|
Timeline Set for Women's Hockey's Elevation
Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson has announced the timeline for the school's elevation of the women's ice hockey program to the Division I level. After one more season at Division III, the Engineers will move up to Division I beginning in 2005-06. That team, which will feature student-athletes who receive athletic grants-in-aid, will compete as an independent.
 |
| Photo: Martin Benjamin |
Rensselaer expects to join the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) beginning in the 2006-07 season. By the 2008-09 campaign, the program will be fully funded with 18 grants-in-aid and a complete coaching and support staff.
"Elevating the women's ice hockey program to Division I will build on Rensselaer's great hockey tradition," said President Jackson. "This is an exciting transition for our women's ice hockey program, at a pace that allows us to build a team that can compete at the highest level."
Plans for the women's ice hockey team to be elevated to Division I were originally announced by President Jackson on Jan. 12. Rensselaer's Board of Trustees recently approved the timeline.
"We are extremely excited about the direction we are headed," said Ken Ralph, director of athletics. "This timeline will allow our program to make a smooth transition into a very competitive environment. It is our goal is to minimize the growing pains and to continue to have success on the ice."
This season the nationally ranked Engineers, who are coached by John Burke, posted a 19-5-3 overall record and a 13-3-1 mark in the ECAC East. RPI, which was 2-1-2 against Division I opponents, advanced to the ECAC East championship game for the second straight year.
With its elevation, the women's ice hockey program becomes the second Division I sport at Rensselaer, joining the men's hockey program. The men's team has been in existence since 1901-02 and has two national championships to its credit (1954 and 1985). RPI also has 21 Division III programs.
Should Rensselaer be accepted to the ECAC, it will join a league that currently features Brown, Clarkson, Colgate, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, St. Lawrence, Union, Vermont, and Yale. The same 12 schools currently make up the ECAC Division I men's hockey league.
|
