Bentley Hockey 2012-2013: The New Era of JAR Pride Begins

[eXcSports]

Re: Bentley Hockey 2012-2013: The New Era of JAR Pride Begins

This is all I have to say about that.

http://excalibursportspage.com/2013/02/12/cowboy-up/

[RSTuthill]

Re: Bentley Hockey 2012-2013: The New Era of JAR Pride Begins

This is all I have to say about that.

Good piece. I hope UConn doesn't meet you guys in the tournament. The last two games will provide a huge motivation for the Falcons. Thought you handled the interview on WHUS well too.

[eXcSports]

Re: Bentley Hockey 2012-2013: The New Era of JAR Pride Begins

Good piece. I hope UConn doesn't meet you guys in the tournament. The last two games will provide a huge motivation for the Falcons. Thought you handled the interview on WHUS well too.

Many thank yous. It's always very humbling to hear stuff like that, and I never quite know how to respond. I have a ton of respect for the way UConn's played this year, and Will does a fantastic job for you guys on the air. He's a class act all the way, and from my own personal standpoint, I'd love to have the chance to call a game with him in some capacity for the full 60 minutes.

It's too bad we didn't get some better hockey games this weekend, but it's better to lay eggs now than in the playoffs. I still believe in Bentley, but I think I've had enough UConn in my diet to last me a little while

[beenthere77]

Re: Bentley Hockey 2012-2013: The New Era of JAR Pride Begins

You state you find it amazing that this team is inconsistent
Really, Why would that be?

It is not the team, the players are talented and skilled.
They game plan they are being forced to execute is putting the team at a disadvantage every shift. It is a turn the puck over and defend. Every time possssion doesn't occur(often lately) it results in odd man rushes since the forwards are not in position to help. It is negating all the skating and passing ability of this team. It is not the defense or goaltending, this team has more depth than most Atlantic teams and can easily roll the 4 lines. And the forwards CAN score.

This team could/should have been a 20+ game winning team. This team can bring the puck up from it's own end, the system being played results in spending more time skating and battling for possesion which results in less offense being played. The players need to be coached into the team but not have their own game coached out of them. They look like they do not know how to play the game. No flow,no breakout,no creativity with the system. Time for a change after a 9-0 game. The game plan has proven it isn't working. You do not blame the players for a 9-0 loss.

All season long we've been preaching patience, patience, patience. Well, I think the time for patience is starting to run out. Yes, Bentley is within points, still, of a first round bye, but they can't lose a game the rest of the way. By the math I've seen, Bentley needed to 6-1-1 in the last 8 games, assuming they'd lose to Army. Fact remains that the conference is very strong this year, and the Falcons simply aren't the top-tier team. That's not to say they aren't good because they've shown us the talent levels they possibly could have.

But at the same time, we can't sit back and say that this team is what we thought they'd be. We thought they'd have 20 wins and a first round bye. That's not going to happen. They still can finish over .500 but AIC is proving they're not a pushover either. I'm concerned of finishing 10th and having to go to RIT in the first round.

All this said, I find it amazing that Bentley has been, all year, an inconsistent team. They can't win games unless they score 4 or 5 goals. But they can't rely on that type of offense. They have to prove they can win 2-1 or 3-2 hockey games on a regular basis, and they need to show that they can defeat teams other than AIC and Sacred Heart on a regular basis. Honestly, they need to WIN tonight, and they need to beat Army senselessly next weekend. They can't lose a game the rest of the way.

Maybe this is me hitting the panic button as a fan, but I find it very real that Bentley could end up as the 7 seed just as likely as they could the 10 seed.

[Humanoid]

Re: Bentley Hockey 2012-2013: The New Era of JAR Pride Begins

You state you find it amazing that this team is inconsistent
Really, Why would that be?

It is not the team, the players are talented and skilled.
They game plan they are being forced to execute is putting the team at a disadvantage every shift. It is a turn the puck over and defend. Every time possssion doesn't occur(often lately) it results in odd man rushes since the forwards are not in position to help. It is negating all the skating and passing ability of this team. It is not the defense or goaltending, this team has more depth than most Atlantic teams and can easily roll the 4 lines. And the forwards CAN score.

