeder-Wood
Ohrvall-Fulton-Clary

Bradley-Prapavessis
Wilson-Reno
Moore-Hampton

Kasdorf

With RPI mired in back-to-back losses for the first time in over a month, things were switched up a little with Kasdorf returning between the pipes for the first time since his injury on November 6, fully rested and fully healed. He did not disappoint.

Much as with the Friday night game, RPI came out sluggish in the first period, and Harvard looked ready to capitalize throughout the opening minutes. The high-powered Crimson offense controlled the puck and the RPI zone for much of the first 20, winning puck battles and peppering Kasdorf with 20 shots. The Engineer senior looked calm and at times even casual in turning aside every single one. There would be more work ahead for him, but getting out of the first period without allowing a goal was crucial.

Slowly, over the course of the game, RPI picked up momentum. The second period was a bit more even, but Harvard sill outshot the Engineers 33-12 across the first 40 minutes. Nevertheless, RPI had its scoring opportunities in the second, perhaps coming closest when Meirs Moore rang one off the inside of the post after getting his shot to elude sophomore Merrick Madsen, but it stayed out of the net.

Moore would hit the post again in the third, and Hobey finalist from last season Jimmy Vesey would touch iron twice in the third period himself without scoring. The tide really started to move RPI's way in puck possession during the final frame, yet still, neither team was able to connect. The Engineers had a full two minute power play chance after a slashing call to Sean Malone with less than 10 minutes to play, but couldn't find a way to nab the game's first goal - though Jared Wilson would hit the crossbar as the penalty expired. RPI was themselves fortunate not to give the Crimson a late power play of their own as a late charge went uncalled.

Jake Wood and Wiley Sherman had opportunities to score in the overtime period for RPI and Harvard respectively, but both netminders continued to be on their game in the extra period. Madsen made 4 stops for the Crimson and Kasdorf added 2 for the Engineers as they finished with 32 and 43 saves to combined for a total of 75 in a scoreless draw.

It was the first 0-0 game for RPI in nearly 90 years, since a scoreless draw with the Amherst Lord Jeffs in 1927, and the first one to take place in Troy in nearly a century, since a 0-0 tie with Mass. Agricultural (now UMass) in 1917. Oddly enough, it was also the 3rd 0-0 draw in ECAC play this season, following similar performances from Cornell/Yale and St. Lawrence/Quinnipiac, all of whom also boast top-end goaltending.

With the ECAC done until after Christmas, the Engineers next finish up their 2015 schedule with a visit from Arizona State for a pair this coming weekend. The Sun Devils are in their first season as a Division I program, but they've picked up three wins against Division I teams already this year - one against the same Alaska Nanooks who went on to beat RPI the following week, and two against Lake Superior State in the Upper Peninsula. The Engineers should be solid favorites against ASU, but they've got to watch against let downs against the upstarts from the southwest.

Current ECAC Standings
1. Quinnipiac - 14 pts (6-0-2)
2. Cornell - 13 pts (6-1-1)
3. Harvard - 11 pts (4-1-3)
4. RPI - 11 pts (4-1-3)
5. St. Lawrence - 9 pts (4-2-1)
6. Yale - 8 pts (3-3-2)
7. Princeton - 6 pts (3-5-0)
8. Dartmouth - 6 pts (3-5-0)
9. Brown - 6 pts (2-5-2)
10. Union - 5 pts (2-5-1)
11. Colgate - 5 pts (2-6-1)
12. Clarkson - 2 pts (0-5-2)

By winning percentage
1. Quinnipiac (.875)
2. Cornell (.812)
3. Harvard (.688)
4. RPI (.688)
5. St. Lawrence (.643)
6. Yale (.500)
7. Princeton (.375)
8. Dartmouth (.375)
9. Brown (.333)
10. Union (.312)
11. Colgate (.278)
12. Clarkson (.143)

Dartmouth at RPI
ECAC Game - Houston Field House (Troy, NY)
12/4/15 - 7:00pm

RESULT: Dartmouth 2, RPI 1

RECORD: 8-6-2 (4-1-2 ECAC, 10 pts)

#8 Harvard at RPI
ECAC Game - Houston Field House (Troy, NY)
12/5/15 - 7:00pm

RESULT: RPI 0, Harvard 0 (OT)


RECORD: 8-6-3 (4-1-3 ECAC, 11 pts)

Upcoming games
11 Dec - Arizona State
12 Dec - Arizona State
02 Jan - at Miami
03 Jan - at Miami
07 Jan - at Princeton

Monday, December 7, 2015

Women's Hockey - Yale & Brown (4/5 Dec)

One final weekend of ECAC play marked the end of 2015 for RPI, with the Engineers hosting Yale and Brown at Houston Field House.

Yale proved to be a big challenge for the Engineers, as the Bulldogs left Troy with a 4-1 victory that would have been a shutout if not broken by Jaimie Grigsby in the final minute of Friday's game. Brown made for a better matchup on Saturday as the Engineers were backstopped to a 2-0 win by Lovisa Selander.

Yale

Rooney/Tomlinson/Gruschow
Wash/Schwalbe/Mankey
Grigsby/Raspa/Thomas
Tremblay/Hylwa/Orzechowski

Hansen/Renn
Kimmerle/Godin
Behounek/Banks

Selander

Jordan Chancellor scored twice in the span of 2:36 in the first period to help Yale jump out to a 2-0 lead, and the Bulldogs didn't look back as they coasted to a 4-1 win over RPI in Troy Friday night. Yale outshot RPI 43-23 in the contest.

Chancellor opened up the scoring at the 4:56 mark of the opening frame, taking the puck from behind the net and moving into the slot to put a wrist shot glove side past Selander.

Her second goal followed shortly thereafter as she fired home a rebound after Selander made the initial stop on a point shot by Mallory Souliotis.

Souliotis made it a 3-0 lead for the Bulldogs at 13:26 after a total breakdown in the RPI crease left the puck sitting behind Selander long enough for the Yale defender to meander around the net and poke it home.

The rout looked to be on before the first period drew to a close as Jamie Haddad notched Yale's fourth goal of the afternoon. After a 4-on-4 faceoff win in the RPI zone, the goal played out as nearly a carbon copy of Chancellor's first as Haddad was allowed to move right into the slot to put a shot glove side past Selander.

Selander settled down in the second period, turning away all 19 shots faced, then stopped another 7 in the third. However the Engineers couldn't muster any offense until the game's final minute when Jaimie Grigsby stole the puck behind the Yale net and swung it around front and past netminder Hanna Mandl to break the shutout bid and make it a 4-1 game.

The loss marks a continuation of a long winless streak against the Bulldogs for RPI. The Engineers haven't picked up two points against Yale since February 2013 - a season where Yale went 5-21-3.

Brown

Rooney/Tomlinson/Gruschow
Grigsby/Hylwa/Tremblay
Wash/Mankey/Thomas
Orzechowski

Kimmerle/Godin
Hansen/Renn
Behounek/Banks

Selander

After Friday night's loss to Yale, RPI rebounded on Saturday to earn a 2-0 shutout over Brown. Makenna Thomas scored for the Engineers and led all players with seven shots on goal, while Alexa Gruschow picked up another goal - her team-leading ninth of the season.

Gruschow's goal came early in the first period - following a nifty move along the boards to come away with the puck, she cut toward the net and put a laser just under the crossbar leaving no chance for Monica Elvin to make a save.

The Engineers went without a goal throughout most of the rest of the game, though they outshot their guests handily by 13-6, 12-8, and 10-5 margins in the game's three periods. Shayna Tomlinson had a nice chance in the second off a rebound, but the sophomore fired the puck over the net while falling to the ice.

It took until the final minute for the Engineers to tack on an insurance goal, as Thomas scored into the empty net to make it a 2-0 game. Amanda Kimmerle sent the puck down ice where it was tipped by Mari Mankey as she was being tripped at the RPI blue line. Thomas picked it up and skated in 1-on-1 against Abby Niewchas, threading it through the defender and into the empty net.

