What's new
By:
USCHO Fan Forum

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • The USCHO Fan Forum has migrated to a new plaform, xenForo. Most of the function of the forum should work in familiar ways. Please note that you can switch between light and dark modes by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right of the main menu bar. We are hoping that this new platform will prove to be faster and more reliable. Please feel free to explore its features.

Colgate 2009-2010

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

sshablak

It all starts with the goaltending.
Some early interest so let's get going. We should be improved offensively this year, build around McIntyre,Smith, Brisebois, and Day and that's a pretty good nucleus. Again we need some others to step up and help out. I'm looking for Smith to have a breakout season after scoring seventeen goals in his initial campaign. He will allow for McIntyre to have some more room as other teams will need to stop other than one line.
My biggest concern is the defense, returning two hurt players, and several frosh who will be needed to step in immediately. Draft picks Larkin and Price hopefully will adjust to the college game rapidly ! However, the defense will be very young and inexperienced.
Long got better as the year progressed and was very solid at the end. I have some optimism(per usual). What's the general feeling out there ?
 
Re: Colgate 2009-2010

I'm very optimistic :)

We can roll 2 good lines this year with McIntyre, Smith, Day, Brisebois, Cox and Williams, which is more than we've had since probably 2005

On the one hand, we lost a lot defensively. On the other, we still gave up a ton of shots, and replaced these guys with some talent. If the defense can gel fairly early in the season, this team could finish in the top half of the league, maybe get a 1st Round bye

The 2 biggest questions are:
1) How long will it take for the young defensemen to find their place? We have a nice top 3 with McPherson, Poplawski and McNamara. Young, but talented. If they can hold their ground while guys like Larkin and Price (as well as Leidl and Sinz) get their sealegs in D-I by the holiday break, we could have a strong 2nd-half run. Experience is great, but talent can trump experience, and these guys are as talented as we've had

2) How close was this team last year? Yes, they went OT a total of 19 times (if I never see another OT game again...), but what does it really tell us? Can they turn those close contests into victories, or will we see more inconsistency?

Plenty of reasons for optimism, but that experience question will dog them until they prove it on the ice. This time of year, I see no reason not to believe :)
 
Re: Colgate 2009-2010

Thanks Shabby,

I am probably more excited this year than I have been for some time.

While we loose some valuable experience on the back end, the Freshman defencemen seem to have some size and maturity and Draft Status.
So, combine the above with the return of McNamara and Poplowski, and it could prove to be very positive.

On the offensive side, we should have two really powerful lines to threaten the opposition each game. If these go-to guys continue to improve their offensive totals, and the freshman forwards, which I don't know much about yet, can contribute for say 15 or 20 goals throughout the season, then we should far surpass last years total offensive output.

Goaltending is another year matured, and I read some where that Charles Long had a good prospect camp at one of the NHL teams in the summer, so that could prove to be a positive as well.

While I feel warm and fuzzy, the Likes of Yale and Harvard as well as Cornell and Dartmouth whom I believe will be the strongest competition, will be challenging, and hopefully keep us on our toes.

Good Luck Gate.
 
Re: Colgate 2009-2010

We do have our top four scorers back so one would think our offense would be improved. Big question...Who's going to play the point on the powerplays ?
 
Re: Colgate 2009-2010

Magoo said:
Poplawski and McNamara had a lot of PP time 2 years ago.
Click to expand...

That is correct. For most of the 2007-08 season, they were paired together on the same power play unit as freshmen. I'm sure the loss of both for most of last season (Wade went down just after Thanksgiving) contributed to the lack of success on the power play since both Kevin and Wade are good puck-moving defensemen. The question now becomes, do you keep them together on the same power-play pairing or do you put them with some of the younger guys like McPherson, Price, Larkin, Sinz and/or Leidl?
 
Re: Colgate 2009-2010

I think you'd want to spread them out, especially in the early going. Get at least one vet onto each PP unit. With a defense this inexperienced, any opportunity where the new guys don't have to carry the load is a good thing
 
Re: Colgate 2009-2010

Definitely missed this signing when it happened.

Tyler Burton has signed on to play with the ECHL's Stockton (Calif.) Thunder. Tyler, as a member of the Trenton Devils, missed most of last season due to injury. Here's the release from Stockton web site.

http://www.stocktonthunder.com/news/latestnews/?article_id=1019

And then here's the article in the local newspaper.

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090804/A_SPORTS/908040332/-1/A_SPORTS04

All-in-all a good story and hopefully Tyler can stay healthy this season. Stockton, according to the ECHL web site, is affiliated with the AHL's Springfield Falcons and their parent, the Edmonton Oilers.
 
Re: Colgate 2009-2010

As I read Shabby's first post I was thinking of Tyler, and what a difference he might have made around the goal last year with those 19 OT games.

This is - IMO - what we need this year: the Burton type of guy who can get the garbage goals and be johnny-on-the-spot. The Burton-Winchester types win the close games. Can Mac, Smith, Day or another player step up and fill this role? That, to me, is the key to the season.

I do go into this season with the optimism the rest of you seem to possess..:)
 
Re: Colgate 2009-2010

ColSkate65 said:
This is - IMO - what we need this year: the Burton type of guy who can get the garbage goals and be johnny-on-the-spot. The Burton-Winchester types win the close games. Can Mac, Smith, Day or another player step up and fill this role? That, to me, is the key to the season.
Click to expand...

Smith is definitely that guy. After the series he had against Quinnipiac, especially Game 2 (Hat Trick, including the game-tying goal in the last minute and the OT winner), he is definitely that guy

We've got 3 really good scoring types with McIntyre, Smith and Day. I'm looking at Brisebois, Williams and Cox to step up and help create 2 good offensive lines. The lack of secondary scoring has killed this team in recent years, but I think we shape up well offensively this season

I do go into this season with the optimism the rest of you seem to possess..:)
Click to expand...

What's the fun if we can't believe? :cool: :D
 
Re: Colgate 2009-2010

It looks like we will have a few former Raiders playing here in Glens Falls, where I now live. We just got Philly's AHL franchise for next season. Joey Mormina and David Sloane are both in that system.
 
Re: Colgate 2009-2010

I was told at the Monmouth game that Larkin and Price look very very good in preseason practices. McIntyre stopped by our tailgate...looked to be in great shape.
 
Re: Colgate 2009-2010

From his bio it looks like Larkin can provide some offense as a d-man. Let's hope so.
 
Re: Colgate 2009-2010

Not much to report...McNamara and Poplawski are reported to be 100% which is great. How bout Clarkson ??
 
Re: Colgate 2009-2010

Logged on today for the first time in awhile and was happy to see that Shabby started this 2009-10 thread. Less than three weeks 'till the Waterloo exhibition -- wish I could be there to see it. I'm hoping to get to Starr for the Harvard/D'mouth series. Let's go 'gate!
 
Re: Colgate 2009-2010

Larkin got his points last year as a forward, virtualy none on D./ prep league is very weak and he would stand in front of the net on PP. Not a ding as he has upside but the points were inflated as a dman. He will be a solid player in time but even last fall he was only the 3rd or 4th dman on his midget team. Mac and others are still the go to guys.
 
Re: Colgate 2009-2010

Our pal Radio's definitely been busy...broadcasting the last two victories of our still-undefeated gridiron gang. Nice job :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top