This team could/should have been a 20+ game winning team. This team can bring the puck up from it's own end, the system being played results in spending more time skating and battling for possesion which results in less offense being played. The players need to be coached into the team but not have their own game coached out of them. They look like they do not know how to play the game. No flow,no breakout,no creativity with the system. Time for a change after a 9-0 game. The game plan has proven it isn't working. You do not blame the players for a 9-0 loss.

You absolutely blame the players in a 9-0 loss. Anyone who was watching that game saw a team essentially quit on the ice. It started with a major boarding call, which I agree with the premise behind sending a statement but that's a bonehead play. Then it continues with 3 goals in less than a minute. Maybe Bentley calls their TO there to stabilize, but they played well the rest of the period until they gave up the 4th goal with less than 5 minutes to play.

They're already down 4-0 after one, and a cold goalie comes in. You CANNOT leave Komm in the game in that situation. I think everyone agrees on that point. So they put in Dougherty, and there's always that issue of bringing a goalie off the bench to start a period. And Bentley outplayed UConn for swaths of that second period. Then the defenseman loses track of a man one-on-one, who toe drags and beats Doc low. That's on the dman for letting a guy by him in a one-on-one. That wasn't a system play at all. At that point it's 5-0 and the game's over. Bentley hung their heads on the ice and wanted out of there faster than the game could go.

By the time the third period hit, everyone just wanted to go home. Credit Bentley for running the system on the pp at the end and nearly scoring a goal. They hit the post two or three times on the power play (AGAIN). There were wide open looks on net created by the system, and these guys just flat out missed them. In a 9-0 game, maybe there's a couple of things the coaches could've done differently, but at the end of the day, if you'd been there watching it, you'd have seen that it was not the coaches fault. When Bentley ran the defensive system, UConn didn't get any looks on net. Most of the goals were scored in scenarios where a single guy missed an assignment or screwed that up.

How do you motivate a team to play when it's 7-0 or 8-0? What can you say to them? Everyone just wanted to leave.

That said, maybe this is the wake up call that this team has to commit itself to playing defensive hockey. They had no trouble playing defensive hockey last year, and it's the same system. You're saying to tailor the system to the players, but why do that when the systme you have works? Frank Serratore's had the same system for years. So has Wayne Wilson, and so has Brian Riley. They've all had success in some capacity. You recruit guys who show the skill set to play inside your system. You're not looking for the best guys, you're looking for the right ones. But you can't coach heart because that doesn't show up on a spreadsheet.

I agree with Dan that there's still tons of time left, but this team has to find its soul and identity. I'm hoping UConn woke them up and they're angry. Because an angry team will play hard, and they should want to return to practice today with anger and motivation in their bloodstreams to do the necessary things that teams do to win.

[Snively65]

Re: Bentley Hockey 2012-2013: The New Era of JAR Pride Begins

I think that coming into the season, everyone realilzed losing three d-men to graduation would be a challenge. During the first half of the season, Bentley compensated for this inexperience on defense by being in the top three Div 1 teams in offense (GPG), PPGs, and fewest penalty minutes, the latter being really important as Bentley's PK was mediocre at best after losing their best two PK specialists to graduation. However, during the second half of the season, Bentley's goal production disappeared, especially on the PP. Although the Falcons remained disciplined avoiding penalties, the disastrous major at the beginning of the game on Monday night, their first major of the season, I believe, exposed their mediocre PK. "Sending statements" with major boarding calls, which has hurt Bentley a lot in past seasons, was not a wise tactic against a team that beat you 4-1 the night before. I did not see the hit, so not sure how blatant it was. The Falcons need to get back to their desciplined play and stay out of the penalty box the last six games of the season, and hope that they get their scoring touch back. If they sweep their last six games, they still have a chance for home ice in the first round this post-season.

[beenthere77]

Re: Bentley Hockey 2012-2013: The New Era of JAR Pride Begins

looking at the numbers(they don't lie) last season vs this...
with the 2 "pk specialists" the pk last year was 82.9%. This year, your deemed "mediocre" pk is running at 81.1%. A mere 1.8% difference after graduating 3 top dman. Still stands a chance to best last years number.
The pp on the other hand stands at 19.8% vs the 11.4% last season. More than makes up for the pk deficit.

