2020-21 Penn State Nittany Lions

[zambonidriver]

The best way to stay out of it is to win your conference tournament plain and simple. The girls will have a chip on their shoulder. I know 9 freshmen who were already back on the ice yesterday even though they were told to take the week off.

 

[Offsides Guy]

The girls will have a chip on their shoulder. I know 9 freshmen who were already back on the ice yesterday even though they were told to take the week off.

Ah, youth. Those freshmen will learn to take advantage of the downtime the coaching staff gives them. They haven’t yet experienced a complete college season and most every player will tell you it is a real grind by the end of a 36-game season and the grind gets greater each additional year of their careers.

 

[phillydog]

And that's how it goes as PSU transitions into a perennial CHA powerhouse, perennial contender for NCAA Championships, and eventual NCAAA Champion. Think of where this program was and how far they've come. We will get there. It is a process.

 

[ARM]

... eventual NCAAA Champion.

NCAAA? I like it! Maybe they can offer towing services for Zambonis.

 

[Reddington]

Looked at D +- over last three games and you had +5, +4, +1, -2 and -3. 15 was -3.

 

[D2D]

Looked at D +- over last three games and you had +5, +4, +1, -2 and -3. 15 was -3.

Too short of time frame to mean much, if anything. Goaltending when each of the D were out there? Support from the forwards (3rd line?) on those shifts? Too many variables, too short of time frame, and the forwards and goaltending play a integral role in shutting down the opponent's scoring as well.

 

[Reddington]

Good pts, but Zamboni and Zed were throwing -2 under the bus and I just want to make sure they understand who was -3. -1 in the playoffs with one shot does not do it for me.

 

[ZedLeppelin]

Josie Bothun was named as one of the top three finalists for the national Goalie of the Year award:

https://gopsusports.com/news/2021/3...didate-for-whca-goalie-of-the-year-award.aspx

Nobody will be surprised when Aerin Frankel wins the award, but what an honor for a freshman goalie to make the top three, the other two being seniors.

 

[Offsides Guy]

Josie Bothun was named as one of the top three finalists for the national Goalie of the Year award:

https://gopsusports.com/news/2021/3...didate-for-whca-goalie-of-the-year-award.aspx

Nobody will be surprised when Aerin Frankel wins the award, but what an honor for a freshman goalie to make the top three, the other two being seniors.

You would think such an honor takes into account the level of competition she faced. Adding that much more to the mystery as to why Penn State is not in the national tournament!

 

[CROSS BAR]

You would think such an honor takes into account the level of competition she faced. Adding that much more to the mystery as to why Penn State is not in the national tournament!

Or it could mean, the team in front of her wasn't nearly as strong as their record would indicate, therefore she was instrumental in any success they had.

 

[zambonidriver]

Or it could mean, the team in front of her wasn't nearly as strong as their record would indicate, therefore she was instrumental in any success they had.

So after watching every PSU game this year. It was a combination of both.
I can say they picked each other up.
There were definitely a few series where Josie was rock solid and even spectacular. Both RMU series and the first Mercyhurst series along with the Lindewood tie. That being said, The offense had them playing with a lead a lot as any goalie will tell you playing with the lead makes their job a lot easier. Josie will be the first to tell you that if she wins this it is a team award. ( She doesn't think she will win) but anyway just to make it to the final three is a huge honor.

 

[CROSS BAR]

So after watching every PSU game this year. It was a combination of both.
I can say they picked each other up.
There were definitely a few series where Josie was rock solid and even spectacular. Both RMU series and the first Mercyhurst series along with the Lindewood tie. That being said, The offense had them playing with a lead a lot as any goalie will tell you playing with the lead makes their job a lot easier. Josie will be the first to tell you that if she wins this it is a team award. ( She doesn't think she will win) but anyway just to make it to the final three is a huge honor.

Will you clarify? When you are saying it is a combination of both, I read that as you agree that the team was not as strong upfront and the goaltending was rock solid. That would answer a lot of questions!!

 

[EMPTYNETTER]

Will you clarify? When you are saying it is a combination of both, I read that as you agree that the team was not as strong upfront and the goaltending was rock solid. That would answer a lot of questions!!

Cross Bar, what are you fishing for?

Maybe this will help you clarify some things in your mind.

PSU G/GM 3.43
Opp G/GM 1.52

PSU SOG/GM 38.4
Opp SOG/GM 26.0

 

[CROSS BAR]

Cross Bar, what are you fishing for?

