Friar Hockey 21-22 - Reach for the top

[uncle_cliff]

Big weekend coming up against Northeastern. I looked at the goalie stats for this league and while Savory is has a ridiculous GAA at UML, Stauber is closer to Murray and Levi than I thought. I'd like to see at least a split. Part of that is not having the crappy first periods we have had in some of our wins.
There's also been this weird thing in some of PC's games where the refs will not call penalties? PC is winning most of the games so it's not too much of a problem but it's still bizarre.

This team is just not ready for prime time. Their offense scores in heaps against lesser opponents but struggles greatly against equal/better teams with good goalies. Swept by UMass and NU so far. They had better step it up during the second half of the season, or I fear they will miss the NCAA tournament once again.

 

[The Zlax45]

This team is just not ready for prime time. Their offense scores in heaps against lesser opponents but struggles greatly against equal/better teams with good goalies. Swept by UMass and NU so far. They had better step it up during the second half of the season, or I fear they will miss the NCAA tournament once again.

With four senior or fifth year defensemen that are regulars, you would think the mistakes would be few and far between on the backend.

 

[Jon]

Northeastern's defense and goaltending was ridiculous this weekend, but it's concerning how much PC struggles any good team that is not Denver.

 

[Jon]

Nice bounceback weekend against Princeton, although it took a video review and crazy sequence of events on Saturday to get the sweep.

 

[Split-N]

Not to intrude on your thread and not trying to chirp but I honestly find myself bothered by what amounts to using video to induce a major penalty. I've looked at the video several times but didn't see anything above and beyond what happens in most other goalmouth scrums. Also, I'm guessing that if two referees and two assistant referees didn't call a penalty at the time, the action, in their discretion--couldn't have been all that egregious. A video challenge, however, takes the discretion away and the officials are left with a binary decision. No grey area. IMHO, situations like this are not what video replay is for.

What I'm afraid of is that Nate--wittingly or unwittingly--took the cover off the video version of Pandora's box and we'll see more of this. But remember, what goes around inevitably comes around.

 

[steven22]

Not to intrude on your thread and not trying to chirp but I honestly find myself bothered by what amounts to using video to induce a major penalty. I've looked at the video several times but didn't see anything above and beyond what happens in most other goalmouth scrums. Also, I'm guessing that if two referees and two assistant referees didn't call a penalty at the time, the action, in their discretion--couldn't have been all that egregious. A video challenge, however, takes the discretion away and the officials are left with a binary decision. No grey area. IMHO, situations like this are not what video replay is for.

What I'm afraid of is that Nate--wittingly or unwittingly--took the cover off the video version of Pandora's box and we'll see more of this. But remember, what goes around inevitably comes around.

The facemask grab is in the highlight video on Youtube. Patrick Moynihan is the PC player that was grabbed, his facemask ends up half up his face. I saw it from the first viewing of the video. As for Hockey East Refs , there have been suspensions by Hockey East with no penalty called in the game on a player. Also, Jerry York has pulled the coaches challenge against PC in the past. ( I don't believe a major thou) I think it was a heads up on the coaching staff. The assistant coach is who saw the facemask grab, they called up to the video person in the booth and confirmed the grab, Nate uses his coach's challenge. Excellent coaching in my opinion.

 

[PaulKorea]

Agreed. excellent use of coach's challenge, having people paying attention and keeping track of things down on the ice. If a Friar was careless enough to do a facemask grab and it costs PC a game then that's the consequences they brought on themselves.

 

[uncle_cliff]

I honestly find myself bothered by what amounts to using video to induce a major penalty. I've looked at the video several times but didn't see anything above and beyond what happens in most other goalmouth scrums. Also, I'm guessing that if two referees and two assistant referees didn't call a penalty at the time, the action, in their discretion--couldn't have been all that egregious. A video challenge, however, takes the discretion away and the officials are left with a binary decision. No grey area. IMHO, situations like this are not what video replay is for.

I agree 100%. IMHO video replay should only be used to review scoring plays/goals when needed. The league can, as they already do, review video after the game to hand out punishment for any truly flagrant actions.

What's more concerning to me is that PC needed this intervention to beat lowly Princeton for yet another epic comeback. The second half of the season is not going to be good for them if they can only beat lesser teams (except Denver) and continue to lose against tougher opponents.

 

[Jon]

. If a Friar was careless enough to do a facemask grab and it costs PC a game then that's the consequences they brought on themselves.

Agreed. Let's not pretend that PC hasn't done plenty of stupid things at the end of games to rescue defeat from the jaws of victory.
While I agree that it's not great that PC had to use a video challenge to avoid a disastrous loss, it does look pretty obvious from the video that the facemask was being pulled. I'm not convinced that this is some sort of slippery slope. I don't think coaches across college hockey are going to be "pulling a Leaman" and doing video reviews at the end of games based on this random poorly attended game in December. I've been wrong before of course.

There was a blatant hitting from behind penalty the refs missed against PC on Friday that Princeton justly took exception to that kind of set the tone for the rest of the weekend. The Tigers hit everything that moved on Saturday and it almost worked out for them.