Overall Bentley finshed last season at a +6 in GD. This year the team stands at a -1. Also take into consideration that they have only the weaker teams (by standings) left to play. So the number also has the potential to be better than last year.


But should last years season even be looked at as the gold standard you seem to make it out to be. Here's a place to use the word "mediocre"
As far as this "system" being so successful last season, what standard are you to using measure that? A 6th place conference finish and getting bounced in the quarterfinals of the playoffs? Thats a pretty low bar IMHO.

This team is way better that that, so was last years.

[eXcSports]

Re: Bentley Hockey 2012-2013: The New Era of JAR Pride Begins

This is my only point on this argument because I'm staying out of it, but I like the passion around the team.

Everyone is coming out of the woodwork against Soderquist following the 5-game losing streak. You guys weren't posting during the winning streak.

Remember the adage that you're never as bad as when you're bad and you're never as good as when you're good. My analysis is my analysis on my website, and like I said, I'm not making points here one way or the other. I admit I'm a staunch supporter of Soderquist because I'm supporting the team that's there. In my article, I said that last year's team had guys who could kill penalties or make plays at key moments. That team had a helluva lot more that wasn't seen in statistics. Intangibles are immeasurable.

It's also not up to me to sway public opinion on administrative issues other than to drum up support for the on campus facility. I will not get into the critical arguments about if Ryan Soderquist is fit for the job or not. I'm only focusing on the here and now about what this team has done and what they need to do. That's all I can hope to provide.

I also said that this team, while not last year's team in terms of heart, can still develop that and step forward. I believe this week will have a physical, spirited practice, and I believe that this team will come out this weekend with something to prove. That something is the intensity it takes to be recognized as a contender, and that's something we'll see.

[beenthere77]

Re: Bentley Hockey 2012-2013: The New Era of JAR Pride Begins

"Then the defenseman loses track of a man one-on-one, who toe drags and beats Doc low. That's on the dman for letting a guy by him in a one-on-one. That wasn't a system play at all."

Anyone watch what happens before the puck crosses the defensive blue line? All game long...

Credit Bentley for running the system on the pp at the end and nearly scoring a goal. They hit the post two or three times on the power play (AGAIN). There were wide open looks on net created by the system, and these guys just flat out missed them."

the "system" isn't run on the PP.

[Pk Specialist]

Re: Bentley Hockey 2012-2013: The New Era of JAR Pride Begins

This is my only point on this argument because I'm staying out of it, but I like the passion around the team.

Everyone is coming out of the woodwork against Soderquist following the 5-game losing streak. You guys weren't posting during the winning streak...

At least say there was one of us (ahem) that was posting about Soderquist's lack of coaching ability throughout the season.

[Humanoid]

Re: Bentley Hockey 2012-2013: The New Era of JAR Pride Begins

"Then the defenseman loses track of a man one-on-one, who toe drags and beats Doc low. That's on the dman for letting a guy by him in a one-on-one. That wasn't a system play at all."

Anyone watch what happens before the puck crosses the defensive blue line? All game long...

Credit Bentley for running the system on the pp at the end and nearly scoring a goal. They hit the post two or three times on the power play (AGAIN). There were wide open looks on net created by the system, and these guys just flat out missed them."

the "system" isn't run on the PP.

Actually, there is a system on the pp. Grieve sets up in the middle with Switzer on the right and Gladiuk on the left. Gensler (now in place of Blomquist; he used to play up where Switzer is) is on the right, with Weinstein on the left on the blue line. Grieve wins the draw, and the puck goes to Weinstein. Gensler cycles drawing a defender with him and gets the puck. Gensler comes to the middle of the hashes in between the faceoff circles and goes to Switzer on the right. Switzer hits Weinstein's tape up top, who looks left or right. He eventually goes to Gensler who has the authority to determine which way to go based on coverage. Gensler goes outside to a shot to switch directions cross ice through the defense. IT lines up a shot from the outside on a wide open net. If it's saved, it can't be saved cleanly, and Grieve is there in the middle to put it back.