The Engineers will break for the holidays, not returning to action until January 2nd and 3rd when they travel to Erie, PA to face Mercyhurst in a non-conference pair that will mark the end of non-conference play before RPI launches into 14 straight league games to end the season.

-----

RPI vs. Yale
ECAC Hockey Game - Houston Field House (Troy, NY)
12/4/15 - 3pm
Yale 4, RPI 1

BOX SCORES:
RPI: http://www.rpiathletics.com/boxscore.aspx?path=whock&id=5193
College Hockey Stats: http://collegehockeystats.net/1516/boxes/wrenyal1.d04

RECAPS:
RPI: http://www.rpiathletics.com/news/2015/12/4/WICE_1204151510.aspx?path=whock
Yale: http://www.yalebulldogs.com/sports/w-hockey/2015-16/releases/20151204pwnbhy
Video Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSNBU9z4aMM
Complete Game Video: http://rpitv.org/productions/1016-womens-hockey-vs-yale

RECORD: 4-9-2 (2-4-1 ECAC)

-----

RPI vs. Brown
ECAC Hockey Game - Houston Field House (Troy, NY)
12/5/15 - 3pm
RPI 2, Brown 0

BOX SCORES:
RPI: http://www.rpiathletics.com/boxscore.aspx?path=whock&id=5194
College Hockey Stats: http://collegehockeystats.net/1516/boxes/wbrnren1.d05

RECAPS:
RPI: http://www.rpiathletics.com/news/2015/12/5/WICE_1205152921.aspx?path=whock
Brown: http://www.brownbears.com/sports/w-hockey/2015-16/releases/20151205rgvxb7
Video Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkfMVLyCwuQ
Complete Game Video: http://rpitv.org/productions/1018-womens-hockey-vs-brown

RECORD: 5-9-2 (3-4-1 ECAC)

-----

ECAC Standings

1. Quinnipiac - 16 pts (7-1-2) (.800)
2t. Harvard - 11 pts (5-3-1) (.611)
2t. Princeton - 11 pts (5-4-1) (.550)
4. Dartmouth - 10 pts (4-3-2) (.556)
5t. Colgate - 8 pts (2-1-4) (.571)
5t. Clarkson - 8 pts (3-3-2) (.500)
5t. St. Lawrence - 8 pts (4-4-0) (.500)
8t. Yale - 7 pts (3-2-1) (.583)
8t. RPI - 7 pts (3-4-1) (.438)
10. Cornell - 6 pts (2-3-2) (.429)
11t. Brown - 2 pts (1-5-0) (.167)
11t. Union - 2 pts (0-6-2) (.125)

-----

Upcoming Schedule

Jan. 2 - at Mercyhurst (3pm)
Jan. 3 - at Mercyhurst (1pm)
Jan. 8 - Quinnipiac (7pm)
Jan. 9 - Princeton (4pm)

Friday, December 4, 2015

Break the Ceiling

It's been a fun couple of months in Engineer Nation. The women turned some heads by picking up points they weren't supposed to at Colgate and Cornell, and then against Clarkson. The men... well, they were written off at the start of the season, then beating Boston College was a fluke, and now... well, now they're where they are now.

This is a crucial weekend for the women's team. Yale and Brown at home. If they want playoffs this year, the Engineers have got to pick up these points - the entirety of league weekends may not get any easier than this duo at the Field House. RPI is winless in their last four (five if you count the exhibition in Montreal) since upsetting Clarkson, but this is definitely a weekend to prove that the Engineers' quick start to the ECAC schedule was no fluke - or at least not as big as it was portrayed at the time. If you're going to be a young team might as well be a young team that's unwilling to wait their turn.

For the men, we've known since the beginning that as much as the team's obviously better than the so-called experts thought coming in, they're probably not the very apex of the ECAC, either. Still, here we are, the beginning of December, and it's still RPI sitting atop the league standings (with Quinnipiac, of course, a team that's proven their bonafides more than the Tute has). That's probably not going to last that much longer - but even if it's just one more night with a win over a Dartmouth team that has frequently struggled on both ends of the ice this year, why not? The longer they stay there, the better the end result's going to be no matter what. Points are points, and they're easier to come by at home than they are on the road. So even with Harvard tomorrow night - let's go for broke!

Fun little tune for this week's pumpup. Been stuck in my head for a couple of weeks and the lyrics are at least somewhat relevant too, so here's your earworm. This is definitely neo-80s style, but it was only released a couple of months ago. Enjoy.

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Our Quirky Tournament

We've fielded more than one question in the last two weeks from Engineer fans about the Pairwise Rankings. The response was thusly: it's November, don't worry about the Pairwise. Win hockey games.

Here's the chart we used a few years back to describe the Pairwise Rankings across each month of the college hockey season:

October: Worthless.
November: Farcical.
December: Quirky.
January: Interesting.
February: Important.
March: Essential.

So we've moved from farcical to quirky just recently. October is worthless because the PWR is completely unstable pretty much all the time. November is farcical because there's far too much hockey left to be played, not to mention that the Ivy League - a full 10% of the teams in the PWR - have barely started to play. There's also a solid number of inter-conference games to be played, which can swing things significantly if trends change.

December's review of the Pairwise can at least show us what teams are early contenders for at-large bids, and can reveal what teams are already dependent upon the automatic bid as their route to the tournament. But at this point, tracking game-to-game changes in the Pairwise remains a fruitless and futile exercise - and breaking down tournament fields can be even more tedious. So, let's not.

January is when the PWR at least becomes interesting, because the movement of teams becomes a touch easier to predict and there's a far more clear perception of contenders vs. pretenders, but even then it's still too early to take a lot of it to heart, at least toward the beginning of the month. Later in January, the number of inter-conference games dwindles rapidly, and the PWR becomes far more stable. By February, it can be a valuable resource from game-to-game in order to discern what teams need to see happen elsewhere for them to make the tournament - and by March, of course, the decisions are about to be made.

And what decisions are those? Well, unlike in other NCAA sports where the tournament participants are often decided in those "smoke filled rooms," the PWR makes things pretty clear who is in the tournament, and who isn't. For the sake of the chart below, Atlantic Hockey is expected - as usual - to only be able to send its conference champion to the tournament, and a conference tournament upset consists of a team that would not be in the tournament without the automatic bid winning that bid.

1-10: Always in the tournament, no matter what. 1-4 are #1 seeds, 5-8 are #2 seeds, 9 and 10 are #3 seeds.
11: Almost certainly in the tournament as a #3 seed. There would have to be upset champions in every conference for this team to be out.
12: Also likely in the tournament as a #3 seed. Four upset champions put this team out.
13: The good side of the bubble. Good odds of being in the tournament, but three upset champions put them out.
14: Firmly on top of the bubble. Two upset champions put them out.
15: The bad side of the bubble. Just one upset champion would put this team out.
16: Out of the tournament, unless the Atlantic Hockey champion is in the Top 15 AND there are no upset champions in other conferences.
17-60: Always out of the tournament without an automatic bid.

It's possible that this chart may have to have the bubble shifted upwards, to 12-13-14, or even 11-12-13, if the Big Ten and the WCHA continues to have as miserable a season as they have collectively been having, as they too could find themselves only able to send a conference champion.

So anyway, that's the long-winded reason why we don't care about the PWR right now. Besides - caring about the PWR right now makes one look downright silly when February arrives and you're one of the also-rans hoping for an automatic bid to make the tournament. We warned more than a few Clarkson fans last year who couldn't help but squeeeeeee! over their PWR position in November about this. They did look silly by February.

But human nature being what it is, we've been asked about the Engineers so many times that we broke down and took a peek at where they are in this currently-quirky ranking. They're tied for 13th with Denver and sitting in 14th after losing the tiebreaker (the head-to-head comparison) with the Pioneers. They'd be on the tournament bubble if the season ended today. It doesn't, not even close. Don't get too excited.

