RPI 2021-22: Picking Up Where We Left Off

[engineerhockeyfan]

Now that Gov. Hochul has lifted the indoor mask mandate, Shirley's going to allow fans at HFH, correct ?? HA HA HAAAAAAA...

Maybe on July 1st

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Now that Gov. Hochul has lifted the indoor mask mandate, Shirley's going to allow fans at HFH, correct ?? HA HA HAAAAAAA...

[DavidNardolillo]

https://www.timesunion.com/sports/ar...y-16839457.php

Interesting information in the article. Weird that McElroy was so tight lipped about Dave Smith's contract

I'm not going to read too much into it, but I agree it was odd that Dr. McElroy refused to answer such a simple question about Coach Smith's contract term. The TU reporter that wrote the article normally covers Siena basketball, so might not have been able to dive more deeply into that non-response for this piece, but he definitely noticed the disconnect.

[sezenack]

https://www.timesunion.com/sports/ar...y-16839457.php

Interesting information in the article. Weird that McElroy was so tight lipped about Dave Smith's contract

[rpi82]

We knew going into the season that we'd struggling to find scoring and that has been proven to be true. We do not have enough scoring depth to score consistently....perhaps if we had not had the off-season departures we'd be singing a different tune...but we are what our record says we are.

Hats off to the boys for a great effort against Q -- I didn't see the game, but if you hold the #2 team to one goal in their barn, then you did nearly everything right. Hard to be negative about that effort.

The boys played well against Q, but we were probably doomed. At the final horn they announced that QU had set a new NCAA record with its 13th shutout of the year, two of them against us. They have given up an average of 0.95 goals per game. Yup, less than a goal per game. Perhaps its time to reduce the absurd size of modern goalie equipment. If they are playing their angles at all there is virtually nothing to target with a shot.

[RPI67]

A telling stat. Even just converting two of those close league losses into a win and a tie would have the team in control of its destiny with respect to the chase for fourth.

I'm hoping maybe dreaming of 4-2 in 5th place finish. 6 games over 21 days versus 8 games in 16 days just completed. Yes it does mean playing strong against bottom 6 teams which hasn't happened and probably cost a 4th place finish. I watch almost every game. Some younger players are getting more time.

[Ralph Baer]

Now here is some very good news. https://www.news10.com/news/local-ne...ign=socialflow

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute receives $2M gift to fund men’s varsity ice hockey coach endowment

It's from Lloyd Bauer '55, a member of the 1954 championship team.

RPI's press release https://rpiathletics.com/news/2022/2...endowment.aspx

[Ralph Baer]

Now here is some very good news. https://www.news10.com/news/local-ne...ign=socialflow

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute receives $2M gift to fund men’s varsity ice hockey coach endowment

It's from Lloyd Bauer '55, a member of the 1954 championship team.

[sezenack]

FWIW, we seem to have the most trouble with the 4 lower ranked Ivies which also did not play last season.

i certainly agree that we don't have the scorers. I don't think that we will get them there is a local player who always dreamed of playing for RPI, like Matt Murley. I suspect that those players in the near future will have dreamed to play for Union who had success while they were young.

It takes time to up your recruiting profile. Despite the stats being not as good as hoped for this season, Ciccarello, Brown, and Bourgault are all profiled as goal scorers. Gagnon and Schreifels were as well although it has been tough for them this season. Player development takes time though; Lacka had 2 points in 19-20, Linden was a bottom 6 defensive center as a freshman. The hope for this year is that we can finish strong, get 5th and a home playoff series, win a playoff series (with all the placid talk I think we've forgotten that we haven't even won a playoff series since 2016). Lake Placid would be gravy and regardless of the final record, this season is a success if they make it.

Our longterm path to competing with Cornell, Clarkson, Quinnipiac and Harvard took a step back with the season cancellation and that's evident this year. I'm still confident in the program's ability to get there

[Ralph Baer]

We knew going into the season that we'd struggling to find scoring and that has been proven to be true. We do not have enough scoring depth to score consistently....perhaps if we had not had the off-season departures we'd be singing a different tune...but we are what our record says we are.

Hats off to the boys for a great effort against Q -- I didn't see the game, but if you hold the #2 team to one goal in their barn, then you did nearly everything right. Hard to be negative about that effort.

FWIW, we seem to have the most trouble with the 4 lower ranked Ivies which also did not play last season.

i certainly agree that we don't have the scorers. I don't think that we will get them there is a local player who always dreamed of playing for RPI, like Matt Murley. I suspect that those players in the near future will have dreamed to play for Union who had success while they were young.

[Wicked Slappaahs]

We knew going into the season that we'd struggling to find scoring and that has been proven to be true. We do not have enough scoring depth to score consistently....perhaps if we had not had the off-season departures we'd be singing a different tune...but we are what our record says we are.

Hats off to the boys for a great effort against Q -- I didn't see the game, but if you hold the #2 team to one goal in their barn, then you did nearly everything right. Hard to be negative about that effort.

[engineerhockeyfan]

I agree RPI has been inconsistent, and probably playing to the level of some teams they should beat, but I'm not sure a it's down to a lack of effort. They need to score more goals and take fewer penalties. If that can be corrected, they could be a very competitive team in the playoffs.

I don't think that it is a lack of effort at all. I think it is mental. I think that when they go into games with teams that are behind them it the standings they get over confident. Then they find out that those teams are not as bad as they thought. And they wind up playing from behind.
Also, when it comes to close games, we are in need of a goal scorer. We just don't have one of those.

[DavidNardolillo]

The reason for our record is simply the 4-12-3 record in close games. If that's 8-8-3, we're looking at a 16-13-3 season. I don't know if it's bad luck, a lack of killer instinct, etc. but the close games have been extremely frustrating.

A telling stat. Even just converting two of those close league losses into a win and a tie would have the team in control of its destiny with respect to the chase for fourth.

[sezenack]

The reason for our record is simply the 4-12-3 record in close games. If that's 8-8-3, we're looking at a 16-13-3 season. I don't know if it's bad luck, a lack of killer instinct, etc. but the close games have been extremely frustrating.

[DavidNardolillo]

This is becoming the most frustrating season ever.
If they would have put in the same effort on Friday night as they did last night, they would have come away with three points this weekend. And the same can be said about the Brown/Yale weekend.
We have given away too many points this season. They show that they can play with the top teams in the league and then they go out against the bottom teams and let them dictate the play.
At this point, our only hope is for them to get it all together in the playoffs.

I agree RPI has been inconsistent, and probably playing to the level of some teams they should beat, but I'm not sure a it's down to a lack of effort. They need to score more goals and take fewer penalties. If that can be corrected, they could be a very competitive team in the playoffs.