RPI & BU (Friday 12/4) & UNH (Saturday 12/5)

[ServinisScores]

Re: RPI & BU (Friday 12/4) & UNH (Saturday 12/5)

I agree the guys didnt go out and drink it up after the loss. They were also playing the 5th game in 10 days on a olympic size sheet against a very good team that didnt play the night before. Sure these young men are in great shape but even the best conditioned person gets worn down after a while. We saw a few of the "non-regulars" in the lineup tonight as well so that may have caused some chemistry issues amongst lines. I watched the game that was show on Fox College Sports and saw a team that was worn down by the middle of the 2nd period plain and simple.

Fishcore, I'm not going to argue all of your points, but the last one I think you're wrong on. They were flatter than a pancake starting the second period, and didn't pick it up the rest of the game. They kept w/ UNH in the first 20, and played a decent road period. They may have been tired, but there's a clear disconnect how they ended the 1st period and started the 2nd that isn't conditioning...

[fishcore12]

Re: RPI & BU (Friday 12/4) & UNH (Saturday 12/5)

Im just going to leave it at this, unless we have the perfect fit in a coach that will actually come into Troy and stay when the bigger money jobs come along, why keep bringing guy after guy in so we go thru this every couple years?

[fishcore12]

Re: RPI & BU (Friday 12/4) & UNH (Saturday 12/5)

Fishcore, I'm not going to argue all of your points, but the last one I think you're wrong on. They were flatter than a pancake starting the second period, and didn't pick it up the rest of the game. They kept w/ UNH in the first 20, and played a decent road period. They may have been tired, but there's a clear disconnect how they ended the 1st period and started the 2nd that isn't conditioning...

And thats why this message board is still around, because we are not in the locker rooms and coaches offices to figure out what happened. Gives us a place to produce many "what ifs" and "should haves"

[RPI67]

Re: RPI & BU (Friday 12/4) & UNH (Saturday 12/5)

That is literally exactly what is supposed to happen with a loose puck in front like that. You should always outnumber your opponent in front of your own net during even strength play.

A forward could have been back. It's OT - BU's leading scorer has the puck and is stoped because the RPI Dman slid across in front of him. I was sitting about 12 rows back in the corner. the play seemed to take a long time. I wasn't watching the goalie but the shooter sure was.

[Jasma]

Get rid of them all, bring in the next big thing, gain success quick and watch the coach flee to a bigger school or the pros at first shot.

Legitimate question in who to bring in. I'm not privy to the next hot coach but let's try Jim Montgomery.
I'm really just frustrated and blowing off some steam. A lot of resources have been pumped into the program since Fridgen was fired with just one good year to show for it. Maybe it's just the nature of the college game theses days. The days of clarkson, RPI, and other small strong academic schools being national powers may be gone. Perhaps this is about the best we can get. I hope not, but that may be the reality.
At any rate, you are right about not spinning the coaching wheel every few years. But at what point do you say this isn't working?

[C-H-C]

Re: RPI & BU (Friday 12/4) & UNH (Saturday 12/5)

"UNH Back On Track with 5-2 Win Over RPI"

[engineerhockeyfan]

Re: RPI & BU (Friday 12/4) & UNH (Saturday 12/5)

All this talk about coaches and talent and play is fine, but my frustration comes from inconsistancy.
This team can compete with the likes of BU SCSU and Ferris State. They can play two strong periods against Minn. St. and give it away in the third. They played a good game against Quinnipiac. But even the first period last night was not that good, and they were no where to be found for the rest of the game.
They rarely put together three good periods against a top team, because they don't seem to have another gear when the good guys kick it up.
Well, the "pre season" is over. The real games start next week. Lets see what we have learned.
Lets go red!!!!!!!

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI & BU (Friday 12/4) & UNH (Saturday 12/5)

Question, were Higgs and O'Grady healthy scratches? I'm staring 2 think Higgs is a D3 level player myself.

I wouldn't say that. He played incredibly well in the last two seasons, but is experiencing a drop-off similar to what Pat Cullen had. If Coach challenges him, I think he'll answer the challenge.

