RPI Hockey 2014-2015 Part II: Dedicated to Rich Curadi

[Waite21]

Re: RPI Hockey 2014-2015 Part II: Dedicated to Rich Curadi

I think it's a combination of the injury and a worse defense in front of him. Not that he hasn't put up a couple of stinkers (seems to be every time I pick him in PtC), but he is still a fantastic goalie. He'll have time to develop, and hopefully at least a year more of it will be in Troy.

I share your wish that RPI will have Kasdorf's services for at least one more year, but I'm inclined to think that RPI would have those services for no longer than that.

My understanding is that even though Kasdorf missed almost all of last season due to injury, RPI didn't bother to apply for medical redshirt status that would have extended his eligibility through the end of the 2016-17 season. They expected that once he had healed sufficiently, he would resume playing like an elite pro prospect and would be offered a pro contract too tempting to refuse, if not by the end of 2014-15, surely no later than the end of 2015-16.

If I'm right on that, then 2013-14 counted as his sophomore season, 2014-15 counts as his junior season, and therefore he cannot play more than one more year of NCAA hockey.

[turk181]

Re: RPI Hockey 2014-2015 Part II: Dedicated to Rich Curadi

I share your wish that RPI will have Kasdorf's services for at least one more year, but I'm inclined to think that RPI would have those services for no longer than that.

My understanding is that even though Kasdorf missed almost all of last season due to injury, RPI didn't bother to apply for medical redshirt status that would have extended his eligibility through the end of the 2016-17 season. They expected that once he had healed sufficiently, he would resume playing like an elite pro prospect and would be offered a pro contract too tempting to refuse, if not by the end of 2014-15, surely no later than the end of 2015-16.

If I'm right on that, then 2013-14 counted as his sophomore season, 2014-15 counts as his junior season, and therefore he cannot play more than one more year of NCAA hockey.

Concerning the years of eligibility he has left, this is from the Troy Record (taken with a grain of salt of course).... It’s widely conjectured that Kasdorf will forego his senior year to turn professional at the end of this season. He has two years of eligibility remaining, won’t decide on next year until the season ends and Wednesday trade likely won’t have any affect on his decision..... http://www.troyrecord.com/sports/201...ded-to-buffalo

[Waite21]

Re: RPI Hockey 2014-2015 Part II: Dedicated to Rich Curadi

Turk, the Record's website and my browser don't seem to get along. I can see the action photo of Kasdorf that goes with the article, but cannot read the article itself.

If he has two years of eligibility remaining, then evidently I was wrong in thinking that RPI failed to apply for a medical redshirt.

Actually, that makes me feel a little bit better. With all the criticisms that have been leveled at the leadership of RPI's hockey program recently, I'm glad to know, at least, that they weren't so lackadaisical as to neglect the chance to secure an extra year of eligibility, just in case it might be worthwhile to have it.

[rvd5star69]

Re: RPI Hockey 2014-2015 Part II: Dedicated to Rich Curadi

Team defense,” Appert said. “That’s how we’re going to win. I’ve said that since Day One and the more we buy into it, make that our identity and that we’re proud of it, and we show how proud we are with our actions in practice and in games, the more we’ll win with it.” Oh that easy

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI Hockey 2014-2015 Part II: Dedicated to Rich Curadi

Team defense,” Appert said. “That’s how we’re going to win. I’ve said that since Day One and the more we buy into it, make that our identity and that we’re proud of it, and we show how proud we are with our actions in practice and in games, the more we’ll win with it.” Oh that easy

In other words, it's his players' fault, and he's throwing his hands up like Patrick Roy after making an easy save during a game where he gave up a lot of goals. You could see that in his body language during the timeout at CCT. It's just empty words, and he's basically given up.

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2014-2015 Part II: Dedicated to Rich Curadi

What are the odds that whoever puts together the line chart will switch the logo for Kasdorf from Winnipeg to Buffalo?

[hkypassion]

Re: RPI Hockey 2014-2015 Part II: Dedicated to Rich Curadi

Little help from all the posters here on the men's thread…..not sure about SA and contract extensions, but heard a nasty rumor that the woman's coach was given a FOUR YEAR contract extension over the summer. Anyone know if there's truth to that rumor? AD jobs don't happen quickly so it appears as Knowlton was out there interviewing he took care of his people on his way out the door if this is true. How can ANY school give such an outrageous extension to a coach with a losing record and had a 100% no confidence vote FROM EVERY PLAYER IN THE LOCKER ROOM in an end of year meeting with Knowlton?!!!

