RPI 2024–25: Come for the Hockey, Stay for the Football

[DrDemento]

Good news indeed.

I lost count of how many times Union got the ball into RPI territory, but the Engineers' defense held them off every time. Union's only score came on a 67-yard bomb.

Union turned it over on downs at least 3 times and one time got the ball on a poor punt at the 11 and settled for getting nothing after missing a FG.

 

[MikeMidd]

This mentions 5 schools which may move to D-I. One is Hobart. If that happens there will be 6 Liberty League teams in D-I. I wonder if that would mean that the league would decide that there must be in their own league. I hope not.

Think this is much more YouTube-guy-clickbait-opinion rather than any interest or intention of moving up with some of these programs.

Hobart is already DI in lacrosse, and I'm not sure they can play up from DIII to DI in two men's sports, given DIII offers championships in both. Regardless, I believe the NCAA rule 65-1 means they cannot offer scholarships if they were to move to DI, so a big hurdle in terms of competitiveness.

From a facilities standpoint, he's talking nonsense about the Hobart rink being nice and just needing some upgrades. The Geneva Rec Complex is basically a roof with glass walls, metal bleachers only on one side, no real facilities for fans, etc. Some pictures here: https://hwsathletics.com/facilities/the-cooler/6

I went there last year to see Hobart v Middlebury. The coldest hockey experience I can remember other than a few games my freshman year at Middlebury in Nelson Arena, which was basically a metal shell. There's no way Hobart could go DI without a new building.

 

[rpi82]

Think this is much more YouTube-guy-clickbait-opinion rather than any interest or intention of moving up with some of these programs.

Hobart is already DI in lacrosse, and I'm not sure they can play up from DIII to DI in two men's sports, given DIII offers championships in both. Regardless, I believe the NCAA rule 65-1 means they cannot offer scholarships if they were to move to DI, so a big hurdle in terms of competitiveness.

From a facilities standpoint, he's talking nonsense about the Hobart rink being nice and just needing some upgrades. The Geneva Rec Complex is basically a roof with glass walls, metal bleachers only on one side, no real facilities for fans, etc. Some pictures here: https://hwsathletics.com/facilities/the-cooler/6

I went there last year to see Hobart v Middlebury. The coldest hockey experience I can remember other than a few games my freshman year at Middlebury in Nelson Arena, which was basically a metal shell. There's no way Hobart could go DI without a new building.

I can’t see it happening. Colleges and universities, particularly small private ones, are really looking emphasizing cost containment in this era of declining admissions pools. Also, while this might not apply as much to Hobart because of Geneva’s small size, I really don’t understand the rationale for schools like LIU and Stonehill to go D1 so they can carry 7 figure budgets while playing in rinks miles from campus before “crowds” measured in 3 digits.

 

[engineerhockeyfan]

Getting back to hockey. This team is playing sixty minutes and more if necessary win or lose.
They play at a fast pace and don't stop. We have not had a team like that in years.
They are fun to watch.
Now if we can only get someone to put the puck in the net we might be able to move up the standings. JMO

 

[Kepler]

RPI has football?

Good luck in the upcoming NC games. Hold that ECAC torch high!

 

[Ralph Baer]

RPI has football?

Good luck in the upcoming NC games. Hold that ECAC torch high!

If we get anything against Maine, i will be surprised.

As to football, didn't you attend the games against Cornell in 1909 and 1910? Both were in Ithaca. We had a similar result in Ithaca against Ithaca College this year.

 

[DavidNardolillo]

Hobart is already DI in lacrosse, and I'm not sure they can play up from DIII to DI in two men's sports, given DIII offers championships in both. Regardless, I believe the NCAA rule 65-1 means they cannot offer scholarships if they were to move to DI, so a big hurdle in terms of competitiveness.