You want proof that the pp system works? Gladiuk has 4 pp goals and Grieve has 7, the most since Dustin Cloutier, who was a pp wizard when it came to shooting because all he had to do was shoot the puck on his own. Cloutier's system was to get the puck and everyone get the hell out of his way. Gensler occasionally can take the shot himself, but so can Weinstein, and Weinstein can also come off the line if he sees the defense split enough. Weinstein himself has five of six goals on the pp. The threat of Weinstein stepping up and passing it off to Gladiuk or Gensler is enough to open up a shot lane, and his shot is good enough tos neak by.

That's a system play by design every single time. Bentley never changes the pp system when the top line is out there; it happens every single time. It's one thing to know its coming, it's another to stop it.

******

Other counterpoint on your love of these players - last year's team statistically. Last year's team statistically wasn't great, especially at the beginning of the year. They opened up the season 1-5 (granted two of the games were at michigan and one was at umass). Took two points from four games against NIagara and mercyhurst by going 0-2-2. Swept by RIT. Couldn't beat HOly Cross.

The team got hot at the end of the year by going 4-1-2 in divisional play. That's about what they need to have happen this year. Somebody said it (I don't remember who) that a bye would be doable by going 6-1-1. Now they're 0-2 with games left. What's that mean? Well, it means that they can still do better than last year's team IF they turn it around. They'll end probably in the same spot, which is saying something considering. The system is exactly the same as it was last year, and I fail to see a time last year when someone didn't come up with a big play. And they went into the playoffs and laid an egg in Game 2 against SHU. But they were within a mad dash comeback and double OT game of beating RIT at RIT, where dreams go to die. When that series ended, RIT fans were shocked they'd made it through. It took 63 shots and 2 OT to beat that unit in Game 2, and that was on a team predicted to finish 10th last year. This year they predicted 4th and now they're 10th.

I'll look inside the stats since stats can be bent within the confines of what you're trying to prove. I go back to the Holy Cross tie at home on the second to last day of the season. Gensler and Marginsky get sent to the can for 2 full minutes. Mike Switzer and Trent Bonnett stayed on the ice for the entire two minutes, and the only player that switched out was the forward on the PK. THat was switching between Aaron Stonacek and Jamie Nudy, two more seniors who were, as Snively pointed out, PK specialists. It was a huge kill, and there was always the chance of a goal. Yet with those guys on the ice, you KNEW, you just KNEW that they were probably going to kill it. Switzer and Bonnett made Komm play that much better by limiting position.

Is it Soderquist's fault that he didn't adequately prepare for life after those guys? Yeah a little bit. But we're forgetting one major piece of the puzzle. Micah Williams. Williams quit at the end of last year because he was unhappy with his playing situation. If you insert Williams into this rotation, all of a sudden the whole dynamic of inexperience is different. And it's nobody's fault other than Williams that he quit. He didn't want to be there, so he gave it up despite all signs pointing to a leadership role on this unit. All of a sudden the defense has Weinstein-Blomquist, Marginsky-Ledford, and Williams-Maher/O'Brien/Reardon. Maybe Reardon becomes the tough guy 4th forward in the form of Kayfes. I know this.... when Ledford went to the box, that PK unit would've had Micah Williams on it instead of multiple freshmen. That's not the coach's fault that a guy quits. It's a coach's fault when 5 guys quit (see also: BU)

My last point is about Soderquist the coach. He's a 2-time AHA coach of the year. Despite having 12 scholarships as a limit in the AHA, Bentley offers less than that. He's managed to have terrible facilities and put a team out there that's still considered a program on the rise. HIs system coaches have gone onto coach elsewhere; Mark White is down at Brown coaching a defense that's one of the best in the country right now. The funny thing is that White's doing it with a team that's using a converted 14th forward on the depth chart and a goalie that hadn't played in 2 years before this year. It's all system down there, and Brendan Whittet brought in Mark White for his recruitment/system knowledge. Soderquist was mentioned as a name alongside Paul Pearl when Rand Pecknold turned down the UMass job. He's considered one of the better coaches out here, and he's put Bentley in a position to play teams like Michigan and Northeastern and compete....unlike what AIC did when they gave up 72 thousand goals to Minnesota last year. He's one of the best at scouting an opponent, and he knows how to get it done.

