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Colgate 2011-12

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Re: Colgate 2011-12

CU13 said:
It has gotten old, as am I. I want the chance to WIN the first game in the semis........it has only happened ONCE since 1990. I absolutely LOVE Colgate hockey, but I am getting way too old and way too weary to fight the good fight, game in and game out. SOMETHING has to change.
Click to expand...

Now CU13! I know you're much younger than I am, so you have plenty of years left to see the Raiders reach the Promised Land. However, I too, am tired of the continual disappointment at the end of the season. Hopefully the next recruiting class can produce a couple of Austins to give us the depth a winner needs (like Union). We also need some toughness along the boards and the ability to get out of our end. Bigger size helps but we have seen in Austin what a fast, shifty forward can do. The lesson is that mistakes and penalties kill, and we need to elevate our game in the next few seasons.
 
Re: Colgate 2011-12

The endlessly frustrating story of Colgate in the semifinals. In the end, we just weren't good enough. Union did well to capitalize on our mistakes, and really, they're just a better team up and down the line. We're continually so close, and yet just unable to break through. Depth is an issue, has been for years, most of that though is not on DV

Several key players graduate, but there is talent behind them. More consistency, and greater contributions from the incoming freshmen can continue to take the program forward. I'm very interested by the guys we're getting next year, but they have to be able to step in soon if we're going to finish closer to 4th (2012) than 12th (2011)

As for today, beat Cornell. Sweeping a talented team, especially one that we're going to see plenty of over the next few seasons, and a rival, can only help going forward. Pick up the win, get Austin some goals (Hobey Hattrick or bust), and get ready for next year
 
Re: Colgate 2011-12

My God, watching Colgate for these 2 games makes one wonder how they won any games during the Regular season. If I were Colgate goalies I would be filing for divorce from the rest of the team on grounds of mental cruelty. This is brutal.
 
Re: Colgate 2011-12

In seventeen play-in games and resulting consolation games since 1994-1995 I do not believe we have ever scored more than 3 goals in a game...the end to the season and the end to this game were, as usual, disappointing...and we looked a little classless, I might add, in initiating a cheap shot at the end of the game...I wish Cornell and Union (and maybe Harvard) the best going forward...
 
Re: Colgate 2011-12

Didn't see the consy, not going to comment on it. We always have nothing to play for in these games and that's why we never win them.

Thank you to the following seniors on the team:
#1 Alex Evin
#4 Corbin McPherson
#8 Mark Nasca (why didn't he dress for his final game? injury?)
#9 Austin Smith
#10 Kevin McNamara
#15 Matt Firman
#19 Austin Mayer
#21 Nick Prockow
#33 Bryan Bessette (even though he didn't play this year)

Will post some final thoughts about this season, as well as any thoughts I have on next season, in a few days. A bitter end but overall, a major improvement from 2010-11.
 
Re: Colgate 2011-12

As someone once said, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

Not much to say right now. Will have to mull over the entire season and let it sink in before issuing some final thoughts.

Thanks to the 9 seniors for all the efforts they brought to the program.
 
Re: Colgate 2011-12

agree with ColSkate65...reflect, the provide some objective thoughts...nonetheless, every year that goes by and I see the NCAA brackets it gets tougher and tougher...I do think Union has the talent and goaltending to make a good run...last ECAC team the NCAA finals? It seems so long ago; Terry Slater's great 1990 team (31-6-1) when, get this, Band-Cooke-Greyerbiehl were the THIRD line...
 
Re: Colgate 2011-12

BTW, our FOURTH line that year? Jeff Weber-Kelly Mills-Andrew Dickson and they were hell to play against...we also started three freshmen on D...
 
Re: Colgate 2011-12

Hard to point the finger to one area this weekend. Could blame the 1st line for only scoring once. Could blame the goalies for for giving up soft goals. Could blame the D for the turnovers. Could blame the lack of depth.

Personally I think the problem lies in the type of players we recruit. Union, Cornell and Harvard are far grittier than Colgate. The way to beat us is get pucks to the net and then bang us offensively. Shut down one line and you win. Hit us and we back down and turn the puck over. It's depth with a backbone and I'm not sure it get's any better next year or the year after that based on the recruits coming.

Has anyone caught a draft of next years out of conference games?
 
Re: Colgate 2011-12

Gaterrooter...would agree...as talented as our #1 line was, it was their grittiness and physical play as much as their talent that made them successful. I also think that the USHL tends to produce "grittier" (albeit generally a year older) recruits...we seem to be re-emphasizing Canadian kids for 2012 and 2013...I've had my doubts about New England prep players for a while (obviously there are many exceptions) unless they spend a year in, e.g., the BCJHL and the USHL...
 