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI Hockey 2014-2015 Part II: Dedicated to Rich Curadi

Sign of RPI's struggles: Tickets are STILL AVAILABLE for Freakout.

[RedWrister]

Re: RPI Hockey 2014-2015 Part II: Dedicated to Rich Curadi

One of a coaches main jobs is to recruit the best talent available to him and I think on that score SA does a very good job and works tirelessly at it. A second job, and no less important, is to evaluate that talent and mesh the various aspects into a team that can play well together. The beauty of hockey is that it is a team sport-with everyone having to fit together and contribute. No one, expect the goalie, gets to stay on the ice an entire game. The third thing a coach should do(and this is just my opinion as usual) is create a system to take advantage of the talents he has brought into the program. If you recruit fast small forwards, then create offense tactics to utilize that to best advantage. If you recruit big power forwards, create the scheme that works best for them. Find the defensive pairings that work best together whether it be defensive defense pairings, or offensive defensemen joining the play. But the key is you adapt YOUR SYSTEM that you use to the talents you have on your bench. You cannot and do not change 20 year old hockey players and expect them to fit YOUR system that you feel they should play. These boys have been playing this game for a long time, they are not some 15 year old high schoolers. They have played hundreds or thousands of games and for the most part, what they have at that age, is what you got. And you often have to remember, most of these forwards and defensemen are playing positions that you yourself either never played, or are certainly not as talented playing as they are.
I think it is a bit absurd to keep trying to play a system that the players you have brought in, not only do not buy into, but for the most part cannot buy into since it is a style of game they just cannot play. With rare exceptions, as has been pointed out, we bring in some stellar boys who seem to have so much potential. But each year they just do not progress and often regress. If this happens one year or two years, then i would give it some time. But after 9 years, no one can possibly explain to me how all these years of recruits can be at fault. it has to be the system they are being forced to play. The fundamentals of which are an abomination-I cannot believe someone in this group cannot consistently win face offs, or clear the defensive zone, or work together on a power play with constant movement and motion instead of throwing the puck backwards to the point.
For years, the leading shot takers on our teams have been defensemen. Is the system being played encouraging this? Why do we not have forwards taking more of the shots. Why do we have one of the worst special teams every year? Why are our line changes on the fly so often timed so badly. How often have we been given an odd man rush(or it seems like one) only to dump the puck in and take a line change?
I know this is a long rant but my simple thought is instead of trying to have all these players alter their style of play(which is why they were recruited in the first place), why is the system not constantly changed to fit the talents of the players. I am so tired of hearing that we need to play our game, we need to buy into the system and we keep losing the one on one battles. Hockey is a team battling out there, and although there are instances of one on one battles, it is not a one on one sport. I have followed this team for more years than I want to count and have seen so many teams that we play every year and the successful ones adapt their style to what they have. We used to do that. Say what you will about past coaches but they took what they had and tried to utilize it the best they could. It seems now that we take the players and force them to play a robotic predetermined style. And god help a player who doesn't do it. They are either sat down, or given less ice time, or demoted to a fourth line, or worse-they leave.
I will not ever give up my support for the boys who play for RPI. But I can no longer sit back and watch this without saying what has been obvious to me for many years now. Glad i can get this off my chest-we have a great group of kids and we have had great groups every year. We also have a great group of posters here who feel as i do but are just not given to this kind of explosive outburst.
OK-now that i got that out-go RED and sweep Brown and Yale so I can begin to sleep nights better.

I agree. I'd also like to note that quite a few posters over the last few years have made similar observations and have been called-out as bedwetters and the like. I'm glad that all this nonsense appears to have gone away. I still think it's possible to question some of the coaching moves while at the same time be wishing like crazy that he does indeed succeed at RPI.

[FreshFish]

Re: RPI Hockey 2014-2015 Part II: Dedicated to Rich Curadi

I agree. I'd also like to note that quite a few posters over the last few years have made similar observations and have been called-out as bedwetters and the like. I'm glad that all this nonsense appears to have gone away. I still think it's possible to question some of the coaching moves while at the same time be wishing like crazy that he does indeed succeed at RPI.