PK - you've been on Soderquist's back and I commend your commitment to that. But at this stage of the game, we need the players to dig deep and find heart. Hell, you can win a title with a terrible head coach even if Soderquist is that bad if you want it bad enough. At some point, the game becomes less about coaching and more about the players doing what it takes on the ice. The coach isn't the problem at this stage of the season. We could always have CJ Marottolo or Gary Wright. Thenw hat would happen?

[Pk Specialist]

Re: Bentley Hockey 2012-2013: The New Era of JAR Pride Begins

PK - you've been on Soderquist's back and I commend your commitment to that. But at this stage of the game, we need the players to dig deep and find heart. Hell, you can win a title with a terrible head coach even if Soderquist is that bad if you want it bad enough. At some point, the game becomes less about coaching and more about the players doing what it takes on the ice. The coach isn't the problem at this stage of the season. We could always have CJ Marottolo or Gary Wright. Thenw hat would happen?

Play the game for long enough and it's not hard to realize a good coach will get that out of his players. I'm not looking at this individual season. I'm looking at an 11 year record that shows inconsistency and mediocrity. My comments have nothing to do with a certain 9-0 loss to a middle of the pack AHA opponent.

[beenthere77]

Re: Bentley Hockey 2012-2013: The New Era of JAR Pride Begins

You are right, i'll crawl back under my rock. Wont hear back from me. Good luck with the remaining season!

Actually, there is a system on the pp. Grieve sets up in the middle with Switzer on the right and Gladiuk on the left. Gensler (now in place of Blomquist; he used to play up where Switzer is) is on the right, with Weinstein on the left on the blue line. Grieve wins the draw, and the puck goes to Weinstein. Gensler cycles drawing a defender with him and gets the puck. Gensler comes to the middle of the hashes in between the faceoff circles and goes to Switzer on the right. Switzer hits Weinstein's tape up top, who looks left or right. He eventually goes to Gensler who has the authority to determine which way to go based on coverage. Gensler goes outside to a shot to switch directions cross ice through the defense. IT lines up a shot from the outside on a wide open net. If it's saved, it can't be saved cleanly, and Grieve is there in the middle to put it back.

You want proof that the pp system works? Gladiuk has 4 pp goals and Grieve has 7, the most since Dustin Cloutier, who was a pp wizard when it came to shooting because all he had to do was shoot the puck on his own. Cloutier's system was to get the puck and everyone get the hell out of his way. Gensler occasionally can take the shot himself, but so can Weinstein, and Weinstein can also come off the line if he sees the defense split enough. Weinstein himself has five of six goals on the pp. The threat of Weinstein stepping up and passing it off to Gladiuk or Gensler is enough to open up a shot lane, and his shot is good enough tos neak by.

That's a system play by design every single time. Bentley never changes the pp system when the top line is out there; it happens every single time. It's one thing to know its coming, it's another to stop it.

******

Other counterpoint on your love of these players - last year's team statistically. Last year's team statistically wasn't great, especially at the beginning of the year. They opened up the season 1-5 (granted two of the games were at michigan and one was at umass). Took two points from four games against NIagara and mercyhurst by going 0-2-2. Swept by RIT. Couldn't beat HOly Cross.

The team got hot at the end of the year by going 4-1-2 in divisional play. That's about what they need to have happen this year. Somebody said it (I don't remember who) that a bye would be doable by going 6-1-1. Now they're 0-2 with games left. What's that mean? Well, it means that they can still do better than last year's team IF they turn it around. They'll end probably in the same spot, which is saying something considering. The system is exactly the same as it was last year, and I fail to see a time last year when someone didn't come up with a big play. And they went into the playoffs and laid an egg in Game 2 against SHU. But they were within a mad dash comeback and double OT game of beating RIT at RIT, where dreams go to die. When that series ended, RIT fans were shocked they'd made it through. It took 63 shots and 2 OT to beat that unit in Game 2, and that was on a team predicted to finish 10th last year. This year they predicted 4th and now they're 10th.

I'll look inside the stats since stats can be bent within the confines of what you're trying to prove. I go back to the Holy Cross tie at home on the second to last day of the season. Gensler and Marginsky get sent to the can for 2 full minutes. Mike Switzer and Trent Bonnett stayed on the ice for the entire two minutes, and the only player that switched out was the forward on the PK. THat was switching between Aaron Stonacek and Jamie Nudy, two more seniors who were, as Snively pointed out, PK specialists. It was a huge kill, and there was always the chance of a goal. Yet with those guys on the ice, you KNEW, you just KNEW that they were probably going to kill it. Switzer and Bonnett made Komm play that much better by limiting position.