According to PWR, the presumed field would currently consist of 6 ECAC teams (including the Engineers), 4 NCHC teams, 3 Hockey East teams, and 1 each from the Big Ten, WCHA, and Atlantic Hockey. In other words, don't hold your breath on any of this being remotely real just yet.

What is it telling us? Well, it's telling us the same thing KRACH is telling us, now that Quinnipiac has tied two games and Colorado College finally won one - the ECAC is certainly well positioned as one of the strongest leagues in the country this year. At least, they are right now. Whether that will continue to ring true depends largely on what happens in December and January.

Now, have no fear, Puckman Nation. Should Rensselaer (as we are really forced to call the school during sessions like this because of the prevalence in PWR of RPI the ranking, the Ratings Percentage Index) still be in the discussion when the discussion actually starts to become interesting after the New Year, we'll debut Engineer Bracketology at that point and continue it until such time as it becomes pointless, if it does. (The good news is that, if it does happen, it's easy to slot the Engineers - they will play in Albany as hosts, should they make the tournament.)

Until then, consider this a quick primer on exactly how the PWR operates. Things have changed since 2011 and 2013, the last times we felt the need to run Engineer Bracketology. The dreaded and annoying TUC cliff has gone, and every team regardless of their RPI is now ranked in the PWR. That means that every possible comparison between the 60 teams - that's 1,770 comparisons for you math majors - is factored into the PWR. Essentially, every team is now a Team Under Consideration.

The PWR now only consists of three factors: RPI, record against common opponents (COp), and head-to-head results (H2H). The team with the better RPI gets 1 point, the team with the better COp record gets 1 point, and both teams get a point for every win they have in H2H. It makes things much easier.

RPI is a percentage equivalent to computed by including a 25% weight to your own winning percentage, a 21% weight to your opponents' winning percentage, and a 54% weight to your opponents' opponents' winning percentage.

But there's a wrinkle to RPI. A team can receive RPI bonuses for "quality" wins against teams in the Top 20 of RPI - from .0500 for a win against the top team in RPI, decreasing in increments until you get to the #20 RPI team, worth .0025.

All games not played on neutral ice are weighted differently, too. When you win on the road or lose at home, that game is weighted by a factor of 1.2 over a game on neutral ice. When you lose on the road or win at home, that game is weighted by a factor of 0.8 over a game on neutral ice. And finally, in a situation where a win actually leads to a decrease in total RPI - which can happen when very good teams beat very bad teams - that game is not counted. A win will always leave a team at least with the same RPI they had coming in if not better.

And that's basically all for now. More to come later, if it becomes necessary. Here's where the Engineers currently stand in terms of "quality wins." It's pretty solid - only Quinnipiac and Boston University have accrued a higher quality win bonus total than Rensselaer.

Quality wins
Boston College (#6, at home)
St. Lawrence (#10, on the road)
Yale (#11, at home)

Missed opportunities
UMass-Lowell (#8, on the road)
Michigan (#12, at home)
Harvard (#2, neutral ice)

Upcoming opportunities in the next 10 games
Harvard (#2, at home) - Saturday
Miami (#20, on the road) - Jan 2/3
Cornell (#9, at home) - Jan 15
Quinnipiac (#1, on the road) - Jan 21

And finally... KRACH is, most of the season long, the best way to compare two teams. Theoretically, taking the two teams' seasons to date into consideration, comparing two teams using KRACH would suggest that the team ranked higher overall would be favored to win a theoretical matchup on neutral ice. It doesn't take into effect anything like home-ice advantage, injuries, momentum, or anything like that, intangibles that have real effects on how games play out, but it's a very decent comparison of teams against each other (now that every team is neither perfect nor perfectly futile).

A good way of gauging conference strength is to look at where conference members are in terms of overall schedule strength according to KRACH. 10 of 12 ECAC teams have schedule strengths that are in the Top 20 in the nation (all but Clarkson at 27th and Colgate at 47th). In fact, 13 of the top 15 are in the ECAC and the NCHC, speaking to the dominance thus far of those leagues in inter-conference play (.648 and .605 respectively).

Here's where the Engineers and their opponents this season currently sit in terms of KRACH. Overall records are included along with Rensselaer's record against them, where applicable.

KRACH
1. Quinnipiac (13-0-2)
2. Harvard (6-1-1, 0-1-0)
4. Boston College (12-1-0, 1-0-0)
7. Cornell (6-1-2)
8. Yale (5-2-2, 1-0-0)
10. St. Lawrence (8-3-2, 1-0-0)
11. UMass-Lowell (10-1-4, 0-1-0)
13. Rensselaer (8-5-2)
14. Michigan (7-2-2, 0-1-0)
15. Miami (5-7-2)
18. Clarkson (7-4-2, 0-0-1)
21. Dartmouth (2-5-1)
25. Western Michigan (4-8-1, 1-0-0)
28. Union (4-6-3, 2-0-0)
29. New Hampshire (4-6-3, 1-0-0)
30. Alaska-Anchorage (6-6-2, 0-1-0)
32. Brown (2-4-3, 0-0-1)
43. Alaska (4-8-2, 0-1-0)
45. Bentley (6-6-1, 1-0-0)
47. Princeton (2-8-0)
49. Colgate (4-10-1)
52. Arizona State (3-8-0)

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Men's Hockey - Shillelagh Tournament (27/28 Nov)

RPI rode into the Thanksgiving weekend atop an eight-game unbeaten streak the likes of which had not been seen with the Engineers in over 15 years. They managed to extend that streak to nine in the opening round of the Shillelagh Tournament in South Bend, Indiana by taking down Western Michigan 4-1, but could not make it an even 10 the following afternoon, falling 4-0 against ECAC rivals Harvard in a game that may well have been more about setting the table for the league meeting this coming week than it was a push to claim the Shillelagh Trophy.

Western Michigan
Liljegren-Bubela-Bourbonnais
Melanson-Miller-Nanne
Wood-Schroeder-Gillespie
Ohrvall-Fulton-Rodriguez

Bradley-Prapavessis
Wilson-Reno
Moore-Hampton

Hackett

With the Engineers beginning to return to full health - or as full as it is going to get with Evan Tironese being lost for the season - the RPI lineup for the entire weekend ended up being the same as the lineup that hit the ice in Troy against New Hampshire. The situation in net remained the same - Jason Kasdorf was available if needed, but continued to rest with Cam Hackett playing well and helping to ensure his fitness for a planned return for ECAC league play when that resumes during the first weekend of December.

RPI controlled play for much of the first period and were rewarded for their efforts with the game's opening goal at 9:03 of the opening frame as Alex Rodriguez scored his second goal in as many outings to put the Engineers ahead 1-0, the lone assist going to Mike Prapavessis, who set up a breakaway for Rodriguez with a great pass out of the defensive end.

The RPI offense cranked things up a notch early in the second period, with two goals in the span of 37 seconds to grab a 3-0 edge for the third time in as many contests. On the power play, Riley Bourbonnais struck for his team-leading eighth goal of the season to make it 2-0, and seconds later Lou Nanne scored his fourth goal of the year with a lead assist by Prapavessis to put the Engineers ahead by three.

Western Michigan would get one back on a major penalty to Jesper Ohrvall, who was shown the door for a checking from behind call midway through the second period, but it wasn't due to their own exploits that they got themselves on the board. An errant pass in the defensive zone by Parker Reno bounced off the skate of Jared Wilson and directly into the back of the net before Hackett could see what had happened, and just like that, WMU freshman Corey Schueneman, last to touch the puck for the Broncos, was credited with his first collegiate goal on the power play.

That "own goal" was ultimately the only one the Broncos would get all night. Hackett made the remaining two-goal margin hold up throughout the third period, stopping 10 shots in the final 20 minutes, while Jake Wood provided an insurance tally with 3:20 left in the game to seal up the victory, RPI's third in a row and ninth consecutive game without a loss. Prapavessis added an assist on the Wood goal to secure the first three-point game of the season for any Engineer skater.

