USCHO.com Poll | USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll

TROY, N.Y. – For the first time this season, the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's hockey team is listed in the national polls. The Engineers are ranked 15th in the nation according to the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll and 17th in the nation in the USCHO.com Division I Poll.

RPI, under seventh-year head coach Seth Appert, concluded the regular season on Saturday with a 17-12-5 overall record and a 12-7-3 record in ECAC Hockey. Rensselaer, which finished second in the league standings, has gone 11-2-0 in its last 13 games, including 8-0-0 at the Houston Field House in that stretch. Overall the Engineers are 12-2-0 at home, having won nine consecutive.

Senior defenseman Nick Bailen (Fredonia, NY / Indiana Ice) is the team's top offensive producer with 31 points (12 goals, 19 assists) in 33 games. He is tied for the team lead in both goals and assists. Nationally, he is second in the nation among defensemen scoring (0.94 points per game) and seventh overall in power play goals (7).

A trio of sophomore forwards follow, led by Matt Neal (Minesing, ON / Stoufville Spirit), who has eight goals and 19 assists for 27 points. Jacob Laliberte (Rockland, ON / Cornwall Colts) has nine goals and 17 assists for 26 points and Ryan Haggerty (Stamford, CT / U.S. National Development Team) has 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points.

Freshman Jason Kasdorf (Winnipeg, MB / Des Moines Buccaneers) has played 20 games in goal, posting a 13-3-2 record with a 1.51 goals against average. He has a .940 save percentage. A draft choice of the Winnipeg Jets, Kasdorf is third in the nation in winning percentage (.778), fourth in goals against average, sixth in save percentage and 11th in shutouts (3).

Rensselaer, which was last ranked early in the 2011-12 season, earned a bye through the first round of the ECAC Hockey Playoffs. RPI hosts a best-of-three Quarterfinal Series beginning on March 15 at 7pm at the Houston Field House. Tickets for that series are available beginning at noon on March 5. Tickets are $12.00 for adults, $8.00 for non-RPI students and children, and $6.00 for RPI students. More information is available by calling the Field House box office at 518-276-6262.