Brown Hockey 2010-2011 - Onward and Upward

[kdiff77]

Re: Brown Hockey 2010-2011 - Onward and Upward

I foresee a problem with tonight's crowd: Cornell always travels well and brings its band. Ordinarily, the Brown band wouldn't embarrass itself and its school, and would show up. But next door, the basketball team is playing 1st-place Harvard at the same time. This will be a big conflict for students and the band alike. The same problem persists Saturday, with Dartmouth in town for Senior Night as the hockey team's own Senior Night is unfolding vs Colgate.

Hopefully, everyone shows up for Cornell Friday, but with such a big name and good team next door (not to imagine the hockey team's morbid play of late and at home all season), it's a little hard to imagine.

[kdiff77]

Re: Brown Hockey 2010-2011 - Onward and Upward

Good luck against Cornell tonight. Obviously the RPI fan base is hoping you guys win that one.

We'll be cheering for you against QU this weekend with equal ferocity. Of course, we need to get some points of our own one of these days too...

[DarthBruno]

Re: Brown Hockey 2010-2011 - Onward and Upward

He could be in the Freshman class. Prescott didn't exactly set the world on fire in his freshman and sophomore years. Give these guys a chance to develop.

Very good point. Jack McLellan is another who has come on strong since freshman year. We need some good snipers around the goal. We have several new guys on D who can whale a slapshot; need the quick wristers farther inside the blue line to take goalies by surprise. Think Ihnacak but with better size and killer instinct.

[Mike Hutter]

Re: Brown Hockey 2010-2011 - Onward and Upward

I foresee a problem with tonight's crowd: Cornell always travels well and brings its band. Ordinarily, the Brown band wouldn't embarrass itself and its school, and would show up. But next door, the basketball team is playing 1st-place Harvard at the same time. This will be a big conflict for students and the band alike. The same problem persists Saturday, with Dartmouth in town for Senior Night as the hockey team's own Senior Night is unfolding vs Colgate.

Hopefully, everyone shows up for Cornell Friday, but with such a big name and good team next door (not to imagine the hockey team's morbid play of late and at home all season), it's a little hard to imagine.

I was unaware of the BB conflict. I would have expected that scheduling would be done to avoid such a situation. BTW, how was the student turnout at the hockey game?

[kdiff77]

Re: Brown Hockey 2010-2011 - Onward and Upward

Well, that was exhilarating!

Mike, the student turnout was pretty good, and with the band and the Cornell fans and their band, the student side was pretty packed. It was a solid crowd overall; a little less than the Dartmouth game, but better than any other game this season.

As for the game: Harry Z was on pace for about 4 or 5 goals. He was on fire. The team was beating Cornell in every aspect of the game. And then...Harry decided to be stupid, and got the WORST penalty I've ever seen. Already down a man and forechecking in the Cornell zone, he viciously hit a guy who had already passed the puck from behind, prompting his ejection and an extended 5x3. We held Cornell for the first minute of the 5x3, but eventually they wore us down and cashed in. On the ensuing extended 5x4 (the remainder of the 5-minute major), we were doing ok, but then they had a sequence where they just bottled us up and wouldn't let us get a change, and then it was 5 Reds vs Clemente and 4 exhausted skaters. Guess which side prevailed?

At this point, I was fearing a repeat of two years ago, when we were having our Worst Season Ever and they came to Meehan ranked 3rd. We went up 2-0, only to fall prey to Cornell's overwhelming talent and perseverance, and fell in overtime, 3-2. However, this time was different. 30 seconds into overtime, someone shot the puck and Iles left a juicy rebound out front. Someone was waiting there, but was heavily interfered with by a goon of a Cornell defender. While I was screaming at the officials for missing this blatant penalty, David Brownschidle swooped in from nowhere and won the game. All I saw was the red light go on in my peripherals. I went from screaming at the refs to screaming in general

To take a step back, Harry Z's 2nd goal (I missed the first, unfortunately, as I arrived a bit tardy) was possibly the best I've ever seen at this level. I don't want to even try to describe it. I really hope they put a highlight reel of this game up on the Brown athletics site like they have done in the past, because it was a truly remarkable goal and I would love to watch it again.

What a game! There is not a single more exciting way to win a game.

[BrunoFan00]

Re: Brown Hockey 2010-2011 - Onward and Upward

.