Harvard
Liljegren-Bubela-Bourbonnais
Melanson-Miller-Nanne
Wood-Schroeder-Gillespie
Ohrvall-Fulton-Rodriguez

Bradley-Prapavessis
Wilson-Reno
Moore-Hampton

Hackett

Harvard defeated the home-standing Fighting Irish of Notre Dame 4-1 in Friday's nightcap, thanks in part to a pair of goals on the power play when both Irish backcheckers were called for penalties in taking down Alexander Kerfoot on the breakaway.

The Crimson power play was striking at a rate of 30% coming into the contest, so it is no small feat that the Engineers, who killed penalties for a total of 13 minutes of game time against Harvard on Saturday, managed to go perfect on the penalty kill. Still, the Crimson certainly proved that they didn't need to be on the man advantage to score goals, netting four of them at even strength against the Engineers, including three in the second period, where RPI usually feels most at home.

RPI missed their best opportunities to take control of things early when two penalties in the opening ten minutes against Harvard freshman Ryan Donato - son of Crimson head coach Ted Donato - went unconverted. All told, the first period was a pretty even affair between the two ECAC squads, but Harvard took a 1-0 lead into the locker room on the back of a goal by Jimmy Vesey, a Hobey Hat Trick finalist a year ago, at 14:44 of the first period.

With 40 minutes to play, it still looked like anyone's game, but the Crimson offense put the pedal down early in the second to outdistance RPI on the scoreboard. Luke Esposito's third of the year at 1:32 put RPI down 2-0, and Kyle Criscuolo's sixth of the year made it 3-0 Harvard about six minutes later, marking the first time since Michigan's empty netter on October 24 that the Engineers trailed by three goals - and the first time since the opening game of the year that they'd trailed by three before an empty-netter.

The younger Donato made it 4-0 with just under four minutes left to play in the second period, and from there on out both teams seemed to focus just a little bit more on not getting hurt and getting ready for round two in Troy a week later. Still, both netminders had very solid third periods, with Hackett stopping 17 shots - on his way to a 41-save performance - while Harvard's Merrick Madsen added to the gaudy numbers he's put up in just a handful of games already this season, earning his third shutout of the year in only his fifth appearance by making 14 saves in the final period on his way to a 31-save effort for the win.

Viktor Liljegren picked up RPI's second major penalty in as many days when he was called for charging with just under 7 minutes left to play, but the RPI penalty kill, as noted, was able to keep Harvard's high powered PP unit from scoring throughout the contest. The loss snapped the aforementioned unbeaten streak at nine games, one shy of standing alone as the longest unbeaten streak for the Engineers since the end of their NCAA-record 38-game unbeaten streak from November 1984 through November 1985. The loss came 30 years and a week from the ending of that record run.

Mike Prapavessis was named to the All-Tournament team in recognition of his three-assist efforts the previous night against Western Michigan.

Next up is the final ECAC weekend of the 2015 calendar year as RPI returns home to square off with Dartmouth and then face their rematch with Harvard. The Big Green have, at times, struggled to both score goals and keep the puck out of the net - perhaps typified by the pair of 7-0 losses they've suffered this season, including one this past Friday at Michigan - which makes Friday's game one that a team that fancies itself a contender for a first-round bye should be able to take care of, especially playing at home. Saturday, we'll see if the Engineers can find a remedy for Harvard  or if perhaps they held a little something back for a game that'll mean more at the end of the season than a non-conference game in Indiana.

Current ECAC Standings
1. Quinnipiac - 10 pts (4-0-2)
2. RPI - 10 pts (4-0-2)
3. Harvard - 9 pts (4-1-1)
4. Cornell - 9 pts (4-1-1)
5. Yale - 8 pts (3-1-2)
6. St. Lawrence - 7 pts (3-1-1)
7. Brown - 6 pts (2-3-2)
8. Dartmouth - 4 pts (2-4-0)
9. Colgate - 3 pts (1-5-1)
10. Clarkson - 2 pts (0-3-2)
11. Union - 2 pts (1-5-0)
12. Princeton - 2 pts (1-5-0)

By winning percentage
1. Quinnipiac (.833)
2. RPI (.833)
3. Harvard (.750)
4. Cornell (.750)
5. St. Lawrence (.700)
6. Yale (.667)
7. Brown (.429)
8. Dartmouth (.333)
9. Colgate (.214)
10. Clarkson (.200)
11. Union (.167)
12. Princeton (.167)

RPI vs. Western Michigan
Non-conference Game - Compton Family Ice Arena (South Bend, IN)
11/27/15 - 4:00pm

RESULT: RPI 4, Western Michigan 1

RECORD: 8-4-2 (4-0-2 ECAC, 10 pts)

#8 Harvard vs. RPI
Non-conference Game - Compton Family Ice Arena (South Bend, IN)
11/28/15 - 4:00pm

RESULT: Harvard 4, RPI 0

BOX SCORES
College Hockey Stats
USCHO

RECAPS
RPI

RECORD: 8-5-2 (4-0-2 ECAC, 10 pts)

Upcoming games
04 Dec - Dartmouth
05 Dec - #8 Harvard
11 Dec - Arizona State
12 Dec - Arizona State
02 Jan - at Miami

Monday, November 30, 2015

Women's Hockey - New Hampshire (27/28 Nov)

After a disappointing exhibition outing in Montreal that saw RPI beaten 4-0 by McGill, the Engineers returned home for a Thanksgiving weekend non-conference pair against New Hampshire.

Alexa Gruschow provided all the offense for RPI on the weekend, notching a hat trick in Friday's 3-3 tie and another goal on Saturday in a 2-1 loss.

Friday

Schwalbe/Mankey/Gruschow
Wash/Tomlinson/Rooney
Grigsby/Raspa/Thomas
Tremblay/Hylwa/Orzechowski

Kimmerle/Godin
Behounek/Banks
Hansen

Selander

Alexa Gruschow scored two goals in three minutes late in the game to complete a hat trick and lead RPI's comeback to a 3-3 tie against New Hampshire at Houston Field House Friday night.

After Gruschow's first goal - the first of the game - was matched by UNH 23 seconds later, the Wildcats scored two more to take a 3-1 lead, necessitating Gruschow's late-game heroics.

The senior's first goal started through her own hard work along the boards to gain control of a puck which she fed to Mari Mankey behind the UNH net. Mankey slipped the puck back to the top of the crease where a charging Gruschow put it past Kyra Smith for the 1-0 lead.

Jonna Curtis ensured the RPI lead was short-lived, blowing past Hannah Behounek on a breakaway to beat Lovisa Selander and tie the game at one just 23 seconds later.

UNH took the lead later in the first period when a botched RPI pass at their own blue line gave the Wildcats a 2-on-1 which Cassandra Vilgrain finished off to make it 2-1.

The Wildcat lead grew to 3-1 at 2:46 of the middle frame, when Amy Schlagel scored a power play goal on a nice one-timer off a pass across the slot by Jonna Curtis.

RPI couldn't capitalize on a couple UNH penalties, leaving it to Gruschow's late-game tallies in the third to tie things up. She drew the Engineers to within one at 15:47, making a couple quick moves to get around the defense and throw a sharp angle shot at the net which found its way through.

Three minutes later she tied the game, parking at the side of the net with the extra attacker on and taking a feed from the slot which she quickly snapped past Smith.

The hat trick was the first of Gruschow's career, in a game which saw her put a team-leading six shots on net. Mari Mankey had two assists.

Saturday

Schwalbe/Mankey/Gruschow
Tremblay/Tomlinson/Rooney
Grigsby/Raspa/Thomas
Hylwa/Orzechowski

Hansen/Godin
Behounek/Banks
Kimmerle

Selander

After scoring a hat trick on Friday, Alexa Gruschow added another goal on Saturday, but it would be the Engineers' only goal on the afternoon and would not be enough as RPI fell 2-1 to UNH.

