RPI 2024 Off-Season: Was 2023 – 2024 Just a Bad Dream?

[tony/troy]

Sachi Vines to Albany Law School.
https://alumni.albanylaw.edu/s/977/...494&ecid=9494&crid=0&calpgid=2552&calcid=4840

Based on recent social media account postings from people associated with Albany Law, they appear to be delighted that she was ready to move on, was available and that they could get her to move to their place.

Don't personally know a whole lot about her, but, what I do know is that am pretty sure I have ever seen such postings before over what amounts to little more than a job change!!!

Not to doubt for a minute the sincerity of the posters in any way, shape or form, but, poster identities do sound "somewhat familiar". Wonder if there was a dual purpose to these postings???
A) A spinorama turn around and firing of a shot back over the bow of a previous employer.
B) Being sincerely delighted that they were able to add someone who appears to be very good to their team.

Wonder if there is anyone still left at the old home front that is good enough to eventually find themselves employed at a point several miles south.

 

[Ralph Baer]

In belated honor of Jagger Tapper (72), Mathieu Bourgault (82). Maelee Ambrass (92), and Alexis Brunet (94), today is 16 August 2024. There are 50 days until RPI's next game.


This is based upon 5 October 2024 for the start of next season.

 

[Engineers]

Great post. So true. A lot of ppl come on here and tell me what a great job the new AD is doing, I don't see it. Her only D1 programs are starved for resources.

Have you seen the women’s team has no assistant coaches with about 5/6 weeks till puck drops. Murphy went to providence and Connelly went to Dartmouth. Maybe vines wants to shake up his staff? Seems crazy with a little over a month to start the season he has no assistant coaches.

 

[giwan]

Have you seen the women’s team has no assistant coaches with about 5/6 weeks till puck drops. Murphy went to providence and Connelly went to Dartmouth. Maybe vines wants to shake up his staff? Seems crazy with a little over a month to start the season he has no assistant coaches.

Lots of reasons for this. None that are good or could not have been handled better.

It's an entry point into hockey and look to the next step, ideally quickly.
Would not be surprised to see men take it.
Not sure of the pay could be low and there is a need for a culture change.

The previous AD did them no favors and the current AD I feel has her hands full.

Equity between the programs is not there. If you are a player it is very noticeable.

Not surprised Sachi left

 

[Ralph Baer]

According to our roster, our 9 defensemen average slightly less than 6' in height.

 

[DrDemento]

According to our roster, our 9 defensemen average slightly less than 6' in height.

According to some listings we are the 19th listed in Division I for height but further down at 39th in average weight. This looks like perhaps one of the smallest teams we have had in quite a few years. Makes me really hope that we are exceptionally fast!!

 

[Ralph Baer]

According to some listings we are the 19th listed in Division I for height but further down at 39th in average weight. This looks like perhaps one of the smallest teams we have had in quite a few years. Makes me really hope that we are exceptionally fast!!

Wasn't that last season?

 

[DrDemento]

Wasn't that last season?

Could be. Doubt that the numbers have been updated. But doubtful that we are bigger this year.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Today is 17 August 2024. There are 49 days (7 weeks) until RPI's next game.


This is based upon 5 October 2024 for the start of next season.




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[DrDemento]

For the football fans - RPI will be opening the season at home September 5th against arguably the toughest opponent they have ever had as a first game opponent. Wisconsin-LaCrosse finished last season as the number 6 ranked team in the nation and is holding a pre-season rank of #6. Interestingly we are only a 14 point underdog currently against a team that averaged around 40 points per game last season. After seeing the early schedule for our hockey team last season, i did not think it possible to start off the season with more difficulty but it seems football has found a way. Good luck to our boys - I doubt anything that they will face after that opening game could be tougher (although Union is being highly touted before the season starts).

 

[Waite21]

Probably not a good idea to overlook Ithaca, either.

I'm thinking about going to the second game at Wilkes. Problem is, it's scheduled as a night game, which means if I were to go, I'd have to find my way out of a strange city after dark. I can understand the reasoning for scheduling it at night - it can be pretty hot on artificial turf fields in September, and the players' well-being should always be the first consideration.

 

[tony/troy]

Probably not a good idea to overlook Ithaca, either.

I'm thinking about going to the second game at Wilkes. Problem is, it's scheduled as a night game, which means if I were to go, I'd have to find my way out of a strange city after dark. I can understand the reasoning for scheduling it at night - it can be pretty hot on artificial turf fields in September, and the players' well-being should always be the first consideration.

You got the right bottom line problem which is night games. However, got the wrong main problem. It's only 4 miles from that field to the PA81 ramp. The main problem comes after you get to the ramp. That problem is multiple hours (3 for me) on dark and desolate Pennsylvania and New York interstate highways. No thanks to that for me too!!!

Solution, if I decide to go, is to check in to a hotel before the game, then go to game, then a later dinner after the game, then visit the casino, then back to the hotel for some R & R until the sun comes up and, finally, drive home in daylight and get there in time for Alabama-Wisconsin at noon. That makes more sense and is probably a whole lot safer too.

