Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

RIT Tigers 2017 / 2018. Is time to go out and capture some prey!

Collapse
This topic is closed.
X
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Re: RIT Tigers 2017 / 2018. Is time to go out and capture some prey!

    The Tigers are now below .500 in conference play dating back to the beginning of the 2012 season (for reference, this was Madolora's senior season that was largely swallowed up by NCAA shenanigans), and 2011-12 also was the last time the Tigers truly competed for the Atlantic Hockey regular season title. This was two full seasons before the Polleseni Center opened.

    If you had told me leaving Blue Cross after that 4-0 thrashing Air Force gave us in the conference final that year that we would be below .500 in league play in the worst conference in the country over the next full cycle and a half of players I would be horrified. and I'm relatively sure not what the administration had in mind when still in the process (at the start of the span) of building a new rink. I think there's need for a serious discussion of whether this truly is the best RIT can do once their division 1 brethern start caring more about hockey, and if not, what they can realistically do to improve the product. Union (and the Ivies, though their prestige certainly gives them a recruiting edge) has shown that you can compete without scholarships, but if it requires a better conference to do so, I'm not sure ECAC is going to be knocking down the door trying to recruit what has become a mediocre long-term RIT team.

    Comment


    • Originally posted by Downstate_RIT_Fan View Post
      For Anybody in the Atlantic Hockey Pool, I hope you’re paying attention.
      You now have to start counting the Saturday games too!
      RIT Tigers

      Got one foot in the crease

      Comment


      • Originally posted by schiegs View Post
        As a Bentley fan, I never understood the rather consistent chorus of (some) RIT fans pounding the table for the league to up the scholarship limits and for other teams to improve their facilities. It was often accompanied by "We should be in a better league" sentiments. The inevitable outcome of those limit increases and investments by other programs from the RIT perspective was for parity and to perhaps eventually get passed by in terms of recruiting resources. Are we seeing the beginning of that eventuality?
        Winds of change, they're everywhere. Everybody thumps their chest when things are going well in sports but it's tough to keep that going when things go south for a while. We'll see where the rest of the season takes the team and if it ends too soon, there's always next October! P.S., new barns are a curse😊
        Last edited by blazer777; 02-03-2018, 09:38 PM.
        RIT Tigers

        Got one foot in the crease

        Comment


        • Originally posted by blazer777 View Post
          You now have to start counting the Saturday games too!
          You might be right blaze, I did indeed pick them to split with Bentley, losing on Friday and winning Saturday. Oh well. I’m running out of weeks to catch you. I missed with the Army and Niagara tie too. Picked the Purple Eagles tonight to win. They rang one off the post in OT but that as close as they got.
          RPI Engineers
          RIT Tigers
          ARMY Black Knights

          Comment


          • Re: RIT Tigers 2017 / 2018. Is time to go out and capture some prey!

            Originally posted by jflory81 View Post
            The Tigers are now below .500 in conference play dating back to the beginning of the 2012 season (for reference, this was Madolora's senior season that was largely swallowed up by NCAA shenanigans), and 2011-12 also was the last time the Tigers truly competed for the Atlantic Hockey regular season title. This was two full seasons before the Polleseni Center opened.

            If you had told me leaving Blue Cross after that 4-0 thrashing Air Force gave us in the conference final that year that we would be below .500 in league play in the worst conference in the country over the next full cycle and a half of players I would be horrified. and I'm relatively sure not what the administration had in mind when still in the process (at the start of the span) of building a new rink. I think there's need for a serious discussion of whether this truly is the best RIT can do once their division 1 brethern start caring more about hockey, and if not, what they can realistically do to improve the product. Union (and the Ivies, though their prestige certainly gives them a recruiting edge) has shown that you can compete without scholarships, but if it requires a better conference to do so, I'm not sure ECAC is going to be knocking down the door trying to recruit what has become a mediocre long-term RIT team.
            I agree with you, but it's a little disingenuous not to mention going 2-0 in conference finals since 2012 and 1-2 in the NCAA tournament alongside the regular season woes.


            Powers &8^]

            Comment


            • Re: RIT Tigers 2017 / 2018. Is time to go out and capture some prey!