Agree with everything you wrote. Just highlighting that Hobart went to D-I in lacrosse in 1995 because it thoroughly dominated DIII, winning 13 national championships in the prior 14 years. Hobart is a mediocre DI program (made the DI tournament 5 times since 1995), and and their board of trustees tried to bring them back to DIII before alumni stepped in to keep the DI status.

rpi82 is also right that going to DI in hockey is a huge investment that won't happen unless serious private funding provides long-term cost coverage, especially in the current enrollment environment.

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Getting back to hockey. This team is playing sixty minutes and more if necessary win or lose.
They play at a fast pace and don't stop. We have not had a team like that in years.
They are fun to watch.
Now if we can only get someone to put the puck in the net we might be able to move up the standings. JMO

Two of our forwards who are supposed to be our scoring threats are leading the team in penalties. Kind of hard to score when you're in the sin bin....and your teammates are killing your penalties. Unless that changes you aren't going to win many games.

Caron: 8 pen /35 mins ( Good for #2 in the nation IIRC )
Hotson: 5 pen / 21 mins

As a team, the Engineers are averaging 5 penalties for 13 minutes per game, while allowing opponents 33 shots per game. If they do that against the Black Bears you'll need two hands to count the goals.

 

[DrDemento]

Two of our forwards who are supposed to be our scoring threats are leading the team in penalties. Kind of hard to score when you're in the sin bin....and your teammates are killing your penalties. Unless that changes you aren't going to win many games.

Caron: 8 pen /35 mins ( Good for #2 in the nation IIRC )
Hotson: 5 pen / 21 mins

As a team, the Engineers are averaging 5 penalties for 13 minutes per game, while allowing opponents 33 shots per game. If they do that against the Black Bears you'll need two hands to count the goals.

Agree - but they will have to stay aggressive because if we sit back in a shell or do not press in all 3 zones, we will also be counting on fingers and toes. We have a little more depth in scoring this year with Rullers added to the mix. But it will be the usual face offs and special teams that make the biggest difference against maine.

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Agree - but they will have to stay aggressive because if we sit back in a shell or do not press in all 3 zones, we will also be counting on fingers and toes. We have a little more depth in scoring this year with Rullers added to the mix. But it will be the usual face offs and special teams that make the biggest difference against maine.

I have no trouble with aggressive forecheck style, but you have to be in control. Too often they are boneheaded infractions.

In the 1st Niagara game Hotson hit the trifecta with Hooking, Tripping, and Buttending calls, the later of which earned him a game misconduct. Caron, not to be outdone, had back to back games with 10 min. misconduct penalties (unsportsmanlike & contact to the head). Those are dumb, selfish penalties IMO.

FWIW, in the SLU game our forecheck was very effective for the most part.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Clarkson has a commitment from its second recruit with major junior experience. https://www.instagram.com/a1hockeyad...5/?img_index=1 Although Colton Smith is now in the OJHL, he played several seasons in the OHL https://www.eliteprospects.com/playe...8/colton-smith . His father is D. J. Smith.

 

[RPI Hockey Guy]

Talk about a great Saturday for RPI. Shoes, and ending a 9 game home losing streak in one day.
The next chance for ECAC points in Qpac and Princeton, and personally I think the setup couldn't be better for the engineers. Hopefully the bye week allows the Engineers to rest up, and get healthy. Then we play Maine, which will likely be our hardest weekend of the season unless by some miracle we make the national tournament. I may be too optimistic, but after taking on Maine, Qpac should feel a lot easier the following weekend. After Maine, and Qpac Princeton should be a piece of cake if the engineers stay healthy. I'm thinking of it like a baseball player with a baseball bat. Before they go to the plate, they put a big heavy weight called a doughnut on the bat, and get used to swinging the bat at the weight. Then, when they take the weight off, the bat feels like your swinging nothing at all, and you can swing a lot faster.
We saw a similar effect last year against Union. After playing a boatload of the best of the best, the Engineers came in and scored 8 on Union easily. By no means am I saying those two games will be easy. There is a lot of risk involved such as discouragement if Maine comes in and clobbers us, or an injury risk when giving it everything we got against Maine. In addition, Qpac is a team that should be able to take advantage of any mistakes RPI makes in that game, such as goaltending mistakes, penalties, or sloppy play by the offense or defense. If RPI wants to win, they need to give it everything they got all 120 min+ in that weekend. But all that said and done, I think we are set up to have the best chance to upset Qpac at Qpac, and beat Princeton at Princeton to gain much needed ECAC points.