Amy Boucher scored for the Wildcats in the first period, deflecting a point shot from Amy Schlagel past Selander for a 1-0 lead.

Gruschow tied the game at 6:37 of the third period, putting home a loose puck after a shot from Josefine Hansen was blocked on its way to the net.

Amy Boucher put the Wildcats back on top at 11:41 with a power play tally, capitalizing on a failed RPI clearing attempt to take the lead.

RPI pushed for the tying goal as the clock ran down, pulling Selander for a minute and a half of extra attacker time, but the Wildcats held on to the lead for a win and a tie over the Engineers on the weekend.

The Engineers now return home for one more weekend of league play against Yale and Brown before a month-long winter break.

-----

RPI vs. New Hampshire
Non-Conference Game - Houston Field House (Troy, NY)
11/27/15 - 7pm
RPI 3, UNH 3 (OT)

BOX SCORES:
RPI: http://www.rpiathletics.com/boxscore.aspx?path=whock&id=5191
College Hockey Stats: http://collegehockeystats.net/1516/boxes/wrenunh1.n27

RECAPS:
RPI: http://www.rpiathletics.com/news/2015/11/27/WICE_1127151008.aspx?path=whock
UNH: http://unhwildcats.com/news/2015/11/27/WHOCKEY_1127153556.aspx?path=whockey
Video Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPjJ30KUUzI
Complete Game Video: http://rpitv.org/productions/1013-womens-hockey-vs-unh-game-1

RECORD: 4-7-2 (2-3-1 ECAC)

-----

RPI vs. New Hampshire
Non-Conference Game - Houston Field House (Troy, NY)
11/28/15 - 4pm
UNH 2, RPI 1

BOX SCORES:
RPI: http://www.rpiathletics.com/boxscore.aspx?path=whock&id=5192
College Hockey Stats: http://collegehockeystats.net/1516/boxes/wrenunh1.n28

RECAPS:
RPI: http://www.rpiathletics.com/news/2015/11/28/WICE_1128151302.aspx?path=whock
UNH: http://unhwildcats.com/news/2015/11/28/WHOCKEY_1128155834.aspx?path=whockey
Video Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua2ck7Nxf0o
Complete Game Video: http://rpitv.org/productions/1014-womens-hockey-vs-unh-game-2

RECORD: 4-8-2 (2-3-1 ECAC)

-----

Upcoming Schedule

Dec. 4 - Yale (3pm)
Dec. 5 - Brown (3pm)
Jan. 2 - at Mercyhurst (3pm)
Jan. 3 - at Mercyhurst (1pm)

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Men's Hockey - at Bentley/New Hampshire (20/24 Nov)

Another weekend, another couple of wins for an RPI team that is certainly on more than a little bit of a roll - although neither win came easy. On the road against Bentley and at home against New Hampshire on Friday and Tuesday nights respectively, the Engineers jumped out to 3-0 leads twice but ultimately needed to rally in the third period twice as well on their way to 3-2 and 4-3 victories that extended their unbeaten streak to eight in a row - their longest unbeaten streak since the 1998-99 season.

Bentley
Liljegren-Bourbonnais-Wood
Melanson-Miller-Nanne
Fulton-Schroeder-Gillespie
Ohrvall, Rodriguez

Bradley-Prapavessis
Wilson-Reno
Moore-Hampton
Grant

Hackett

Alex Rodriguez made his collegiate debut on Friday at one of the smallest rinks in all of college hockey, replacing Lonnie Clary in the lineup. As with the previous weekend, Jason Kasdorf was available as a potential injury backup for Cam Hackett, but he ultimately did not play in either game the Engineers had over the five day period.

RPI's increasingly vaunted "M-N-M" line of Mark Miller, Lou Nanne, and Drew Melanson provided the spark and energy for the Engineers' offense throughout their first visit to Bentley, but specifically powered things during the first period, picking up two big goals to give the visitors the early edge. Nanne scored his third goal of the season with a helper from Melanson at 8:41 to put RPI ahead 1-0, and Miller added to that lead with a tally from Melanson at 17:44 of the period, his fourth goal of the year.

Meanwhile, the RPI penalty kill kept the Falcons held down during the opening 20 minutes, successfully killing off a pair of penalties to preserve the 2-0 lead. Then, midway through the second, Mike Prapavessis struck with his first goal of the season, putting back a rebound off a shot by Zach Schroeder, giving the Engineers a crucial 3-0 edge.

That's roughly the time when the tide began to shift in Bentley's favor. The home side, led by a line of Andrew Gladiuk, Max French, and Kyle Schmidt, pushed back fiercely. Hackett held up for much of the middle period, making a game-high 13 saves, but did let one by during a 4-on-4 counter-attack from the Falcons as Jake Ahlgren's goal got Bentley on the board.

Bentley's top line converted for a tally at 6:44 of the third period to really tighten the game up, but that was as close as the Falcons would get. Another 11 saves by Hackett in the third contributed to a 31-for-33 night for the freshman netminder, and RPI's defense dug deep late to come away with the victory against a very tenacious Bentley squad.

Riley Bourbonnais had a six-game point scoring streak snapped by missing the scoresheet against the Falcons, but he remained in the team lead for goals and points.

New Hampshire
Liljegren-Bubela-Bourbonnais
Melanson-Miller-Nanne
Wood-Schroeder-Gillespie
Ohrvall-Fulton-Rodriguez

Bradley-Prapavessis
Wilson-Reno
Moore-Hampton

Hackette

Milos Bubela returned to the lineup for the first time in nearly a month since suffering an injury against Union, allowing RPI to field the usual 12x6 lineup that most teams roll with. Functionally, he replaced Tommy Grant in the lineup, and three of the four forward lines were juggled a bit to accommodate for his return.

Prapavessis got the Engineers off to a quick start with his second goal of the year, second in as many games, and second RPI goal in a row by getting a shot from the point through everyone at 2:54 of the first period, just after intercepting a weak clearance attempt by UNH. The unassisted goal made it 1-0 RPI for the sixth time in the last eight contests.

Early in the second period, Melanson scored his second goal of the year by slamming home a rebound off a shots by both of his linemates, beating UNH netminder Danny Tirone into an open net for the 2-0 edge at 5:49 of the second. Just over three minutes later, shortly after killing off a dangerous UNH power play, Bourbonnais got himself back onto the scoresheet. With the Wildcats playing relatively lax defense and Bourbonnais himself fresh out of the penalty box, he slipped behind the UNH D and took a feed from Jake Wood, pounding it home for his team-leading 7th goal of the season and putting the Engineers ahead 3-0 for the second time in as many contests.

But that edge did not last long - much of it evaporated minutes later due to a poor hit by senior Milos Bubela, who was called for elbowing in the defensive zone. On the delayed call, UNH's Andrew Poturalski went to work. tipping home a shot from the point to put the Wildcats on the board before going back on the power play. Poturalski scored again on the ensuing man advantage less than a minute later, and just like that, the 3-0 lead was only 3-2.

Poturalski completed the natural hat trick just 1:04 into the third period, tying things up with his nation-leading 11th goal of the season, almost single-handedly knotting things back up with three goals in less than 10 minutes of game time. But as we've seen with RPI this season, losing a lead in the third period was not a time for giving up, and the Engineers fought valiantly in the final period, eventually cashing in with just 4:01 remaining in regulation. A good forecheck by Alex Rodriguez, playing in just his second collegiate game, provided a measure for Parker Reno to move up and keep the puck in the attacking zone. A quick feed to Travis Fulton produced a shot that Rodriguez deftly deflected past Tirone to give RPI a 4-3 lead.

From there, UNH looked for opportunities to give themselves that crucial 6-on-5 edge, but the Engineers displayed calm, level-headed defense by maintaining puck possession to an extent that the Wildcats were really never able to pull Tirone from the net, and the game ended with the puck down in the UNH end, where it had been for much of the final two minutes of the game, and the Engineers prevailed, skating off without being on the losing side for the eighth consecutive contest.

