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Nescac 2009/2010

Re: Nescac 2009/2010

WillieC said:
The 3rd period saw a defensive collapse. While the goaltending may not have been great you can't lay all the blame on net. In 3 cases an NEC player was left alone in the slot and they nailed the upper corners quite effectively. NEC has players that are snipers and when you let snipers roam free they tend to snipe!

On the powerplay goal in the 3rd a Midd D-man left a Pilgrim alone camped off the left post....I could have scored on that one!

The "D" mailed it in in the 3rd frame...no jump, no "thinking" and very poor positional zone coverage. Midd has average goaltending, no surprise there...but you support adequate netminding with a solid defense scheme. The scheme was there...the execution was not.
Click to expand...

Hey Willie: thanks for your report on the game. I follow NEC hockey pretty closely and they are at best a .500 team with good skaters but no true scorers. They get a lot of SOG's but score very few goals. I realized that NEC's success last night was not the fact that they "cowboy'd up", but there must have been a failure on the D and goaltending of Middlebury. If NEC looked like they had snipers, it was an illusion.
 
Re: Nescac 2009/2010

next weekend is huge for Middlebury Willaims Bowdoin and Colby, if any of them go 2-0 it will be huge, they will all need to be at their best. Winner (2-0) could host the Nescac, pending games with Amherst.
 
Re: Nescac 2009/2010

neverplayed said:
I think Middlebury is in trouble, I think they have trouble either in the locker room or chemistry wise, they seem like they are the type of team who could get upset early in the playoffs. Next week will be a test.
Click to expand...

Evidently this weekend was enough of a test for Midd, but you seem to have been spot-on in surmising that something is seriously wrong with that team. Being blown out against two mediocre interlock teams (NEC and Anselm) really puts the Panthers in a hole in the NESCAC standings, and the true "meat" of their schedule is yet to come over the next three weeks.
 
Re: Nescac 2009/2010

Has Middlebury ever not had home ice in the NESCAC playoffs? It's a real possibility that they're traveling come playoff time if they keep this up.

And what is going on with CC? I thought they were on the verge of breaking out of the bottom-dweller teams in the Nescac the last two years. And with Parker coming back I thought they were going make a run this year as a sleeper. They probably won't even make the playoffs as it looks now.
 
Re: Nescac 2009/2010

NESCACalacka said:
Has Middlebury ever not had home ice in the NESCAC playoffs? It's a real possibility that they're traveling come playoff time if they keep this up.
Click to expand...

Middlebury hasn't finished in first in the NESCAC since the 05-06 season
Last 3 Winners:
06-07 Bowdoin
07-08 Colby
08-09 Amherst
 
Re: Nescac 2009/2010

polarbearfan said:
Middlebury hasn't finished in first in the NESCAC since the 05-06 season
Last 3 Winners:
06-07 Bowdoin
07-08 Colby
08-09 Amherst
Click to expand...

I think the question he was asking was about the first round home ice. That's the way I read it, anyway.
 
Re: Nescac 2009/2010

NESCACalacka said:
. . .

And what is going on with CC? I thought they were on the verge of breaking out of the bottom-dweller teams in the Nescac the last two years. And with Parker coming back I thought they were going make a run this year as a sleeper. They probably won't even make the playoffs as it looks now.
Click to expand...

Yeah - I had the same question. CC played really badly against Bowdoin yesterday, only making something like 12 shots and no real scoring chances. I thought that they would be decent this year as they had one of their better years last year (had a winning season and finished fifth) and returned a good goalie in Parker and a number of other good players . . . .
 
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Re: Nescac 2009/2010

I have followed Middlebury for years, there is something wrong, if they don't pick it up this weekend they are not going to be a factor. At this point I would say Amherst is the favorite, Arena learned how to win last year and his goaltending can steal a game when it counts, still has a tough schedule ahead. Colby is interesting they too have a good goalie and Torterella has his team's power play cooking, that can be the difference in a tight playoff game. Bowdoin is better this year, Meagher has never proven he can win the big games, second hand I have heard he plays favorites with some weaker players and he tends to panic in tight situations. Williams, has a solid team but I just don't see them there, Kangas has never won and again second hand, his players don't respond to him. Trinity is a darkhorse, players like the coach and they seem to flourish when expectations are low, their goalie can get hot too. My ranking at this point would be :

1. Amherst
2. Colby
3. Bowdoin
4. Trinity
5.Middlebury
6. Williams
7. Hamilton
8. Tufts

After this weekend we will learn alot with the Bowdoin/Colby, Williams/Midd matchups
 
Re: Nescac 2009/2010

morkisthatu said:
Hey Willie: thanks for your report on the game. I follow NEC hockey pretty closely and they are at best a .500 team with good skaters but no true scorers. They get a lot of SOG's but score very few goals. I realized that NEC's success last night was not the fact that they "cowboy'd up", but there must have been a failure on the D and goaltending of Middlebury. If NEC looked like they had snipers, it was an illusion.
Click to expand...

Mork: Some might be inclined to agree with your assessment of NEC

I will agree with the "no true scorers" point: Granath is their only true scorer

However....They are not "at best a .500 team" , they are better than that

They are no doubt a disappointment at .500 this year as they were picked by many to be challenging Norwich for the top spot in the ECAC East.

