Check out Rensselaer's banners on top. Every ECAC team has one. The home team has about 50.

Third lesson: A minor league team.

Get a minor league hockey team to play in the same rink as your team. Rennselaer has the Central District New York Islanders skating at Houston Field House. It gives them that air of professionalism.

Fourth lesson: Introductions.

The Engineers skate out in a dark rink with a spotlight on each player. The band plays scary music and a grimacing bee skates around and hits things with a hockey stick.

Fifth lesson: Cheers.

Rensselaer fans shout "Oh, shit!" every time RPI gets a shot-on-goal but doesn't score, and "You suck!" after each opposing player is introduced.

Sixth lesson: The band.

The Rensselaer band has about a thousand students playing dozens of different instruments. They start playing about an hour before the game and don't stop until about 30 minutes after the contest is over.

Even the 6-0 shutout didn't stop them from being incredibly psyched about their technical school.

Follow these lessons from RPI, Union fans, and you'll be well on your way to being an ECAC powerhouse.

While Army may be gone from Division I, its memory remains strong in the ECAC. The Cadets played a hard-hitting, messy style of hockey that, though rarely successful, did manage to frustate and injure ECAC opponents.

After this weekend, Union seems ready to fill Army's shoes--or, rather, combat boots.

Complete Chaos

The Skating Dutchmen had no qualms roughing, holding, cross-checking and generally abusing Harvard on Friday night.