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Engineers appear loose, relaxed, ready
POTSDAM -- Following a spirited pre-game skate at midday today, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute appeared to be a loose hockey team but one ready and anxious to open the ECAC Hockey playoffs. They'll do so tonight (7) at Clarkson in Game 1 of the ECAC Hockey preliminary-round, best-of-three series.
"Absolutely ready," said junior goalie Bryce Merriam. "Ready to get rolling."
"Let's do it," said freshman right winger Ryan Haggerty.
The 10th-seeded Engineers (7-12-3 in ECACH games, 10-21-3 overall) wear the underdog's role against the seventh-seeded Golden Knights (9-9-4, 15-15-6).
The Golden Knights swept the Engineers during the season, 4-1 here in the league opener on Nov. 4, 3-2 at Houston Field House on Jan. 28.
Engineers coach Seth Appert was quite relaxed Thursday night. He was asked if the team's six-game unbeaten skein (5-0-1) on the road can be extended -- to at least, the very least -- 7-1-1.
"I don't know," he said softly. "I like the way we've been playing, but I don't know."
Here's how the ECACH premliminary-round playoff series shape up from here and I know, none of you needs to be reminded that a number of big upsets have occured in the prelims over the past six years. (Seeds precede each team, records are in parenthesis):
No. 10 Rensselaer (7-12-3, 10-21-3) at No. 7 Clarkson (9-9-4, 15-15-6): Engineers were swept and have won only 15 of 64 games in Potsdam all time. However, the Engineers have been playing better than the Knights of late -- and I have a hunch.
Rensselear, 2 games to 1
No. 12 Brown (5-13, 4, 8-16-5) at No. 12 Quinnipiac (9-8-5, 17-11-6): The Bears have won often from low seeds -- 11 twice. Not so sure they have enough to enough to take down the offensively-deep Bobcats, twice, though. Quinnipiac won 4-1 at home, teams tied 2-2 at Brown.
--Quinnipiac, 2 games to 1
No. 11 Princeton (6-12-4, 8-14-7) at No. 6 Yale (10-10-2, 13-13-3):After a 2-2 non-league tie to open the season, the Bulldogs whipped the Tigers, 5-2 and 6-2, the latter of which was last game. Yale is among the nation's top .500 teams and should roll.
--Yale, 2 games to 0
No. 9 Dartmouth (8-11-3, 11-14-4) at No. 8 St. Lawrence (10-11-1, 14-17-3): Many 8-9 matchups are tough to get a read on; this one, not so much.The Saints are always tough at home, and they won six of their final eight, including a 3-1 season-ending victory at Dartmouth. The Big Green won at SLU earlier, 3-1. They'll be competitive but the Saints will survive.
--St. Lawrence, 2 games to 1
Hockey chat later: Join us at www.troyrecord.com for a live RPI hockey chat both today and prior to Game 2 on Saturday, at 5:30 p.m. both days.
And we'll have postgame thoughts and player comments herein later tonight.
"Absolutely ready," said junior goalie Bryce Merriam. "Ready to get rolling."
"Let's do it," said freshman right winger Ryan Haggerty.
The 10th-seeded Engineers (7-12-3 in ECACH games, 10-21-3 overall) wear the underdog's role against the seventh-seeded Golden Knights (9-9-4, 15-15-6).
The Golden Knights swept the Engineers during the season, 4-1 here in the league opener on Nov. 4, 3-2 at Houston Field House on Jan. 28.
Engineers coach Seth Appert was quite relaxed Thursday night. He was asked if the team's six-game unbeaten skein (5-0-1) on the road can be extended -- to at least, the very least -- 7-1-1.
"I don't know," he said softly. "I like the way we've been playing, but I don't know."
Here's how the ECACH premliminary-round playoff series shape up from here and I know, none of you needs to be reminded that a number of big upsets have occured in the prelims over the past six years. (Seeds precede each team, records are in parenthesis):
No. 10 Rensselaer (7-12-3, 10-21-3) at No. 7 Clarkson (9-9-4, 15-15-6): Engineers were swept and have won only 15 of 64 games in Potsdam all time. However, the Engineers have been playing better than the Knights of late -- and I have a hunch.
Rensselear, 2 games to 1
No. 12 Brown (5-13, 4, 8-16-5) at No. 12 Quinnipiac (9-8-5, 17-11-6): The Bears have won often from low seeds -- 11 twice. Not so sure they have enough to enough to take down the offensively-deep Bobcats, twice, though. Quinnipiac won 4-1 at home, teams tied 2-2 at Brown.
--Quinnipiac, 2 games to 1
No. 11 Princeton (6-12-4, 8-14-7) at No. 6 Yale (10-10-2, 13-13-3):After a 2-2 non-league tie to open the season, the Bulldogs whipped the Tigers, 5-2 and 6-2, the latter of which was last game. Yale is among the nation's top .500 teams and should roll.
--Yale, 2 games to 0
No. 9 Dartmouth (8-11-3, 11-14-4) at No. 8 St. Lawrence (10-11-1, 14-17-3): Many 8-9 matchups are tough to get a read on; this one, not so much.The Saints are always tough at home, and they won six of their final eight, including a 3-1 season-ending victory at Dartmouth. The Big Green won at SLU earlier, 3-1. They'll be competitive but the Saints will survive.
--St. Lawrence, 2 games to 1
Hockey chat later: Join us at www.troyrecord.com for a live RPI hockey chat both today and prior to Game 2 on Saturday, at 5:30 p.m. both days.
And we'll have postgame thoughts and player comments herein later tonight.
posted by Ed Weaver at
2:24 PM
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