              Originally posted by LtPowers View Post
              I agree with you, but it's a little disingenuous not to mention going 2-0 in conference finals since 2012 and 1-2 in the NCAA tournament alongside the regular season woes.


              Powers &8^]
              Regular season records are much better indicators of how good a team actually is, especially when the playoffs are best of 3 followed by single game elimination for the last two rounds. I also think consistently winning at home would have done much more over this span to draw fans and fill the building than making the tournament a couple of times without getting out of the opening weekend. You'll notice I also didn't mention embarrassing first round exits in 2012-13 and last year.

              Comment


              • Originally posted by Downstate_RIT_Fan View Post
                You might be right blaze, I did indeed pick them to split with Bentley, losing on Friday and winning Saturday. Oh well. I’m running out of weeks to catch you. I missed with the Army and Niagara tie too. Picked the Purple Eagles tonight to win. They rang one off the post in OT but that as close as they got.
                I picked a sweep but the broom went the wrong way. Don't thing I got a lot of points this week
                RIT Tigers

                Got one foot in the crease

                Comment


                • Re: RIT Tigers 2017 / 2018. Is time to go out and capture some prey!

                  Originally posted by jflory81 View Post
                  I think it's time to come to grips with the fact that we just aren't very good. And outside of a couple of hot playoff runs on the back of one great player, we haven't been very good for a looong time.
                  Wait, Wait, Wait!!! You are letting one frustrating season diminish what this program has done in the long run. Are you kidding me!?

                  Everyone has a perfect right to be frustrated this year, but saying that the last two playoff championship were the result of riding a hot player is devoid of reality. Best case you can make is the MGM line year and in reality they didn't carry the team in the playoffs. It was a total team effort including some great play in goal by a goaltender most RIT fans wanted to run out of Henrietta.

                  I've been tracking RIT recruiting for the last four seasons. The last two season I've expanded it to every recruit in the AHA for a hobby project. RIT has brought in many of the leagues recruits with top hockey resumes. Each of the 2 years class brought in players who turned out great, including one Rookie of the year. I would say each of the last two years that I tracked all AHA recruits that I had a good argument both seasons of RIT having the best recruiting class in the AHA. The recruiting class for next year appears that it maybe even better than the last two seasons, all though I still have most of the rest of the league to breakdown and recruiting for next season is not done yet.

                  How I see it is a problem I noticed last season that I think was dismissed by the injuries the team had. It's sloppy play, bad decisions, silly penalties, lack of passion, and a darn right inability to respond well to adversity. More or less mental stuff which has been extremely frustrating with me because I agree 110% with Ed that the talent is there. This team didn't just beat one of the best teams in the league, it dominated them. The team has played amazing hockey at times, but also suffered by some mind boggling gigantic moments of lapse in judgement and discipline. I thought they got away with it at times during the first half, but the second half it has 8!tch $l@Ped them. The coaches seem to be baffled, but the frustrating part is that I do agree again with Ed if they can put it together and get the right kind of consistency then they could make a run to Blue Cross and beyond.

                  Right now this team reminds me of a Herb Brook quote on Eric Strobel, “Strobel has a million dollar pair of legs and a ten cent fart of a brain."

                  The good news this mental stuff can be fixed with smart play and good old fashion sweat and hard work....
                  Last edited by Tom Naeger; 02-04-2018, 10:56 AM.
                  Course, That's Just my Opinion, I Could Be Wrong.

                  Thomas M. Naeger
                  The Mule
                  Rochester Institute of Technology '03


                  "Good Judgment comes from experience, experience comes from Bad Judgment"

                  "If we play our game, there's pretty much no chance they have of beating us. We know what we have to do. It's just a matter of going out and doing it." - Brent Alexin

                  Comment


                  • Re: RIT Tigers 2017 / 2018. Is time to go out and capture some prey!

                    Originally posted by LTPowers View Post
                    I agree with you, but it's a little disingenuous not to mention going 2-0 in conference finals since 2012 and 1-2 in the NCAA tournament alongside the regular season woes.


