Gustavus Adolphus @ SNC - who will represent the west?

[MW4Bucky&SNC]

Re: Gustavus Adolphus @ SNC - who will represent the west?

That was intense. Two terrific teams going balls out for 60 minutes...the way playoff hockey was meant to be played. That first period was interesting. With a little luck for both teams it could easily have been 4-3 or 5-4 after 1. Both teams did a good job of getting bodies to the front of the net and getting the puck to the crease. SNC kept a forward back most of the 3rd period and tried to make the 2-1 lead stick, which surprised me a little but I won't argue with the results. O'Brien had a couple of key saves and the puck just didn't bounce the Gusties' way when it looked like they had a chance or two with some net to work with. They are a good team.

On the SNC side, I'm just really impressed with how this season unfolded. With some of the offseason personnel issues I wasn't sure what to expect. I commend the coaches and all of these players for getting past that stuff. A regular season title, a playoff title, and now a trip to the Frozen Four. I've always felt like you get to the Frozen Four and just see what happens. They should just play hard, play loose, and the rest is gravy to me. Unfortunately unless my Powerball numbers hit tonight I don't think I'll be making the trip.

 

[MTOAER]

Re: Gustavus Adolphus @ SNC - who will represent the west?

Great game tonight! Thanks to the Gusties for being such a class act. It's really a shame one team had to lose that one. They should both have gone to the final four and would have repersented the West very well. The Green Knights will do it and I would not expect to see any better team than we saw tonight.

Best of luck to the St. Norbert College Green Knights. You'll have to go on without me, but I'll be watching on line.

 

[Toe Blake's Brother]

Re: Gustavus Adolphus @ SNC - who will represent the west?

Just back from the game and after party. A great game by two exceptional teams. As someone mentioned, it is a shame that one of these two teams had to lose. Both deserved to be in the Frozen 4 or whatever they want to call it. The Gusties were everything that I expected and more. SNC just does an outstanding job on defense throughout the entire group. Great win and good luck in LP. I will be there with about 6 others who are either driving or flying. Looking forward to tipping a few at Zig Zags and supporting SNC throughout the tourney. Again congrats Gusties and Adrian on great seasons.

 

[GumpW]

Congratulatuions, Whine and a Question

Congratulatuions, Whine and a Question

Congratulations to St Norbert - they are a very good team, played well last night, and will be excellent representatives of the West at Lake Placid. As of now I have become a Green Knight fan - go get 'em this weekend!

Now my whine - not at the game but the facility. The Cornerstone Community Center is a very nice arena in many ways, but it has one characteristic, not unique to the arena, that drives me nuts, and that's the safety net above the glass that runs the length of the ice. I totally understand and support nets behind the goal, but the nets down the side make it really difficult to see the game. It feels like every vantage point is twice as far away. Can we stop this trend before it overtakes every arena?

As for the question, because of the net, and because of the fact that the opponent fans are safely tucked in a corner about as far away from the 1st/3rd period St Norbert goal as is possible, it was really hard to see the action down there. Gustavus had a number of scoring chances, and the most intriguing one came with about 5 minutes to go when there were several shots followed by a shot from Matt Schugel. After Matt's shot the three Gustie players closest to the goal, all at different angles to the goal, raised their hands and started to celebrate. However, the red light did not come on and the ref said play on. Anyone have a better angle who could explain what happened on that play?

 

[Toe Blake's Brother]

Re: Congratulatuions, Whine and a Question

Re: Congratulatuions, Whine and a Question

Congratulations to St Norbert - they are a very good team, played well last night, and will be excellent representatives of the West at Lake Placid. As of now I have become a Green Knight fan - go get 'em this weekend!

Now my whine - not at the game but the facility. The Cornerstone Community Center is a very nice arena in many ways, but it has one characteristic, not unique to the arena, that drives me nuts, and that's the safety net above the glass that runs the length of the ice. I totally understand and support nets behind the goal, but the nets down the side make it really difficult to see the game. It feels like every vantage point is twice as far away. Can we stop this trend before it overtakes every arena?

As for the question, because of the net, and because of the fact that the opponent fans are safely tucked in a corner about as far away from the 1st/3rd period St Norbert goal as is possible, it was really hard to see the action down there. Gustavus had a number of scoring chances, and the most intriguing one came with about 5 minutes to go when there were several shots followed by a shot from Matt Schugel. After Matt's shot the three Gustie players closest to the goal, all at different angles to the goal, raised their hands and started to celebrate. However, the red light did not come on and the ref said play on. Anyone have a better angle who could explain what happened on that play?

