Women's Basketball at RPI: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 15:33, 24 February 2023

Introduction

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a research private university with 21 sports teams in intercollegiate athletics representing RPI which include men and women's basketball, cross country, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer swimming & diving tennis, and track & field. Men's sports include baseball, football, and golf. Women's sports also include field hockey, and softball. These teams compete in the NCAA Division III in the Liberty League of New York for all sports except ice hockey, which competes in NCAA Division I, as a member of ECAC Hockey [3].

History

As a number of women attending RPI in the mid-late 1900s increased, they became more and more involved in student activities and athletics. In 1975, the women's basketball club became a varsity sport. It was the first women's varsity sport at Rensselaer. That same year, the Women's Athletic Association was also established [1].

In the early 1920s Rensselaer's athletic teams began to be called the "Fighting Engineers." However, in 1995 the nickname was officially changed from the Engineers to the Red Hawks. The hockey, football, cross-country, tennis, and track & field teams however, all chose to retain the Engineers name. The name "Red Hawks" was never really accepted by the student body and the Red Hawk mascot was frequently taunted by fans who threw objects at the mascot and chanted things like "Kill the Chicken" [3].

In 2009, the nickname was officially changed by to the Engineers and the official ice hockey mascot, Puckman, has received continued enthusiasm and support since the character's initial appearance in costume in 1998 [3]. Puckman has only shown support at ice hockey games however, leaving other sports like basketball, without mascot presence.

Women's Basketball

The newly formed Women's Varsity Basketball team competed in its first matchup at home against New Paltz on December 2, 1975 coming out with a big win of 66 to 28. In the 1975 - 1976 season the team went 8 and 5 with Dan Walsh who had just graduated in 1973 and was a former player on the Men's Basketball team, as their coach.

Games were originally played in the Armory which was purchased by RPI in 1970 along with nine acres of land between 15th Street and Burdett Avenue. Plans were then made to convert the old Armory into a sports and recreation center and the Alumni Association pledged funds to install a synthetic rubber floor in the gymnasium. In 1973 it was named the Alumni Sports and Recreation Center. however, because an extensive renovation of the facility was made possible by a gift from Ellis Robison in 1976 and a subsequent gift from the Robison's funded the addition of an eight lane pool in 1984, the gym and pool were both named in his honor.

However, the basketball program's home at RPI was moved to the East Campus Athletic Village (ECAV) upon its renovation completion in 2009 [6]. As part of the Rensselaer Plan, the Institute broke ground on August 26, 2007 undertaking one of the Institute's most extensive athletic construction projects in RPI history [3]. The facilities were opened on October 3, 2009 which include a multipurpose lighted turf stadium seating 5,200 people, along with a 1,200 seat basketball arena [6].

The women's team continues to grow, now in its 45th season, having competed every year since 1975 except for the 2020 to 2021 season which was canceled due to COVID-19 along with every other RPI sport that year. They made the NCAA Tournament in the seasons of 2000-01 and 2009-10, a season in which they were also Liberty League Tournament Champions [2].

The team is currently coached by John Greene who has been the head coach since the 2001-02 season. He is the program's all-time leader in wins and has a 272 and 243 record, which includes nine consecutive postseason appearances from 2001-10 [4].