RIT Tigers 2017 / 2018. Is time to go out and capture some prey!

[cplinford]

Re: RIT Tigers 2017 / 2018. Is time to go out and capture some prey!

I also noticed RIT has been getting bigger recruits size-wise. However, either they were slower in general or just slow to react in transition from offense to defense.

To me, the big key for next year is how much improvement Drackett and Andriano make over the offseason. Drackett clearly showed flashes of being very good, but was not consistent. The defense will be need to play better as well to minimize breakaways.

The trick with bigger guys is their skating skills. Hard for a school like RIT to get both. Someone who is 6'2, 200 lbs, and is a smooth skater is probably getting a lot of looks from schools in more attractive conferences and/or schools with scholies. I do joke with one of my friends the standard RIT recruit announcement is 5'11 165 lbs

I agree with you on goalie development. When Drackett started the BCA game I was like wow we got a freshman starting here must be something special and then he ran into some struggles early on. I am hoping its just taking him longer to adjust to the college game and he can find consistent footing

 

[TigerFan86-87]

Re: RIT Tigers 2017 / 2018. Is time to go out and capture some prey!

I haven't posted in a while I forgot how picky everyone is around here

It wouldn't be any fun to just let it go.

 

[Downstate_RIT_Fan]

For any RIT fans local to the Rochester area, are you planning on attending any of the games next weekend (16th-17th) at BCA? I know the RIT students will be coming back from spring break so I will be curious as to what attendance will be like given no RIT in the final four plus any casually interested RIT students might be out of town. I’ve only been to the BCA for homecoming games so I can’t imagine what a sparsely populated BCA might feel like. I still have one last hurrah this weekend at Tate Rink where Army will be hosting AF, so two games, maybe three.

 

[RIT Winters]

Re: RIT Tigers 2017 / 2018. Is time to go out and capture some prey!

For any RIT fans local to the Rochester area, are you planning on attending any of the games next weekend (16th-17th) at BCA? I know the RIT students will be coming back from spring break so I will be curious as to what attendance will be like given no RIT in the final four plus any casually interested RIT students might be out of town. I’ve only been to the BCA for homecoming games so I can’t imagine what a sparsely populated BCA might feel like. I still have one last hurrah this weekend at Tate Rink where Army will be hosting AF, so two games, maybe three.

Any time RIT has made it downtown I tend to go early enough to watch the end of the early game. Even with RIT scheduled to play that day, the arena is always emptyyyyyy. It's a very sad atmosphere, to be honest. Very quiet.

 

[Downstate_RIT_Fan]

Any time RIT has made it downtown I tend to go early enough to watch the end of the early game. Even with RIT scheduled to play that day, the arena is always emptyyyyyy. It's a very sad atmosphere, to be honest. Very quiet.

I guess once the contract is finished between BCA and Atlantic Hockey maybe the playoffs including the championship should always be hosted at the higher seed given pretty much every team is or has upgraded their home ice.

 

[Downstate_RIT_Fan]

And Myles Powell gets an ATO with the Amerks. Congrats Myles!

 

[Russell Jaslow]

Re: RIT Tigers 2017 / 2018. Is time to go out and capture some prey!

For any RIT fans local to the Rochester area, are you planning on attending any of the games next weekend (16th-17th) at BCA? I know the RIT students will be coming back from spring break so I will be curious as to what attendance will be like given no RIT in the final four plus any casually interested RIT students might be out of town. I’ve only been to the BCA for homecoming games so I can’t imagine what a sparsely populated BCA might feel like. I still have one last hurrah this weekend at Tate Rink where Army will be hosting AF, so two games, maybe three.

When RIT is not in it, it will only take a minute to count the attendance in your head... And that was last year when Canisius was in it.

Even when RIT is in it, the attendance is kind of dismal.

 

[cplinford]

Re: RIT Tigers 2017 / 2018. Is time to go out and capture some prey!

When it comes to college sports in Rochester it really begins and ends with 'Cuse basketball. But really going to watch Canisius play Holy Cross (for example) hockey isn't high on my list either

 

[Russell Jaslow]

When it comes to college sports in Rochester it really begins and ends with 'Cuse basketball. But really going to watch Canisius play Holy Cross (for example) hockey isn't high on my list either

But nobody is traveling for these games either. Canisius is an hour away, and nobody bothered making the trip last year.

 

[Rochester]

Re: RIT Tigers 2017 / 2018. Is time to go out and capture some prey!

When it comes to college sports in Rochester it really begins and ends with 'Cuse basketball.

This is very true but it doesn't have to be like this. Rochester is the largest city without a D1 College program... It's pretty amazing actually how none of our universities and colleges hasn't tapped into the Rochester market which is craving a decent team to follow... RIT is perfect, so is St. John Fisher to go D1 across the board...

 

[jflory81]

Re: RIT Tigers 2017 / 2018. Is time to go out and capture some prey!

Powell in the lineup tonight for the Amerks. I'd love to see him stick around in the AHL, but given that Garbowsky couldn't I suspect that Powell's signing has more to do with the injury/call-up situation among forwards in Rochester than the organization thinking Powell has some long term upside beyond the ECHL level...

 

[RIT Winters]

Re: RIT Tigers 2017 / 2018. Is time to go out and capture some prey!

Powell in the lineup tonight for the Amerks. I'd love to see him stick around in the AHL, but given that Garbowsky couldn't I suspect that Powell's signing has more to do with the injury/call-up situation among forwards in Rochester than the organization thinking Powell has some long term upside beyond the ECHL level...

