RPI Schedule Announced

TROY, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women’s ice hockey schedule for the 2010-11 season has been finalized. The Engineers, who are coming off their second straight appearance in the ECAC Hockey Semifinals, will play 33 games, including 16 at the Houston Field House. Highlighting this year’s schedule are six games against 2010 NCAA Tournament teams, including a pair against the National runners-up and conference-rival, Cornell University.

RPI kicks off the season on October 1 and 2 with games at perennial power and three-time National Champion, Wisconsin. The Engineers then open their home schedule at the Field House with the first of five straight contests against Hockey East opponents, beginning with Vermont on October 8 and 9. RPI then welcomes New Hampshire the following weekend (Oct. 15), which also marks Reunion & Homecoming Weekend at Rensselaer.

The Engineers hit the road for games against Providence (Oct. 22) and Northeastern (Oct. 24), before opening their 22-game ECAC Hockey schedule on the road at the end of October, traveling to St. Lawrence (Oct. 29) and Clarkson (Oct. 30).

League play continues over the next two weeks as RPI hosts Princeton (Nov. 5) and Quinnipiac (Nov. 6), before traveling to Yale (Nov. 12) and Brown (Nov. 13). The Engineers return home for a two-game set against Niagara (Nov. 19-20) and wrap up the month with games at Syracuse (Nov. 26-27).

Rensselaer closes out the fall semester the following weekend, returning to the Capital Region for a home-and-home series against area-rival Union. The Engineers travel to Schenectady on December 3 and host the Dutchwomen the following day.

Following a month-long layoff, RPI opens a four-game homestand beginning with conference-rivals Dartmouth (Jan. 7) and Harvard (Jan. 8). After a pair of games at the Field House against Cornell (Jan. 14) and Colgate (Jan. 15), the Engineers hit the road, reversing its previous weekends with games at Harvard (Jan. 21), Dartmouth (Jan. 22), Colgate (Jan. 28) and Cornell (Jan. 29).

After a two-game home series against Brown and Yale (Feb. 4-5), the Engineers travel to Quinnipiac and Princeton (Feb. 11-12). Rensselaer concludes its regular season schedule at home on February 18 and 19 as it battles North Country rivals Clarkson and St. Lawrence, respectively.

Under the direction of head coach John Burke, Rensselaer posted a 16-15-6 overall record in 2009-10 with an 11-7-4 ECAC Hockey mark. RPI, which defeated Quinnipiac in a best-of-three quarterfinal series, advanced to its second straight appearance in the semifinals before falling to eventual conference champion and NCAA Runner-up, Cornell.

In addition to five incoming freshmen, 16 upperclassmen, including nine forwards, four defensemen and three goaltenders are expected back from last year’s squad.