RPI Off-Season Thread 2011: There Will be a Title Here Next Season

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2011: There Will be a Title Here Next Season

Another little subjective thing: Should we happen to win the UCONN tournament... DO NOT TOUCH THE TROPHY! I actually remember Coach Appert saying back in the 2007-08 season in a joking fashion after winning the Governor's Cup, "We'll try not to make this the highlight of the season." Yes, I'm a superstitious person, bash me all you want, but there has to be some reason for the February (or January) meltdown. I realize there are physical factors that would easily take higher precedence in said argument, but every other team has to deal with the same rigors, so why are we any different?

FWIW, I add post number 5 of this thread.

[DrDemento]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2011: There Will be a Title Here Next Season

Another little subjective thing: Should we happen to win the UCONN tournament... DO NOT TOUCH THE TROPHY! I actually remember Coach Appert saying back in the 2007-08 season in a joking fashion after winning the Governor's Cup, "We'll try not to make this the highlight of the season." Yes, I'm a superstitious person, bash me all you want, but there has to be some reason for the February (or January) meltdown. I realize there are physical factors that would easily take higher precedence in said argument, but every other team has to deal with the same rigors, so why are we any different?

Dude-I have thought about the reasons for the yearly meltdown for a long time. I don't think it is necessarily the month(Jan or Feb) it is the competition. We play virtually all ECAC games in those 2 months and up until now we have just not been built as a team for the grind of ECAC games. I think this changes with the incoming class. We have increased our size on defense last year-that should help some. But we now will be adding a considerable amount of offensive depth for the first time in a long time. We should be able to do some scoring to match our defensive play. Much as I hate to say it, we will be more Union-like this upcoming year with offense coming throughout the line up. Even on defense, we will be more offensive as the defensemen that graduated were not adding anything to the scoresheet for us.

As far as being superstitious-No one can be more so that Jenny and I. When we win-we try to remember the same routine before each game until we lose again. Really looking forward to a fun year for the Engineers next season.

[DrDemento]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2011: There Will be a Title Here Next Season

Ill give it shot:

Laliberte-Higgs-O'Grady (Team Canada East line)
Lee-Schroeder-Haggerty
Neal-Rogic-AAG
Tinordi-Malchuk-Rabbani

Bailen-Curadi
Bergin-Leonard
Koudys-Bradley

and a powerplay something like this: Laliberte-Higgs-Haggerty-Schroeder-Bailen

Like that 4th line a lot-some of the opposition are going to really get flattened out there against them.

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2011: There Will be a Title Here Next Season

Dude-I have thought about the reasons for the yearly meltdown for a long time. I don't think it is necessarily the month(Jan or Feb) it is the competition. We play virtually all ECAC games in those 2 months and up until now we have just not been built as a team for the grind of ECAC games. I think this changes with the incoming class. We have increased our size on defense last year-that should help some. But we now will be adding a considerable amount of offensive depth for the first time in a long time. We should be able to do some scoring to match our defensive play. Much as I hate to say it, we will be more Union-like this upcoming year with offense coming throughout the line up. Even on defense, we will be more offensive as the defensemen that graduated were not adding anything to the scoresheet for us.

As far as being superstitious-No one can be more so that Jenny and I. When we win-we try to remember the same routine before each game until we lose again. Really looking forward to a fun year for the Engineers next season.

York had a similar supersitition as to whether he would look up or down during player introductions. He'd do the same thing after a win, and the other thing after a loss or tie.

As for more Union-like, PLEASE don't tell me we're going to do that clutch and gra- wait, that's Corne- wait, that's 10 of the 12 teams in the ECAC.

[AspyDad]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2011: There Will be a Title Here Next Season

As an attempt to stir things up as we head toward the true dog days, I'll throw out my (highly subjective) personal guess as to line combos in our first meaningful game next season:

Lee-Higgs-Neal
Haggerty-Malchuk-Rabbani
O'Grady-Laliberte-AAG
Burgdoerfer-Rogic-Cullen

Bailen-Leonard
Bergin-Dolan
Koudys-Leboeuf

Merriam*-??? (Kasdorf?)

scratch: Tinordi, McGowan, Curadi, Bradley

Neal will figure big in the plan next year. Remember we need scoring. I'm a Charlie one note but Pat will come back from combine experience and that will make him a definite top 4 D-Man if not top 2 IMO. Rogic will see alot more time, he was valuable contributer in the second half. Johnny Rocket is a creator which again, we lacked at times. Luke has gained some valuable experience in the great season DFS has had. Look at Bailen and how ready he was when he came from USHL. Will need him against the big teams. Look out Lynah, Big Red coming your way. Plus Luke's mom is way HOT!!!!