[Umileated]

Re: RPI & BU (Friday 12/4) & UNH (Saturday 12/5)

I'm not that frustrated. I thought they played a good game at BU. Tonight, I'm just wondering if they had too many injuries/illnesses for a team as good as UNH. We played dump and chase on an olympic sized rink which is an odd strategy. I think Appert must have been trying to get by with what he had available. Without Neal, Higgs, Schroeder and O'Grady we simply couldn't come close to matching their skill level.

Don't be too alarmed by dump and chase - the boys in blue do it all the time. The corners have been converted to 28' radius NHL spec, which I guess helps.

[sk8tronthepond]

Re: RPI & BU (Friday 12/4) & UNH (Saturday 12/5)

Looked at the first 3 UNH goals against. Just to break them down, on the first one, #24 is playing their D man one on one, and then curls off of him and #3 is too late to pick up giving time and space, hence goal. Why did #24 back off?

On the second goal, real bad back check from #39, he stopped skating just inside the blue line and if he keeps his feet moving, he would have had that pass across to #16 for UNH who scored.

On the third goal, #18 gets puck watching and allows his point man #2 for UNH to slide down back door.

They didn't show the 4th or 5th goal. I did not use names and used numbers on purpose.

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI & BU (Friday 12/4) & UNH (Saturday 12/5)

Legitimate question in who to bring in. I'm not privy to the next hot coach but let's try Jim Montgomery.
I'm really just frustrated and blowing off some steam. A lot of resources have been pumped into the program since Fridgen was fired with just one good year to show for it. Maybe it's just the nature of the college game theses days. The days of clarkson, RPI, and other small strong academic schools being national powers may be gone. Perhaps this is about the best we can get. I hope not, but that may be the reality.
At any rate, you are right about not spinning the coaching wheel every few years. But at what point do you say this isn't working?

FIRE TIMMAY HIRE JIMMAY!

[Jasma]

Ok, fishcore12 talked this frustrated fan off the ledge last night. While the PP continues to be a huge problem, the UNH game was the fifth in 10 days. They played 4 games on the road against top teams. The best players are frosh and sophs, so they are still learning. A strong non-conference schedule is designed to get ready for the stretch run in the ECAC, so the next 14 games will be the real test. The truth is, none of us on this board is close enough to this team to know whether this group is going to come together down the stretch. We just need to wait and see. Waiting for 19 and 20 year olds to grow and develop into a successful team is frustrating and difficult for fans. It must be much more so for coaches.

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI & BU (Friday 12/4) & UNH (Saturday 12/5)

Ok, fishcore12 talked this frustrated fan off the ledge last night. While the PP continues to be a huge problem, the UNH game was the fifth in 10 days. They played 4 games on the road against top teams. The best players are frosh and sophs, so they are still learning. A strong non-conference schedule is designed to get ready for the stretch run in the ECAC, so the next 14 games will be the real test. The truth is, none of us on this board is close enough to this team to know whether this group is going to come together down the stretch. We just need to wait and see. Waiting for 19 and 20 year olds to grow and develop into a successful team is frustrating and difficult for fans. It must be much more so for coaches.

To be the best, you gotta beat the best. To beat the best, you gotta know who the best is and then play them. I seem to remember us facing a similar schedule in 2007-08 when we played the Gophers, BC, Miami (who had this possibly known ranking of #1), Colorado College (#2), among others. Obviously we didn't do all that hot, but look what that experience brought us in three years. We never would have made it there if we didn't play those high caliber teams. Coach thinks long term, and if he thinks long term, he deserves a long term chance. I know many people want ECAC championships, but last I checked, the ultimate goal of college hockey isn't an ECAC championship.

[Red Cloud]

Re: RPI & BU (Friday 12/4) & UNH (Saturday 12/5)

Question, were Higgs and O'Grady healthy scratches? I'm staring 2 think Higgs is a D3 level player myself.

Both have been playing hurt all year.

I see a lot of people giving UNH zero credit. That's awful.

[DavidSec17]

Re: RPI & BU (Friday 12/4) & UNH (Saturday 12/5)

I'm staring 2 think Higgs is a D3 level player myself.

I give Brock Higgs a ton of credit comming back from what he went thru a couple of seasons ago in Alabama.