Just finished watching Geneseo's 7-1 romp at Potsdam from last Friday. I thought Geneseo had a dominating game because of its relentless determination on the forecheck, the willingness to push the pace of the game and just the very good skating team that they are. Oh, and the puck hunting. The Puck hunting. Oh, you hunt that Puck. Any time they lost the puck I counted 1..2..3..4..5 seconds and bang Geneseo had retrieved the Puck back from Potsdam. All night Potsdam struggled with puck possession, and Geneseo dominated it. It reminds me of a 2010 Barcelona futbol side that demanded they get the ball back in 6 seconds or less after losing it. #17 Gilmour is the most persistent player on the forecheck for them as he works tirelessly and sets just a fantastic example by giving away not one inch of Ice to the opponent. So dangerous on the PK from 200 ft..good luck. #55 Peter Morgan is just buzzing like a bee out there when retrieving pucks. Bzz Bzzz Bzzz the kid is all over the place and just battles like crazy. It is just interminable. Potsdam did work hard the first two periods but were too slow with the puck on their stick and just found it real difficult to get any possession of the puck. They did show signs of life because of one stupid mistake that would really have me flying up a wall. Geneseo had a comfortable 3-0 lead about midway thru the 2nd Period when Potsdam's tricky Frosh #12 Jeremy Quesnel baited Gilmour into a push and shove after a whistle to try and get a quick PP but ended up with a 4v4 instead. Potsdam would immediately score anyway on a very nice goal from a rush off a Geneseo turnover to get the game to 3-1. So, for a Frosh to bait a veteran like Gilmour is just unacceptable. Gilmour can remember his number and give him a nudge later if that is what has to be done.
Hockey is a really interesting Game with these little t*t for tats that gets some guys in absolute knots and others could care less. Like a big d*ck wagging contest as YOU have to get the last gut punch in. There has to be a retaliation or a comeback. Otherwise, your night has been ruined. Forget the game. What game? Are we in the middle of a Game because I am in the middle of my own little battle over here with this kid. Just a Complete loss of focus sometimes. To me this part of the Game is actually intriguing as you can gain a very small but important edge on an opponent if you do your homework. Anyway, players will have to show more emotional control during a heated game, or it will eventually cost them, especially in March. There is no such thing as an emotional control light switch.
Stat Line of the Night: #28 Domenic Garozzo 3-1-4, 7 Shots, +2.
5v5 Goals:
Geneseo's first three goals were 5v5. The first goal was off a #44 Bryce DeFazio poke check to force a turnover in the neutral zone. He played a nice pass to a rushing #14 Tommy Winn who found #22 Jared Thomas who made a slick individual move across Ice with the puck on his stick and put a nice wrister on goal to beat the Potsdam Goalie. Honestly, the Goalie had a clear view of the Puck and probably should have stopped it but hey Thomas made a nice move and knows you gotta shoot to score.
Second Goal was a great breakout pass after a Potsdam SOG went well wide of the net. #25 Matt Doran who is steady eddy on the blueline for this team had the sick pass to a positionally set #28 Dom Garozzo just waiting for the puck. Garozzo then started a great rush with the 5'6 160lb dynamo #55 Peter Morgan who eventually would send the return pass back to a net crashing Garozzo for the Goal. Third Goal was all #55 Morgan. Story of the Game. Puck Hunting, Puck retrieval by Morgan and then he got rewarded with the Goal.
Hit of the Night: #16 Stefan Miklakos a huge hit on a Potsdam kid coming across the middle of the Ice with his head down at center ice that frankly was worth the interference penalty IMO. This monster hit had the Potsdam kid's gloves, stick, etc all over the place in what is apparently referred to as a "yard sale". Anyway, Geneseo had just made it 4-1 and this hit made sure Potsdam understood it would take a full effort in the 3rd to get back into the Game. I like those type of message penalties I guess because Potsdam came out in the 3rd and did not put in the required effort to get back in the Game with some heavy legs and lazy penalties and Geneseo broke the Game open with 4 PP Goals in the 3rd.
Lines looked like this against Potsdam:
#28 Garozzo-#9 Zurowski-#55 Morgan
#16 Miklakos-#17 Gilmour-#26 Cmunt
#15 Rehbaum-#39 Fensterstock-#21 Dameski
#27 Bruno- #22 Thomas- #8 DeNuccio
#25 Doran- #12 Zarudny
#10 Poolman- #2 DiMurro
#44 DeFazio- #14 Winn
#30 Petizian
Key Players Who Did Not Play:
#3 Nicolas Elia
#7 Greg Koutsomitis
#11 Alex Wilkins
#18 Mitch Machlitt---transfer from Army
Hopefully I will be able to rewatch the Geneseo at Plattsburgh Game that happened the next night if I have time as I am curious what happened in that one. First, I want to watch St.Olaf's game last Thursday with UW River-Falls. St.Olaf's style is also up and down with a ton of speed on that team.