As for the game: Harry Z was on pace for about 4 or 5 goals. He was on fire. The team was beating Cornell in every aspect of the game. And then...Harry decided to be stupid, and got the WORST penalty I've ever seen. Already down a man and forechecking in the Cornell zone, he viciously hit a guy who had already passed the puck from behind, prompting his ejection and an extended 5x3. .

It was a terrible penalty, similar to one that Aaron Volpatti would have gotten in his first or second year. It sounded bad when the Cornell player hit the boards. Harry tends to play on the edge, and obviously has to be smarter, since every referee in the league, and every team, has an axe to grind against him. I think Coach Whittet may have said something to the officials after the game about that call - but that call turned the tide of the game.

.

At this point, I was fearing a repeat of two years ago, when we were having our Worst Season Ever and they came to Meehan ranked 3rd. We went up 2-0, only to fall prey to Cornell's overwhelming talent and perseverance, and fell in overtime, 3-2. However, this time was different. 30 seconds into overtime, someone shot the puck and Iles left a juicy rebound out front. Someone was waiting there, but was heavily interfered with by a goon of a Cornell defender. While I was screaming at the officials for missing this blatant penalty, David Brownschidle swooped in from nowhere and won the game. All I saw was the red light go on in my peripherals. I went from screaming at the refs to screaming in general

Ditto. Brownschidle does a lot of the little things well, took about 30 faceoffs in Maclellan's absence, and potted an opportunistic shot. Mentally, I was impressed that the team found a way to win this game, considering the way the third period progressed.

.

To take a step back, Harry Z's 2nd goal (I missed the first, unfortunately, as I arrived a bit tardy) was possibly the best I've ever seen at this level. I don't want to even try to describe it. I really hope they put a highlight reel of this game up on the Brown athletics site like they have done in the past, because it was a truly remarkable goal and I would love to watch it again.

What's amazing to me is that the officials missed the blatant hook. I'm quite certain that Harry did not intend to dive parallel to the ice while shooting. Mike Schaefer had a conversation with the officials midway through the second period, and after that, the Bears didn't get another power play. Ridiculous. And that's not sour grapes - just a fact.

Now we look at tomorrow with an opportunity at first round home playoffs. A win and either a Clarkson or Quinnipiac loss gives us a home series, since we could leapfrog Clarkson and I think we have the tie-break with the Q. Anything to keep us from going to Clarkson... and I was pretty impressed with tonight's crowd. Hopefully they are all back, with more in tow, to rally this team for a late February game that actually counts at Meehan.

[kdiff77]

Re: Brown Hockey 2010-2011 - Onward and Upward

What's amazing to me is that the officials missed the blatant hook. I'm quite certain that Harry did not intend to dive parallel to the ice while shooting. Mike Schaefer had a conversation with the officials midway through the second period, and after that, the Bears didn't get another power play. Ridiculous. And that's not sour grapes - just a fact.

Totally agree! Especially considering that most of Cornell's players had no interest in actually winning puck battles, but instead preferred to thug it up and beat up on our much smaller players. Every guy on that team had to be over 6 feet, with the notable exception of Esposito. There was a particular instance in the 2nd when Jesse Fratkin was dumped into the boards head first on a VERY blatant cross check (I should know; I watched it happening from less than ten feet away), and no call was made. The referees didn't call Brown on anything ridiculous, but they also didn't call Cornell on ANYTHING.

[Mike Hutter]

Re: Brown Hockey 2010-2011 - Onward and Upward

Well, that was exhilarating!

Mike, the student turnout was pretty good, and with the band and the Cornell fans and their band, the student side was pretty packed. It was a solid crowd overall; a little less than the Dartmouth game, but better than any other game this season.

As for the game: Harry Z was on pace for about 4 or 5 goals. He was on fire. The team was beating Cornell in every aspect of the game. And then...Harry decided to be stupid, and got the WORST penalty I've ever seen. Already down a man and forechecking in the Cornell zone, he viciously hit a guy who had already passed the puck from behind, prompting his ejection and an extended 5x3. We held Cornell for the first minute of the 5x3, but eventually they wore us down and cashed in. On the ensuing extended 5x4 (the remainder of the 5-minute major), we were doing ok, but then they had a sequence where they just bottled us up and wouldn't let us get a change, and then it was 5 Reds vs Clemente and 4 exhausted skaters. Guess which side prevailed?

