RPI Women's Hockey

[leeb]

Colgate is a solid middle-tier D1 program and should be able to handle RPI. However, I watched both RPI games against Sacred Heart. Sacred Heart is not a good team by any stretch but I think that RPI has shown that it has increased its talent level quite a bit and I don't think they will be completely overmatched in any game considering this year's schedule. It would not surprise me if at least one of the games is decided by one goal, either way.

[over rated]

I'll stick with my prediction.

[rpi82]

Since it was accompanied by such insightful and comprehensive analysis I'm sure that everyone here gives great credence to your prediction. Then again, your handle probably says it all..........

[USCHO GM]

RPI wins 3-2 in ot in game 1, kari rabatin with the ot winner.

[stetem]

Congrats to RPI for beating a solid DI team in thier own barn


RPI wins 3-2 in ot in game 1, kari rabatin with the ot

winner.

[Ralph Baer]

I predict that RPI will not score a goal this weekend. Have a nice day.
The woofing was appreciated. :p

[over rated]

I still stick with my prediction.

[RPIhockeyINSIDER]

I predict that RPI will not score a goal this weekend. Have a nice day.


SCOREBOARD!

[hab]

I was able to take in RPI's game at Colgate last night. It was a great effort by the team, and a big victory to say the least. The team started strong, skated very well with Colgate through the first half of the game and clearly had the Raiders back on their heels at times. During the last half of the second period Colgate had some real sustained pressure and Schiff kept the Engineers in the game with solid goaltending. But the whole team was faster and fitter than I had expected and the flow of the game was a lot more even than the shot totals would indicate. Nobody should think that this one game puts them in the same league as Colgate but it did certainly demonstrate that nobody on their schedule this year will be able to take the Engineers lightly. I expect that you will see a stronger Colgate team tonight at the Fieldhouse: this is a team that recruited well and probably has aspirations of being a top ten team this year, so this opening loss will have stung. A large and loud RPI crowd would be a great equalizer though :D

[starsparents]

Nice win for RPI, even though its only one game, it "may" amplify the fact that there is not that much of a gap talentwise between the upper middle to upper Division 3 schools to the lower to middle of division 1. There will be more games like this to see, but that was my thought

[over rated]

Props to RPI. Great win!!

[Ralph Baer]

Nice win for RPI, even though its only one game, it "may" amplify the fact that there is not that much of a gap talentwise between the upper middle to upper Division 3 schools to the lower to middle of division 1. There will be more games like this to see, but that was my thought I didn't see or listen to the game, but two of RPI's three goals and a total of four of the six points were scored by players who never played at the D-3 level (i.e., Frosh). However, Senior goalie Rosina Schiff was obviously a big part fo the victory.

I think that when RPI joins the ECAC D-I league next season, they will be in a better position to compete than other recent additions.

[Ralph Baer]

FWIW, there are now blurbs for each player along with the pictures at the new athletics website. They are linked from the roster. http://www.rpiathletics.com/roster.asp?path=whock

[starsparents]

RB,

Maybe I was misunderstood. The way I see it last year RPI lost to the top Division 3 teams, Manhattanville 3x, Elmira, and Plattsburgh. They certainly were very competitive in all those losses though. So I saw them as an upper Division 3 type program. Of course, going into Division 1 they will continue to get better, and recruit more division 1 players. However right now, I think they will give the low to middle range of Division 1 teams a tough time, and in last nights case, they will win some. Obviously, some Division 1 programs are Division 1 progams in name only right now, and RPI will probably expose them, in example, Sacred Heart last week. Further, the comment that Freshman scored points, true, as I believe this Freshman class in both Division 1 and Division 3 is going to prove to be one of the best, Scoring does not neccessarily make you the best player. Many great deeds that help a team win do not show up on a scoresheet. I was not there, however RPI win over Colgate must have featured alot of defensive play, and alot of unsung heroes, and alot of good plays that do not involve scoring or show on a scoresheet. I wish them luck, they have a great group.

[hab]

Points well taken, Starsparents. I was at the game, and have seen a number of D1 and D3 games over the last 5 years, and I would say that the current RPI team is a solid D1 team. That still means they have a long way to go to be competitive with the top teams but two weeks into their life as a D1 team they have to be very pleased. And yes, there is good depth on this team: they recruited some strong freshmen but they weren't the only ones who were playing at a D1 level last night.

[dave1381]

RB's overall point is, the top D-III teams are not going to win any games against the mid-level D-I teams, and last night's game was no evidence against that statment because RPI is a program with a year's worth of D-I recruits. Yes, it's true that the bottom rung D-I teams, in particular Union and Sacred Heart, are vulnerable to D-III opponents.

[Ralph Baer]

RB's overall point is, the top D-III teams are not going to win any games against the mid-level D-I teams, and last night's game was no evidence against that statment because RPI is a program with a year's worth of D-I recruits. Yes, it's true that the bottom rung D-I teams, in particular Union and Sacred Heart, are vulnerable to D-III opponents.
Exactly. You said it better than I did.

[starsparents]

My last comment on this. My point is that RPI was an upper level Division 3 team last year, and that is evidence by their results in games against those upper and mid range division 3 teams last season. However, those upper, and mid range Division 3 teams, in my opinion, can play, compete, and win at times, against the current lower and some middle level division 1 teams. This is no slight at anyone, just bringing the point that being a division 1 team, especially in the lower and middle of Division 1, is not based on team strength or ability. Not yet anyway. Its changing, but slowly. I was trying to point out how the difference between "some" Division 1 middle of the pack, and lower Division 1 teams, is not far, or even equal or worse, than that of middle to upper Division 3 teams. Again, tonight, RPI ties Colgate, Colgate was a playoff team last year, and RPI finished in the mid to upper of Division 3 last year. Its safe to say, they are very close to Colgate. thats all

[playitagain]

I would think that Colgate and especially Cornell and Union for that matter would not beat most Ontario Provincial Junior Teams and remember those teams consist primarily of midget and maybe 1st year intermediate age players whereas many of the DI schools consist of third and forth year players that are 20-22 yerars of age -- don't forget that stat -- most do -- I know Colgate beat the Aeros 8-1 last week in exhibition play but 3 teams in 3 days on a bus from the Toronto area -- things are going to break down -- -previous 2 games without a loss --so DI division is not, in its entirety a level playing field --when you see the Juniors/Int AA teams compete in this way-- :( DI is not all what you think it is at the mid to lower level

[hab]

Another impressive performance on Sat. For RPI. Didn't have quite as much jump as in the first half of Friday's game and were missing McDonald and Temple, but once again played with a lot of intensity and discipline and got great goaltending. This is going to be an exciting team to watch this year, and last night had the support of the loudest fans that I have seen at a D1 womens game. For the players as well as the fans this weekend was a great start for RPI. Interesting, by the way, to see what they have done to Colgate's reputation overnight. Based on a strong season last year, many very good returning players and some highly regarded recruits Colgate is picked by many to be at least mid-level in the tough ECAC. And yes they did demolish the Jr. Aeros last weekend. Now some of the posts here seem to be implying that this was a mediocre team that RPI played. ;)