TROY -- So, C.J. and Zach Schroeder are in the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute hockey lineup tonight, even though each is still sore -- Lee in the knee, Schroeder the lingering wrist ailment that's kept him sidelined for the past four games.
   The Engineers are without assists leader Brock Higgs,Mar k McGowan and Johnny Rogic but the lineup isn't as weakened as coach Seth Appert had feared earlier in the week.
   In fact, it should be good enough to get the Engineers, 3-5-2 overall, into the ECAC Hockey win column after an 0-4-0 start.
   Should RPI lose tonight and Saturday night against Quinnipiac, the 0-6-0 mark might prove to be too difficult to overcome enough to reach seventh place in the league and thus be home for the preliminary round of the playoffs.
   Princeton has not lost a road game to RPI in six years. If you believe in the law of averages, RPI should have an edge tonight. To beat Princeton, they'll have to play well throughout. They'll have out-physical the bigger Tigers without parading to the penalty box.
   That assignment has been quite difficult for the Engineers in recent seasons.
   Appert, going with his gut to name a starting goaltender, went with freshman Jason Kasdorf. An NHL draft pick (Winnipeg), Kasdorf is has the biggest upside of RPI's trio of netminders and is the goaltender of the future.
   Whether or not he's the top goalie on the team right now is open to debate.
   He has tonight's important game on his shoulders, though.