Union College: 2018-2019

[ecachawkeyfan]

Re: Union College: 2018-2019

Has anyone hashed the scenarios as far as who Union could host next weekend?

[aweise]

Has anyone hashed the scenarios as far as who Union could host next weekend?

All we know is that it will be Colgate, RPI, or Princeton. Union can finish anywhere from 6th to 8th, but from what I could hash out, if they finish 6th, they’ll end up playing RPI.

[Dutchmen16]

All we know is that it will be Colgate, RPI, or Princeton. Union can finish anywhere from 6th to 8th, but from what I could hash out, if they finish 6th, they’ll end up playing RPI.

That seems correct to me, although I think if Colgate losses and RPI and Princeton win, we could finish 6th and play Colgate.

Lugnut just posted in the Projected ECAC standings thread and the computers show we have something like a 70% change to host Colgate, 20% RPI and 10% Princeton. Colgate plays SLU tonight, so chances are at least likely that Colgate will win and finish in 9th (although SLU senior night so maybe they'll have so extra motivation).

I would like to avoid Princeton at all costs. They Knocked us out last year, we had to battle to knock them out the year before, pretty veteran team, I think they have a ton of talent including a couple phenomenal individual talents and they have been playing better. I actually can't figure out why they don't have a better record but I feel like they did last year they could put it all together and be extremely dangerous. .... Then again I am cautiously optimistic that Union could be "the Princeton" of last year and put it together at the right time.

[Dutchmen16]

All we know is that it will be Colgate, RPI, or Princeton. Union can finish anywhere from 6th to 8th, but from what I could hash out, if they finish 6th, they’ll end up playing RPI.

That seems correct to me, although I think if Colgate losses and RPI and Princeton win, we could finish 6th and play Colgate.

Lugnut just posted in the Projected ECAC standings thread and the computers show we have something like a 70% change to host Colgate, 20% RPI and 10% Princeton. Colgate plays SLU tonight, so chances are at least likely that Colgate will win and finish in 9th (although SLU senior night so maybe they'll have so extra motivation).

I would like to avoid Princeton at all costs. They Knocked us out last year, we had to battle to knock them out the year before, pretty veteran team, I think they have a ton of talent including a couple phenomenal individual talents and they have been playing better. I actually can't figure out why they don't have a better record but I feel like they did last year they could put it all together and be extremely dangerous. .... Then again I am cautiously optimistic that Union could be "the Princeton" of last year and put it together at the right time.

[aweise]

Re: Union College: 2018-2019

I’ve stopped worrying about who Union would play - they’ll get whoever they get. And they better be ready.

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: Union College: 2018-2019

Just guard your fire alarms, that's how Harvard pulled it out last night.

[Dutchmen16]

I’ve stopped worrying about who Union would play - they’ll get whoever they get. And they better be ready.

Agreed. If it clicks, it clicks. If not, we won't go that far regardless. Looks like we have Colgate, but agree it doesn't matter who- we gotta play good. Colgate is good defensively and they are opportunistic. Our 5-1 loss, we out played them and had better chances, but they buried their few and we didn't bury anything. .... Nice win tonight. gives me some very optimistic hope. We have a lot of pieces, we could use a PP (and a bit better PK) and some guys to finish/get some luck on some shots. If it all culminates at once I believe we have enough talent and depth to make a deep run. ....

Also just want to take a step back to agree with ECAChawkeyfan, in that union doesn't truly have a sustainable advantage. We may all love the team but great recruits who want notoriety go to BC/BU/(fill in team)/etc, the percentage of kids that want a stupendous degree choose Yale or Harvard. It's hard to be in the middle and recruit good talent while offering no great scholarship amount........ Leaman had some USA connections (Bennett as an assistant recruited some of those kids, so he can recruit) but takes all 3 to recruit. And even if ya have the best recruiters, Union (as was said earlier) doesn't necessarily have a sustainable advantage. Not rink (even thought I love the close knit feel of Messa I wouldn't want it changed, it may not appeal to the new generation recruits). Not scholarship. Not much of anything. National champ and NHL players was the prayer to be able to sell recruits on, but it hasn't completely happened. In some respects it's a miracle union could win a championship. And while I wish them continued success, I feel the recruiting advantage we had may have been fleeting.

