Re: ECAC Officiating First Half
Compared to these guys, I miss Belanger, Amian and Noeth! It really is not worth complaining about, but it is still frustrating.
Stewart is not the answer. If his talent were have as big as his ego, he would be the best ref in the world. In Albany last year, he was too buys chasing fluff to pay attention to hockey. He was at the Harvard - SLU game this year, and got to watch the linesman give a penalty to Alex Curran who wasn't even on the ice for a scrum in front of the Harvard goal. He defends them. He says he solved fighting in the league by not letting teams go out and tap their goalie after every period. He is delusional. He gives the "how many teams are there in the ECAC?" speech every year. The 13th team being the officials who, of course, pretty much have never played a game in their lives and wouldn't know flow if they were going through the sewer system like a water slide!!
There are a few things that really chaffe me. One is when they give a clear advantage to one team which is frequent. Second, is when they don't do what is necessary to prevent injuries and out of control play. Against Dartmouth in Albany in 2007, Casey Parenteau got absolutely drilled from behind into the boards. While he lay motionless, Dave Hansen (who was one of the better refs) saw the whole thing, called nothing and stepped over the motionless player. I thought there were three dangerous plays in the Friday SLU-Clarkson tilt all of which could have been majors. None were, and one was called on the wrong team / player! Also on Friday night, I thought Beca was out of control with his stick.....nothing called. It is not even what they call, it is what they don't call. And, I have often complained that the real issue is there is no consistency between crews, between games, between periods or even between shifts. Clakson got a PP to tie the game with 30 seconds left on Friday....equally serious infractions were not called in the first or second periods. I have just tried to accept that it is always going to be bad and have the mentality that you have to play through it. Problem is when that happens in a playoff series. Back in about 2004ish, Kotyra absolutely put it to the Saints at Colgate. He was the difference in the series IMHO, and he didn't protect the players. Trevelyan got hit high an concussed. Kotyra did it again, although not as noticably, last year in Albany when we played Yale. Some nights, they are the difference in the game and that is a real tragedy....because the kids and the fans and the parents have so much riding on these games.
A final thought, in other leagues, they actually are part of the league. They have cookouts in the summers with all the refs and coaches, they get together, and that is one reason when the ECAC plays on the road you are never going to get a call in the CCHA, WCHA or HEA!! The refs were absolutely laughable for us at Maine. Called everything on us, nothing on them.
I am convinced the officiating is much better in the OHL / CHL. I wish we could get some of those guys. I think just the part time nature and the where are league is run, there are flaws.
Oh, and so far the officiating is about the same, maybe a touch better this year but there is LOTS of room for improvement.
I'd also like to know what training, certification, continuing education, etc. is involved. I would also say that in their partial defense, I assume all of these guys have day jobs are very much part timers, and have a pretty tough job to do.