Re: Elmira College Vs. Oswego
Didn't get a chance to watch the game. Were there some flukes? Or is this freshman class as good as advertised?
Not a whole lot of flukes. I posted some observations during the 2nd intermission and after the game over in the scores thread.
That was a heck of a game. I was a part of the WTOP 10 broadcast (ice level camera, opposite end from the student section) and it was exceptional.
Thoughts on the game:
If Beckwith plays the way he did tonight, then Oswego is going to be very very tough to beat. He faced approx. 35 shots (including 12 in the 1st period) and only let in two goals. He made some spectacular saves right in front of me in the first and third periods. The one goal he let in in the first was great puck movement by Elmira, there was nothing he could have done.
Oswego's conditioning is phenomenal. Two straight third periods with more than four goals. They have worn teams down in the third period and have generated opportunities.
Moodie is not only tough, but has excellent scoring prowess. Moodie and Gamble went at it multiple times tonight, including a thirty second sequence where Moodie hit Gamble, Gamble came back at him, Moodie flipped him, and then Gamble hit him again and Gamble got a penalty. Fox was impressive as well, and Singleton is just freaking huge.
Oswego's achilles heel right now is penalties. They are still taking way too many of them. Gosek actually went off at his players a few times in the third period, slamming the door to the bench shut and leaning around into the penalty box to chastise his players. While the team played hard, they took some stupid penalties, something that will come back to bite them eventually.
For a first game, I was very impressed by these new Lakers. I had expected Elmira to win the game, especially with Tuttle in net. He played well, but the Lakers offense just played better tonight.
I agree with a lot of what Ben said. I thought Beckwith looked pretty darn good in net. I thought he gave up a few too many rebounds in the first, but he really settled in. I think he looked more comfortable in tonight's game than at any point last season being a freshman and then getting injured early in the season (Geneseo, I think?). He is very quick getting across the crease and I don't think he got beat on either goal. On the first goal, the puck was to his left. It somehow made its way out of a mass of humanity and trickled right to the slot about 10 feet from the net and Willard buried it with no one but Beckwith in front of him. Very little Beckwith could have done. I think on the 2nd goal a pass was sent to an intended forward in the slot, missed, and wound up on Masters stick on the other side. Beckwith was planning (as I believe the passer was) to see a shot from the slot and had already committed. It just seemed like a lucky/garbage goal to me. But, hey, those certainly count.
-Only saw tonight's game, but the Lakers definitely had more wind in the 3rd.
-Certainly too many penalties by both teams.
-Fox is nasty (1G, 3A). Guy was definitely an AA for a reason.
-Tuttle was left out to dry by his defense countless times. This happened to Beckwith a few times in the first and he bailed the Lakers out. But it continually happened to Tuttle throughout the game. Law of averages caught up with Elmira in the 3rd I think is really what happened. Obviously 7 goals isn't a good number to give up, but I would put more of the blame on the defense rather than Tuttle.
Only thing I don't get, Ben, is your comment about Moodie. Other than him missing an opportunity and hitting the crossbar in the first, I don't remember him doing much on the ice. Did he look really good last week?
After Elmira scored the first goal (for the fifth consecutive game b/t these two teams) I thought Oswego will all their freshman would fold a bit and Elmira might be able to run away with the game right then and there. I thought the young guys and the new captains showed a lot of resiliency in not letting up one bit and getting right back in the game.
If they play like that on a consistent basis, they will turn some heads this year, even with all the freshman. Wonder if that means they'll win the Nat'l Championship next year like the huge class of 09 did as sophomores. Here's hoping history repeats itself.
