RPI HOCKEY
In This Issue...
PAGES 2-3
• Program Highlights from Last Season
To Our Alumnae, Fans, Friends and Family,
Hello at the exciting start of our 2023-24 campaign. We are thrilled to deliver our fall newsletter in an engaging new format. Hopefully you will enjoy the interactive layout.
Our staff and players could not be more excited for the upcoming season. With five graduate students and ten seniors, we have a veteran core ready to take this program to new heights. I have no doubt that the seven newcomers in our freshmen class and our two new coaching staff members will provide excellent contributions this season. You can read more about them in the following pages.
The ECAC will once again boast the strongest teams in college hockey, and you can count on the Engineers bringing the effort, energy, grit and structure to compete right alongside them. We certainly hope to see you in person at the rinks this season. Your continued support means the world to our players as we carry on your legacy and traditions. Stay connected as we seek to accomplish our program goal of raising a championship banner at the Houston Field House.
Let's Go Red!
Bryan Vines Head Coach, RPI Hockey
• Engineers on the International Stage
PAGES 4-5
• 2023-24 By the Numbers
• Game Schedule
PAGES 6-7
• New Faces in the Houston Field House
• Alumnae Corner
NEWSLETTER 2023-24 Season Fall 2023
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@rpiwhockey @rpi_whockey
2022-23 Program Highlights
• Opened the season with our first official practice in Lake Placid.
• Earned second consecutive Mayor’s Cup win in a 3-1 victory over Union College.
• 2-0 home win over St. Lawrence at the Houston Field House.
• Senior netminder Amanda Rampado ‘23 named to ECAC All-Conference Third Team. Also a Top-11 Semifinalist for the National Goaltender of the Year Award. She earned a spot on SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays of the Week in February after robbing a Princeton player.
• Senior Marah Wagner ‘23 finished 12th nationally with 428 faceoff wins.
Excellence In the Classroom
• 23 players named to ECAC All-Academic Team.
• Sara Bayne ‘24, Teeghan Dalby ‘23, Magdalena Erbenova ‘24, Megan Hildner ‘25, and Hannah Price ‘23 named AHCA Academic All-Americans.
• Spring term GPA of 3.46, including seventeen players over a 3.5 and six perfect 4.0’s.
Love
• Hannah Price ‘23 named runner-up for the prestigious Hockey Humanitarian Award in her second consecutive year as a Finalist.
• Hannah also earned the Capital District Grand Collegiate Sportswoman of the Year Award and was named RPI’s Livingston Houston Award Winner for her outstanding citizenship.
Toughness
• The team partnered with CP Dynamo girls hockey, skating in Clifton Park with the youth team and hosting a successful Skate with the Engineers event in December.
• Players volunteered with Hope 7 Food Pantry and Afterschool Program, as well as RPI SAAC events including Troy Reading Days, Special Olympics and Red Cross Blood Drives.
Integrity Family
Commitment to the Community #LIFTUP
On The Ice
Engineers On The International Stage
At the World Championships
• Sophomore Nina Christof ‘26 competed in her second IIHF Women’s World Championships for Team Germany.
• Freshman defender Andrea Trnkova ‘27 represented Czechia in her second stint at the Women’s World Championships, earning her second bronze medal with the senior team.
• The 2023 World Championships were held in Brampton, Ontario.
• The 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championships are coming to New York! You can catch them in Utica this coming April.
Go Pro!
• Forward Julia Blitz ‘23 signed a professional contract with Farjestad BK in the Swedish Professional League. She traveled overseas to start her pro career in August and scored in her opening game.
• Defender Hannah Price ‘23 inked a deal with the Vienna Sabres of the EWHL. She headed to Austria in early September and began her season.
23
Returning Veterans
5 Graduate Students
19 Home Games
8 Newcomers
Newcomers: Isabelle Hardy (Graduate Student, Providence College), Georgia Bailey (Northwood School), Andrea Trnkova (Czechia National Team), Reese Keating (Shattuck St. Mary's, Brianna Livingstone (Etobicoke Jr.), Aylah Cioffi (Kent School), Morgann Skoda (Champlain-Lennoxville CEGEP), Taryn Rathwell (Kingston Jr.)
2023-24
By The Numbers
2023-24 Schedule
*=ECAC Conference Game
^ = Capital District Mayor's Cup at MVP
Catch us at the Houston Field House or on the road this season! Five of our first eight games of the year will be at home, including our first two opening weekends.
October 27th and 28th, when we host Colgate and Cornell, coincides with RPI Homecoming and Reunion Weekend. We hope to see as many of you as possible back on campus.
ECAC Playoff format has also been restructured, with guaranteed entrance into the postseason tournament. Seeds 5-8 will host a first round single elimination game.
