STORRS, Conn. -- Win-starved Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute faces a team struggling even worse than the Engineers are, meeting Army in the consolation game of the Connecticut Hockey Classic.
The Cadets have won just one of 16 games this season -- 1-9-6 -- meaning Army and the Engineers are a combined 4-23-6. It also means that the Engineers MUST win today, or their season will soon be lose. If RPI can't beat this Army team -- or won't play hard enough to do so -- how many of their remaining 15 ECAC Hockey games can the Engineers expect to win?
I know, Army came to Houston Field House on Halloween, 2009 and beat the Engineers, 2-1. That Black Knights team, however, was much strong than this team.
Plus, several of the top Army players have been injured lately or playing hurt. Only left winger Danny Colvin, seventh on the team in scoring (1-5-6), is out today.
The Engineers haven't faced a team over whom they're a clear favorite -- since the Brown six weeks ago -- or perhaps even, all season.
Today, they do. The must shake off the consolation-game doldrums and win this game.
Only 5 D-men: So incensed with the play of the defensemen in Thursday's 7-2 loss to UMass-Lowell, he dressed only five for today's game.
He benched sophomores Pat Koudys and Guy Leboeuf and inserted sophomore Bo Dolan.
Also in the lineup is senior alternate captain Justin Smith, who has played in just seven of the team's 17 games.
Perhaps Appert hopes some of Smith's toughness will rub off on the rest of the team.
Senior left winger Patrick Cullen sits again and hard-working fifth-year senior Joel Malchuk gets a day off following a less-than-stellar game on Thursday.
Junior Bryce Merriam is in net for Engineers.
RPI's lines are (l-r) are Laliberte-Higgs-Haggerty;
Lee-Neal-Schroeder;
AAG-McGowan-O'Grady;
Tinordi-Rogic-Rabbani.
Smith is an extra winger.