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

Tonight RPI takes 71 shots, and puts 31 of those on goal. Scores 0.
Colgate takes 54 shots, and puts 38 of those on goal. Scores 4.
Tonight was not a good look for the engineers.
 
I originally listened to today's game on the radio, but I just watched the highlights on the ECAC hockey YouTube channel.
Goal number 1 for Colgate - our goalie is way out of the net playing the puck. Colgate gets it and scores.
Goal number 2 for Colgate: A really slow shot from the blue line. Our goalie had all the time in the world to react, but didn't. Might have been screened, but still it was a really slow shot from the blue line.
Goal number 3 for Colgate: A pretty good power play goal by Colgate. Of all of the goals Colgate had, this is arguably the only one we should have given up.
Goal number 4 for Colgate: An empty net goal.

I apologize for being negative, but I sometimes wonder if this team is throwing games to avoid getting home ice in the playoffs.
 
I think we need to step back and look at the big picture. Hockey is not what it was in Troy or the Capital District. The days of a packed fieldhouse are gone. Albany wouldn't support an AHL team. And , from what I can tell, this year there will be 2 college games at the MVP arena. And no others. And college basketball is as much a draw, if not more, than college hockey here now.

So with that being said, a new arena is being built in Schenectady. I don’t know what and how the financial ‘ownership’ of that arena is. But it isn’t ‘Union’s ‘ rink. Thinking RPI is somehow going to spend tens of millions of dollars on a new rink, or renovation of the existing one is, I think, naive. Troy doesn’t have a casino or other entity to build one. So I think RPI will need to work with other parties to make it happen. The city of Troy can’t fill potholes , much less build an arena. But, perhaps, a joint venture with the city, RPI, perhaps the state?, and some other private venture seems to be the best way forward. And then where to build it? And who will use it? There are youth hockey teams, figure skating clubs, high school teams, public use for skating, etc.

The one other place beside where the HFH is now that comes to mind is Frear Park. That rink is also old. ( I admit I am not sure how logistics like parking would be handled. And Traffic would also be a problem). I am not sure of another place, but I think it will take some creative ideas other than RPI will just build a new rink.
 
The lacrosse team opened its season yesterday, blasting the daylights out of Kean, 26-7.

Ned Harkness, of course, coached the hockey team to a national championship in 1954.

And what did he do after that?

Started getting ready to coach the lacrosse team for its upcoming season.

Of course, that was in the long ago days when the lacrosse season didn't intersect with the hockey season.
 
Waite21 said:
The lacrosse team opened its season yesterday, blasting the daylights out of Kean, 26-7.

Ned Harkness, of course, coached the hockey team to a national championship in 1954.

And what did he do after that?

Started getting ready to coach the lacrosse team for its upcoming season.

Of course, that was in the long ago days when the lacrosse season didn't intersect with the hockey season.
Click to expand...
Ned was named late last year to the Intercollegiate Men's Lacrosse Coaches Association )IMCLA) Hall of Fame https://rpiathletics.com/news/2024/...arkness-inducted-into-imlca-hall-of-fame.aspx

Interesting that the article mentions the 1967 NCAA hockey championship while at Cornell but not the one in 1970 and more importantly to RPI the one in 1954 for RPI. I suspect that the article was extracted from the IMCLA release.
 
Waite21 said:
The lacrosse team opened its season yesterday, blasting the daylights out of Kean, 26-7.

Ned Harkness, of course, coached the hockey team to a national championship in 1954.

And what did he do after that?

Started getting ready to coach the lacrosse team for its upcoming season.

Of course, that was in the long ago days when the lacrosse season didn't intersect with the hockey season.
Click to expand...
Maybe the future of HFH is box lacrosse.
 
RPI Hockey Guy said:
I originally listened to today's game on the radio, but I just watched the highlights on the ECAC hockey YouTube channel.
Goal number 1 for Colgate - our goalie is way out of the net playing the puck. Colgate gets it and scores.
Goal number 2 for Colgate: A really slow shot from the blue line. Our goalie had all the time in the world to react, but didn't. Might have been screened, but still it was a really slow shot from the blue line.
Goal number 3 for Colgate: A pretty good power play goal by Colgate. Of all of the goals Colgate had, this is arguably the only one we should have given up.
Goal number 4 for Colgate: An empty net goal.

I apologize for being negative, but I sometimes wonder if this team is throwing games to avoid getting home ice in the playoffs.
Click to expand...
I agree with everything you said. But even without the first two goals, we lose 2-0.
We must give credit to Takacs. He stoned us. We made him work for it and could have had at least three goals or more.
So RPI played a very good game and was beaten by a hot goalie for Colgate and one bad mistake by the RPI goaltender.
All that being said, a loss is a loss, and we cannot afford to take too many of those in the next three weeks.
 
engineerhockeyfan said:
I agree with everything you said. But even without the first two goals, we lose 2-0.
We must give credit to Takacs. He stoned us. We made him work for it and could have had at least three goals or more.
So RPI played a very good game and was beaten by a hot goalie for Colgate and one bad mistake by the RPI goaltender.
All that being said, a loss is a loss, and we cannot afford to take too many of those in the next three weeks.
Click to expand...
I mostly agree. Colgate goalie was sharp, and RPI created chances. I was a little dismayed that RPI failed to convert on 3 or 4 uncontested scoring opportunities from the slot over the course of the game--whether that was due to a hot goaltender or RPI's lack of clinical finishing is up for debate, but RPI needs a few more of those to go in if they are going to finish the season strong.
 