At this point, I was fearing a repeat of two years ago, when we were having our Worst Season Ever and they came to Meehan ranked 3rd. We went up 2-0, only to fall prey to Cornell's overwhelming talent and perseverance, and fell in overtime, 3-2. However, this time was different. 30 seconds into overtime, someone shot the puck and Iles left a juicy rebound out front. Someone was waiting there, but was heavily interfered with by a goon of a Cornell defender. While I was screaming at the officials for missing this blatant penalty, David Brownschidle swooped in from nowhere and won the game. All I saw was the red light go on in my peripherals. I went from screaming at the refs to screaming in general

To take a step back, Harry Z's 2nd goal (I missed the first, unfortunately, as I arrived a bit tardy) was possibly the best I've ever seen at this level. I don't want to even try to describe it. I really hope they put a highlight reel of this game up on the Brown athletics site like they have done in the past, because it was a truly remarkable goal and I would love to watch it again.

What a game! There is not a single more exciting way to win a game.

The Prov Journal should hire you to report on the games!! Great writeup. See you tonight - It finally stopped snowing in Albany.

[Onion Man]

Re: Brown Hockey 2010-2011 - Onward and Upward

Nice win over Cornell. Brown needs to put these games away when they have leads and not have to win in OT. A win is a win.

[BrunoFan00]

Nice win over Cornell. Brown needs to put these games away when they have leads and not have to win in OT. A win is a win.

Does anyone know if last night's misconduct will cost Harry Z a game suspension? I think it was his fifth of the season.

[kdiff77]

Re: Brown Hockey 2010-2011 - Onward and Upward

The Prov Journal should hire you to report on the games!! Great writeup. See you tonight - It finally stopped snowing in Albany.

Thank you, that's very flattering! Although to be fair, anything would be better than the four sentence "report" they had this morning about last night's game.

I hope your trip will be worth it. Colgate's been hot lately, and they tied Yale AT INGALLS last night (which I think was the first point they've dropped at home this year). If Brown plays like we did last night, we should win, but inconsistency has plagued us all year, so who knows?

[StayPuftMMcu]

Re: Brown Hockey 2010-2011 - Onward and Upward

Just watched Zolnierczyk's second goal on the Brown hockey website and WOOOOOOWWWWWW that was awesome.

[Onion Man]

Re: Brown Hockey 2010-2011 - Onward and Upward

How SWEEP it is. Gaining momentum heading into the first round is just what the Dr. ordered. I want another shot at Yale* badly.

[kdiff77]

Re: Brown Hockey 2010-2011 - Onward and Upward

Was hoping we'd finish 7th and host Harvard, but QU and Clarkson didn't do their jobs (or, rather, they did). Still, it was a fun weekend at Meehan and a good reminder that this team is capable of beating anyone- something we hadn't often been reminded of during that awful 1-7 stretch preceding the Cornell game.

I noticed that we completely controlled both games this weekend, something that hasn't happened since earlier in the season, when we were all secretly thinking about an NCAA run and Onion Man was talking about a National Championship . I also realized during the Colgate game, which should have been MUCH more disparate than the 6-4 score indicates, that we haven't truly overwhelmed opponents like we used to consistently do at Meehan. Not since the days of Yann Danis, Brent Robinson, Les Haggett, and Paul Esdale have we truly been able to dominate teams and just beat them to a pulp. Hopefully that'll be something that comes back with the progression of this team, because frankly, I don't know if my heart can take all these nail-biters, especially those that we lose!

[bruno]

Re: Brown Hockey 2010-2011 - Onward and Upward

In case you were wondering when the last time Brown swept both Cornell and Colgate in the same season:

The answer is: NEVER.

Brown only started to play Colgate home & home in the 1984-85 season.
Single games with Colgate were scheduled from 1974-1983.
The last time Brown defeated Colgate and Cornell when single games were played against both opponents was 1959-60. The victory over Colgate came in the Bowdoin Christmas Tournament that season.
Finally, the last time Brown defeated Cornell twice and Colgate once in the same regular season was 1975-76. And counting the Syracuse Invitational and the ECAC Championship Tournament, Brown beat Cornell 4 times during that season. Whoa! Those were the days.