Is it Soderquist's fault that he didn't adequately prepare for life after those guys? Yeah a little bit. But we're forgetting one major piece of the puzzle. Micah Williams. Williams quit at the end of last year because he was unhappy with his playing situation. If you insert Williams into this rotation, all of a sudden the whole dynamic of inexperience is different. And it's nobody's fault other than Williams that he quit. He didn't want to be there, so he gave it up despite all signs pointing to a leadership role on this unit. All of a sudden the defense has Weinstein-Blomquist, Marginsky-Ledford, and Williams-Maher/O'Brien/Reardon. Maybe Reardon becomes the tough guy 4th forward in the form of Kayfes. I know this.... when Ledford went to the box, that PK unit would've had Micah Williams on it instead of multiple freshmen. That's not the coach's fault that a guy quits. It's a coach's fault when 5 guys quit (see also: BU)

My last point is about Soderquist the coach. He's a 2-time AHA coach of the year. Despite having 12 scholarships as a limit in the AHA, Bentley offers less than that. He's managed to have terrible facilities and put a team out there that's still considered a program on the rise. HIs system coaches have gone onto coach elsewhere; Mark White is down at Brown coaching a defense that's one of the best in the country right now. The funny thing is that White's doing it with a team that's using a converted 14th forward on the depth chart and a goalie that hadn't played in 2 years before this year. It's all system down there, and Brendan Whittet brought in Mark White for his recruitment/system knowledge. Soderquist was mentioned as a name alongside Paul Pearl when Rand Pecknold turned down the UMass job. He's considered one of the better coaches out here, and he's put Bentley in a position to play teams like Michigan and Northeastern and compete....unlike what AIC did when they gave up 72 thousand goals to Minnesota last year. He's one of the best at scouting an opponent, and he knows how to get it done.

PK - you've been on Soderquist's back and I commend your commitment to that. But at this stage of the game, we need the players to dig deep and find heart. Hell, you can win a title with a terrible head coach even if Soderquist is that bad if you want it bad enough. At some point, the game becomes less about coaching and more about the players doing what it takes on the ice. The coach isn't the problem at this stage of the season. We could always have CJ Marottolo or Gary Wright. Thenw hat would happen?

[Snively65]

Re: Bentley Hockey 2012-2013: The New Era of JAR Pride Begins

Hey, beenthere and PK, I am really glad that you are posting on this thread. You both make some excellent points and that is what this forum is all about. I think that Soderquist will have arrived when there is an entire thread dedicated to him, like the "Fire Timmay" or "Fire Umile" threads that are revived periodically. I am simply a Soderquist supporter because I know him personally, watched him at the JAR when he played for Bentley, and respect him for what he has been able to do as a coach without a lot of support from the Bentley administration, or even student fans until the past couple of seasons. I cannot add much to what Humanoid and Dan have written other than to say I agree with them for the most part. I have not given up on this season, as I think that both of you, beenthere and PK, are correct that there is a lot of talent on this team.

[Bentley2]

Re: Bentley Hockey 2012-2013: The New Era of JAR Pride Begins

Hey, beenthere and PK, I am really glad that you are posting on this thread. You both make some excellent points and that is what this forum is all about. I think that Soderquist will have arrived when there is an entire thread dedicated to him, like the "Fire Timmay" or "Fire Umile" threads that are revived periodically. I am simply a Soderquist supporter because I know him personally, watched him at the JAR when he played for Bentley, and respect him for what he has been able to do as a coach without a lot of support from the Bentley administration, or even student fans until the past couple of seasons. I cannot add much to what Humanoid and Dan have written other than to say I agree with them for the most part. I have not given up on this season, as I think that both of you, beenthere and PK, are correct that there is a lot of talent on this team.

Tough for me to blame coaching knowing the limits the University has placed on scholarships and what the facilities are like. I also wonder what life is like in and around the athletic department these days with Bryant edging their way towards a potential NCAA tourney berth. Personally I'd have canned football and gone D1 in other sports and done more to support the hockey team.