Matt Murley, a senior forward, moves up this season from assistant captain to captain. He joins Steve Munn, a senior defenseman, who captains the team for his second season. The two have provided strong leadership in the past, and should anchor the team well this season.

RPI had a somewhat disappointing season last year, just breaking .500 with a 17-15-2 record (11-9-2 in conference). One of the reasons for this was the team’s strong dependence on their goalies. Although the goalies were excellent, they were often overwhelmed by shot volume. In one loss last year, Nathan Marsters made 51 saves, a remarkable number. An RPI goalie making 35 or more saves in a single game was not uncommon. To get into the running this year, Fridgen needs to work on the team’s defense to take some of the pressure off of the net.

The Engineers return all three goalies from last year. Marsters and Kevin Kurk, both sophomores, each had starts last year, though by the end of the year, Marsters had earned the regular starting job. He had a .929 save percentage last season, making him third in the nation. Kurk posted a respectable .887 in that category.

Both sophomore goalies are 6’4", giving them a definite range advantage in goal. Look for Fridgen to continue to start Marsters, perhaps giving Kurk one game in two-game weekends. We should expect big things out of Marsters again, especially with a year of Division I experience under his belt.

The third goalie is Jim Palmer, who is a crowd favorite despite his three minutes of playtime last season. Palmer’s attitude and work ethic won him the Coaches Award last season.

Munn will again lead RPI’s defense. Measuring 6’2" and 215 pounds, he has been the team’s enforcer in the past; last season he led the team with 68 penalty minutes. He also contributed seven points (two goals, five assists), helping the squad to be one of the top-scoring defenses in the nation.

The other seniors on defense are Jim Vickers and Hamish Cunning. Vickers had eight goals and 20 assists last season, making him the fifth-leading scorer on the team and the fourth-highest-scoring defender in the conference. This was a big turnaround from his first two seasons in which he totaled only six assists. Vickers played in all 34 games last season, one of only four players who did so. Cunning should also provide steady defense this season.

Junior Danny Eberly contributed 11 points last season, including three goals—he has been drafted by the New York Rangers. Fellow junior Francois Senez is another one of the seven RPI players that have been drafted; he was picked 288th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in June. Senez is one of the team’s largest skaters, weighing in at 6’3" and 230 pounds. Sophomore Scott Basiuk is another big player at 6’2" and 210 pounds, and he spent 41 minutes in the penalty box last season, while contributing eight points.

Two freshmen join the defenders this season—Matt McNeely and Blake Pickett. McNeely should add to the already-strong scoring statistics posted by the defensemen, while Pickett tends to play physical, defensive hockey.

Murley’s leadership of the forwards should also continue this year. Last season, Murley scored 24 goals and 18 assists, making him fourth in the nation (and first in the ECAC) in goals per game. Murley played in every game during 2000-01. The Pittsburgh Penguins drafted him in the second round (51st overall) after his freshman season. His sophomore season was a bit of a letdown, but he came back big last year. Murley could be a candidate for the Hobey Baker Award this season.

Also returning to the roster as forwards are last season’s other top scorers: senior Jim Henkel (11-19-30) and juniors Marc Cavosie (13-16-29) and Carson Butterwick (9-20-29).

Look for Henkel to have another big year. Despite only having 11 points from his first two seasons combined, he erupted with 30 points in 2000-01. Henkel is a consistent performer, and he’s almost always on the ice when the Engineers are shorthanded. The L.A. Kings drafted him 217th overall in 1998.

Marc Cavosie is another consistent forward. He’s quick on his skates and can be counted on to make plays. He and his brother, Eric Cavosie, are from Cohoes, and join Murley, a Troy resident, as the "local boys" on the team. Marc Cavosie was selected in the fourth round of the 2000 draft by the Minnesota Wild. Eric Cavosie provided 11 points last season. His real addition to the team, though, is his work ethic and his physical play up front.

Other returning hard-hitting forwards are Butterwick, senior Chris Migliore, and junior Nolan Graham. Butterwick led the team in assists last year, and was another "come from nowhere" scorer; he had only eight points his freshman season. Migliore racked up 54 penalty minutes and two goals last year. Graham also surprised people with his scoring; after scoring eight points his freshman year, he was the team’s third-leading goal scorer in 2000-01, with 11. He also added 14 assists, and his skills in the faceoff circle will come in handy again this year.

Senior Andrew McPherson returns, along with his strong work ethic and solid play. Sophomores Mikael Hammarstrom and Ben Barr also return. Barr scored four goals last season, including one power play goal and two game-winning goals. He should be a reliable player again this year.

The other two returning sophomores, Ryan Shields and Conrad Barnes, both made the ECAC top ten scorers list last year with 13 points apiece. Both players, but especially Barnes, seemed to come on late in the season. Fans should look for both of these players to become stars of the team in coming seasons.

The squad has also added three freshman forwards—Nick Economakos, a speedy, solid player; C.J. Hanafin, who will provide additional size to the offense; and Vic Pereira, the biggest freshman on the team, who should add some muscle to the front line.

The players are optimistic about their chances this year.

"We made some mistakes last year; we’ve learned from them," said Murley.

Munn noted that squad is stacked with veterans and talent on both sides of the ice. "We have no excuses," he said.

Fridgen’s goal for the Engineers this year is the top four in the ECAC, he said. He’s also looking for consistency out of his players, something that was a bit lacking last year.