With three victories in its final five games – all coming on the road in the ECAC Hockey Playoffs – the expectations for the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's hockey team are as high as they have been in many years.

The Engineers, who are led by fourth-year head coach Seth Appert, return 22 student-athletes from 2008-09, while adding a highly-touted recruiting class. Among the players back are seven of RPI's top eight scorers, all eight defensemen, and the goaltender who backstopped RPI to the quarterfinals of the league's post-season tournament.


Junior forward Chase Polacek (Edina, MN/Academy of Holy Angels) led the team offensively a season ago, tallying 11 goals and 21 assists for 32 points – all team-highs – while playing all 39 games. He also had team-bests in power play goals with five and game-winning goals with three. The highly-competitive, consistent Polacek had at least one point in 23 games and two-or-more points in six contests. The team's Most Valuable Player was especially hot just after the New Year, registering at least one point in eight of 10 games. Highlights from that span included a goal and two assists in both a 5-1 win at #7 Princeton and a 7-6 overtime win at St. Lawrence. Against the Saints, Polacek's goal set the school record for fastest OT goal at just nine seconds.

Second and third in scoring were forwards Patrick Cullen (Washington, DC/Indiana Ice) and Tyler Helfrich (Calgary, AB/Prince George Spruce Kings), respectively. Cullen, a sophomore who has high-end skill around the net, had a fine freshman campaign as he tallied 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points in 36 games. Three of his goals came on the power play and two were game-winners, including the game's lone marker late in the third period of a post-season contest. At season's end Cullen, who had goals in seven different games, was an ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team selection as well as the team's Most Outstanding Freshman Award recipient.

Helfrich, a junior, compiled 23 points in 33 games, including 18 assists, which was good for second on the team. The team's leading scorer as a freshman, he started the season strong, notching at least one point in six of seven games in October and November. After fighting through injuries midway through the campaign, he regained his outstanding offensive touch, tallying four points in a pair of games against arch-rival Clarkson late in the year.

Sophomore Alex Angers-Goulet (St. Augustin, PQ/Langley Chiefs) ranked fourth on the Engineers with 15 points. He was third in goals (7) and second in both game-winning goals (2) and shorthanded goals (1). Angers-Goulet, who has good speed and strength, had an especially productive second half, tallying all seven of his goals and 13 points after the turn of the calendar.

Fellow sophomore

(Weston, ON/North York Rangers) and freshman Christian Morissette (Beaconsfield, PQ/Green Bay Gamblers) are both crafty forwards. Kerins tallied seven points (3 goals, 4 assists) in 21 games, while Morissette scored once in eight games.

Quick skating Scott Halpern (Boca Raton, FL/Bay State Breakers) and Joel Malchuk (Brandon, MB/Dauphin Kings), a solid two-way player, managed five (1 goal, 4 assists) and four (1 goal, 4 assists) points, respectively, as sophomores.

Sophomore Jordan Watts (Oakville, ON/Aurora Tigers), an agitator, senior Garret Vassel (Westhampton, NY/New York Apple Core), a strong, versatile player, and sophomore Justin Smith (Hammonds Plains, NS/Langley Chiefs), who is 6-2, 205 pounds, provide a physical presence to the lineup.

RPI's four incoming forwards all join the college ranks having proven themselves offensively and as competitors. An outstanding skater who has a knack for consistently being around the puck, Jerry D'Amigo (Binghamton, NY/U.S. National Under-18 Team) is a draft choice of the Toronto Maple Leafs who led the USA Under-18 team in scoring during its gold medal run at the 2009 World Championships. He was named to All-Tournament Team for his efforts.  #C.J. Lee# (Staten Island, NY/Green Bay Gamblers) captained his junior team to the league championship.

A smart two-way performer, Marty O'Grady (London, ON/Wellington Dukes) is expected to contribute greatly both with his on-ice talent as well as the intangible assets he brings. He was an assistant captain of Team Canada East at the World Junior 'A' Challenge last November. Brandon Pirri (Toronto, ON/Georgetown Raiders), who possesses high-end offensive abilities, was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round of the most recent NHL Draft. As a teammate's of O'Grady's, he led Team Canada East in scoring at the World Junior 'A' Challenge.



Rensselaer's defense is a big, veteran group that features players with a variety of skill sets, including hard-nosed individuals and offensive-minded players. There are three seniors, four juniors and a sophomore.

Junior captain John Kennedy (Saginaw, MI/St. Louis Bandits) is the leader of the group after putting together a solid sophomore season. He played 37 games (5 assists), many of them while injured, on his way to earning the team's Best Defensive Player Award. Assistant captain Peter Merth (New Westminster, BC/Burnaby Express), who earned the same award the previous two seasons, also plays a physical game, using his 6-3, 220-pound frame to make him difficult to play against.

The Engineers' other assistant captain is also an offensive-minded defenseman, junior Bryan Brutlag (Lakeville, MN/Academy of Holy Angels). He led RPI's blueliners with 14 points (3 goals, 11 assists) while playing all 39 games. Two of his markers came on the power play as he quarterbacked the special teams.

Junior Jeff Foss (Moorhead, MN/Moorhead), a draft choice of the Nashville Predators, had a breakout offensive year as a sophomore. He had two goals and nine assists for 11 points in 39 games after having a goal and three assists in his first two seasons. Mark Zarbo (Grand Island, NY/Bentley College), another junior, uses fine skating proficiency to also contribute offensively, chipping in with five points (2 goals, 3 assists).

Senior Erik Burgdoerfer (East Setauket, NY/New York Apple Core) also had five points (3 goals, 2 assists) while playing with a mean streak. Fellow senior Christian Jensen (Watchung, NJ/Chicago Steel), a draft choice of the San Jose Sharks, and sophomore Mike Bergin (Ottawa, ON/Smiths Falls Bears), who was selected by the Dallas Stars in 2008, are both coming off seasons that were cut short due to injury.


The Engineers return goaltender Allen York (Wetaskiwin, AB/Camrose Kodiaks), a long (6-4, 180 pounds) sophomore who excelled late in the season. A draft pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets, he played in seven of the final eight games of the year, including each of the five playoff contests. He made at least 30 saves in three of those games, including a career-high 40 in a league quarterfinal contest.

Sophomore Joe Harkenrider (Manhattan Beach, CA/LA Hockey Club) is back as the practice goalie, while freshman Bryce Merriam (Bethel Park, PA/Topeka RoadRunners) joins the team. Merriam, who stands 6-4 and 200 pounds, enters college after a solid junior career in which he was selected to particpate in the NAHL Top Prospects Game.


Appert has high expectations for his team after it swept Dartmouth in the ECAC Hockey Playoffs on its way to the quarterfinals, where they were eliminated in a decisive third game last season. Rensselaer also had success in the classroom – among the league leaders in All-Academic honorees – and in the community.

Success is not foreign to Appert, who has had nationally-ranked recruiting classes and RPI has enjoyed numerous stints in the national polls, including eight straight weeks in 2007-08, during his tenure. Individually, Rensselaer student-athletes have earned All-League and All-Rookie status as well as having a Student-Athlete of the Year Award finalist and a Hockey Humanitarian Award finalist. Five players have been chosen in the NHL Draft.

Former NHL player Jim Montgomery, a two-time All-America at Maine is also in his fourth year while Kevin Broad, a former forward for the Engineers, will be a volunteer assistant coach for the second straight season. The Engineers are in the process of hiring their second full-time assistant coach. Kevin Anderson, who serves as the hockey operations coordinator, is also in his second year.