[turk181]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2011: There Will be a Title Here Next Season

Ill give it shot:

Laliberte-Higgs-O'Grady (Team Canada East line)
Lee-Schroeder-Haggerty
Neal-Rogic-AAG
Tinordi-Malchuk-Rabbani

Bailen-Curadi
Bergin-Leonard
Koudys-Bradley

and a powerplay something like this: Laliberte-Higgs-Haggerty-Schroeder-Bailen

I like this line-up, though I want to give a look-see with Neal replacing Higgs down-low (both LH shots). Shroeder filling the RH shot we had w/Chase. Alot of Fr. I know on the 1st PP unit but I think we will be relying on them alot this year. Paddy Cullen really needs to show improvement this year. Also like pairing Rogic with a bonafide scorer. Should be very exciting to see which Fr. will adapt to this level of play.

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2011: There Will be a Title Here Next Season

Neal will figure big in the plan next year. Remember we need scoring. I'm a Charlie one note but Pat will come back from combine experience and that will make him a definite top 4 D-Man if not top 2 IMO. Rogic will see alot more time, he was valuable contributer in the second half. Johnny Rocket is a creator which again, we lacked at times. Luke has gained some valuable experience in the great season DFS has had. Look at Bailen and how ready he was when he came from USHL. Will need him against the big teams. Look out Lynah, Big Red coming your way. Plus Luke's mom is way HOT!!!!

I agree with you about Neal and also about Koudys (except for the combine part because he was apparently ranked one spot too low to be invited). I hope that you are correct about Rogic, but I am not as sure as you that he won't turn out to be like Askew, not that Askew was that bad, just too fast for his own good at times. I have a hard time comparing Curadi with Bailen because their play is so different. Also Bailen probably benefited more from his year at BG than for the extra year in the USHL. Curadi will be fighting for ice time with the rest of the defense. Bailen and Bergin have two spots. I would like to think that Koudys has another, but everyone else will be fighting for ice time. IMHO, of course.

[AspyDad]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2011: There Will be a Title Here Next Season

I agree with you about Neal and also about Koudys (except for the combine part because he was apparently ranked one spot too low to be invited). I hope that you are correct about Rogic, but I am not as sure as you that he won't turn out to be like Askew, not that Askew was that bad, just too fast for his own good at times. I have a hard time comparing Curadi with Bailen because their play is so different. Also Bailen probably benefited more from his year at BG than for the extra year in the USHL. Curadi will be fighting for ice time with the rest of the defense. Bailen and Bergin have two spots. I would like to think that Koudys has another, but everyone else will be fighting for ice time. IMHO, of course.

You never addressed the part about Babo being HOT!!!!

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2011: There Will be a Title Here Next Season

You never addressed the part about Babo being HOT!!!!

I haven't met her.

[GRussinko]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2011: There Will be a Title Here Next Season

Another little subjective thing: Should we happen to win the UCONN tournament... DO NOT TOUCH THE TROPHY! I actually remember Coach Appert (or maybe it was one of the players) saying back in the 2007-08 season in a joking fashion after winning the Governor's Cup, "We'll try not to make this the highlight of the season." Yes, I'm a superstitious person, bash me all you want, but there has to be some reason for the February (or January) meltdown. I realize there are physical factors that would easily take higher precedence in said argument, but every other team has to deal with the same rigors, so why are we any different?

You know who else didn't touch their trophies? North Dakota. What did it get them? An early exit from the Frozen Four and no moment holding the MacNaughton or Broadmoor up in the air to put in the memory bank.

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2011: There Will be a Title Here Next Season

You know who else didn't touch their trophies? North Dakota. What did it get them? An early exit from the Frozen Four and no moment holding the MacNaughton or Broadmoor up in the air to put in the memory bank.

You have a point.

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2011: There Will be a Title Here Next Season

You know who else didn't touch their trophies? North Dakota. What did it get them? An early exit from the Frozen Four and no moment holding the MacNaughton or Broadmoor up in the air to put in the memory bank.

FWIW, pretty much every player on the team had held the MacNaughton/Broadmoor before. Plus, they have all offseason to hold the trophies if they want.

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2011: There Will be a Title Here Next Season

FWIW, pretty much every player on the team had held the MacNaughton/Broadmoor before. Plus, they have all offseason to hold the trophies if they want.

It's always interesting to see which fans of other teams follow our blather.

Good luck to ND, and I hope the dams are holding.

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2011: There Will be a Title Here Next Season

It's always interesting to see which fans of other teams follow our blather.

Good look to ND, and I hope the dams are holding.

I tend to follow threads that I had posted in recently. Plus, I hope for nothing but the best for RPI, unless they play North Dakota. Appert has a good program going there in Troy, and I expect that we'll see RPI making consistent NCAA appearances.

[AspyDad]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2011: There Will be a Title Here Next Season

I haven't met her.

Take my word for it. She is major Hot!!!