Re: Colgate 2011-12

Ever go to the Silver Puck website? It was last updated in 2008 and lists Andrew Dickson as an assistant coach (I wish)...Now one can overstate the importance of having the major fund raising artery for hockey providing info that was current FOUR YEARS AGO, but...draw your own conclusions folks...
 
Re: Colgate 2011-12

So, why is Union's program now better than ours? They seem similar to us: elite academically (but not Ivy), subpar rink, non-desirable location, etc. What are they doing that we are not?
 
Re: Colgate 2011-12

GreenCoat, btw, I remember playing against Kelly Mills in intramurals the year before 89-90. For some reason he wasn't on varsity that year. I really remember him from the year before the big one because he would go to the games and mercilessly taunt the other teams' goalies. But I don't think you can do that anymore. . .
 
Re: Colgate 2011-12

I do think we have to look at the success this year before we toss everyone under the bus. From last to 4th. We played an excellent series against the number 5 team at home and made it back to Atlantic City. We had a legit Hobey candidate and 2 young line mates that were fun to watch all year. I believe we cracked the top 10 in pairwise and rankings. So there was plenty of good.

I agree on recruiting lately. I look at the recruits that have come in and are coming in over the past and in the next few years, not many USHL'ers. Although the one we did get a couple of years ago did not work out and is now going to RIT. I think its a philosophy of the program at this point that we are not looking for big gritty players. I would say players like Nasca and Rivellini are gritty, but at their size it's really tough to put a hurting on someone. I think we need to look for players that are tough to play against. Not guys who take stick penalties, but guys that will finish a check and run a guy who runs our guys.
 
Re: Colgate 2011-12

I think he had some academic issues because his playing career spans something like six years...that fourth line was key in 1990 to beating Lake Superior State in the quarters in Hamilton...those were the days...packed Starr every game...three legitimate scoring lines...and remember we lost both Mike Bishop and Scott Young the year before the 1989-90 season...the freshman that came into the program in 1986-87 may be the best overall class of frosh we've every had (Terry's first legitimate class wasn't bad either)...it has simply been too many years since our program had two (let alone three) real scoring lines...and over the course of a season teams adjust...basically, stop Smith-Wagner-Wilson and you stop Colgate...what happens? At the end of the day these three players get TOO much ice time and are gassed at the end of the game...I love the way Wilson plays (all three are physical hockey players) but NO serious scoring at even strength with the other lines and, frankly, some of our junior defensemen continue to make the same mistakes they made as frosh. The trip to AC was, sadly, another waste of time...my gut is that we're very good at getting top tier talent to Colgate, but awful at getting second tier talent...over the course of a season it catches up with you...I AM PRAYING the 2012 and 2013 frosh start a new trend of some forward depth...objectively I am skeptical...
 
Re: Colgate 2011-12

It will be interesting to see what happens with the incoming class; we have four forwards coming in who are all currently playing for the Cornwall Colts. Hopefully they will make a nice run in the CJHL playoffs. All 4 finished in the Top 20 in league scoring with two in the top 7. The CJHL may not be the most elite junior league, but at least we're getting some if its best players. Speaking of which, Ryan Johnston, another incoming frosh, was named the CJHL defenseman of the year and was the only defenseman in the league's top 20 scorers. So, we will see.
 
Re: Colgate 2011-12

I sure hope the frosh can come in as a cohesive unit because of this and hit the ground running. It'd be nice to have at least two legit scoring lines so the twins and another of the Colts (Borokowski? Baun?) will have to be ready to go right away.

The really interesting question is who will be the third on the Wilson-Wagner line??? Tremendous shoes to fill obviously.
 
Re: Colgate 2011-12

And let's hope Andy McDonald gets healthy. He had scored 17 points in 18 games since returning from a 50+ game stint on the DL because of concussion. The Blues look like a serious title contender. Let's hope Andy can bring the Cup back to Hamilton!
 
Re: Colgate 2011-12

The 1999-2000 team was ranked #8 in the country and, of course, led by (the great) Andy McDonald...we lost to Michigan in the first round of the NCAAs at Albany when the referee REFUSED to go upstairs to review a potential 'Gate goal (he had the option, but not a requirement to do so)...in fact, we clearly scored but it was whistled no goal and NOT reviewed...we lost five minutes later in OT...Andy was the star, but, again, we had depth, both at forward and defense and used a huge fourth line in the Michigan game to pound them at every drop of the puck...does the name Errki Rajamaki ring a bell??? I'm still bitter and desperately hope the Big Red take down Berenson and his boys next weekend...
 
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