The Harvard men's hockey team started off the year by beating Union and Rensselaer on the road.

Now the Crimson will welcome the two teams to Bright Arena this weekend hoping for a similar result.

Harvard knew relatively little about either team when it faced off against them in New York state, but now the Union and RPI have combined for an abysmal 5-18-1 record within the ECAC this year and the word out on them is clear.

They're not too good.

That fact just makes this weekend's games against the Engineers (4-8-0 ECAC, 10-10-0) and the Skating Dutchmen (1-10-1 ECAC, 2-12-1) more important, because the Crimson (8-1-3, ECAC, 8-3-3) will be expected to win this time around.

But if the team's play before exam break is any indication, Harvard should not send its fans home disappointed.

The Crimson went 4-0-1 in the month of January before the break including a win and a tie against nationally-ranked St. Lawrence and Clarkson respectively.

Harvard's scorching start in 1992 was good enough to give it first place alone in the ECAC. Two weeks of inaction, however, have allowed Yale and St. Lawrence to join the Crimson atop the conference with 19 points.

Not the Engineers of Old

Like Harvard, RPI lost a ton of players to graduation last year, but the Engineers have not managed to rebound as nicely as the Crimson has.

RPI is far off the pace that led it to a 22-13-1 record last year, including a 14-8 mark within the ECAC.

While the team is just coming off a 5-3 win against Union, it dropped four of its last five ECAC games before that game.

A high point for Coach Buddy Powers' team has been the play of his young forwards. Freshmen Craig Hamelin and Wayne Clarke along with sophomores Ron Pasco and Xavier Majic have been the Engineers top four scorers this season.

The problem for Rensselaer has been in goal. Neil Little has started the last eight games, but the Engineers are just 4-4 during that span. Little has let the puck past him an average of 3.93 times a game.

RPI will try to repeat its dramatic 8-7 overtime victory that it pulled off last year at Bright Arena.