RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

I don't think anyone here would take issue with that. Everyone seems to agree that Appert is great guy and decent recruiter. Unfortunately being a class act doesn't necessarily mean you can put the puck in the net.

Putting the puck in the net is one thing. What has really been a concern from the moment he stepped foot behind our bench is game-time adaptation and tweak adjustments. I understand there's only so much you can do mid-game, but the evidence is fairly obvious when, in most cases (there are some exceptions), we get outplayed in later periods, or even late in the same period. I understand bringing in quality players and giving back to the community, not to mention a "youth" (still a step prior to professional) coach needing to be concerned about players off the ice and preparing them for the next step. Last I checked though, the job description of a head coach is to lead a team to success on the ice.

[TucsonMike]

Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

Putting the puck in the net is one thing. What has really been a concern from the moment he stepped foot behind our bench is game-time adaptation and tweak adjustments. I understand there's only so much you can do mid-game, but the evidence is fairly obvious when, in most cases (there are some exceptions), we get outplayed in later periods, or even late in the same period. I understand bringing in quality players and giving back to the community, not to mention a "youth" (still a step prior to professional) coach needing to be concerned about players off the ice and preparing them for the next step. Last I checked though, the job description of a head coach is to lead a team to success on the ice.

Bingo. Could not have said it better. We need a chess player more than a used car salesman behind the bench. The dude does know how to recruit good goalies though...

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

A shout-out to the team and hockey staff:

My grandson, who participates in the Troy Youth Hockey program, was selected to skate out with the team Friday night. He had a great time with the players and staff. They talked with him about their youth hockey days and other hockey matters. From all accounts the players and staff are a class act and represent RPI well. I would add that I had the same reaction when a few RPI players several years ago visited with my granddaughters' youth hockey team. I realize there is a lot of criticism of Coach Appert on this thread but I can confidently that he recruits players who are classy and ensures that they stay that way. In this era of athletic recruiting in other sports that is high praise.

it looks like Jacob Modry is practicing to continue that tradition:

Tonights 5:30 WAHA ADM practice for PeeWees and Bantams joined by @Lucas_sowder, Morton, @Slava_demin, and @jacob_modry Committed to growth!

— WenatcheeWildHockey (@WenatcheeWild1) November 21, 2016

I am happy that most of the players have good character and represent the school well, but scoring a few goals would be nice too.

[engineerhockeyfan]

Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

Last I checked though, the job description of a head coach is to lead a team to success on the ice.

While I haven't had the opportunity to read SA's job description, I am sure that it is a little longer and more involved than "success on the ice".
I for one am proud of the men who have come through the hockey program. I have had a chance to talk to some of them and some of their parents and I have come away with an impression that makes me happy to be associated with RPI.
Would I like to see the team win more, Yes. I would also love to see a goal every once in a while. But there is way more to coaching college athletes than wins an losses.
Lets just support the team out on the ice.

[Waite21]

Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

That looks like historic Franklin Field in the background. Congrats to the football team!

There were a lot of empty seats at historic Franklin Field, but mine was not one of them. Fortunately, the University of Pennsylvania assigned RPI to the home side of the field, where the stadium gave us some protection from the cold wind that blew throughout the game. The Maritime fans, with the wind in their faces, must have been about frozen.

With the exception of a couple of blocked punts (one of which was returned for Maritime's only score), RPI played a really good game.

The offense started slowly in the first quarter but scored a touchdown late in that quarter to take the lead and then dominated the final three quarters, accumulating over 300 rushing yards.

The defense essentially pitched a shutout. I didn't hear Maritime's final offensive stats, but I did hear that at halftime they had only 48 total yards and one first down.

I've had very good luck watching RPI football games in Pennsylvania, as they have won all six of the games I've seen since I graduated. (I didn't go to the game against Susquehanna in 2009.) Hope the hockey team can enjoy similar success when I go to New Jersey to see them play in a couple of weeks.

[TucsonMike]

Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

[QUOTE=As I said in an earlier post, I will wait until January before I start to panic.[/QUOTE]

I think it's more than appropriate to start now.

[lugnut92]

Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

I think it's more than appropriate to start now.

Meh, I guess the Brown rule applies here, but five of our next six games look very winnable. If we can figure it out and pull down 6 of 8 points against Princeton, Quinnipiac, Yale, and Brown, we're looking significantly better going into the new year.

[TucsonMike]

Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

Meh, I guess the Brown rule applies here, but five of our next six games look very winnable. If we can figure it out and pull down 6 of 8 points against Princeton, Quinnipiac, Yale, and Brown, we're looking significantly better going into the new year.