 

[The Zlax45]

Not to intrude on your thread and not trying to chirp but I honestly find myself bothered by what amounts to using video to induce a major penalty. I've looked at the video several times but didn't see anything above and beyond what happens in most other goalmouth scrums. Also, I'm guessing that if two referees and two assistant referees didn't call a penalty at the time, the action, in their discretion--couldn't have been all that egregious. A video challenge, however, takes the discretion away and the officials are left with a binary decision. No grey area. IMHO, situations like this are not what video replay is for.

What I'm afraid of is that Nate--wittingly or unwittingly--took the cover off the video version of Pandora's box and we'll see more of this. But remember, what goes around inevitably comes around.

This violation was on video and pretty clear. I question how two linesmen who were breaking up that scrum missed the call which happened right in front of them.

Here moment on the video

https://youtu.be/T5nA5vjruXI?t=128

 

[73PCFriar]

Friars are back on the ice tomorrow against Bowling Green part of a tournament in Milwaukee with Wisconsin playing Yale in second game. Friars are actually the highest ranked team out there. They have not faired well against the West/Mid West teams and can ill afford losses at this point. Haven't heard of any COVID issues with the team or the other teams in the tourney. PC only missing Berard on the ice and of course Leaman behind the bench. Off since the near loss to Princeton, hope they come out ready to play these next 2 nights.

 

[73PCFriar]

Friars come away with 6-2 win which was much harder than the score would indicate. Next up Wisconsin tonight.

 

[73PCFriar]

Friars lose the tourney in a shootout with Wisconsin, but I believe come away with a tie for PWR and NCAA purposes.

 

[Jon]

Friars lose the tourney in a shootout with Wisconsin, but I believe come away with a tie for PWR and NCAA purposes.

Yup. I might be alone in this but, I really really really hate shootouts and even if PC had won the shootout, they don't get anything more out of it aside from a nice trophy.

 

[Split-N]

Yup. I might be alone in this but, I really really really hate shootouts...

You are not alone in loathing and despising shootouts. #nothockey

 

[73PCFriar]

13 games left (14 I think if you count the USNTP game at the end) all Hockey East starts on January 14 with a home and home against Merrimack, up there on the 14th. Make or break it time for these Friars. Apparently the have a new defenseman as Taige Harding has enrolled at PC and will be on the team. He is just turning 19, big kid 6'7". Interesting they are bringing him in with the depth of defensemen they already have and with just 13 games left plus potential tourney games.

 

[PaulKorea]

Perhaps Harding's decision to come in at midseason has something to do with the possibility of the AJHL shutting down games, or more, and just wanting to play hockey. Whatever the reason, just happy to have more depth and hopefully his impressive play in the league translates over to NCAA too.

 

[73PCFriar]

Perhaps Harding's decision to come in at midseason has something to do with the possibility of the AJHL shutting down games, or more, and just wanting to play hockey. Whatever the reason, just happy to have more depth and hopefully his impressive play in the league translates over to NCAA too.

"When the coach in Fort McMurray recently stepped down for family reasons, “that brought a lot of things into question. Taige did not want to go to the USHL, so it was basically Fort Mac or Providence. We talked with Chicago and his adviser and laid out what the situation would be like here,” said Leaman, noting that PC had scholarship money available.

“We’re not guaranteeing any playing time, but get him here, start to get his feet wet, develop and get up a level. He was plus-30, I think, in the AJHL. That’s kind of ridiculous. He needed to get up a level and if the USHL wasn’t going to be an option, we thought this would be a better option.

“Stepping in, he’s going to be behind a little bit. We’ll play it by ear. With him it’s about getting better every day and if he can help the lineup, we’ll have him in the lineup. We’re going to feel it out as it goes.”

Leaman's comment about his plus-30 speaks to the quality of the AJHL he was playing in. Maybe he is a better player coming in from what Vinny was and improves even more than Vinny did and Vinny improved a lot while at PC. Having a 6'7" Dman that can skate, pass, score and defend is a plus heading down the road even if it is not this season.

 

[The Zlax45]

"When the coach in Fort McMurray recently stepped down for family reasons, “that brought a lot of things into question. Taige did not want to go to the USHL, so it was basically Fort Mac or Providence. We talked with Chicago and his adviser and laid out what the situation would be like here,” said Leaman, noting that PC had scholarship money available.

“We’re not guaranteeing any playing time, but get him here, start to get his feet wet, develop and get up a level. He was plus-30, I think, in the AJHL. That’s kind of ridiculous. He needed to get up a level and if the USHL wasn’t going to be an option, we thought this would be a better option.

“Stepping in, he’s going to be behind a little bit. We’ll play it by ear. With him it’s about getting better every day and if he can help the lineup, we’ll have him in the lineup. We’re going to feel it out as it goes.”

Leaman's comment about his plus-30 speaks to the quality of the AJHL he was playing in. Maybe he is a better player coming in from what Vinny was and improves even more than Vinny did and Vinny improved a lot while at PC. Having a 6'7" Dman that can skate, pass, score and defend is a plus heading down the road even if it is not this season.

Or he could be Myles Harvey who couldn't skate in Leaman's system.

 

[73PCFriar]

Ben Mirageas has left the program per announcement from PC/Leaman.