News & notes

For RPI's women's hockey team, beating Syracuse in a pre-season game last month was supposed to build momentum for the season.

Unfortunately, the momentum disappeared somewhere between that game and the start of the season. The Lady Engineers are 0-4 heading into a home & home series with Union today & tomorrow. The teams will play in Schenectady tonight, and then, move to Houston Field House for a 3 pm matinee tomorrow. As you know by now, fans will not be allowed into the Field House, but will be admitted into Messa Rink at Union. Should Union sweep the series, RPI would tie Union's record for most consecutive losses at 33, set in a one year period from November 2006 to November 2007. The Dutchwomen, coming off a sweep of RIT last week, are 2-0 to start the season.

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I've often said that when scores from Troy High games aren't reported in either soccer or volleyball in particular, it's because the coaches might decide to spare their players some unneeded embarrassment. 

Then again, when you're closing out the tennis season against one of the top teams in the Suburban Council on their court, and they're not reporting, something's wrong.

Troy's women's tennis team closed out their schedule at Shenendehowa on Thursday afternoon, a meet delayed from earlier in the week due to rain. As of press time, neither school submitted a report, but we'll assume Shen won, as Troy will finish another winless season on the court. Wins are just too few & too far between at Troy since entering the Suburban Council in 2015.

Meanwhile, Troy's soccer & volleyball teams also fell to defeat on Thursday.

The women's soccer team, after ringing up 8 goals in 2 wins last week, have been shut out in three consecutive games, the latest a 6-0 whitewash vs. Columbia. Troy has been outscored, 24-0, in those three losses (Columbia, Guilderland, Shen), most of that damage Tuesday night in an 11-0 blowout loss to Shen.

The men fared no better, losing to the Blue Devils, 5-0, extending their winless streak to 11 games (0-10-1) with three to play. The women have two games left. Scoring has been a problem for both squads throughout the season.

Troy volleyball dropped to 1-9 in league play after losing to Columbia, 3-0, on Thursday.

I cannot help but recall what a school resource officer told me last week, that students are becoming less interested in sports due to other distractions, such as social media and video games. These are the times we live in.