My experience is that it had less to do with the observations themselves and more to do with the tone and hyperbole with which some of the observations have been made. For example, I've consistently stated over several years that I see a problem at the assistant coaching level, be it that we are under-staffed or whatever, in that positional and situational skill play during games indicates a lack of appropriate focus during practice. You anticipate likely game situations and practice them repeatedly, so that when you encounter them during a game, you react as you have practiced, you aren't frozen for a second trying to think (for example, Malcolm Butler's interception in the Super Bowl: "I got beat on that same play in practice and so I wasn't going to let it happen to me in the game."). Preparation seems inadequate, or special-teams play ineffective: that comes from practice and the assistant coaches in charge of those aspects of the program. Division I basketball programs have four coaches for 12 players, you'd expect at least four or five coaches for 21 players, no?

The head coach at a Division I program is sort of like the CEO of a business: the CEO cannot and should not micro-manage all activity, he supervises from a top-level perspective while putting capable managers in place to handle all the details. Several people had previously suggested that the coach bring in a consultant or mentor and that suggestion also was well received.

It is very different to say, "hmm...here are areas in which it seems like we need improvement," compared to "everything here s&cks worse than a vacuum cleaner on steroids, so and so is a mindless slobbering idiot," etc. etc. etc.

It seems to me that it is only the latter attitude that has been challenged, not the former type of thoughtful analysis based on actual data and observation, which many people have offered for consideration for quite awhile now.

People can reasonably disagree, as long as they are reasonable about it. Nastiness might be fun if you are trolling a political thread, but why would people who claim to be fans of RPI hockey troll our team thread??

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2014-2015 Part II: Dedicated to Rich Curadi

My experience is that it had less to do with the observations themselves and more to do with the tone and hyperbole with which some of the observations have been made. For example, I've consistently stated over several years that I see a problem at the assistant coaching level, be it that we are under-staffed or whatever, in that positional and situational skill play during games indicates a lack of appropriate focus during practice. You anticipate likely game situations and practice them repeatedly, so that when you encounter them during a game, you react as you have practiced, you aren't frozen for a second trying to think (for example, Malcolm Butler's interception in the Super Bowl: "I got beat on that same play in practice and so I wasn't going to let it happen to me in the game."). Preparation seems inadequate, or special-teams play ineffective: that comes from practice and the assistant coaches in charge of those aspects of the program. Division I basketball programs have four coaches for 12 players, you'd expect at least four or five coaches for 21 players, no?

The head coach at a Division I program is sort of like the CEO of a business: the CEO cannot and should not micro-manage all activity, he supervises from a top-level perspective while putting capable managers in place to handle all the details. Several people had previously suggested that the coach bring in a consultant or mentor and that suggestion also was well received.

It is very different to say, "hmm...here are areas in which it seems like we need improvement," compared to "everything here s&cks worse than a vacuum cleaner on steroids, so and so is a mindless slobbering idiot," etc. etc. etc.

It seems to me that it is only the latter attitude that has been challenged, not the former type of thoughtful analysis based on actual data and observation, which many people have offered for consideration for quite awhile now.

People can reasonably disagree, as long as they are reasonable about it. Nastiness might be fun if you are trolling a political thread, but why would people who claim to be fans of RPI hockey troll our team thread??

The NCAA won't allow more coaches than we have. There may be ways getting around that via consultants.

[FreshFish]

Re: RPI Hockey 2014-2015 Part II: Dedicated to Rich Curadi

The NCAA won't allow more coaches than we have. There may be ways getting around that via consultants.

perhaps I was operating on inaccurate information? for some reason I was under the impression that all the assistant coaches were not full-time salaried positions....

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2014-2015 Part II: Dedicated to Rich Curadi

perhaps I was operating on inaccurate information? for some reason I was under the impression that all the assistant coaches were not full-time salaried positions....

Cavosie isn't. The others are to the best of my knowledge. The rules were different back in 1985 when we had several part-time positions.

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI Hockey 2014-2015 Part II: Dedicated to Rich Curadi

I agree. I'd also like to note that quite a few posters over the last few years have made similar observations and have been called-out as bedwetters and the like. I'm glad that all this nonsense appears to have gone away. I still think it's possible to question some of the coaching moves while at the same time be wishing like crazy that he does indeed succeed at RPI.

Having been on both sides of that argument, there's enough of a leeway time to give, especially with a coach who has his first head job in a development environment, to get things going. That time, however, has past. The staff cannot do no wrong. However, incessantly disliking something is also a problem. One should have clear goals, and then decide whether or not the person is meeting said goals. Without question, our goals are the success of this team, although specifics may be different.

[sk8tronthepond]

Re: RPI Hockey 2014-2015 Part II: Dedicated to Rich Curadi

perhaps I was operating on inaccurate information? for some reason I was under the impression that all the assistant coaches were not full-time salaried positions....

Really????? You are kidding right????