[Dutchman]

Re: Union College: 2018-2019

Agreed. Also just want to take a step back to agree with ECAChawkeyfan, in that union doesn't truly have a sustainable advantage. We may all love the team but great recruits who want notoriety go to BC/BU/(fill in team)/etc, the percentage of kids that want a stupendous degree choose Yale or Harvard. It's hard to be in the middle and recruit good talent while offering no great scholarship amount........ Leaman had some USA connections (Bennett as an assistant recruited some of those kids, so he can recruit) but takes all 3 to recruit. And even if ya have the best recruiters, Union (as was said earlier) doesn't necessarily have a sustainable advantage. Not rink (even thought I love the close knit feel of Messa I wouldn't want it changed, it may not appeal to the new generation recruits). Not scholarship. Not much of anything. National champ and NHL players was the prayer to be able to sell recruits on, but it hasn't completely happened. In some respects it's a miracle union could win a championship. And while I wish them continued success, I feel the recruiting advantage we had may have been fleeting.

Totally agree. It was a miracle. You forgot to mention Schenectady and Hockey East. In the 1960's Schenectady was a thriving metropolis with 35,000 GE employees working in the downtown plants. These were the best and highest paid electrical craftsmen (building and repairing massive turbines and generators) jobs in the world before Welsh and the State and Local politicians fought it out. Now they are gone, never to return. By 1960's standards Schenectady is a dump. By then Troy was already a dump. The potholes were so big that they could consume a whole VW Beetle. While Schenectady and Troy are improving they are both basically "rustbelt" cities and the entire Tri-City area, including Albany, has an alarmingly high crime rate. With the academic index, the IVY's can admit 1-2 star prospects each year who would never be considered otherwise. They have tons of money. The new lockers at Harvard make you feel like you are at a country club. Geographically we are also competing with Hockey East. Fundamentally we are a D-III school with a D-I hockey program and no sustainable competitive advantage. We do/did have an "Eco System" including alumni, coaches, administration, faculty, parents, local fans, supporters, etc. that are in synch and 100% behind the team or at least not in opposition to the program. We need to make sure that continues. Some schools don't have that. Past and current Union presidents sometimes show up at away games as the current Union President did this year at Harvard. Does Shirley Jackson of RPI? "The highest paid college president, Shirley Ann Jackson of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, took home a base salary of $945,000 plus another $276,474 in bonuses, $31,874 in nontaxable benefits, and $5.8 million in deferred compensation, for a stunning $7.1 million in total" That was 2015.

A tight ecosystem that supports the hockey program is all we have along with outstanding coaching. Clarkson is similar. While I love the program and the team, IMO our expectations for the next 5 years should be lowered.

[Union27]

Re: Union College: 2018-2019

Perfect timing for a sweep of two very good hockey teams. Very nice to have some momentum going into the home playoff series vs Colgate.
A new season begins right now for this team. They can’t take Colgate for granted or it will be lights out. I believe the last time Union played Colgate in a home playoff series was bad news/good news for Union.
The bad news they got beat/upset by Colgate after winning the first game of the series only to lose the next two games when they blew two late leads.
The good news was Union didn’t lose another ECAC playoff game for 3 years. Those players learned from the brutal loss to Colgate to fuel their success going forward.
As I stated earlier I believe this team can make a run...I can’t wait until Friday. There is nothing better than playoff hockey at Messa !

[Dutchman]

Re: Union College: 2018-2019

Its possible that 4 ECAC teams could make the NCAA's. If it does, that will be a first. Our non-conference record certainly has helped us but it has also helped the ECAC in the pairwise.

[QUAlum2004]

Re: Union College: 2018-2019

Thank you Union for the help last night.

[bothman]

Re: Union College: 2018-2019

Thought u guys were really, really good last night. Speed and heavy on the puck. That kind of game will majeunion a tough out. I know this Harvard fan wants no part of them in the post season.

Great win!

[Dutchman]

Re: Union College: 2018-2019

By Sunday the season will be over for either us or Colgate. It may even happen by Saturday. The last time we faced Colgate in an ECAC playoff at Messa we all remember what happened.

https://dailygazette.com/article/201...to-first-round

[UnionFan4Life]

By Sunday the season will be over for either us or Colgate. It may even happen by Saturday. The last time we faced Colgate in an ECAC playoff at Messa we all remember what happened.

https://dailygazette.com/article/201...to-first-round

It’s tough to compare 2011 and 2019 as both teams are totally different. I’m optimistic about this weekend and hopefully get a refund for Sunday!

Let’s Go U!

[sshablak]

Re: Union College: 2018-2019

You will !