I believe RPI's first line center most of the 1985-86 season was Trini
Iturralde, a superb faceoff man.  Carter also took some shifts at
center as well.  There were a lot of line changes as Addesa tried to
find good combinations, so it's difficult to remember exactly who
played on what line.
 
Oates would have to have had a fantastic senior year to beat out
Fusco, the 1986 winner, and runner-up Dallas Gaume of DU.  The
question immediately after RPI beat PC, though, was really whether RPI
would go unbeaten the following season - let alone repeat.  Repeating
seemed a good bet at the time.  Then one signing came after another...
and getting ready to enter RPI that fall, I winced with each one. :-)
Looking back, it was truly remarkable that the Engineers did as well
as they did in 85-86 (20-11-1), although at the time it was a
disappointment.  That's because a 9-1-1 start was followed by a .500
record the rest of the way; the streak and aura carried them through
the first half, but then injuries and inexperience started to take
their toll.
 
One of the most incredible performances that I can recall by one player
against another team came that year.  Mark Jooris scored 13 of his 34
goals against Michigan, in 3 games.  First, he tied a GLI record by
scoring 5 in the semifinal.  Then a month later, RPI went to Michigan
for a pair, and Jooris scored 5 more in one game and a trick in the
other.  Michigan wasn't nearly as good as they are now, finishing
second last in the CCHA, but it was still amazing.
 
Speaking of which, think about how things can change so quickly in
college hockey in such a short period of time.  In 1985-86, Michigan
went 12-26-0 and was 8th in the CCHA.  Maine was 11-28-1, 5th in HE.
Today both programs are considered among the very best in the nation
and have been that way for several years.
 
Ralph asked:
>An interesting question is how come Tiano, Kopecky and a few others
>were allowed to play for RPI after transferring without having to sit
>out a year.  Did different rules apply to Div-III schools playing
>hockey in Div-I?
 
This was right at the same time that players started having to sit out
when transferring, I believe.  Tiano and the others were allowed to
play right away because of a grandfather clause, if memory serves me
right.
 
Interesting that a number of players also went from RPI to other
schools around that time.  Forward Steve Tenney ended up at Salem
State, and goalies Tony Martino and John Haley went to Plattsburgh and
UMass-Boston, respectively.
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                                            [log in to unmask]
Cabletron Systems, Inc.                                    *HMM* 11/13/93
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