RPI 2009 - 2010 Part II: I Believe in Seth Appert

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Re: RPI 2009 - 2010 Part II: I Believe in Seth Appert

I don't have a problem with you disagreeing.
Can you elaborate? Have you seen them in person this season?
I am not trying to start an arguement, I would like to know what you saw.
It just seemed to me that when the opposition starting hitting, they took over the game. Even if it was only for 5 or 10 minutes. It happened, and we have to react quicker.
I also believe that when we are the more physical team, we play much better.
We have a couple of very good "hitters" on our team.

Well its not as simple as outhitting them. SLU has 10 players who are 6'2" or better...so sizewise they've got an advantage all over the ice. Other than Justin Smith, we don't have a forward nearly that big. With Lee out and Rabbani not his usual smackdown self, we didn't have as much meat to throw around.

I said much the same thing after the Brown game, that bigger teams will present a challenge.Obviously, we can expect much of the same from Cornell on 12/4. Its a one goal loss on the road to a well coached team...not the end of the world. As RC said, if we shoot a bit more and if the PP buries just one more opportunity its a different game.

 

[engineerhockeyfan]

Re: RPI 2009 - 2010 Part II: I Believe in Seth Appert

Well its not as simple as outhitting them. SLU has 10 players who are 6'2" or better...so sizewise they've got an advantage all over the ice. Other than Justin Smith, we don't have a forward nearly that big. With Lee out and Rabbani not his usual smackdown self, we didn't have as much meat to throw around.

I said much the same thing after the Brown game, that bigger teams will present a challenge.Obviously, we can expect much of the same from Cornell on 12/4. Its a one goal loss on the road to a well coached team...not the end of the world. As RC said, if we shoot a bit more and if the PP buries just one more opportunity its a different game.

I think that you misunderstand me. What I said was, we do not react well to being played physically.
That is not a death sentence. We need to expect it and play through it. right now, we just seem to not know what to do.
As for the bigger teams, we are quick and we pass very well this year. If we keep playing, we will defeat those teams.
We can't do anything about the clutching and grabbing unless the referees call it. Good luck with that against Cornell.

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Re: RPI 2009 - 2010 Part II: I Believe in Seth Appert

I think that you misunderstand me. What I said was, we do not react well to being played physically.
That is not a death sentence. We need to expect it and play through it. right now, we just seem to not know what to do.
As for the bigger teams, we are quick and we pass very well this year. If we keep playing, we will defeat those teams.
We can't do anything about the clutching and grabbing unless the referees call it. Good luck with that against Cornell.

I understood what you said, I was pointing out that SLU is a big team, not just a physical team. Obviously we need to out hustle and out skate these types of teams. That said, physically bigger teams simply make it harder to generate offense given that there is more mass accumulated in the red zone...(I'll let you engineer types tell me how bad I screwed that sentence up.)

Bottom line is that minus 3 pretty important players, RPI didn't play very well for about a period, and it was still a one goal game.

 

[Red Cloud]

Re: RPI 2009 - 2010 Part II: I Believe in Seth Appert

I don't have a problem with you disagreeing.
Can you elaborate? Have you seen them in person this season?
I am not trying to start an arguement, I would like to know what you saw.
It just seemed to me that when the opposition starting hitting, they took over the game. Even if it was only for 5 or 10 minutes. It happened, and we have to react quicker.
I also believe that when we are the more physical team, we play much better.
We have a couple of very good "hitters" on our team.

See this is why I like you, ehf. I intimidate some people with my abrasive style but not you. You have balls. I like balls. (I forget what movie that line is from but it makes me laugh every time I remember it)

I've seen the team in person a number of times this season and we definitely aren't a team of bruisers (although we have a number of guys that can throw their weight around, see also Smith, Justin; Rabbani, Josh; Bergin, Mike). But as one of my cohorts is fond of saying, speed kills. I don't see this team backing down when the opposition gets frisky - they have to catch them first.

I can't wait for the matchup with Cornell (even though I'm going to be in Denver watching CC/DU that weekend). Can you say orange road cone drills?

 

[Red Cloud]

Re: RPI 2009 - 2010 Part II: I Believe in Seth Appert

Bottom line is that minus 3 pretty important players, RPI didn't play very well for about a period, and it was still a one goal game.

Winner. Although I didn't see the game, we should bear in mind that the breakdown only lasted a couple of minutes (the time period in which SLU tied and took the lead). Sometimes that's all it takes, but with this team they're usually going to have some space to work with.