I respect your opinion, but I'm struggling with that kind of thinking. What systemic issues with this team are going to magically correct themselves in a matter of a few weeks? If it were truly a case of just "figuring it out", I think we would have gotten there by now. I love this team, this program, and these players, but at 2 up and 11 down, there has to be something fundamentally flawed with respect to coaching, execution, and our overall approach to winning games. Posts on this board alone show a pattern of the same types of issues and mistakes over the years - this tells me that what's broken now has been broken for quite a while. Not being defeatist here - just an honest assessment.

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

Meh, I guess the Brown rule applies here, but five of our next six games look very winnable. If we can figure it out and pull down 6 of 8 points against Princeton, Quinnipiac, Yale, and Brown, we're looking significantly better going into the new year.

Considering I thought we'd be able to start the season at least 3-2, and instead it's 1-3-1, I'm not too up on the term "winnable" at this point. You do raise a very good point, though: If we cannot get at least 9 "points" in the next six matches, then there really needs to be some serious discussion about the next four years of the contract. That's the biggest issue is that there was a four-year contract extension after each of three "good seasons". Either the administration knows jack about contracts (wouldn't surprise me given the tenure policies of NYS), or there's some alternate motive (please tell me that's false). We have a new AD that wasn't involved with those extensions, so hopefully fresh eyes will give a better perspective.

[QUAlum2004]

Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

Considering I thought we'd be able to start the season at least 3-2, and instead it's 1-3-1, I'm not too up on the term "winnable" at this point. You do raise a very good point, though: If we cannot get at least 9 "points" in the next six matches, then there really needs to be some serious discussion about the next four years of the contract. That's the biggest issue is that there was a four-year contract extension after each of three "good seasons". Either the administration knows jack about contracts (wouldn't surprise me given the tenure policies of NYS), or there's some alternate motive (please tell me that's false). We have a new AD that wasn't involved with those extensions, so hopefully fresh eyes will give a better perspective.

What's the buyout on Appert's contract? That's probably the number that is more important than the years.

[lugnut92]

Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

If it were truly a case of just "figuring it out", I think we would have gotten there by now.

I agree that it's a bit wishful thinking to just say "figure it out", but Brown and Princeton are pretty much the only two teams in the country that we can say are worse than us, and ASU and Yale both look mighty questionable at a combined 4-15-1 (with one of those wins being against us last month). As long as we can find a Niagara/RIT level of "figured out", we should win a few of these games. Obviously it's not saying much when we say we can (hopefully) beat up the two smallest kids on the playground, but a win is a win is a win.

What's the buyout on Appert's contract? That's probably the number that is more important than the years.

I don't think that information is public, though I doubt SAJ and the administration will be willing to throw money down that hole.

[QUAlum2004]

Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

I agree that it's a bit wishful thinking to just say "figure it out", but Brown and Princeton are pretty much the only two teams in the country that we can say are worse than us, and ASU and Yale both look mighty questionable at a combined 4-15-1 (with one of those wins being against us last month). As long as we can find a Niagara/RIT level of "figured out", we should win a few of these games. Obviously it's not saying much when we say we can (hopefully) beat up the two smallest kids on the playground, but a win is a win is a win.



I don't think that information is public, though I doubt SAJ and the administration will be willing to throw money down that hole.

Well its not the 10 million buyout that Texas is going pay Charlie Strong to go away but RPI really needs to consider just cutting the cord on Appert and not worrying about the money owed. The program is going to nowhere under him.

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

What's the buyout on Appert's contract? That's probably the number that is more important than the years.

Don't know. The years could be important not only for aggregate amount, but if the payments are in some form of an installment plan, especially considering for that time, the 'tute could be simultaneously paying for two head coaches.

[QUAlum2004]

Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

Don't know. The years could be important not only for aggregate amount, but if the payments are in some form of an installment plan, especially considering for that time, the 'tute could be simultaneously paying for two head coaches.

Might be worth it in the long run to pay two coaches instead of just keeping Appert to go through the motions. They need a coach who is going to breath some life into the program.

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

Might be worth it in the long run to pay two coaches instead of just keeping Appert to go through the motions. They need a coach who is going to breath some life into the program.

I can understand the benefits to having a long-term coach though, otherwise you could end up in a cycle of mediocrity just hoping for that magical "fixer", sort of like the Buffalo Bills for this century. In this case, though, his system's in place, it's all his kids, and from what I can tell, there's plenty of financial support from formerly the Student Union (now the administration). No more excuses.