RPI 2014-2015: Goin' back to the playoffs

[hab]

Re: RPI 2014-2015: Goin' back to the playoffs

I don't see her going to a low end, low profile program like that. I think there needs to be a change for sure but I don't see anyone ever being able to turn RPI into an NCAA tournament caliber team.

Ever? Your pessimism really is quite boundless isn't it? Clearly RPI's playoff hopes are out the window this year but I expect that we will still see some spirited hockey from them the rest of the way.

[D2D]

Re: RPI 2014-2015: Goin' back to the playoffs

I think there needs to be a change for sure but I don't see anyone ever being able to turn RPI into an NCAA tournament caliber team.

Never say never! Yale and Union - not exactly traditional powerhouses in NCAA men's hockey - emerged to win the NCAA Championship the past two years. And Minnesota State-Mankato is currently No. 1 in both the Pairwise and the USCHO poll. Things can turn in a hurry.

[shelfit]

Re: RPI 2014-2015: Goin' back to the playoffs

Never say never! Yale and Union - not exactly traditional powerhouses in NCAA men's hockey - emerged to win the NCAA Championship the past two years. And Minnesota State-Mankato is currently No. 1 in both the Pairwise and the USCHO poll. Things can turn in a hurry.

Men's hockey and women's hockey are two entirely different sports in too many ways to bother going into here. They can't be compared in terms of recruiting or anything else. I stand by my prediction; the RPI women's team will never make it to the NCAA tournament no matter who the coach is going to be next year or the years after that. It's realism, not pessimism. The truth does hurt.

[D2D]

Re: RPI 2014-2015: Goin' back to the playoffs

I stand by my prediction; the RPI women's team will never make it to the NCAA tournament no matter who the coach is going to be next year or the years after that. It's realism, not pessimism. The truth does hurt.

I hope the coaches (present and future) and players (present and future) don't share in your dire pessimism. I wonder if Clarkson felt the same way back in 2010-11, when they finished 14-17-6? They made steady improvement in each of the next three seasons, until finishing 31-5-5 in 2013-14 and winning the NCAA Championship. And it was women's - not men's - hockey. Certainly the odds against any one team doing this are long, but Clarkson has shown that anything's possible.

[shelfit]

Re: RPI 2014-2015: Goin' back to the playoffs

I hope the coaches (present and future) and players (present and future) don't share in your dire pessimism. I wonder if Clarkson felt the same way back in 2010-11, when they finished 14-17-6? They made steady improvement in each of the next three seasons, until finishing 31-5-5 in 2013-14 and winning the NCAA Championship. And it was women's - not men's - hockey. Certainly the odds against any one team doing this are long, but Clarkson has shown that anything's possible.

14-17-6 is a far cry from 5-19-4. I agree with others that are saying a coaching change is needed for next year because the current situation is hopeless. Clean house and start with a complete new staff to give the returning and incoming players hope for the future. I'm also simply adding a prediction that RPI will never make the NCAA tournament. Until that happens and proves me wrong I stand by my prediction and the reasons for it.

[hkypassion]

Re: RPI 2014-2015: Goin' back to the playoffs

14-17-6 is a far cry from 5-19-4. I agree with others that are saying a coaching change is needed for next year because the current situation is hopeless. Clean house and start with a complete new staff to give the returning and incoming players hope for the future. I'm also simply adding a prediction that RPI will never make the NCAA tournament. Until that happens and proves me wrong I stand by my prediction and the reasons for it.

I agree that RPI's record is a far cry from Clarkson's record in '10-'11 season, however I see what has happened at Yale for example. They made a coaching change at the start of '10-'11 season and has made significant strides ever since. They certainly gave Harvard a scare in the first round of the ECAC tournament last year! And here they are again poised for another post season.
A coach recruits the players he/she wants on his team and then they need to coach them. Just because they're skilled enough to play at the D1 level, doesn't mean they don't need to be coached. As the season goes on, most teams seem to improve, yet RPI seems to be going backwards. Everyone is shocked when Harvard plays more than 3 lines (sometimes no more than 2!), yet RPI seems to be a "everybody plays" attitude! There's no culture of winning/competing! Girls are being played regardless of HOW they're playing - statistics don't lie - some D should be benched as should some of the forwards! Reward players and penalize players - don't just play them all because….but be consistent in what's good play/bad play. Taking stupid penalties and then going right out on the PP is not rewarding GOOD PLAY!
You have to score more than you're letting in too! Scoring has been a major issue. There's no goalie "to steal" a game (at least not yet - we'll see about incoming goalies) like some of the other teams making improvements.
Give the returning players half a chance to have a good season next year. Make a change. Baby steps on making it to the NCAA tournament - let's give them a fighting chance to get back into the ECAC post season!

