Colgate 2010-11

[Rainman]

Re: Colgate 2010-11

Ughhh ... we have THREE OT LOSSES this year. That's how frustrating the season has been. I know we don't do well in holiday tournaments but when we have so many close losses -- we have FOUR 4-3 losses (two in OT) and one 5-4 loss (these lossses not counting games against BC and Yale) -- the team isn't finishing and/or isn't being responsible defensively. Looking at the boxscore of the Dartmouth game we indeed only dressed 5 D-men and started Bessette (his 1st start of the year), but the team at least came out to play -- again. Can we not blow a lead or find a way to lose?

At least 2010 is out the window. It's a new year, and I really hope we can get our 1st conference win on Friday. It won't be easy, but it's definitely not out of the question.

['Gate Radio]

Re: Colgate 2010-11

I'm sure a certain blog will be writing more about the first half of the season this week if said blogger can buckle down at the computer. Really the biggest frustration I think for everyone in regards to the record has to be the fact that the team has pretty much been in every game and had a chance to win - Boston College and Dartmouth very much included. Over the last few years, there have always been nights when things went downhill and the game turned into a blowout. Some that come to mind right away from last year, 5-2 against Notre Dame, 5-1 against Niagara in Chicago and 6-2 at home to Cornell.

This season, pretty much every game has been close. The only two losses by three goals have been to SLU and Brown. Against St. Lawrence, it was a 2-1 game going into the third period and ended up 4-1 because of an empty-netter. The same can be said for the Brown game with the score being 2-1 Bruno going into the third period.

I don't necessarily know what to make of Friday's game with Dartmouth simply because of the illness going on with the team and the fact that several key players were out sick and others were playing while still recovering. On the bright side, it turned out much better than the last time the team played with five d-men; a 6-1 home loss to Lake Superior State in 2008-2009. That said, even the patchwork line-up had Dartmouth on the ropes with a 2-0 lead, found a way to go back ahead after squandering the lead and fought on into overtime while being outshot by more than 20. However, the old canard of 2010-2011 then reared its ugly head and a Joe Stejskal slap shot found the back of the net off a Colgate skate.

The biggest key I think for the team this week is to get healthy. The players know the job at hand now with 16 league games remaining and a zero in the win column for league games so far.

[ColSkate65]

Re: Colgate 2010-11

Eight of the 12 ECAC teams are ranked this week in the USCHO Top 20 and "Others Receiving Votes." Who could have predicted we wouldn't be one of them?.

[Rainman]

Re: Colgate 2010-11

This season, pretty much every game has been close. The only two losses by three goals have been to SLU and Brown. Against St. Lawrence, it was a 2-1 game going into the third period and ended up 4-1 because of an empty-netter. The same can be said for the Brown game with the score being 2-1 Bruno going into the third period.

Also the Quinnipiac game was 2-1 Bobcats going into the 3rd. And in the losses to SLU and Brown, they took 3-goal leads on late 3rd-period empty-net goals.

Eight of the 12 ECAC teams are ranked this week in the USCHO Top 20 and "Others Receiving Votes." Who could have predicted we wouldn't be one of them?.

We're the only team in the ECAC with double-digit losses I really hope we aren't becoming what Brown was from 2005-09

[Gaterrooter]

Re: Colgate 2010-11

A freshman has left the team. I know this happens every year all around college hockey but a top recruit leaving a team with 3 wins spells trouble.

http://www.uscho.com/2011/01/02/ushl...om-ncaa-ranks/

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: Colgate 2010-11

We're the only team in the ECAC with double-digit losses I really hope we aren't becoming what Brown was from 2005-09

If it's any consolation, look at what has happened to the basement teams in the league tournament lately. You may actually pull off the unthinkable and win the ECAC's auto-bid.

[HockeyEh]

Re: Colgate 2010-11

A freshman has left the team. I know this happens every year all around college hockey but a top recruit leaving a team with 3 wins spells trouble.

http://www.uscho.com/2011/01/02/ushl...om-ncaa-ranks/

He is a drafted player who wasn't getting much playing time. Probably felt he was better off playing somewhere and then coming back in to the college ranks a bit more mature. My only concern is that the agents start working on their players to leave. Now have 6 remaining NHL drafted players I believe. Also, the big programs with deep, deep benches tend to loose the freshman players. Teams with a short bench typically don't loose players and I can't remember a freshman pulling out of Gate in the past. When is the last time we lost a player?