Garbo wasn't really ever given a chance. They stuffed him on the 4th line and made him a penalty killer, even though the team was pretty bad and could have used a spark.

 

[jflory81]

Re: RIT Tigers 2017 / 2018. Is time to go out and capture some prey!

Garbo wasn't really ever given a chance. They stuffed him on the 4th line and made him a penalty killer, even though the team was pretty bad and could have used a spark.

Oh I agree. I just think Powell will get similar treatment and isn't quite the player Garbowsky was anyway. I hope Matt gets another chance in the AHL next year. He's been one of the best players in the ECHL for a couple years now.

 

[Russell Jaslow]

This is very true but it doesn't have to be like this. Rochester is the largest city without a D1 College program... It's pretty amazing actually how none of our universities and colleges hasn't tapped into the Rochester market which is craving a decent team to follow... RIT is perfect, so is St. John Fisher to go D1 across the board...

Besides the fact that SJF is small, they also have a football team. No way they go D1 with a football team (way too expensive these days), and no way are they dropping their football team.

 

[komey1]

Re: RIT Tigers 2017 / 2018. Is time to go out and capture some prey!

I believe the rule is that you have to go DII for a set number of years before you go DI. That would prohibit the Rochester area colleges since you would need to find leagues.

 

[Russell Jaslow]

I believe the rule is that you have to go DII for a set number of years before you go DI. That would prohibit the Rochester area colleges since you would need to find leagues.

True. Though I suppose you could go independent. It’s not like you’re going to commit very long to a D2 league anyway...

 

[Schmitty]

I believe the rule is that you have to go DII for a set number of years before you go DI. That would prohibit the Rochester area colleges since you would need to find leagues.

Roberts Wesleyan is D2, East Coast Conference. No reason others couldn’t do the same, other than the conference itself not wanting to be a stepping stone.

 

[TigerFan86-87]

Re: RIT Tigers 2017 / 2018. Is time to go out and capture some prey!

Rochester is the largest city without a D1 College program...

Why do people keep making this argument, year after year after year? It's completely meaningless. The size of the market has absolutely nothing to do with the existence or lack of a DI program at the local colleges and universities (e.g. DI programs exist and thrive in places like Stillwater, OK, Lincoln, NE, Syracuse, NY, Boise, ID, etc.) This isn't professional sports where a city can start a team at a level based on the market size. Schools either are or aren't DI schools, generally. For many years, NONE of the schools in this area were willing or able to support DI athletics, no matter what market they existed in. They were DIII schools (except RWC, of course), and that's that. Now that RIT has grown so much in size, reputation, and stature over the last couple decades they may be able to be a DI type of school, but it will take a lot of work, money, and time to pull off. It's just not that easy to switch from DIII to DI in the snap of fingers because the fans want it.
Yes, there are DI programs out there at schools that one wouldn't think of as DI schools, but that is why DI has put such rigorous requirements around upgrading. The schools that upgraded just so they could get a piece of the NCAA tournament $ and didn't really care about being competitive in any DI sport are not helping the fans in their local markets in any way. I imagine many of those generate virtually no interest locally.

 

[Russell Jaslow]

Re: RIT Tigers 2017 / 2018. Is time to go out and capture some prey!

Why do people keep making this argument, year after year after year? It's completely meaningless. The size of the market has absolutely nothing to do with the existence or lack of a DI program at the local colleges and universities (e.g. DI programs exist and thrive in places like Stillwater, OK, Lincoln, NE, Syracuse, NY, Boise, ID, etc.) This isn't professional sports where a city can start a team at a level based on the market size. Schools either are or aren't DI schools, generally. For many years, NONE of the schools in this area were willing or able to support DI athletics, no matter what market they existed in. They were DIII schools (except RWC, of course), and that's that. Now that RIT has grown so much in size, reputation, and stature over the last couple decades they may be able to be a DI type of school, but it will take a lot of work, money, and time to pull off. It's just not that easy to switch from DIII to DI in the snap of fingers because the fans want it.
Yes, there are DI programs out there at schools that one wouldn't think of as DI schools, but that is why DI has put such rigorous requirements around upgrading. The schools that upgraded just so they could get a piece of the NCAA tournament $ and didn't really care about being competitive in any DI sport are not helping the fans in their local markets in any way. I imagine many of those generate virtually no interest locally.

Personally, I don't use it as an argument, I just use it as one of those fascinating facts...

But to get to your point, people should be careful what they ask for. Let's suppose RIT goes D1 across the board. Let's suppose when they do, they actually put together a decent BB team, good enough to maybe grab an AQ in a mid-major conference. What happens then? Does the publicity of a BB team in March Madness even if they never win the first round exceed that of a hockey team which traditionally has been the sport at RIT, even a very competitive hockey team after they start giving scholarships out?

Could be. Especially with the casual local sports fan who only pays attention when March Madness rolls around. Then, suddenly, that traditional hockey team isn't so traditional anymore...

What happens if the lacrosse team starts to seriously contend for a national D1 title -- very likely in this area where great lacrosse recruits are never more than a couple of hours away? Does the potential for a national title supersede the excitement of a traditional good but not great hockey team? Again, could be.

 

[komey1]

Re: RIT Tigers 2017 / 2018. Is time to go out and capture some prey!

Russell - You and I both know the answer regarding basketball. The hoops would trump hockey at that time. I'm sure our friends out in Hamilton can atest to that when Colgate has a good basketball team.

I'm less sure about LAX. They could turn out good teams, but I think it would take a couple good runs there to get general interest.

I think that most of us would be willing to make this trade off for improving hockey. We know winning will bring in crowds.