SEPTEMBER 2023 23 RIT 3pm 24 RIT 3pm 29 Stonehill 6pm 30 Stonehill 3pm OCTOBER 2023 6 Bemidji 6:01pm CT 7 Bemidji 3:01pm CT 13 Syracuse 6pm 14 Syracuse 4pm 20 Dartmouth* 6pm 21 Harvard* 3pm 27 Colgate* 6pm 28 Cornell* 3pm NOVEMBER 2023 3 S LU* 6pm 4 Clarkson* 3pm 10 Brown* 6pm 11 Yale* 3pm 25 Assumption 7pm DECEMBER 2023 1 P rinceton* 6pm 2 Quinnipiac* 3pm 8 Union* 6pm 9 Union* 6pm JANUARY 2024 5 V ermont 3pm 6 Vermont 3pm 12 Clarkson* 6pm 13 SLU* 3pm 19 Harvard* 6pm 20 Dartmouth* 3pm 27 Union^ TBD FEBRUARY 2024 2 Yale* 6pm 3 Brown* 3pm 9 Cornell* 6pm 10 Colgate* 3pm 16 Quinnipiac* 6pm 17 Princeton* 3pm
Arena
Italics =
in Albany Bold = Home
Away
New Faces in the Houston
Ben Murphy Joins Coaching Staff
We are thrilled to welcome Ben Murphy to our staff as an assistant coach following Shelby Perry's departure in May.
Ben is a 15-year veteran of the college coaching ranks. Most recently he served as an associate head coach in his second stint at Bentley University last season. Prior to that, Ben coached at St. Lawrence University from 20182022 following nine seasons at Bentley.
As a player, Ben competed for four years at the University of Maine, making NCAA tournament apperances in all four years of his career, including two national title game berths. He graduated in 2005 and played professionally in Wichita in the 2005-06 season.
A native of Andover, Massachusetts, Ben brings with him an offensive mind for the game and an accomplished background in recruiting. We are excited for him to hit the ground running and make an impact on our program. Welcome, Ben!
Former Volunteer Jamie Hazelton Added in Full Time Coaching Role
In the spring NCAA committees approved a fourth coaching position for Division-I hockey teams. Thanks to the leadership of Dr. Schmidt and VP of Student Life Peter Konwerski, RPI stepped up as one of the first schools to fund a fourth coaching position in support of our student-athletes.
We are happy that this means the addition of Jamie Hazelton in a full-time capacity. Jamie previously worked with our program in a volunteer coaching capacity for the last two seasons, providing skills work and an offensive focus for our players.
In addition to her six years of college coaching experience, Jamie brings a wealth of experience in leadership development and peak performance skills.
Jamie hails from Bemidji, Minnesota and therefore has a special excitement for the Bemidji trip in October.
Houston Field House
Dr. Kristie Bowers Named New Director of Athletics
Following the retirement of Dr. Lee McElroy, President Marty Schmidt '84 announced a new leader for RPI Athletics this summer. We could not be more excited to welcome Dr. Kristie Bowers to Troy as the first female athletic directior in RPI history. Dr. Bowers most recently served as an associate athletic director at Boston University.
An outstanding soccer goalie at Binghamton University, Dr. Bowers understands excellence at the collegiate level. She brings a wealth of experience and an active presence in NCAA working committees.
Amanda Rampado '23 represented student-athletes on the search committee and dediated much of her summer to zoom and campus interviews with the candidates.
Dr. Bowers' leadership will undoubtedly provide a bright path forward for hockey at Rensselaer. We look forward to seeing her at our games and collaborating for increased resources and support for our student-athletes.
Thank you, Nick Karpovich!
We want to give a big thank you to Nick Karpovich, who served as our Operations Coordinator for the last two seasons. Nick recently accepted a management position at the Houston Field House, so fortunately he is not going far! You will absolutely still see him at the rink when you come to catch a game or practice.
Nick is the consummate team player and a fantastic person. Genuine, passionate and full of energy, Nick was an amazing part of our hockey family. He went above and beyond in taking care of the details that enable a program to run smoothly and providing for our players. I know I speak on behalf of the team when I say we will miss having him within our program, but we are thrilled to keep him at RPI. He is committed to advocating for our players and program as we seek to boost the RPI hockey profile nationally.
Most importantly, I am happy to report that Nick already promised to reprise his role as Santa for the annual Bill Cahill Memorial Christmas Cup 3v3 Tournament this December.
Alumnae Section Make a donation to our Let's Go Red Fund and directly help our student-athletes. Follow us on social media and on the RPI Athletics Website. Subscribe to ESPN+ and catch us remotely. WANT TO GET MORE INVOLVED? Ensure your contact information is accurate and send us updates. Come see us play live at the Houston Field House or in a rink near you. Alumnae Corner