Seriously though, this game is probably the last chance for people from points south to see the team in person until at least 2027. Effective for 2025 and 2026 at minimum there will be an interlocking scheduling agreement in place with the Empire 8 Conference that guarantees that at least 9 of the 10 games for each of those seasons will be played within New York State. That only leaves one "swing game" scheduled at the discretion of either a Liberty League or Empire 8 institution. In our case, it seems kind of unlikely that the swing game will be anyone other than WPI who RPI has been playing over parts of three centuries.

Does that mean that the opening big game of 2024 is a "one off" with no return engagement in Wisconsin in either 2025 or 2026??? Don't know, but, it sure looks that way.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Today is 18 August 2024. There are 48 days until RPI's next game.


This is based upon 5 October 2024 for the start of next season.

 

[DrDemento]

Probably not a good idea to overlook Ithaca, either.

I'm thinking about going to the second game at Wilkes. Problem is, it's scheduled as a night game, which means if I were to go, I'd have to find my way out of a strange city after dark. I can understand the reasoning for scheduling it at night - it can be pretty hot on artificial turf fields in September, and the players' well-being should always be the first consideration.

Did not mean to over look Ithaca at all. They had some losses to graduation but they are still a big talented team. In fact virtually all of the teams we will be playing will outweigh us (some by a considerable margin) on the offensive lines. We were able to recruit two rather large gentlemen for this year as we have 2 freshmen over 300 pounds, but compared to some of our opponents, we are much smaller up front. As usual lately, our overall standing will be determined pretty much by the same 3 league games -Union, Ithaca and Hobart. I had only posted about the opening game because it was just so out of character for our football program to schedule such an absolute power house for the first home game when we usual play a few cream puffs before we get into our league schedule.

 

[rpi82]

Did not mean to over look Ithaca at all. They had some losses to graduation but they are still a big talented team. In fact virtually all of the teams we will be playing will outweigh us (some by a considerable margin) on the offensive lines. We were able to recruit two rather large gentlemen for this year as we have 2 freshmen over 300 pounds, but compared to some of our opponents, we are much smaller up front. As usual lately, our overall standing will be determined pretty much by the same 3 league games -Union, Ithaca and Hobart. I had only posted about the opening game because it was just so out of character for our football program to schedule such an absolute power house for the first home game when we usual play a few cream puffs before we get into our league schedule.

I was looking at the bios of the big guys you mentioned, and one that is listed as 6'5", 300lbs, was "Two-time All-NEPSAC Goalkeeper in lacrosse." I've never seen a lacrosse goalie of that size, but he would definitely cut down on available target space. Probably best to go low.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Today is 19 August 2024. There are 47 days until RPI's next game.


This is based upon 5 October 2024 for the start of next season.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Today is 20 August 2024. There are 46 days until RPI's next game.


This is based upon 5 October 2024 for the start of next season.

 

[giwan]

Seriously though, this game is probably the last chance for people from points south to see the team in person until at least 2027. Effective for 2025 and 2026 at minimum there will be an interlocking scheduling agreement in place with the Empire 8 Conference that guarantees that at least 9 of the 10 games for each of those seasons will be played within New York State. That only leaves one "swing game" scheduled at the discretion of either a Liberty League or Empire 8 institution. In our case, it seems kind of unlikely that the swing game will be anyone other than WPI who RPI has been playing over parts of three centuries.

Does that mean that the opening big game of 2024 is a "one off" with no return engagement in Wisconsin in either 2025 or 2026??? Don't know, but, it sure looks that way.

UW Madison is the only big D1 school in WI. The other schools in WI take their football very seriously. I find it interesting WiLC will then play NMU and GVS next. NMU has been struggling and GVS is always highly ranked.

 

[DavidNardolillo]

UW Madison is the only big D1 school in WI. The other schools in WI take their football very seriously. I find it interesting WiLC will then play NMU and GVS next. NMU has been struggling and GVS is always highly ranked.

NMU and Grand Valley St. are a level up in Division II. GVSU won several national championships in the early 2000s. I think there may be a historical connection with the scheduling there: Many of the Wisconsin DIII schools were NAIA schools along with a number of current D-II schools in the Midwest. The other thing to keep in mind is that many of the UW schools outside of Madison are on the bigger end for DIII. Perennial contender Whitewater has about 10000 undergrads, and several others are around 8000.

 

[DrDemento]

What in the world have we gotten ourselves into? A year before I came to RPI our football team (having lost about a hundred games in a row - or so it seemed) opened the season with Vermont. There had been some consideration at the time of scrapping the program but the decision was made to continue on. Vermont took pity upon us and only beat us 82-6! I think this might still stand as the worst opening game loss ever for an RPI squad. over the past many seasons I have become used to starting our season with, shall we say, a lower level of competition. usually winning the first couple OOC games while preparing for the league schedule and the always tough Union, Hobart, Ithaca games which usually determine whether we get to play in the NCAA tournament. This year it looks like we have thrown caution to the wind and starting with a possible nuclear explosion. Good luck to the boys - hoping we can give them a tough time in Troy!!!