Gump:

I agree on the nets and would love to see them taken down but because of safety issues, yada yada yada.

As far as the 5 minute scoring chance, you may be thinking of the shot that went off the crossbar. That is the only real close one that I can remember as of this morning.

 

[GumpW]

possibly...and a proposal

possibly...and a proposal

As far as the 5 minute scoring chance, you may be thinking of the shot that went off the crossbar. That is the only real close one that I can remember as of this morning.

You could be right - again as I said, it was really difficult to see what was happening for my seat. What surprises me, though, is this: everyone of the players in a college game have played for something like 15 years. Every player has seen numerous shots go off the pipes - in fact there were at least three - maybe more - in just last night's game. Occasionally, but rarely, you'll see the shooter celebrate prematurely/inaccurately when a shot rebounds off the pipes. But when I see three different players at different angles all start to celebrate it feels to me like there was something more that "just hitting the crossbar" - it doesn't prove there was a goal, but it feels like a "smoking gun". I guess we'll never know for sure.

This leads me to a proposal. I've seen probably 60 college hockey games this year. In just those games there have been 10 or a dozen situations that have called for goal reviews - did the puck go in? was the net off? was someone in the crease interfering? etc. Some of the reviews I've watched play out have been in facilities that have cameras on the ceiling over the nets. In every example I've seen those cameras make it very clear what happened. Sometimes the call stands and sometimes it's reversed.

Cameras / electronics have become unbelievably cheap. My proposal is that every college arena have cameras put in above the nets. Am I wrong in thinking the cost of the equipment and installation would be $1,000 to $2,000 or less? We would never think of playing a game in an arena that didn't have a scoreboard, and when was the last time a college game was played in an arena without a sound system? As for rules, the NCAA already allows the review in facilities equipped with cameras, so why not take the next step and make cameras mandatory?

Referees do their best (although it seems like they're always against whatever team a person is cheering for! ), but they can't see everything. Goal judges are good, but even if they are impartial and competent, shots can go in and out so fast that certainty of what happened can be tough. Why not take that final step on goal reviews and make video replay a tool?

 

[MNChamp]

Re: Gustavus Adolphus @ SNC - who will represent the west?

I totally agree about having cameras above the nets. It would be so helpful to just eliminate any doubt on questionable shots. But you know how it is anytime a school is asked to spend more money...

 

[GumpW]

Cameras

Cameras

Unless my estimates are really wrong about the cost, wouldn't it be possible to add something like a $0.50 or $1.00 surcharge to tickets for a game, few weeks or a season - whatever was needed? Seems like that would be pretty painless.

 

[CARDS_rule_the_Burgh]

Re: Cameras

Re: Cameras

Unless my estimates are really wrong about the cost, wouldn't it be possible to add something like a $0.50 or $1.00 surcharge to tickets for a game, few weeks or a season - whatever was needed? Seems like that would be pretty painless.

Unfortunately, for some DIII hockey "fans", that would be too much. Especially students. I mean, look at Oswego once the students actually had to pay for their tickets...

 

[Matthew Webb]

Re: Congratulatuions, Whine and a Question

Re: Congratulatuions, Whine and a Question

After Matt's shot the three Gustie players closest to the goal, all at different angles to the goal, raised their hands and started to celebrate. However, the red light did not come on and the ref said play on. Anyone have a better angle who could explain what happened on that play?

I could see it clearly from where I was standing. Hit the crossbar/post right where they meet. Top right corner. Hence no clang sound but rather a dull thud.

 

[GumpW]

Re: Gustavus Adolphus @ SNC - who will represent the west?

I could see it clearly from where I was standing. Hit the crossbar/post right where they meet. Top right corner. Hence no clang sound but rather a dull thud.

Ok, thanks - good to know - the players on the ice just must not have had good views.

Again, good luck to St Norberts - I know they'll represent the West well - they'll be tough to beat this weekend.

 

[Toe Blake's Brother]

Re: Gustavus Adolphus @ SNC - who will represent the west?

Ok, thanks - good to know - the players on the ice just must not have had good views.

Again, good luck to St Norberts - I know they'll represent the West well - they'll be tough to beat this weekend.

GumpW:

Thank you for the congrats! I agree with you on the cameras above the net. It is only a matter of time before someone gets absolutely screwed over because the officials and goal judges are not on the same page. D1 changed to this and D3 should follow despite the costs involved.

 

[Matthew Webb]

Re: Gustavus Adolphus @ SNC - who will represent the west?

Ok, thanks - good to know - the players on the ice just must not have had good views.

I thought it was going in, too. Can't blame them for thinking the same.