Maybe this will help you clarify some things in your mind.

PSU G/GM 3.43
Opp G/GM 1.52

PSU SOG/GM 38.4
Opp SOG/GM 26.0

I am not fishing for anything. There was a statement to why she is up for an award, but the team was not selected for the final 8. It was indicated that the competition must have been very good to be considered. I just offered up and alternative perspective, that maybe the competition does not have to be that good, as long as the goalie is just that good. Zamboni seemed to agree - but reading his response, I am not really sure if he did or not. If that "is" the case, without crossover games, one could at least understand why they were left out and still have a player recognized . I personally would have like to see them selected over UMD, but I do understand why they were not - they lost to an average team who lost to an average team. They win just one and I would think they would get the nod due to their regular season record, but thye did not. Hopefully RMU shows well this weekend, otherwise the CHA will be in the same situation next year. Win it or you are out.

I guess it is like the bottom teams in the WCHA and Hockey East. Until they prove themselves against the top teams, they will get little respect. It appears they felt UMD did that, so they received the nod.

 

[Offsides Guy]

Or it could mean, the team in front of her wasn't nearly as strong as their record would indicate, therefore she was instrumental in any success they had.

Good point.

 

[EMPTYNETTER]

I am not fishing for anything. There was a statement to why she is up for an award, but the team was not selected for the final 8. It was indicated that the competition must have been very good to be considered. I just offered up and alternative perspective, that maybe the competition does not have to be that good, as long as the goalie is just that good. Zamboni seemed to agree - but reading his response, I am not really sure if he did or not. If that "is" the case, without crossover games, one could at least understand why they were left out and still have a player recognized . I personally would have like to see them selected over UMD, but I do understand why they were not - they lost to an average team who lost to an average team. They win just one and I would think they would get the nod due to their regular season record, but thye did not. Hopefully RMU shows well this weekend, otherwise the CHA will be in the same situation next year. Win it or you are out.

I guess it is like the bottom teams in the WCHA and Hockey East. Until they prove themselves against the top teams, they will get little respect. It appears they felt UMD did that, so they received the nod.

You're missing the point. I would encourage you to look at the rankings of 2020-21 incoming freshman classes. PSU is at the top of that list. The team grew leaps and bounds over historical performance. The team was left out of the NCAA due to politics plain and simple. I wouldn't necessarily argue they should have been in over UMD, but definitely over Providence and BC. Bothun is getting acknowledged due to her metrics and success of the team. She doesn't have those statistics without a strong team in front of her. She didn't see many shots/game compared to other tenders, and the team in front of her had the competition on their heels in most games. There were absolutely letdowns and are plenty of opportunities for improvement, with the game against Syracuse being one of them on all fronts, forwards, D, goaltending, and coaching...but name a team in the NCAA who didn't have the same letdowns/challenges throughout this shortened season.

 

[Lindsay]

Hopefully RMU shows well this weekend, otherwise the CHA will be in the same situation next year. Win it or you are out.

d.

Well next year we’ll be back to math, if the CHA’s numbers work out they’ll have 2 in, regardless of what RMU does next week.

But it’s worth looking at how the CHA has done in the recent NCAA’s. In 2018 Hurst lost in OT to Clarkson. Clarkson then won against Ohio State In OT, then they beat Colgate in OT to win the National Championship. No one is proud of a loss but the other teams Clarkson played fared no better than Hurst.

Same thing to a lesser extent the next year, probably because CHA got a dreaded but deserved WCHA matchup. Cuse got blown out and shut out by Wisconsin. Then Clarkson got blown out by them (I think shut out too). Then Wisc shut out Minnesota to win it all. Again, I’m sure Cuse was not proud of getting blown out but it wasn’t a different result than the Clarkson Wisc semi final game, really.

I looked at Hurst’s results the last time they earned an at large bid. It was 2014 and their results were eerily similar to what Penn State did this year, including a late season tie to Lindenwood and getting knocked out of CHA tourney by RIT. Reg season results were 15-3-2 and non conference was 7-5 or something. And they still made the tourney as at large on strength of their pairwise. Of course their were 3 auto bids then, not 4, but also there was more teams because everyone was playing. So honestly I think if there was a pairwise this year and assuming Kampersal hadn’t loaded up their schedule with six games against best WCHA teams.... Penn State really might have made the tourney as an at large based on math or if not they would have been very close.

