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RPI Off-season

H

hab

Registered User
Truly enjoyed watching the '23-'24 version of the Engineers. They developed throughout the season and provided great hockey entertainment. I have not yet focused on the plus/minus of the graduating class and the incoming frosh. Any thoughts from folks on where the team goes from here?
 
According to the RPI social media account, it seems the seniors joined with other college seniors and played Team China in an exhibition, winning 3-1.
 
Another (presumed) Olympian for RPI. Nina Christof on team Germany at IIHF World Championships in Utica.
 
In my opinion, one of the most significant contributions that a coaching staff can make is to lay out a very demanding but achievable off-season training plan for the team, and then communicate with players as to how they are progressing, and offering encouragement. A team that returns in the fall, in shape and confident, is the objective. Impossible to tell, as an outsider, how this is progressing. But just saw an instagram post by Nutescu that she is hard at it already, in May. When I was in my early fifties I thought I was in great shape so decided to join my daughter (RPI hockey grad) on one of her summer workouts. Dropped out after 15 minutes and the next day my legs were cement.
 
It was posted on the men's thread recently that there are rumors that AC Ben Murphy has gone to the Dartmouth men's team.
 
Ralph Baer said:
The schedule has been posted.

https://rpiathletics.com/sports/womens-ice-hockey/schedule
Click to expand...

At first glance I was pleased that I'll be able to see the team so close to my house, SHU's rink is only 5 miles away, but 2:00 on a Friday may be challenging. There's no men's game that night so I'm not sure why it is so early. I guess SHU doesn't expect many non-student fans for women's games. In any case, it's still better than the assortment of local rinks the team used before opening Martire. I remember going to an RPI-SHU game many years ago on the second sheet at the Wonderland of Ice in Bridgeport (about 3 miles from SHU's campus) that couldn't have had more than 40 fans.
 
hab said:
It would be hard to construct a weaker non-conference schedule! Twelve games and not one of them is against a team that was higher ranked than the Engineers at the end of last season. Not sure this is a good way to prepare for their tough ECAC conference games.
Click to expand...

Not sure there is any way to schedule enough tough OOC opponents that would prepare for the level of play in an ECAC where the top 7 slots are virtually assigned before the season begins! i suppose though that it might be better to win a higher percentage of games and build some momentum and come into the league schedule as a team with at least a positive record. We had a lot of girls leave after last season and will need a few games to fill in all the blanks and get everyone on the same page.
 
Ralph Baer said:
women recruits
https://rpiathletics.com/news/2024/7...newcomers.aspx

Includes two transfers Sophie Helgeson (Wisconsin) who was originally our recruit but decommitted and Natalie Tulchinsky (Grad transfer Saint Anselm and BC)

4.25 and 3.50 *'s, respectively.
Click to expand...

Unlike the men, who generally come from about 4-5 junior leagues that we know pretty well, I find assessing women's recruiting classes to be a bit of a mystery. Coming from high school, prep school, U18-U22 teams, the old PWHL (not the newer professional one), athletic academies, other nations and transfers from schools that are powerhouses down to those that are barely D1, it's hard to do any sort of analysis of their bios to set my level of optimism for the coming year. This seems like a pretty good class, but maybe Hab can give a better assessment. Then again, women's hockey has changed an awful lot since his dear daughter took on the challenge of leading the Tute into D1 so if he chooses to punt I'd understand.
 
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rpi82 said:
Unlike the men, who generally come from about 4-5 junior leagues that we know pretty well, I find assessing women's recruiting classes to be a bit of a mystery. Coming from high school, prep school, U18-U22 teams, the old PWHL (not the newer professional one), athletic academies, other nations and transfers from schools that are powerhouses down to those that are barely D1, it's hard to do any sort of analysis of their bios to set my level of optimism for the coming year. This seems like a pretty good class, but maybe Hab can give a better assessment. Then again, women's hockey has changed an awful lot since his dear daughter took on the challenge of leading the Tute into D1 so if he chooses to punt I'd understand.
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Yup, I'm gonna punt :). I am not really current on which of the various feeder leagues and teams are strongest these days. As you say, there has always been a lot of diversity there. About the only certainty is that players from Canadian and U.S. U18 teams are a good bet, but RPI has never had much success there. Players from European national and U18 teams tend to be a bit more overlooked and may be more likely to be seeking a top academic program? (thinking of Trnkova, Erbanova, Christof, for example).
 
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Just chiming in. Obviously will need to assess the goal tending situation quickly this season as what we lost is going to be hard to replace. I suspect we will be a bit stronger on defense which may help greatly. Certainly will help the goal tender some what and perhaps will get the puck up ice from the defensive zone better. My concern is where will the scoring come from? Not sure what kind of offensive pressure we will be able to exert and where will goals come from. I do hope though that the team is able to commit to a total team defense style of play which I suspect will be our best chance to be effective and competitive in a league with such power house teams.
 
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Ralph Baer said:
Helgeson's transfer was known to Wisconsin fans back in April/
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The reference to Helgeson's sister is because she plays for Sacred Heart. I guess people in Wisconsin see those tiny eastern states and assume Fairfield, CT must be close to Troy (if 150 miles or so is close). It's probably not a coincidence, however, that the Engineers and Pioneers have an early season home-and-home weekend. Even money if I go to the Friday afternoon game down here I'll see a middle-aged couple trying hard to avoid showing favoritism for one side over the other. Fortunately, both schools wear red and white so that may be a safe combination, although I think Sacred Heart's version is probably closer to Badger red, their and Sophie's undergrad alma mater.
 
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