The emergence of Rodriguez on the fourth-line tempers slightly the loss of Evan Tironese, who on Monday underwent shoulder surgery and will be lost for the rest of the season. The freshman appeared in only six games this year, and as we have yet to reach the midway point of the season, he should be eligible for a medical redshirt, which will make him a redshirt freshman next year, a silver lining to some bad news for the Engineers.

The eight-game unbeaten streak is now the longest of the Appert era, and the longest overall since a nine-game winning streak in the 1998-99 season. They will look to extend that streak this coming weekend as they travel to Notre Dame for the annual Shillelagh Tournament. On Friday, they take on Ben Barr and the Western Michigan Broncos, a team that has struggled at times to keep the puck out of the net. On Saturday, they face off with a nationally-ranked team no matter who it ends up being, as #18 Notre Dame or #8 Harvard will be the opponent.

In ECAC play while RPI was in non-conference action, much of the league played the games in hand they had over the Engineers (except for Clarkson and St. Lawrence, which still have one game in hand), and RPI remains in first place, albeit now tied with Quinnipiac, who drew with the Golden Knights and Saints for their first blemishes on their record (though still undefeated). RPI returns to ECAC play in two weeks' time against Dartmouth and Harvard at home, closing out the 2015 portion of their league schedule.

Current ECAC Standings
1. Quinnipiac - 10 pts (4-0-2)
2. RPI - 10 pts (4-0-2)
3. Harvard - 9 pts (4-1-1)
4. Cornell - 9 pts (4-1-1)
5. Yale - 8 pts (3-1-2)
6. St. Lawrence - 7 pts (3-1-1)
7. Brown - 4 pts (1-3-2)
8. Dartmouth - 4 pts (2-4-0)
9. Colgate - 3 pts (1-4-1)
10. Clarkson - 2 pts (0-3-2)
11. Union - 2 pts (1-5-0)
12. Princeton - 2 pts (1-5-0)

By winning percentage
1. Quinnipiac (.833)
2. RPI (.833)
3. Harvard (.750)
4. Cornell (.750)
5. St. Lawrence (.700)
6. Yale (.667)
7. Brown (.333)
8. Dartmouth (.333)
9. Colgate (.250)
10. Clarkson (.200)
11. Union (.167)
12. Princeton (.167)

RPI at Bentley
Non-conference Game - John A. Ryan Skating Arena (Watertown, MA)
11/20/15 - 7:00pm

RESULT: RPI 3, Bentley 2

RECORD: 6-4-2 (4-0-2 ECAC, 10 pts)

New Hampshire at RPI
Non-conference Game - Houston Field House (Troy, NY)
11/24/15 - 7:00pm

RESULT: RPI 4, New Hampshire 3


RECORD: 7-4-2 (4-0-2 ECAC, 10 pts)

Upcoming games
27 Nov - vs. Western Michigan (South Bend, IN)
28 Nov - at #18 Notre Dame/vs. #8 Harvard (South Bend, IN)
04 Dec - Dartmouth
05 Dec - #8 Harvard
11 Dec - Arizona State

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

A Rigged Game

College hockey has a remarkable ebb and flow to it, historically. Ten years ago, it seemed like nothing could ever stop the WCHA. From 2000 to 2006, the conference won the national title six times. From 1994 through 2010, there were no first-time national champions.

And now look at things. Since 2007, just one WCHA crown (and in modern terms, one Big Ten and one NCHC national championship). Since 2011, four of five national champions have been first-timers. And they're from places you wouldn't expect. Yale. Union. Providence. Your last three in a row, none of which were highly fancied at the beginning of their seasons.

Welcome to the new landscape of college hockey. It's all part and parcel of a history that created nationally recognizable programs in places like Colorado College and Clarkson and, until a couple of years ago, a highly insular structure with no national conferences to speak of.

And then along came the Big Ten.

"Men’s ice hockey is slightly more important to the Big Ten Network’s revenue stream than women’s field hockey, yet the conference was willing to blow up college hockey for a few hours of auxiliary programming," writes Patrick Reusse of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune this week. It's a perfect breakdown of why the hockey version of the Big Ten came into being, and what it did to the college hockey landscape. It was about programming for a conference television network focused on football and basketball, but needing other attractions to really make it tick. And it completely unraveled the long-standing order of things, especially out west.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the Big Ten bigfooting the rest of college hockey. It didn't.

For a small conference - the smallest member-wise in college hockey - the Big Ten outpunches its size. Its six member schools have combined to win 23 national championships, more than any other conference (17 for the NCHC, 13 for Hockey East, 8 for the WCHA, 7 for the ECAC). But that's an accounting of the past, and this is now.

In its first season, the Big Ten did earn two of the #1 seedings in the NCAA tournament. But last year, its champion - Minnesota - could only manage a #3 seed, and the Gophers were the only Big Ten entrant, unceremoniously dumped by Minnesota-Duluth in the first round. Wisconsin labored last season as one of the worst teams in the nation, and this year, the entire conference outside of Michigan and Penn State is slouching out of the gate with pretty rough records.

So where's the problem? How did big money Minnesota, with its 10,000 seat arena and regional TV contract get embarrassed on national television in 2014 by a small liberal arts school in Upstate New York that plays its home games in a tea cup?

The answer lies heavily in the difference in the way Union and many small schools have been recruiting. If you've been paying close enough attention, the recent Frozen Four appearances by Bemidji State, RIT, Ferris State, and Union should not be blowing your mind. They're instructive instead. These schools don't grab the blue-chip prospects ready for college hockey when they turn 18. Those players go to Boston University (like Jack Eichel), or Michigan (like Dylan Larkin), or Wisconsin (like Nic Kerdiles). And they don't go there very long. Eichel and Larkin left after their freshman years, Kerdiles after his sophomore year.

No, Union built a national championship on the backs of older players who developed longer in junior hockey. Guys that were more experienced as freshmen at the age of 20 or 21 than even those blue-chippers. The next first-round draft pick may not be coming to play for Quinnipiac, but they'll gladly live with bringing in an older player who's going to be around for four years - and potentially playing as seniors at the age of 24 and 25. It's a great equalizer.

And the Big Ten has decided that it isn't fair.  (If you haven't read the story yet, click the link. Adam Wodon of College Hockey News breaks it down very well.)

Their solution? Without consulting the rest of the college hockey world at the annual meeting in Naples, FL, they decided instead to unilaterally submit legislation to be voted on by the NCAA - which they can do because they're the only "all sports conference" in college hockey - that would reduce the age limit before recruits will lose eligibility from 21 to 20.

The big, bad Big Ten needs the playing field leveled against those piteous little upstarts in Canton, NY and Duluth, MN, don't you see? It's just not fair.

Now, hockey does differ from most NCAA sports in the average age of freshmen, but it differs from most NCAA sports in a lot of other ways, too. Major league draftees don't lose eligibility. The aforementioned lack of "all sports conferences." The season length is longer. And of course, the sheer number of "play-up" teams. These are all by-products of college hockey's long-term niche presence and the nature of youth and junior hockey structures.

The Big Ten's excuse for all of this is that they're simply trying to bring hockey closer to being in line with the rest of the NCAA, even though it would be completely unacceptable to require recruits to be on campus immediately after they graduate high school. And why is that? What's the rationale?

We wrote five years ago about the recruiting game and how the NHL was changing things. The NCAA is becoming an ever increasing route for players to reach the pros - more than 30% of NHL players are NCAA alums now, as opposed to just over 20% a decade ago, and far less a decade before that. There was a time that even the very best players would stay for their entire four-year college career before jumping to the NHL. Today, pro contracts can frequently be in the offing even for guys that aren't likely to get a whole lot of ice time at the highest level, to say nothing of the blue-chip prospects.

