RPI Announces 2010-11 Schedule

Photo by Sara Melikian

Complete 2010-11 Schedule

TROY, N.Y. – The 2010-11 schedule for the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men’s hockey team has been finalized. The Engineers, who open their 109th season on October 8, will play 34 games, including 17 contests at the historic Houston Field House. Highlights of the Engineers’ slate include four teams that played in the NCAA Tournament last year, games in eight different states, and trips to Colorado College and Alabama-Huntsville.

Rensselaer opens its season with a two-game series at Colorado College on October 8 and 9, followed by a contest at Northeastern on October 15. The Engineers make their home debut the following evening when they host Bentley (Oct. 16). That game also marks Reunion & Homecoming Weekend at Rensselaer.

After a pair of home contests against Atlantic Hockey foes RIT – a Frozen Four participant last season – and Niagara on October 22 and 23, the Engineers head to Lake Placid to take on area-rival Union as part of a four-team event, with Clarkson taking on St. Lawrence the same day.

RPI kicks off its ECAC Hockey schedule on the road with games at Dartmouth and Harvard on November 5 and 6 before traveling to Schenectady on November 12 to face the Dutchmen. The Engineers open the home portion of their league schedule the next evening against Union in Black Saturday at the Houston Field House.

The 60th Annual Rensselaer Holiday Tournament, the oldest college hockey holiday tournament in the nation, is set for November 26-27 with the Engineers playing in the 7pm game each night. This year’s field features Connecticut, Bowling Green and Alabama-Huntsville with RPI opening against UConn on Friday. Rensselaer plays either Bowling Green or Alabama-Huntsville on Saturday.

Rensselaer is on the road for league contests at Yale and Brown (Dec. 3-4), before returning to the Field House for a single non-league affair with Hockey East-foe Boston University (Dec. 11). Following a 19-day lay-off for the holidays, the squad concludes its non-league schedule for the season with a pair of contests at Alabama-Huntsville (Dec. 30-31).

Of the final 16 games of the season – all ECAC Hockey contests – 10 will be played at the Houston Field House, including a stretch of four straight from January 21-29. RPI welcomes Harvard (Jan. 21), Dartmouth (Jan. 22), Brown (Jan. 28) and Yale (Jan. 29) during that span, which includes the 34th Annual Big Red Freakout! against the Bulldogs.

After games at Quinnipiac and Princeton (Feb. 4-5), the Engineers will host Colgate (Feb. 11) and the Whiteout! game against Cornell (Feb. 12), before traveling to the North Country for games against St. Lawrence and Clarkson (Feb. 18-19).

Rensselaer concludes its regular season schedule at home against Princeton and Quinnipiac (Feb. 25-26), as the team will honor its seniors on Senior Night against the Bobcats.

Led by head coach Seth Appert, Rensselaer had an 18-17-4 overall record in 2009-10 with a 10-9-3 ECAC Hockey mark. RPI, which earned home ice in the league playoffs for the first time since 2006 last season, welcomes back 22 upperclassmen, including 15 forwards, four defensemen and three goaltenders. Seven freshmen (3 forwards, 4 defensemen) are expected in the fall.