(Ed. note: from Matt Hills... wts)
 
Just wanted to get my opinion in on this unrealistic expectations
thing. What has happened to RPI in hockey happens to all teams at
all schools that have any success in any sport.  RPI had some great
success in the mid 1980's, and especially at a one-sport school, it
is the old, give us an inch, we want a mile mentality. I see it all
the time here at Clemson. Now, Clemson is hardly a hockey school, but
we are also basically a one-sport school (football, in case you did
not already know). Clemson has not won a national title since 1981
and has not won an ACC crown since 1990. However, we could have been
considered a national power in the 1980's before the recruiting scan-
dal hit. We were picked to finish second in the ACC this year. WRONG!
This was a terribly unrealistic expectation for a club that finished
5-6. The additional pressure of high expectation caused the team to
play poorly- other factors (like a bad team) were certainly involved,
but the pressure had something to do with it. I fear that the same
thing has happened to RPI- there is no other sport to look forward to
at RPI (I am not even sure if RPI fields any other div. 1 teams. If
they do, you never hear about them!) and hockey feels theeffects of
past success in current pressure. Good luck to the Engineers in es-
caping this cloud, though I think that they do receive a little too
much coverage on this list... ;-) Just a little joke along with my
thoughts on this subject- pressure is tough!!
Matt Hills
Clemson University- who knows?
GO BUCKS----------GO TIGERS-----------GO HABS-----------------------