DavidNardolillo said:
I mostly agree. Colgate goalie was sharp, and RPI created chances. I was a little dismayed that RPI failed to convert on 3 or 4 uncontested scoring opportunities from the slot over the course of the game--whether that was due to a hot goaltender or RPI's lack of clinical finishing is up for debate, but RPI needs a few more of those to go in if they are going to finish the season strong.
Click to expand...
We haven't had a sniper in a decade.
 
25+years said:
I think we need to step back and look at the big picture. Hockey is not what it was in Troy or the Capital District. The days of a packed fieldhouse are gone. Albany wouldn't support an AHL team. And , from what I can tell, this year there will be 2 college games at the MVP arena. And no others. And college basketball is as much a draw, if not more, than college hockey here now.

So with that being said, a new arena is being built in Schenectady. I don’t know what and how the financial ‘ownership’ of that arena is. But it isn’t ‘Union’s ‘ rink. Thinking RPI is somehow going to spend tens of millions of dollars on a new rink, or renovation of the existing one is, I think, naive. Troy doesn’t have a casino or other entity to build one. So I think RPI will need to work with other parties to make it happen. The city of Troy can’t fill potholes , much less build an arena. But, perhaps, a joint venture with the city, RPI, perhaps the state?, and some other private venture seems to be the best way forward. And then where to build it? And who will use it? There are youth hockey teams, figure skating clubs, high school teams, public use for skating, etc.

The one other place beside where the HFH is now that comes to mind is Frear Park. That rink is also old. ( I admit I am not sure how logistics like parking would be handled. And Traffic would also be a problem). I am not sure of another place, but I think it will take some creative ideas other than RPI will just build a new rink.
Click to expand...
A few random clarifications, additions :
-The MVP arena was entirely too big to be home to minor league hockey, from the get go. Not only from a logistics/revenue perspective, but from the fan experience...the building sucks the life out of any crowd less than 5 or 6,000. (Glens Falls sells out every home game thanks in part to a rink that is cozy - to say the least - and has a well run franchise.

-Union will be the anchor tenant (name on the building , long term lease) for the new rink under construction at Mohawk Harbor....owned by the Galesi Group. (Project is ahead of schedule and the school now expects delivery by mid summer)

-When originally announced, RPI said it commissioned a study of the HFH to determine whether renovation or new construction made the most sense.

This fall, members of this forum were told by the A.D. that the study was in fact complete and the way forward was to be a multi-phased ( 2 or 3) renovation of HFH, which would include among other things, a two story building addition where the current home locker rooms are. One of the likely many reasons given for an overhaul vs. new build was so that the M's and W' s team could continue to play in Troy during construction.

NIL and revenue sharing, coaching limbo and other factors aside, I am sure that sustained elevated construction costs have given everyone at RPI great pause, and yet Mohawk Harbor is getting it done. RPI has plenty of very successful alumni and a Bd. of Directors who could easily spearhead a new campaign for HFH's Next 100 years.... IF the motivation was there. They have an Architecture program for the love of Pete....let them design it (I'm only half joking) !!
 
Ralph Baer said:
Adam Oates was supposedly a better box lacrosse player than hockey player. He once had 29 points in a single game.
Click to expand...
He was indeed. Unbeknownst to the Bruins Oates played a few games of summer league outdoor lacrosse in Albany.......I played against him......the guy ran like the wind !

Another current hockey player with a strong lacrosse background is John Tavares.... he was an all world indoor player as was his uncle John., who holds several scoring record and currently coaches the Buffalo pro indoor team.
 
Wicked Slappaahs said:
He was indeed. Unbeknownst to the Bruins Oates played a few games of summer league outdoor lacrosse in Albany.......I played against him......the guy ran like the wind !

Another current hockey player with a strong lacrosse background is John Tavares.... he was an all world indoor player as was his uncle John., who holds several scoring record and currently coaches the Buffalo pro indoor team.
Click to expand...
Oates won the Ontario Junior A Box Lacrosse MVP award 3 years in a row in the early '80s.
 
Wicked Slappaahs said:
NIL and revenue sharing, coaching limbo and other factors aside, I am sure that sustained elevated construction costs have given everyone at RPI great pause, and yet Mohawk Harbor is getting it done. RPI has plenty of very successful alumni and a Bd. of Directors who could easily spearhead a new campaign for HFH's Next 100 years.... IF the motivation was there. They have an Architecture program for the love of Pete....let them design it (I'm only half joking) !!
Click to expand...
I am hoping that there's been a soft launch of a fundraising campaign for the renovations, and they are getting the lead donors sewn up, and maybe some designs drawn up, before going public. I think they can stay at HFH and offer a unique rink to recruits, but some significant renovations must occur.

I'm fine with phased approach...in addition to drafting the RPI Architecture program to help, count me in to help paint over those royal blue seats with some color actually related to RPI!
 
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