Ironically, when we wrote that, we were expecting Brandon Pirri and Jerry D'Amigo to return to Troy for their sophomore seasons - and they didn't. So schools like RPI aren't looking for the Pirris and D'Amigos anymore. They're looking for the Chase Polaceks and Nick Bailens. It's the Mat Bodies and Jesse Roots of the world that are winning national championships. It's guys that are staying in college, finishing their education, and playing for four years that are powering the best teams in the country.

Most players who are playing in juniors into their early 20s aren't going to be NHL prospects - if they were, they'd have been pushed to college already, or headed off to major junior. But these players are also far more likely to graduate one day - which is supposed to be the point first and foremost.

Now, does this proposal explode the system? Not entirely. Players are still going to be able to mature in juniors for a couple of seasons before coming to college. But it stinks for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the underhanded way the Big Ten went about doing this. They are trying to ram it through with a vote among college administrators of whom a majority doesn't care a lick about hockey (which should sound familiar if you remember the Prop 65 battle a decade ago). They're doing it over the protestations of the vast majority of college hockey coaches (who opposed the measure 49-11 in a straw poll of all 60 of them), and probably worst of all, it skews things more in the favor of the schools that already have a lot of the advantages when it comes to recruiting in the first place.

Yes, these same institutions who don't bat an eye at accepting the commitment of players not even old enough to drive - and sometimes not even old enough to be in high school - have a problem with RIT stocking their roster with 21-year-old Canadian freshmen. Hear that? That's the sound of the world's tiniest violin. Getting beat by 24 and 25 year olds? Why don't you recruit some 20 and 21 year old freshmen yourself? Seems reasonable enough. Instead of adapting, however, these schools just want to rig the game in their favor instead.

College hockey continues to change. Beyond the Big Ten, it started changing again last year when Arizona State decided to go varsity, a move which could well encourage more big money schools to do the same in parts of the country previously untouched by college hockey. It's good for the sport. But it brings with it the challenge of maintaining traditions. I always love to point out the 1996 national championship game between Michigan and Colorado College as a perfect example of what makes college hockey special - in any other sport, the Wolverines would easily crush the Tigers, but in hockey, the titan and the minnow can meet on equal terms. Perhaps the 2014 title game is an even better example - the minnow won.

But we risk losing that if legislation like this is allowed to go through, especially in the manner that the power schools are trying to accomplish it. And that would be a complete shame.

Friday, November 20, 2015

An Odd Weekend

Yes, it's an odd weekend of hockey. Non-conference stuff in the middle of November tends to be that way.

Tonight, it's a one-night stand for the men in the Boston suburbs as they get ready for a payback game with Bentley. Let's be honest. Bentley didn't just beat the Engineers twice in Troy last year. They embarrassed them - although some of that was on RPI for embarrassing themselves in their own building. What better time to head down to give the Falcons a home game than to show off how much has changed in the last year-plus since these teams last met? RPI rides a six-game unbeaten streak heading into this weekend, and as mentioned last week, this is a game that a team that fancies itself a contender in the ECAC needs to win. Bentley's certainly not a pushover, though, so bear that in mind.

On Sunday afternoon, the women head north of the border for the first time to clash with the McGill Martinets. It's an exhibition till, so the results are ultimately irrelevant, but hopefully it's a great experience for the Engineers, an opportunity to try out new ideas and new line combinations in a competitive game before they head back into a four-game homestand, including the last chunk of their ECAC schedule for 2015.

Finally, on Tuesday, it's New Hampshire for the men. Tuesday games are old hat for the Wildcats (they usually play a few of them in Hockey East play), but they're more infrequent for RPI. UNH isn't off to a great start and they're having a hard time keeping the puck out of the net. At home, the Engineers might even be the favorites. So there it is. Another pair of games ripe for the picking for an RPI team that is starting to get a little healthier, too. Can they extend the unbeaten streak to seven and eight?

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Brown Experiences the Tute Screw

So this is what it feels like to be on the other end of the screwjob.

As we said on Sunday morning, it still feels kind of hollow, but doesn't hurt nearly as much. Go ahead. You can admit it to yourselves. RPI got away with one, stealing a point from Brown like a thief in the night, due to a bad call and perhaps divine intervention - a malfunctioning replay system.

We're not going to sit here and dissect this one. We did this last year at this time, and it was directly related to how the use of replay and breaking down replay. Getting the call wrong when you've got access to replay is simply ridiculous.

But the referees on Saturday night, for whatever reason, did not have access to replay. They got the call wrong - but not egregiously wrong, even though a look at the overhead pretty quickly confirms that it was a goal. Nobody interfering with the netminder. Nobody in the crease. Net was on its moorings when the puck crossed the line, and clearly it was in well before the whistle. It would have been kind of an "own goal" if it had counted, but those are still good goals.

A lot was happening all at once. A player ended up in the net and the net was dislodged as a number of players were crashing. The puck was clearly not in sight of the officials. Plays like that, sometimes, you're going to get the call wrong on the ice. That's all that happened. And under normal circumstances, you'd just go to the replay and get the call right.

There's still plenty that the league needs to do on officiating - the seemingly arbitrary nature of what constitutes a penalty at times is maddening, and it even reared its ugly head during the overtime period against Brown. Seconds before Riley Bourbonnais was called for a seriously weak elbowing call in the extra session, the Bears arguably got away with an interference call that created a 2-on-1 and a scoring opportunity when Parker Reno was taken down between his man and the puck. Not calling it because it's overtime? That's fine. That's possibly even preferable. So why was the call made on Bourbonnais (as seen in the same link)?

Bourbonnais, as time was about to expire in regulation, laid a nice open-ice check on Tyler Bird along the Brown blueline that left the Bears defenseman resting on one knee for a short time. I'd bet anything that the weak call on Bourbonnais in overtime was because Bird didn't pop back up right away, even on a pretty clearly legal hit. This whole "carry over" or "make up" call thing has got to stop. Mess a call up? Move on.

And let's be real for a moment here, too. If this replay malfunction had happened at practically any other rink in the ECAC, the game's post mortem would have read something like this: "RPI argued that they had scored in the extra session, but a malfunction of the replay system in Providence made it unclear whether they had scored or not, and the officials stuck with their initial call on the ice."

It's only because RPI TV does a superior job with their broadcasts and their camera work - which now includes in-net cameras - that we know for a fact that the Bears were screwed over. Brown goaltender Tim Ernst wouldn't have been making sarcastic tweets at the ECAC (since, wisely, deleted) about the play if RPI TV didn't have a high-definition camera over the goal that they could use to let the rest of the world see the replay. That should be a point of pride - and even more so that it's free to the public to watch this outstanding broadcast. If you watch this broadcast regularly, please, make a donation to their cause.

Yeah, if the shoe was on the other foot, we'd be livid, and Brown has every right to be livid. But this is something out of everyone's control. Technology is great when it works, but it's not foolproof. The officials did the right thing. They went to the video tape. It wasn't there. So they huddled. And they got the call wrong. We can be as upset as we want at bad officiating, but there's an allowance for human error, especially when the technology fails.

Some have used this incident to complain that there needs to be a backup available. How? And more importantly, why? When was the last time we heard about this being an issue? 99 times out of 100, they go to the video system, and it's there ready to be used. It's the officials' job before games to make sure that the replay system is functioning. If it was working before the game and they checked, it's a blameless problem. If it wasn't and they didn't check, it's totally on them. But this doesn't happen frequently enough to require schools that have already had to invest in a replay system to also invest in something additional - like having something like RPI TV ready and able to show a replay.

It sucks to lose a point this way, yes. But from our perspective, it sucks to gain a point this way, too. If you want everything to be above board, you have to admit when you've been the beneficiary of the screwjob just as much as you'd complain about it when you're in Brown's position. But we were the beneficiaries.

And now, we move on - the screwjob balance tipped slightly back in our favor for a change. Sorry, Bears. We may not be elephants, but we have a long memory.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Men's Hockey - Yale & Brown (13/14 Nov)

The Engineers are continuing to find ways to pick up league points even without some of their most important players. Sometimes, as with their 3-2 overtime win over nationally-ranked Yale on Friday, it came down to grit, determination, and some superb individual efforts. Others, as with their 3-3 draw with Brown on Saturday, it could be chalked up to refusing to quit and a bit of just plain old dumb luck.

