USCHO.com Poll / USA Today Poll

TROY, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's hockey team has jumped up into the top 10 in the nation, according to the both the USA Today/USA Hockey and USCHO.com Division I Polls. The Engineers, who are 11-4-3, are ninth in the USA Today ranking and 10th in the USCHO Poll.

RPI, which is led by fifth-year head coach Seth Appert, has won seven of its last eight games and currently has the sixth-best winning percentage in the nation (.694). The Engineers lead the country in scoring defense, allowing just 2.00 goals per game.

Junior goaltender Allen York (Wetaskiwin, Alberta / Camrose Kodiaks) has played 93.9% of the games, posting a 10-4-3 record. He is second in Division I with a 1.74 goals against average and fifth with a .931 save percentage.

Offensively senior forward Chase Polacek (Edina, Minnesota / Academy of Holy Angels) has a team-high 25 points in 18 games. He has nine goals with a team-high 16 assists to rank among the leaders in the nation in both points per game (14th with 1.39) and assists per game (16th with 0.89).

Sophomore defenseman Nick Bailen (Fredonia, New York / Indiana Ice) is second with 20 points on seven goals and 13 assists. He is currently third nationally in points per game by defensemen, averaging 1.11 per contest. Senior Tyler Helfrich (Calgary, Alberta / Prince George Spruce Kings) is third on the team with 10 goals and eight assists for 18 points.

Rensselaer, which is listed eighth in this week's Inside College Hockey.com Power Rankings, returns to home ice to face two of its oldest rivals in ECAC Hockey action this Friday and Saturday. RPI plays Clarkson, which it has played 131 times, and St. Lawrence (130) at the Houston Field House with both games beginning at 7pm.

Tickets to this weekend's games — and all Rensselaer home games — are available by calling the box office at 518-276-6262. All games — home and away — are broadcast live on WRPI, 91.5 FM, and www.wrpi.org.

Live statistics are available for all home games at www.rpiathletics.com/livestats and a live webcast is available at www.rpiathletics.com/webcasts. This weekend's live video will be done in conjunction with America One and RPI TV.