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Clarkson has a commitment from its second recruit with major junior experience. https://www.instagram.com/a1hockeyad...5/?img_index=1 Although Colton Smith is now in the OJHL, he played several seasons in the OHL https://www.eliteprospects.com/playe...8/colton-smith . His father is D. J. Smith.

To your point RB, in Smitty's weekly appearance on Wyland's radio show, he said that ALL RPI coaches will be in Ontario later this week..as soon as the last scheduled practice is completed....So suffice it to say, they are beating the bushes of the CHL from the sounds of it.

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Smitty's weekly appearance on Wyland's radio show ...highlights:

-Happy with consistency of effort and attitude both nights
-Two well played games
-Still nursing injuries "didn't have a full roster for practice this week.." Time off will help
-Mentioned Gilson, McDermott and Ozilins as a few of the stand outs
-Rullers has impressed and has the attention of NHL scouts, who are visiting and watching him
-ALL coaches will be in Ontario later this week and weekend to scout players

 

[Fishman'81]

Hello, RPI faithful.

We're going for the Maine weekend, and, even having been there for many games over the years, we can't quite recall if there are railings going up the steps.

Never was an issue one way or the other, until The Warden had two tennis-related knee surgeries over the past 9 months.

And, does RPI defend the entrance area goal twice per game?

Thanks in advance!

 

[RPI fan 4 life]

Hello, RPI faithful.

We're going for the Maine weekend, and, even having been there for many games over the years, we can't quite recall if there are railings going up the steps.

Never was an issue one way or the other, until The Warden had two tennis-related knee surgeries over the past 9 months.

And, does RPI defend the entrance area goal twice per game?

Thanks in advance!

There are no railings going up the steps and RPI defends the entrance area twice each game. Just a reminder that both games start at 3 PM.

 

[DavidNardolillo]

There are no railings going up the steps and RPI defends the entrance area twice each game. Just a reminder that both games start at 3 PM.

Fishman'81, I would call the box office to confirm, but I think there are one or two sections with railings, they generally abut staircases that are adjacent to the openings to the areas under the stands (stairs next to Section 22 behind RPI bench, that also leads to a railed staircase up to 15, 16, and the press box; Sec 7 behind the visitors bench has a railed staircase in the middle of it that leads about 1/3rd the way up.)

Safe travels!

 

[DavidNardolillo]

Just a reminder that both games start at 3 PM.

A good reminder. I've missed a couple afternoon games over the years thinking it was a 7pm faceoff

 

[Fishman'81]

Fishman'81, I would call the box office to confirm, but I think there are one or two sections with railings, they generally abut staircases that are adjacent to the openings to the areas under the stands (stairs next to Section 22 behind RPI bench, that also leads to a railed staircase up to 15, 16, and the press box; Sec 7 behind the visitors bench has a railed staircase in the middle of it that leads about 1/3rd the way up.)

Safe travels!

Thanks, guys.

We never anticipated having to consider such a thing, especially since we were at Houston just a couple of years back and had a couple of fun and carefree nights.

(My advice to you all: don't get old and all *u***d up... You're welcome!)

 

[Fishman'81]

If we get anything against Maine, i will be surprised.

Don't be.

Maine has really good 'tending, it rolls 4 solid lines, but Maine is no world-beater this season. The D is a bit iffy and the scoring is by committee.

Should be a couple of close tilts, and either team can win one or both of them.