                    Originally posted by jflory81 View Post
                    Regular season records are much better indicators of how good a team actually is, especially when the playoffs are best of 3 followed by single game elimination for the last two rounds. I also think consistently winning at home would have done much more over this span to draw fans and fill the building than making the tournament a couple of times without getting out of the opening weekend. You'll notice I also didn't mention embarrassing first round exits in 2012-13 and last year.

                    I think you guys both have valid points here:

                    1. You can't think that all of the other AHA teams wish they would have had the success that RIT has had in the post season as compared to their own. Most are one and done games in the NCAA's when they have gotten there but the Tigers have gone farther than most.

                    2. On the other side, you want the team to do well during the regular season which brings the fans to the games on the Friday's and Saturday's. Excitement around the team helps a team succeed even more. It' gives them the mind-set that they can do anything. When you are not performing well and pulling out wins by the skin of your teeth and losing the rest, then it doesn't give you a lot of confidence in big games(all of them right now) or in the one and done games.


                    Here's hoping for better things from the defense and some radio engineers that can fix equipment!

                    Oh and the Eagles will win tonight because I never pick wrong on the Sunday games.
                    Last edited by blazer777; 02-04-2018, 11:36 AM.
                    RIT Tigers

                    Got one foot in the crease

                    Comment


                    • Re: RIT Tigers 2017 / 2018. Is time to go out and capture some prey!

                      Just read on another thread that Bentley is now 6-0 at Polisseni? True? Never would have assumed that.
                      Bentley University Hockey
                      On-campus arena: Build it, and they will come...

                      Comment


                      • Re: RIT Tigers 2017 / 2018. Is time to go out and capture some prey!

                        Originally posted by Tom Naeger View Post
                        Wait, Wait, Wait!!! You are letting one frustrating season diminish what this program has done in the long run. Are you kidding me!?

                        Everyone has a perfect right to be frustrated this year, but saying that the last two playoff championship were the result of riding a hot player is devoid of reality. Best case you can make is the MGM line year and in reality they didn't carry the team in the playoffs. It was a total team effort including some great play in goal by a goaltender most RIT fans wanted to run out of Henrietta.

                        I've been tracking RIT recruiting for the last four seasons. The last two season I've expanded it to every recruit in the AHA for a hobby project. RIT has brought in many of the leagues recruits with top hockey resumes. Each of the 2 years class brought in players who turned out great, including one Rookie of the year. I would say each of the last two years that I tracked all AHA recruits that I had a good argument both seasons of RIT having the best recruiting class in the AHA. The recruiting class for next year appears that it maybe even better than the last two seasons, all though I still have most of the rest of the league to breakdown and recruiting for next season is not done yet.

                        How I see it is a problem I noticed last season that I think was dismissed by the injuries the team had. It's sloppy play, bad decisions, silly penalties, lack of passion, and a darn right inability to respond well to adversity. More or less mental stuff which has been extremely frustrating with me because I agree 110% with Ed that the talent is there. This team didn't just beat one of the best teams in the league, it dominated them. The team has played amazing hockey at times, but also suffered by some mind boggling gigantic moments of lapse in judgement and discipline. I thought they got away with it at times during the first half, but the second half it has 8!tch $l@Ped them. The coaches seem to be baffled, but the frustrating part is that I do agree again with Ed if they can put it together and get the right kind of consistency then they could make a run to Blue Cross and beyond.

                        Right now this team reminds me of a Herb Brook quote on Eric Strobel, “Strobel has a million dollar pair of legs and a ten cent fart of a brain."

                        The good news this mental stuff can be fixed with smart play and good old fashion sweat and hard work....
                        They may have brought in a handful of impactful recruits but they have also brought in a much larger handful of very average/below average recruits. And we haven't had a true starting goalie since Madolora left in 2013. Ruby and to a lesser extent Rotolo had their well-timed hot streaks, but in general RIT has been completely unable to bring in a goalie capable of stepping into the starting role and having even above average statistics.

                        This year we have 2 freshmen goalies who have both started at least 3 weekends worth of games now. Both were highly touted coming in. How's it going?

                        Christian Short (2-4-0) / .890% / 3.03 GAA - This is bad, especially considering it includes a shutout!
                        Logan Drackett (6-7-2) / .868% / 3.59 GAA - This is even worse. Completely unacceptable numbers after 15GP.
                        Ian Andriano (2-4-0) / .877% / 3.39 GAA - After a decent start and even a shutout, Ian's numbers have fallen right into place alongside his compatriots.

