RPI Men's Hockey Almanac | Knightley to be Inducted

TROY, N.Y. - The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's hockey team of 1963-64 will be honored the weekend of February 7-8 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the team's trip to the Frozen Four. The Engineers finished with an 18-8-0 record and was third in the nation that season. 

To date nine of the 16 members of that team, which was coached by Rube Bjorkman, are expected to return to Troy early next month. All returnees will be part of an on-ice ceremony during the first intermission of the 37th Annual Big Red Freakout! between RPI and Brown University on February 8. The night before, Jerry Knightley, one of the captains of the 1963-64 team, will be inducted into the Rensselaer Hockey Ring of Honor.

"This will be an exciting weekend," said Jim Knowlton, director of athletics. "To have the opportunity to honor the individuals that were part of one of the most exceptional seasons in our history, while also recognizing one of the captains, Jerry Knightley, with his Ring of Honor Induction will truly make the weekend special!" 

"We are thrilled to welcome back our 1963-64 Engineers who took our program to the Final Four," said current Rensselaer head coach Seth Appert. "That season is one of the greatest in RPI History and this recognition is well-deserved." 

Among RPI's 18 victories was a streak of seven consecutive wins and a stretch of 10-2-0 in a 12-game span midway through the year. The Engineers averaged 4.65 goals per game, while allowing 2.65 over the course of the season.

Knightley led the entire nation in scoring with 75 points (33 goals, 42 assists) in 26 games for a 2.88 points per game average. A junior forward, he had four hat-tricks, including a four-goal game against the University of Ottawa on December 7 (12-1 win) and a five-goal game at Cornell University in an 8-0 win over former head coach Ned Harkness and the Big Red on December 18. He was chosen to the All-NCAA Tournament Second Team and a National All-America.

Another All-America from that team was Bob Brinkworth, also a captain and already a Ring of Honor inductee. A senior forward, he had 70 points on 35 goals and 35 assists in 26 games en route to earning his third All-ECAC First Team honor. He had five hat-tricks that season, including back-to-back three-goal efforts, ironically on February 7 (10-1 win over New Hampshire) and February 8 (10-3 win over American International). 

Sophomore Pete Russel was third on the team with 38 points (20 goals, 18 assists), followed by Fred Kitchen (9 goals, 18 assists) and Bill Grisdale (5 goals, 21 assists), also a sophomore. 

Junior Bill Sack played all 26 games in goal, posting an 18-8-0 record with a 2.63 goals against average and a .920 save percentage.  He registered four shutouts.

The Engineers played their first game of the Frozen Four, which was held in Denver, against the University of Denver, losing 4-1. Bruce Tisdall scored and Sack made 32 saves. RPI then faced league-foe Providence College in the third place game, defeating the Friars, 2-1, behind two goals from Russel and 25 saves by Sack.