Yale
Liljegren-Bourbonnais-Wood
Melanson-Miller-Nanne
Fulton-Schroeder-Gillespie
Ohrvall, Clary

Bradley-Prapavessis
Wilson-Reno
Moore-Hampton
Grant

Hackett

With Milos Bubela and Evan Tironese still out, RPI rolled with the same 11x7 lineup they had put out against St. Lawrence. Jason Kasdorf remained sidelined with the injury he picked up against Clarkson the previous weekend, but he did dress and was available in an emergency capacity, suggesting that his injury should not have him on the shelf for much longer.

RPI had to be the ones setting the tone if they were to have any hope of ending their four-game losing streak against the Bulldogs, and they did that with a goal on their second shift of the game. Mark Miller, fresh off the OT winner against St. Lawrence, notched his third of the year on a shot from the top of the slot to give RPI the early 1-0 advantage as the "M-N-M" line showed flashes of the efficiency that they would show throughout the contest as the top line for the Engineers on the evening.

Yale tied things up five and a half minutes later on a goal by Ryan Hitchcock during a delayed penalty to Meirs Moore as Hitchcock pulled the puck free off the trip by Moore and just worked it straight toward the net and hammered it to Cam Hackett's right.

The Engineers regained the lead in the second period, seconds after a penalty to Jake Wood expired. Riley Bourbonnais picked the puck out of the corner of the Yale zone and zipped it up to Parker Reno, who had plenty of space at the point. Reno ripped a shot that was deflected by Lou Nanne in front, beating Alex Lyon top shelf, giving RPI a 2-1 lead.

That lead held up well into the third period, when Yale evened things once again, this time on the power play. With just under 10 minutes left in regulation, freshman Andrew Gaus netted his first collegiate goal by picking up a rebound behind Hackett from a shot by Stu Wilson, knotting the game at two. Both teams had power play opportunities late, but neither were able to capitalize, and it was off to overtime once again for RPI.

Yale put together a fairly dominating performance early in overtime, forcing Hackett to make one quality save to keep the Engineers in the game, and keeping the RPI defense on its toes for much of the extra period. But a strong counter-attack started by a diving stab by Reno to not only clear the puck but get it to Viktor Liljegren allowed the Swedish sophomore to make a rush up the boards, finishing it with a cut to the net and a lofted shot up over Lyon's shoulder, securing a 3-2 victory for the Engineers.

Hackett finished with 41 saves for the Engineers, giving him 78 across his first two games, both wins, combined - certainly a phenomenal start to his collegiate career.

Brown
Liljegren-Bourbonnais-Wood
Melanson-Miller-Nanne
Fulton-Schroeder-Gillespie
Ohrvall, Clary

Bradley-Prapavessis
Wilson-Reno
Moore-Hampton
Grant

Hackett

For the third straight outing, RPI fielded the same 11x7 lineup with Hackett between the pipes. Brown was coming off their first positive result of the season, a 3-2 come-from-behind overtime victory at Union the previous night.

As has frequently been the case for the Engineers across the last couple of decades, a bit of a letdown was in order off a big win as RPI again seemed to play to the level of their competition, especially in the first period which has frequently been a strong period for them. Outside of a single power play opportunity against which the Engineers unleashed 7 shots in two minutes against a hapless (this is actually a correct usage of the word hapless) Brown penalty kill which was dead last in the nation coming into the game, RPI mustered just five shots in the opening period.

Brown cashed in on their own power play opportunity late in the first, as freshman Tommy Marchin scored with 36 seconds left to make it 1-0 Brown at the first intermission.

The Engineers got two more power play chances in the second period, and again, they produced plenty of scoring opportunities but no goals throughout their second and most of their third power play chances, but Bourbonnais finally broke through late in the third power play to put RPI on the board 12:06 into the second period. RPI looked close to scoring again late in the second, but couldn't put one home.

Any thoughts that the Engineers could take their late-period momentum and turn it into an advantage in the third went out the window almost immediately. Nick Lappin scored just 27 seconds into the third to put Brown up 2-1, and then Lappin scored again on the power play just 2:02 later to put the Bears up 3-1 and put RPI into a serious hole.

But RPI did not back down, digging in for a second straight Saturday and finding a way to pull back into things. A shot by Jared Wilson three minutes later was redirected in by Kenny Gillespie, halving the Brown lead, and RPI was all the way back four minutes after that with a goal by Zach Schroeder while Bears netminder Tim Ernst was being screened by his own man, tying the game at three.

A lackluster finish led into RPI's fourth consecutive overtime game - the first time that's happened since five in a row in February 1992. That period featured some good end-to-end action until a fairly weak elbowing call against Bourbonnais - possibly called as a make-up call after a strong hit at the end of regulation went (reasonably) uncalled - put Brown on an overtime power play that with 2:21 left.

In the final minute of the game, a Brown shot from the slot was saved by Hackett, but the rebound trickled behind him into the crease. Schroeder rushed over to try and clear it, but his poke-check sent the puck caroming off Hackett and toward the net, which Schroeder was crashing into. Waved off on the ice, the puck was found under Schroeder and in the net once play was stopped. The referees went to have it reviewed, but the replay system malfunctioned, and the initial call on the ice of no goal was upheld despite RPI TV replays fairly clearly showing what should have been a good goal.

Let off the hook by crook, RPI killed the remaining power play time and even had a good possession in the Brown end to conclude the game, but they were unable to pull off the ultimate robbery by putting one in on the other end, and the contest ended in a 3-3 tie. Regardless of the controversial ending, it was the sixth straight game without a loss for the Engineers, representing the team's best unbeaten streak to start the ECAC schedule since the early 1970s, and it leaves them in first place three weeks into the season - although most teams will play their games in hand this coming weekend while RPI heads back into non-conference mode.

Cam Hackett picked up ECAC Rookie of the Week honors for his heroics in leading RPI to their second-straight three point weekend.

Current ECAC Standings
1. RPI - 10 pts (4-0-2)
2. Harvard - 9 pts (4-1-1)
3. Quinnipiac - 8 pts (4-0-0)
4. Cornell - 6 pts (3-1-0)
5. Yale - 5 pts (2-1-1)
6. St. Lawrence - 4 pts (2-1-0)
7. Dartmouth - 4 pts (2-4-0)
8. Brown - 3 pts (1-2-1)
9. Colgate - 2 pts (1-3-0)
10. Union - 2 pts (1-5-0)
11. Clarkson - 1 pt (0-2-1)
12. Princeton - 0 pts (0-4-0)

By winning percentage
1. Quinnipiac (1.000)
2. RPI (.833)
3. Cornell (.750)
4. Harvard (.750)
5. St. Lawrence (.667)
6. Yale (.625)
7. Brown (.375)
8. Dartmouth (.333)
9. Colgate (.250)
10. Clarkson (.167)
11. Union (.167)
12. Princeton (.000)


#10 Yale at RPI
ECAC Game - Houston Field House (Troy, NY)
11/13/15 - 7:00pm

RESULT: RPI 3, Yale 2 (OT)


RECORD: 5-4-1 (4-0-1 ECAC, 9 pts)

Brown at RPI
ECAC Game - Houston Field House (Troy, NY)
11/14/15 - 7:00pm

RESULT: RPI 3, Brown 3 (OT)

BOX SCORES
College Hockey Stats
USCHO

RECAPS
RECORD: 5-4-2 (4-0-2 ECAC, 10 pts)

Upcoming games
20 Nov - at Bentley
24 Nov - New Hampshire
27 Nov - vs. Western Michigan (South Bend, IN)
28 Nov - at #16 Notre Dame/vs. #8 Harvard (South Bend, IN)
04 Dec - Dartmouth