Granted some key individuals left after the '85 Championship.  That "could"
  explain a downturn in the '86 season.  But your point was that the academic
  standards have hurt RPI in the long run.  I agree.  I don't think that with
  the new admissions requirements that you are going to see RPI assemble an
  entire TEAM with as much talent as the '85 team.  They may still be able
  to recruit 1 or 2 very talented players per year, but that's it.
 
  I also agree that the Harvards and Cornells were not hurt very much by the
  new requirements.  These schools can stand on their reputations as good
 "academic"
  schools as well as good "hockey" schools.  Recruiting for them has never been
  that much of a problem.  However, the bottom half of the ECAC does have a
 problem.
  They aren't considered very good "hockey" schools.  They are at the bottom of
 the
  worst overall league in Div I.  Any of the talented would-be freshman hockey
 players
  with the intelligence to meet the admissions requirement are going to attend
 the
  "good" hockey schools.  That leaves the other ECAC schools with the task of
 finding
  academically eligible hockey players to recruit.  These schools wouldn't have
 the
  reputation as excellent academic colleges if everyone could get in.  Only
 about 5%
  of all high school seniors meet their admissions requirements.  Now out of
 this 5% I
  wonder how many are hockey players.  Let's assume that 1/2 the students are
 female.
  Now we're down to 2.5%.  If the Harvards and Cornells snatch up the good ones,
 it
  doesn't leave much overall talent for the rest of the league.
 
 
                                     -kap
 
 
 
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