OPENING WEEKEND: Rensselaer opens its 2015-16 regular season schedule with a pair of games against ranked Hockey East teams, beginning on Friday, when it visits 14th-ranked UMass-Lowell (7:15pm) … The Engineers then welcome first-ranked Boston College to the Houston Field House for their home opener on Sunday (2pm).
FOLLOWING THE ACTION: All RPI men’s hockey games can be heard live on WRPI, 91.5 FM, and on the Internet on www.wrpi.org … Home games can also be seen – for free – on RPI TV … The video stream can be found at www.rpitv.org.
EXHIBITION OPENER: The Engineers fell to St. Thomas University (N.B.) in their exhibition opener on Saturday, 3-2, in overtime … RPI seniors Milos Bubela and Travis Fulton scored, while netminder Jason Kasdorf stopped all 12 shots he faced, while playing the first two periods.
HOME STARTER: RPI’s first regular season home game is October 11, when nationally first-ranked Boston College visits the Houston Field House … The non-league game is scheduled for 2pm.
TICKETS: Tickets to all Rensselaer home games are available through the Houston Field House box office or by calling 518-276-6262.
EARLY TESTS: For the second year in a row, the Engineers will face the first-ranked team in the nation in the opening weekend of the regular season … RPI fell to then-#1 Minnesota, 3-0, in the IceBreaker Tournament last year and hosts current #1 Boston College on October 11 at the Houston Field House (2pm) … In 2013-14, RPI took on #4 Boston College in its opening weekend and took on #11 Ferris State to begin the 2012-13 season.
TOP RETURNERS: The Engineers return five of their top seven point-getters from a season ago, including sophomore Drew Melanson, who led the team in both goals (9) and points (20) … Also back is senior Milos Bubela, who netted eight goals and dished out seven assists for 15 points.
ENGINEERS IN 2014-15: RPI went 12-26-3 overall last season, including an 8-12-2 mark in ECAC Hockey play … The Engineers won a best-of-three playoff series at Clarkson, two games to one, before bowing out to St. Lawrence in the conference quarterfinals.
SPECIAL TEAMS: The Engineers converted 11.4% (13 for 114) of their power plays last year …The penalty kill finished at 79.7% (137 for 172).
TOP RETURNERS: Sophomore Drew Melanson led the Engineers with 20 points last season, on nine goals and 11 assists … Senior Milos Bubela (8 goals, 7 assists) had 15 points, while classmate Mark Miller (7 goals, 7 assists) had 14 points.