Some of the reasons for their shortcomings (these are not excuses)
-They have been beset by a number of key injuries
-They have an unfriendly schedule of 15 road games
-Goaltending has been a major disappointment. Aaron Harvey had a very good season last year and has been very inconsistent prompting his removal from a few games
-A poster wrote earlier this year that NEC's International mix might cause them problems with communication. He got that 50% right. Actually all the players speak English and commmunicate just fine. But they seem to clash in style of play North American vs European. The trap they fall into playing the skating game and neglecting the physical

My take on Friday's game against Middlebury (As I viewed on Fa$thockey)

It was even game for two periods. NEC had the balance in their game that they are looking for (skill vs toughness). The underclassmen (FR and So.) carried much of the load to offset the injured. Goaltending was there when it needed to be. NEC was way overdue for a big offensive explosion and it happened at the start of the third. NEC was a like a wounded animal that fought back

I wouldn't kill off Middlebury just yet, they will bounce back.
 
Re: Nescac 2009/2010

play by play said:
Mork: Some might be inclined to agree with your assessment of NEC

I will agree with the "no true scorers" point: Granath is their only true scorer

However....They are not "at best a .500 team" , they are better than that

They are no doubt a disappointment at .500 this year as they were picked by many to be challenging Norwich for the top spot in the ECAC East.

Some of the reasons for their shortcomings (these are not excuses)
-They have been beset by a number of key injuries
-They have an unfriendly schedule of 15 road games
-Goaltending has been a major disappointment. Aaron Harvey had a very good season last year and has been very inconsistent prompting his removal from a few games
-A poster wrote earlier this year that NEC's International mix might cause them problems with communication. He got that 50% right. Actually all the players speak English and commmunicate just fine. But they seem to clash in style of play North American vs European. The trap they fall into playing the skating game and neglecting the physical

My take on Friday's game against Middlebury (As I viewed on Fa$thockey)

It was even game for two periods. NEC had the balance in their game that they are looking for (skill vs toughness). The underclassmen (FR and So.) carried much of the load to offset the injured. Goaltending was there when it needed to be. NEC was way overdue for a big offensive explosion and it happened at the start of the third. NEC was a like a wounded animal that fought back

I wouldn't kill off Middlebury just yet, they will bounce back.
Click to expand...

Jeez, I think you've got things wrong about NEC. The Pilgrims are 7-8-2 and are "on the road" for 6 of their 8 remaining games. I expect .500 at best.

Key injuries? Until this past weekend only Bill McGinnis has missed time. Over the weekend they played without McGinnis, Mark Ehl, and Filip Bjork. It's the first time they've played short on talent, and look what they did to Middlebury.

Their offense was hurt when two key players did not return this year. Olli Kalliosaari (#2 scorer) and Simon Lauden-Sorlin (#7 scorer) were both freshmen last year would have given them some firepower this year.

To show how innefective their scoring is: in the 12 games prior to last weekend they went 5-6-1, averaged 36 SOG's and only 3 goals per game. The worst examples are a 3-1 loss to Tufts with 53 SOG; 5-2 loss to S. Maine with 53 SOG; and 3-1 loss to Fitchburg with 53 SOG. As I said before, they have good skaters, take lots of shots, but have no real scorers.

I'm not writing off Middlebury. I'm not familiar enough with their team. My point was that NEC is not good enough to overpower a top notch team as they appeared to do in the third period last weekend. It was Middlebury's shortcomings (whatever they may be) rather than NEC's power surge. I agree that Middlebury will bounce back. Their program and Coach Beaney are too good to let it go on.
 
Re: Nescac 2009/2010

Don't write them off yet, but if they have three games that will define their season coming up. Colby, Bowdoin and then Norwich, 3-0 means they are a team to reckon with, 2-1, means they will be a factor and could turn their season 1-2 or 0-3 (unlikely I hope), in my opinion will be tough for them to overcome.
 
Re: Nescac 2009/2010

neverplayed said:
I have followed Middlebury for years, there is something wrong, if they don't pick it up this weekend they are not going to be a factor. At this point I would say Amherst is the favorite, Arena learned how to win last year and his goaltending can steal a game when it counts, still has a tough schedule ahead. Colby is interesting they too have a good goalie and Torterella has his team's power play cooking, that can be the difference in a tight playoff game. Bowdoin is better this year, Meagher has never proven he can win the big games, second hand I have heard he plays favorites with some weaker players and he tends to panic in tight situations. Williams, has a solid team but I just don't see them there, Kangas has never won and again second hand, his players don't respond to him. Trinity is a darkhorse, players like the coach and they seem to flourish when expectations are low, their goalie can get hot too. My ranking at this point would be :

1. Amherst
2. Colby
3. Bowdoin
4. Trinity
5.Middlebury
6. Williams
7. Hamilton
8. Tufts

After this weekend we will learn alot with the Bowdoin/Colby, Williams/Midd matchups
Click to expand...

I like your analysis, but I would put Williams ahead of Middlebury. Their recent tie against Plattsburgh is impressive and while they clearly benefit from having Midd as a travel partner, they have three more wins than Middlebury in conference play.
I like your Trinity pick! Can't underestimate a team that plays for their coach. Hearing fans and parents around the league it seems like at least a few coaches (Bowdoin, Williams, Connecticut) have a hard time inspiring their players.
 
Re: Nescac 2009/2010

To my surprise, I've just noticed that Bowdoin currently leads NESCAC in BOTH goal scoring AND goals against (tied with Amherst). Unfortunately the Polar Bears also lead the league in penalty minutes, many of them of the stupid variety...

In any case, this weekend will probably be the biggest test of the regular season for Terry Meagher's boys, who'll be facing two fine teams in Williams and Middlebury.
 
Re: Nescac 2009/2010

As long as the creek don't rise and the temps don't go too low, I will be at both Williams games this weekend. I'll give reports after the games. Feel free to say hello. Will be wearing a Detroit(Oneonta) Tigers jacket.

-Mike
 
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