Army-RMC Rivalry Recognized By Insidecollegehockey.com

September 24, 2003

International Clash Between Service Academies Highlighted By College Hockey Web Site

WEST POINT, N.Y. - Army and Canada's Royal Military College have waged war on the ice for 72 of the past 80 years. The bitter rivalry has become known as, "the oldest continuous international rivalry in sports" and has been cited by The Hockey News as one of the Top 5 college hockey rivalries. Insidecollegehockey.com Web site recognized the annual grudge match in its latest column, "Found on a Cocktail Napkin."

The editors of insidecollegehockey.com reviewed 15 dates for every college hockey fan to circle on their calendar. The Army-RMC battle appears next to the Feb. 7 entry.

The Black Knights take a 37-29-6 advantage into the 2004 meeting with the Paladins. Army defeated RMC, 4-0, a year ago at Tate Rink. Under the direction of current head coach Rob Riley, the winter warriors hold a 12-3-2 record against their rivals north of the border.

Army opens its 2003-04 slate Friday at home, Oct. 10 vs. Ryerson at 7 p.m. It marks the 101st season of hockey along the banks of the Hudson, as the Black Knights enter the year as one of college hockey's Top 10 winningest programs with 976 victories to their credit.

Fifteen dates to circle for 2003-04

We looked beyond the traditional rivalries that we all look forward to and identified some of the dates that will make the 2003-04 season unique.

* Oct. 3 - The puck drops on the 2003-04 season. We don't know about you, but we get chills just typing that sentence.

* Oct. 17-18 - The early season tournaments get a lot of attention, but this weekend, when Boston College visits North Dakota for a pair, the meeting could offer October's best games.

* Nov. 8 - Two of the ECAC's four new head coaches tangle on the first weekend of conference play, as Union (Nate Leaman) visits Clarkson (George Roll). The following weekend, Kevin Sneddon returns to Union with his new team, Vermont.

* Nov. 10 and April 12 - Teams can finally sign those kids they've been recruiting for three years, as these two dates mark the start of the two national signing periods.

* Nov. 25 - Is Harvard ready to break into the nation's top 10? Most people think so, but when Boston University visits Bright the Crimson will have a chance to prove they belong.

* Dec. 21 - The Mariucci Classic title game could be a 2003 NCAA championship game rematch between the hosts and New Hampshire.

* Dec. 27-28 - Boston College is the fourth team in this year's Great Lakes Invitational, and the Eagles' opener against Michigan could be a Frozen Four preview.

* Dec. 27-28 - Sunshine, a little golf, and arguably the best lineup of the holiday tournaments (Cornell, Maine, Notre Dame, Ohio State)? Sign us up for the Everblades Classic.

* Jan. 2-3 - Bowling Green visits Minnesota-Duluth almost 20 years after their memorable meeting in Lake Placid. Bold prediction: neither game in this series will clock in at 97:11.

* Jan. 2-3 - Happy New Year, indeed, as Boston University visits Minnesota for two.

* Jan. 3 - Air Force faces Bemidji State in Coleraine, Minn. It's a Serratore family reunion, as BSU coach Tom Serratore and brother Frank, the Zoomies bench boss, play in their hometown on Minnesota's Iron Range.

* Jan. 9-10 - UMass-Lowell visits Michigan State for the first time since knocking the Spartans out of a pair of NCAA tournaments in Munn in the 1990s. Blaise MacDonald might want to tell his troops that it's the West Regional.

* Feb. 7 - The Army Black Knights will duck out of the conference and across the border for a meeting with Canada's Royal Military College, one of hockey's best rivalries. If we were coaching, we'd definitely show South Park: The Movie on the bus ride to the game.

* March 21 - On Selection Sunday, will John Buccigross say that Thomas Vanek is to Minnesota what Paul McCartney was to Wings? Probably not, but we'll be watching anyway.

* April 8 and 10 - The Frozen Four in Boston. (See comment from Oct. 3, above.)