                        As much as we all thought Ruby/Rotolo/Watson/etc haven't been the answer, this years group is even worse statistically. It doesn't matter how good the recruiting classes are unless one of them finally includes a #1 goalie. Until then, we're going to remain reliant on a well timed hot streak come March to make us look good.
                        Last edited by RIT Winters; 02-04-2018, 01:01 PM.
                        RIT

                        Comment


                        • Originally posted by Tom Naeger View Post

                          I've been tracking RIT recruiting for the last four seasons. The last two season I've expanded it to every recruit in the AHA for a hobby project. RIT has brought in many of the leagues recruits with top hockey resumes.
                          Good stuff Tom. How do you go about ranking the recruits. At a very high level I tend to look at where the recruit has been playing junior hockey. Ive always thought (and please correct me if I’m wrong) that USHL recruits coming from the only Tier 1 program in the US and recruits coming from the the Junior A BCHL league in Canada are the two leagues that seem to consistently produce top talent although it’s not a perfect science. It seems recruits coming from the other leagues might be more of a diamond in the rough that RIT has been taking chances with the last several recruiting classes. Just wondering if there is a rule of thumb being used when making a determination as to how good a new class is?
                          RPI Engineers
                          RIT Tigers
                          ARMY Black Knights

                          Comment


                          • Originally posted by RIT Winters View Post
                            They may have brought in a handful of impactful recruits but they have also brought in a much larger handful of very average/below average recruits. And we haven't had a true starting goalie since Madolora left in 2013. Ruby and to a lesser extent Rotolo had their well-timed hot streaks, but in general RIT has been completely unable to bring in a goalie capable of stepping into the starting role and having even above average statistics.

                            This year we have 2 freshmen goalies who have both started at least 3 weekends worth of games now. Both were highly touted coming in. How's it going?

                            Christian Short (2-4-0) / .890% / 3.03 GAA - This is bad, especially considering it includes a shutout!
                            Logan Drackett (6-7-2) / .868% / 3.59 GAA - This is even worse. Completely unacceptable numbers after 15GP.
                            Ian Andriano (2-4-0) / .877% / 3.39 GAA - After a decent start and even a shutout, Ian's numbers have fallen right into place alongside his compatriots.

                            As much as we all thought Ruby/Rotolo/Watson/etc haven't been the answer, this years group is even worse statistically. It doesn't matter how good the recruiting classes are unless one of them finally includes a #1 goalie. Until then, we're going to remain reliant on a well timed hot streak come March to make us look good.
                            Good observations hear but have you given much thought about how a poor defense plays into this. From what I've seen (and its not every game), the defrnse can be about as pouras as Swiss cheese.
                            RIT Tigers

                            Got one foot in the crease

                            Comment


                            • Re: RIT Tigers 2017 / 2018. Is time to go out and capture some prey!

                              It now appears to me that RIT is in a classic sports slump. All teams are susceptible to them. It has been a long, long time since RIT has succumbed to one.

                              They are over thinking plays, being indecisive, hesitating, etc. The classic "gripping the sticks too hard" phrase comes to mind.

                              I noticed in the first period on Friday that the Tigers were holding on the puck too long in their own zone, hesitating on break out passes and being indecisive on where to throw it up ice. This caused problems all weekend.

                              Players are trying to compensate by doing too much as individuals.

                              There is no easy way to magically end a slump. Hard work, re-learning to rely on your teammates, and having a few good bounces going the Tigers way would help to regain some confidence and break out of it. Just hope it happens sooner rather than later.
                              Scott Biggar
                              WITR - Voice of the RIT Tigers
                              Staff Writer - US College Hockey Online

                              Comment


                              • Re: RIT Tigers 2017 / 2018. Is time to go out and capture some prey!

                                Originally posted by Scott Biggar View Post
                                It now appears to me that RIT is in a classic sports slump. All teams are susceptible to them. It has been a long, long time since RIT has succumbed to one.
                                Did you miss last season?
                                RIT

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X