Bob Croce in this morning's T-U has a nice story about senior center Craig
Hamelin, entitled "Hamelin Passes Go for Engineers".  Hamelin, a 5'9" center
from Bryson, Quebec is moving up t RPI assist record book.
 
Hamelin (10-20--30) currently leads the Engineers in scoring, and needs only
three more assists to become the 10th player in school history to reach 100 for
his career.  Hamelin needs only 2 assiststo crack the all-time top 10 and tie
Mark Jooris with 99.  With 12 more he will pass John Carter and move into the to
top 5.  Adam Oates at 150 and Joe Juneau at 144 are or course #1 and 2.  Oates
accomplished the feat in less than four seasons leaving after his junior year.
 
"It's definitely an honor to be mentioned in the same sentence or the same
breath as those guys, said Hamelin.
 
Hamelin seems to make everyone play better around him.  Wayne Clarke garnered
10 power play goals and 30 pointsplying with Hammer as a sophomore; graduated
Ron Pasco had 57 points last year playing next to him; freshman Eric Healy,
candidate for ECAC Rookie of the Year, and right wing Eric Perrardi (4-7-11)
are the current beneficiaries.
 
"Everytime I have the puck, I just go the the net and it's usually there for mee,
sad Healy.  "We've just worked so well together and really gotten to know each
other.  He's make it really easy for me."
 
Hamelin, undrafted and un noticed by pro scouts,is surprised to be included in
the RPI record book.
 
"I realized the opportunity was there to become a member of that elite group
when I thought about it over the summer, but I really didn't want to think about
it or focus on that."
 
According to Croce, Hamelin was a junior player no many wanted.  Prior to RPI,
Hamelin was prolific but unimpressive ater two seasons of Tier II with the
Kenata Valley (Ontario) Lakers.  Although other scouts were not high on him,
then assistant coach Dan Fridgen actively pursued him.  Fridgen saw a guy who
was bored because he had conquered the competition for so long.
 
According to Fridgen, "It was just basically closing and selling him to Bud
(Powers) to make him that offer, because we felt he was somebody we needed at
the time from a skill perspective."
 
Fridgen admits however that h saw something in Hamelin that none of the other
scouts did, and recognized Hamelin was battling a knee injury.  Fridgen saw a
guy who just need a challenge.
 
"I probably wouldn't have gotten this shot it if wasn't for him," Hamelin said.
"He believed in me, and I think he hit the nail right on the head when he said
I was a little more bored with the entire ordeal.  I never realized it until
he said it.
 
Croce's article also gives the following RPI updates:
 
Goaltender Mike Tamburro will not see any action this weekend against Air Force.
(This seems to be a strange injury--Tamburro has been skating with the team but
apparently has not healed to sufficiently to play between the pipes.)  Fridgen
has acknowedged Bryan Massotta will get the start tonight, but adds there is a
strong possibility that senior walk-on Tim Spadafore will get the nod on
Saturday night.  (IMHO not a wise move--Massotta needs to learn the consistency
to play back-to-back games.)
 
Also, Fridgen notes the UAF road trip represents an important goal: "I want to
see us focus for the games and basically use the four days to jell from a team
perspective; not only on the ice but off the ice."
**************************************************************
Brian Morris (not Cheryl)             Go RPI!
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