TigerFan86-87
R!!!!...I!!!!!...T!!!!!!
Re: >>> RIT Tigers 2018/2019 - Time For The Tigers to Roar <<<
OK, first of all... Breathe... Relax...
Second of all for the record, I have NEVER posted anything about firing Coach Wilson. So stop ranting about my post as though I had. Be nice.
That being said, all I did was post FACTS. And they were posted in response to someone saying that the team Coach Wilson took over was "little better than middle of the pack" (categorically not true) and that ECAC West was a weak conference (arguable - not necessarily true IMO). What went on behind the scenes before and during Wilson's tenure is unknown to me (and honestly I don't really care). As for who was recruited, as Komey said the top recruits don't mean anything unless they are coached to become winning teams. What I (and most fans) see is the team on the ice and ultimately the the results. That is the bottom line and what we buy tickets to see. Sorry if that offends anyone.
Don't get me wrong. I truly am impressed by student athletes who succeed in the classroom and make the school proud (and don't get arrested while they're here), but that's not what I'm writing about. I'm writing about hockey. Teams/coaches/players are as good as their record says they are. From the finals appearance in his second year (2001) onward, his D-III teams took a step backwards each year. Negative trend. That's all I was pointing out. Get over it.
As a side note: You mentioned the recruiting class for the last D-III season as though they were recruited for D-III only. I don't have any idea, but I can imagine they didn't hide their D-I aspirations from the recruits that year. It wasn't like the announcement of the switch came as a surprise to Coach Wilson and his staff in December of 2004. I would guess (again, don't know) that many of those recruits would not have come here had there been no plan to upgrade to D-I. Those were legitimate D-I players. You could tell watching the transition year that the freshmen AND sophomores were the core of the D-I future. And all of those guys proved that over the subsequent two seasons.
I'm sorry but I have got to push back against that, Wayne stepped into a mess. Hoffberg had left without much recruiting done, in fact didn't have a goaltender. There was a bunch of stuff I'm not going to mention, but even the jersey's were falling apart and had not been ordered. That is why the Tigers ended up with those simple Orange Uniforms that just said Tigers across the middle. It was pretty much a shock when RIT won the ECAC West Regular season and Tournament. I remember during the final broadcast of the season Randy saying "The Tiger certainly over achieved this season". Which was very true, with that young team no one expected a 22-7-1 season.
Lets look at some highlights of the D-III Wayne brought in.
2000-2001
Defense: Matt Moore, Ryan Francke, Mike Walling, Ryan Fairbarn. Matt and Mike were very solid all 4 years, Francke had skills like Galway, the decision making wasn't always there but he was very good. Ryan Fairbarn had a shot you did not want to get in the way off. Upfront, Mike Tarantino could have been the smartest players the Tigers ever had, at least in my time during D-III. Galway and him would make it close. He basically made the 2 second goal happen.
2001-2002
Small class. Jason Chafe, Roberto Orofiamma, Michael Tucciarone, and he got David Bagley from Geneseo. Bagley should have and would have been at RIT for 4 years if Wayne had anything to say about that. He was a great player. Jason Chafe could mix it up and scored some big goals for RIT, even if his attitude got the better of him at times. Orofiamma and Tucciarone I thought were fine players.
Darren Doherty - He would contribute a lot when D-I came around
Brent Macovi - Was very skilled, maybe would have liked to seen more numbers, but he was skill
Marc Hyman - No doubt he had skills if you watched him play, was a little soft, but he scored a big goal against Plattsburg
George Eliopoulos - Yeah he was interesting, I think all of us old timers would agree, but he did have the first ever D-I shutout in RIT history
Craig Hupp - I'm just throwing this one in for me, this was a very good kid I enjoyed watching him play
2003-2004
Tristan Fairbarn & Rob Tarantino, both had brothers on the team and did not quite reproduce their numbers, but good players. I will admit this was probably not his best year
2004-2005
Matt Harris, Brent Patry, Ricky Walton, Simon Lambert, Matt Smith, Darrell Draper, and Jocelyn Guimond (he had to sit out the year for playing some Major Juniors). For those who go back to the DI days you will remember these names. Lambert probably would have won National Player of the year in D-III if the jump was not made.
2005-2006
This was the first D-I mixed with playing D-III teams, given when the announcement was made it hard to tell if they would have come to RIT if they where not D-I, but I am sure at least some would have come if RIT was just a D-III team.
Justin Hofstetter
Jesse Newman
Steve Pinizzotto
Brennan Sarazin
Bobby Raymond
Louis Menard
Even if we assume we lose 2 or 3 of these players if they were not going D-I, I will say my only regret about going D-I was this team probably would have won a National Title at D-III , it could have made 2007 (Oswego for the old timers) very tough for me.
The best coaches in College Hockey have down turns, anyone see what Jerry York is going through right now? But now a days boy do things get spun out of context on the years they are down. What ****es me off, is much of this nonsense can be proven false if people just spent a little time googling things before they post.
We are talking about a man who in 20 seasons has a record of 346-235-63, 8 regular season league titles, 6 conference tournament titles, 2 Frozen Fours (DI,DIII), DIII coach of the year, and DI coach of the year. For some hick from Guelph that is dam impressive. I really love those saying, RIT needs to fire Wilson, get Scholarships, and go to the ECAC. Imagine what Wayne could do if he had Scholarships! Your like the guy saying the pro team is not bringing in enough talent, but fire the coach instead of the GM. Basically the same thing here, even though its college and Wayne does bring in players, no scholarships has been a handicap and he has the right to complain about it as much as you do saying he should be fire, but he hardly ever blames it, all though he does says it would be nice.
Look your welcome to type until your have carpal tunnel, and yet most of you will probably keep typing after that, saying Coach Wilson should be fired. But prepare yourself, it's NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN. Unless he has a meltdown like Bob Knight or scandal like Joe Paterno, RIT will never fire Wayne Wilson, I just don't see that happen. Wayne will leave when he has had enough...
OK, first of all... Breathe... Relax...
Second of all for the record, I have NEVER posted anything about firing Coach Wilson. So stop ranting about my post as though I had. Be nice.
That being said, all I did was post FACTS. And they were posted in response to someone saying that the team Coach Wilson took over was "little better than middle of the pack" (categorically not true) and that ECAC West was a weak conference (arguable - not necessarily true IMO). What went on behind the scenes before and during Wilson's tenure is unknown to me (and honestly I don't really care). As for who was recruited, as Komey said the top recruits don't mean anything unless they are coached to become winning teams. What I (and most fans) see is the team on the ice and ultimately the the results. That is the bottom line and what we buy tickets to see. Sorry if that offends anyone.
Don't get me wrong. I truly am impressed by student athletes who succeed in the classroom and make the school proud (and don't get arrested while they're here), but that's not what I'm writing about. I'm writing about hockey. Teams/coaches/players are as good as their record says they are. From the finals appearance in his second year (2001) onward, his D-III teams took a step backwards each year. Negative trend. That's all I was pointing out. Get over it.
As a side note: You mentioned the recruiting class for the last D-III season as though they were recruited for D-III only. I don't have any idea, but I can imagine they didn't hide their D-I aspirations from the recruits that year. It wasn't like the announcement of the switch came as a surprise to Coach Wilson and his staff in December of 2004. I would guess (again, don't know) that many of those recruits would not have come here had there been no plan to upgrade to D-I. Those were legitimate D-I players. You could tell watching the transition year that the freshmen AND sophomores were the core of the D-I future. And all of those guys proved that over the subsequent two seasons.
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