So next year will be absolutely fascinating. I think the CHA will have two teams in the tourney before we’ll have a Big Ten conference.

 

[CROSS BAR]

You're missing the point. I would encourage you to look at the rankings of 2020-21 incoming freshman classes. PSU is at the top of that list. The team grew leaps and bounds over historical performance. The team was left out of the NCAA due to politics plain and simple. I wouldn't necessarily argue they should have been in over UMD, but definitely over Providence and BC. Bothun is getting acknowledged due to her metrics and success of the team. She doesn't have those statistics without a strong team in front of her. She didn't see many shots/game compared to other tenders, and the team in front of her had the competition on their heels in most games. There were absolutely letdowns and are plenty of opportunities for improvement, with the game against Syracuse being one of them on all fronts, forwards, D, goaltending, and coaching...but name a team in the NCAA who didn't have the same letdowns/challenges throughout this shortened season.

Actually I think it is you that is missing the point. It is not plain and simple. I am not sure how political it was, but I do know that is an easy crutch to lean on and most of the bubble teams on the outside use it. Penn State complicated what should have been plain and simple, by losing to an average team, who then lost to an average team, from what a majority considers a below average conference - harsh, but that's reality. It certainly would have been simple, if you would have won the CHA. But you didn't. As I stated above, maybe win just one and you probably have a much better chance of getting in, but you didn't - plain and simple. I am happy to hear that the team has improved leaps and bounds - that is is great for the program. It really is too bad they didn't win, so they could showcase it. But my point is valid, whether you accept it or not.

Again, hopefully RMU shows well. They get blown out and the CHA is back to square one next year.

 

[CROSS BAR]

Well next year we’ll be back to math, if the CHA’s numbers work out they’ll have 2 in, regardless of what RMU does next week.

But it’s worth looking at how the CHA has done in the recent NCAA’s. In 2018 Hurst lost in OT to Clarkson. Clarkson then won against Ohio State In OT, then they beat Colgate in OT to win the National Championship. No one is proud of a loss but the other teams Clarkson played fared no better than Hurst.

Same thing to a lesser extent the next year, probably because CHA got a dreaded but deserved WCHA matchup. Cuse got blown out and shut out by Wisconsin. Then Clarkson got blown out by them (I think shut out too). Then Wisc shut out Minnesota to win it all. Again, I’m sure Cuse was not proud of getting blown out but it wasn’t a different result than the Clarkson Wisc semi final game, really.

I looked at Hurst’s results the last time they earned an at large bid. It was 2014 and their results were eerily similar to what Penn State did this year, including a late season tie to Lindenwood and getting knocked out of CHA tourney by RIT. Reg season results were 15-3-2 and non conference was 7-5 or something. And they still made the tourney as at large on strength of their pairwise. Of course their were 3 auto bids then, not 4, but also there was more teams because everyone was playing. So honestly I think if there was a pairwise this year and assuming Kampersal hadn’t loaded up their schedule with six games against best WCHA teams.... Penn State really might have made the tourney as an at large based on math or if not they would have been very close.

So next year will be absolutely fascinating. I think the CHA will have two teams in the tourney before we’ll have a Big Ten conference.

Fair enough. I really am not trying to bash Penn State or the CHA, although my last post was direct and harsh, it is the perception. Like I said, I would have like to see them in the tourney. Maybe crossover games next year will provide the "told you so" angle. I wouldn't be upset at that in the least.

I didn't mean to get roped into being against Penn State making the tourney. I provided a different perspective about the goalie accolades and it appeared the Zamboni person may have confirmed or agreed to my original comments - however, I am not sure as his/her answer was confusing. .

 

[Reddington]

Short memory people, PSU did better out of conference the last two years than in conference. And that was before the highly acclaimed class came in. Of course, I am intrigued on whether the team is built for the playoffs with the smaller speedier version as opposed to bigger and more physical girls that were asked to leave. Stay tuned for Next Year. The transformation of Frosh to Soph at PSU has seen Soph as the big jump in stats.

As far as Bothun, when she was nominated, she was at .95 and her last three games were .90, .91 and .90. That kills any chance for the award and I think Frankel was getting it anyway. Great first year. Heck Browning at Cornell rode the pine for three years and then Boom. Same with Burke at PSU. The sky is the limit for Bothun.