Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) head men’s hockey coach Dan Fridgen has announced that seven student-athletes will make up the program’s Class of 2008. Among those expected to join the team beginning this fall are five forwards, a defenseman and one goaltender. Three of the players are from the United States, including one who hails from the Capital Region, and four are from Canada.

“I am very excited about our incoming class,” Fridgen said. “It was certainly a challenge with the issues NCAA Proposal 65 caused, however; we worked extremely hard as a staff to secure a class we feel will give us depth in every position.”

Below is an alphabetical list of Rensselaer’s recruits:

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/Previous Team (League)

Jordan Alford G 6-2 180 Red Deer, ALB/Canmore Eagles (AJHL)

Tyler Eaves F 5-10 190 Queensbury, NY/Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Independent)

Andrew Lord F 6-3 190 West Vancouver, BC/Vernon Vipers (BCHL)

Jake Morissette F 5-9 180 Fruitvale, BC/Williams Lake Timberwolves (BCHL)

Jonathan Ornelas F 5-9 175 Mississauga, ONT/Milton Icehawks (OPJHL)

Dan Peace F 6-1 185 Ann Arbor, MI/Toledo Ice Diggers (NAHL)

Jacob Schuster D 6-3 195 Hopkinton, MA/Walpole Stars (EJHL)

Alford and Lord are both among those listed in the final National Hockey League’s Central Scouting Bureau rankings. The list ranks the top prospects with relation to the NHL Entry Draft. Alford is the 28th-rated North American goaltender while Lord is the 175th-rated North American forward/defensemen. Current Engineers forward Oren Eizenman is also listed. A member of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) All-Rookie Team last season, Eizenman is 197th among North American skaters.

Rensselaer finished the 2003-04 season with a league-high 22 wins (22-15-2 overall record), including a 13-8-1 league mark. The Engineers were fourth in the ECAC with 27 points and advanced to the ECAC Quarterfinals for the third consecutive season and fifth time in the last six years. RPI graduated seven seniors, including four forwards, one defenseman and two goaltenders.