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Re: Norwich Cadets '13-14 - A New Look Forward
This weekend was a huge disappointment for the team, fans, etc. No question about it. And I am sure that Alden only wishes the best going forward.
However, this is not the worse year in my or McShane's recent memory. Have we forgotten the '09 season that followed an '08 NCAA appearance against St Norberts? That next year ('08-'09) we posted a 13-8-4 record and were beaten by the lowest seeded team in the ECAC opening round. We never really got a sniff of frozen four play. Yet the next year ('09-'10) those fabulous freshmen showed up and took us through to an NCAA Championship. And they then carried us for three more years. 1997 was another disaster,e.g. 13-12-2 and just one game above .500.
We have a lot of hockey ahead before claiming that the year is a bust. Outplayed a few times? Yup, but no club we have faced has clubbed or embarrassed our squad with a blow out. Actually the best team we have seen this season may have been Plattsburgh and they only took us by two goals. But they did own that game and they seem like a real deal this year--regardless who they face. And while statistics are in the end meaningless--- there is not a single team that has outshot NU in our 21 game played so far this season. Actually, if you eliminate the two very weak teams that got less that ten SOG on NU--all the rest (19 teams) collectively have averaged only 19+ SOG verses 38 SOG for NU. We are certainly getting the shots but we just need some breaks.
As for the competition--I am seeing much better teams in the ECAC-E with one or two exceptions. Alden may be right about our weakness in goal--but we also are taking too many penalties. And while the statistics may not show it just seems that the penalties we take seem to be taken at the wrong time.
Naturally, we all want to see this team win--but I am also beginning to realize that this maybe one of those seasons where we are pausing--as McShane had to do a couple of times in his Norwich career to build some experience he lost through graduation. And while in the end this may only be rebuilding they have done it while showing some real grit and determination.
Hey, there is lots of hockey left because as my old '66 classmate; Cadet Senior Buck John "Bluto" Blutasky of Delta Company was fond of saying, "Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!"
Originally posted by AldenPartridge1819
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However, this is not the worse year in my or McShane's recent memory. Have we forgotten the '09 season that followed an '08 NCAA appearance against St Norberts? That next year ('08-'09) we posted a 13-8-4 record and were beaten by the lowest seeded team in the ECAC opening round. We never really got a sniff of frozen four play. Yet the next year ('09-'10) those fabulous freshmen showed up and took us through to an NCAA Championship. And they then carried us for three more years. 1997 was another disaster,e.g. 13-12-2 and just one game above .500.
We have a lot of hockey ahead before claiming that the year is a bust. Outplayed a few times? Yup, but no club we have faced has clubbed or embarrassed our squad with a blow out. Actually the best team we have seen this season may have been Plattsburgh and they only took us by two goals. But they did own that game and they seem like a real deal this year--regardless who they face. And while statistics are in the end meaningless--- there is not a single team that has outshot NU in our 21 game played so far this season. Actually, if you eliminate the two very weak teams that got less that ten SOG on NU--all the rest (19 teams) collectively have averaged only 19+ SOG verses 38 SOG for NU. We are certainly getting the shots but we just need some breaks.
As for the competition--I am seeing much better teams in the ECAC-E with one or two exceptions. Alden may be right about our weakness in goal--but we also are taking too many penalties. And while the statistics may not show it just seems that the penalties we take seem to be taken at the wrong time.
Naturally, we all want to see this team win--but I am also beginning to realize that this maybe one of those seasons where we are pausing--as McShane had to do a couple of times in his Norwich career to build some experience he lost through graduation. And while in the end this may only be rebuilding they have done it while showing some real grit and determination.
Hey, there is lots of hockey left because as my old '66 classmate; Cadet Senior Buck John "Bluto" Blutasky of Delta Company was fond of saying, "Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!"
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