[Skate79]

Re: RPI 2014-2015: Goin' back to the playoffs

They certainly gave Harvard a scare in the first round of the ECAC tournament last year! And here they are again poised for another post season.

Very true. That series took ten years off my life.

Everyone is shocked when Harvard plays more than 3 lines (sometimes no more than 2!)

Not this year. Last night, our fourth line played significant minutes and wound up scoring three goals against the #7 team in the country. We're playing everyone this season.

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI 2014-2015: Goin' back to the playoffs

You have to score more than you're letting in too! Scoring has been a major issue. There's no goalie "to steal" a game (at least not yet - we'll see about incoming goalies) like some of the other teams making improvements.
Give the returning players half a chance to have a good season next year. Make a change. Baby steps on making it to the NCAA tournament - let's give them a fighting chance to get back into the ECAC post season!

I certainly don't claim to know much about women's hockey, but it seems to me that Sonja van der Bliek was able to steal games while the current goalies do not seem to be. Although there is little out on the Internet about our recruits (and I have spent a lot of time looking ), one or both may be a significant improvement. As has been said, Selander plays on a very poor team, so her current stats may not indicate her potential. OTOH, Bombay plays on an excellent team, especially last year. This year her GAA is somewhat higher, but still quite good. She had a 34-save shutout including a 19-save third period last weekend which isn't to be sneezed at. It looks like she stole that game: http://pwhl3.stats.pointstreak.com/b...gameid=2519018.

[GRussinko]

Re: RPI 2014-2015: Goin' back to the playoffs

RPI plays pretty well but loses two winnable games, Yale comes out and puts up 6 on Dartmouth and that's all she wrote. Try again next year.

[shelfit]

Re: RPI 2014-2015: Goin' back to the playoffs

RPI plays pretty well but loses two winnable games, Yale comes out and puts up 6 on Dartmouth and that's all she wrote. Try again next year.

I hate to say "I told you so".....

Time for a major change here.

[ARM]

Re: RPI 2014-2015: Goin' back to the playoffs

I hate to say "I told you so".....

Yeah, we can tell that it's just tearing you up inside.

[D2D]

Re: RPI 2014-2015: Goin' back to the playoffs

I hate to say "I told you so".....

Time for a major change here.

What would be the point? You earlier said, "I don't see anyone ever being able to turn RPI into an NCAA tournament caliber team." In other words, all hope is lost, but let's make a change anyway.

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI 2014-2015: Goin' back to the playoffs

An interview with recruit Ana Orzechowski http://www.fromthe300level.dreamhosters.com/?p=355. She plays for a NY HS team besides for the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite team.

[shelfit]

What would be the point? You earlier said, "I don't see anyone ever being able to turn RPI into an NCAA tournament caliber team." In other words, all hope is lost, but let's make a change anyway.

I also said the school still has to do something to bring hope to next year's team. I believe a new coaching staff can do a better job and possibly get back to the ECAC playoffs but not the NCAA tournament.

[lugnut92]

Re: RPI 2014-2015: Goin' back to the playoffs

In the end, our very own Mr. Pessimist shelfit was right and RPI will miss the playoffs for the second year in a row and the third time in four years. We're all very happy he could be so right. Hooray.

RPI KRACH (RRWP): 19.70 (.2176)

MCTs (Mean/Median/Mode/Range):
Points - 9.79 / 10 / 9 / 7 - 15
Rank - 10.02 / 10 / 10 / 9 - 12
Playoffs - 0%
Most likely opponent - BYE (100%)

Conference rankings:

1. Harvard
2. Quinnipiac
3. Clarkson
4. Cornell
   —————
5. SLU
6. Princeton
7. Yale
8. Dartmouth
   —————
   —————
9. Colgate
10. RPI
11. Union
12. Brown

I hope you all don't mind me not doing this the last two weeks of the season.