['Gate Radio]

Re: Colgate 2010-11

He is a drafted player who wasn't getting much playing time. Probably felt he was better off playing somewhere and then coming back in to the college ranks a bit more mature. My only concern is that the agents start working on their players to leave. Now have 6 remaining NHL drafted players I believe. Also, the big programs with deep, deep benches tend to loose the freshman players. Teams with a short bench typically don't loose players and I can't remember a freshman pulling out of Gate in the past. When is the last time we lost a player?

Few years ago actually but it wasn't a big deal. Jak Knelman, who was in the Day-Brisebois-Poplawski-McNamara class, left during the group's first season to go back to the USHL. Not a drafted kid, just someone out of the Minnesota high school ranks. He never returned and now he's playing at Division III Middlebury. Jak barely played during his brief time at Colgate on a team stacked with veterans. The other four freshmen played right away and Knelman just never really caught up.

I think the issue here is fairly isolated and don't see anyone else packing up and leaving.

[Gaterrooter]

Re: Colgate 2010-11

Just checked the Middlebury stats and Jak leads the team in scoring with 2 goals and 4 assists in 7 games. Last year he had 10 points in 24 games.

[rodney]

Re: Colgate 2010-11

Gate Radio got the most recent, but JR Brian transferred to UMass Lowell in the mid-00s, and there was a Finnish player that left after a year in either the late 90s or early 00s.

[sshablak]

Re: Colgate 2010-11

It was J R Bria to UML and the Finnish player was Rajamakki that left. What a shame..giving up a 200k scholarship to one of the best liberal arts school in the country !!!

[TheValleyRaider]

Re: Colgate 2010-11

Getting to the bottom of page 2

Any thoughts on this weekend? Q has been up and down all season, maybe we snatch something from them Friday night, while we seem to play decently on these Sunday afternoon tilts (that I can remember at least), so maybe we steal points from the Tigers?

Reading Sullivan's article, I like Coach's comments regarding the team's confidence and work ethic. Hopefully it carries over into the game results. Sprinkle in a little puck luck, and maybe we can make a run in the second half

Maybe it's the time change, maybe it's the weather down here, or maybe I'm just crazy (well, I am, but bear with me), but I think there's a run left in this team. Not enough for a Top 4 spot, but maybe, just maybe, they can find themselves at home for the 1st round. Notch some victories under your belt, and who knows.....

[Rainman]

Re: Colgate 2010-11

Was just looking at the Quinnipiac thread, and since the start of the 2007-08 season, Quinnipiac is 52-0-5 when leading after 2 periods. Consequently, in the same timespan, when the Bobcats are either tied or trailing after 2 periods, their record is 16-60-6. So whatever the score is after the 2nd period tomorrow night, that'll be a good measuring stick of what the result will be.

Also, in our 14 losses, our goal differential is (not including empty-net goals-against) -18. Yes, that means we're losing by an average margin of 1.285 goals! Can we get some good bounces or (very importantly) limit the mistakes? It seems like every small miscue torches us!

Weather permitting, I'll be hopefully making the trip to CT tomorrow. Hopefully I'll see the same team that came out to play against Boston College (without giving up 6 goals).

[ColSkate65]

Re: Colgate 2010-11

Rainman - Thanks for the report on the BC game; forgot to mention it. If you can give us a report on the QU game tonite it is always appreciated.

[TheGreenCoat]

Re: Colgate 2010-11

Note that in the KRACH rankings we're not only ranked #56 (ahead of Ala-Huntsville and, yes, Sacred Heart), but our Strength of Schedule ranking is #47...for those of you who are STILL scratching their heads about all of our draft picks please note that Yale has all of TWO on their team...I think the kids are playing hard; I simply think (again) that our overall talent level is poor (I don't want to get into names here) and this IS a reflection of poor judgment in our recruiting efforts...Dickson and Moore vis-a-vis the current crew kind of says it all...hopefully the assistant coaches (and Don) are NOW going in the right direction but as I've said before, bringing in 4 frosh to replace a like number of seniors (especially with the current roster) ain't going to get it done...