I've termed the major issue that this team needs to work through as the "sixth period" dilemma. It's not so much a third period issue - we saw the first two goals allowed in ECAC play in the third period last night. It's a third period on Saturday concern. Four straight weeks now the team has looked a bit off in the third period on the second night of the weekend. Twice we bent but didn't quite break - AIC and Brown - twice we broke - Army and SLU.

Make that ratio 3 to 1 instead of 1 to 1 and we're cooking.

Hey peeps. Bergin and Foss are dynamite together. I don't know if you've noticed but they are lockdown whenever they're on the ice. Kennedy and Merth come close to that level. Burgdoerfer's still ****ing me off with dumb penalties and being out of position too much (Brutlag still has a proclivity for taking dumb and untimely penalties but he's definitely much, much improved in that area). Example: Burgdoerfer was on the ice for both SLU goals last night and in the box for both of Clarkson's goals. He's been either on the ice or in the box for each of the last EIGHT goals the Engineers have given up going all the way back to Army's second goal. So my question is on last night's game. How did Jensen work with Foss?

Another thing - remember that we're shooting for a WCHA style of play, right? Just so happens I'm a 3-year WCHA veteran now. At St. Cloud, we liked to say "first to three wins." Five straight games with less than three goals allowed. More often than not with this team scoring goals like it's going out of style, that's a winner.

Bottom line is, whiners shut up. We're going to lose a few games every now and then and we darn near swept the North Country. Given what we've been through for the better part of a decade, ENJOY THIS RIDE.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI 2009 - 2010 Part II: I Believe in Seth Appert

(I forget what movie that line is from but it makes me laugh every time I remember it)

I believe the movie is Team America, sir. I'd quote another line, but the board IMHO should remain G-rated.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI 2009 - 2010 Part II: I Believe in Seth Appert

Winner. Although I didn't see the game, we should bear in mind that the breakdown only lasted a couple of minutes (the time period in which SLU tied and took the lead). Sometimes that's all it takes, but with this team they're usually going to have some space to work with.

I've termed the major issue that this team needs to work through as the "sixth period" dilemma. It's not so much a third period issue - we saw the first two goals allowed in ECAC play in the third period last night. It's a third period on Saturday concern. Four straight weeks now the team has looked a bit off in the third period on the second night of the weekend. Twice we bent but didn't quite break - AIC and Brown - twice we broke - Army and SLU.

Make that ratio 3 to 1 instead of 1 to 1 and we're cooking.

Hey peeps. Bergin and Foss are dynamite together. I don't know if you've noticed but they are lockdown whenever they're on the ice. Kennedy and Merth come close to that level. Burgdoerfer's still ****ing me off with dumb penalties and being out of position too much (Brutlag still has a proclivity for taking dumb and untimely penalties but he's definitely much, much improved in that area). Example: Burgdoerfer was on the ice for both SLU goals last night and in the box for both of Clarkson's goals. He's been either on the ice or in the box for each of the last EIGHT goals the Engineers have given up going all the way back to Army's second goal. So my question is on last night's game. How did Jensen work with Foss?

Another thing - remember that we're shooting for a WCHA style of play, right? Just so happens I'm a 3-year WCHA veteran now. At St. Cloud, we liked to say "first to three wins." Five straight games with less than three goals allowed. More often than not with this team scoring goals like it's going out of style, that's a winner.

Bottom line is, whiners shut up. We're going to lose a few games every now and then and we darn near swept the North Country. Given what we've been through for the better part of a decade, ENJOY THIS RIDE.

Jensen actually didn't do too badly. The other defensemen were a bit sloppy on their passes, which led to unproductive power plays (minus 1 of course), many icing calls, and quite a few turnovers, even in our own end. Granted I was sitting on the end line where we shot twice, but that's about how the game went.

What Burgie does well is hit players, and the one time each month he has bollocks enough to put a shot on net, is quite accurate and either gets a one-timer, or a decent rebound opportunity. Out of position I'll definitely agree with you on. Like I said earlier, the PPG found the SLU center in front of the net wide open. And even one time before that, though we prevented the pass. It also happened on Yale's PPG, the guy right near the net (he was weak side) was wide open.

Of course losses are going to happen; we're not the 1970 Cornell team. We put it behind us, the coaches and players take time to review the tape and learn from mistakes made, and then have a few good practices to help the players, should they find themselves in the situation again, to not let history repeat itself. I'm absolutely fine with us taking two points in the North Country. Like I said to the friends I brought along to the game, it's a heck of a lot better than zero points on the weekend.

I'm happy with most of our play-style this year, and last night was an off night. We'll pick it up come Niagara.

 

[engineerhockeyfan]

Re: RPI 2009 - 2010 Part II: I Believe in Seth Appert

See this is why I like you, ehf. I intimidate some people with my abrasive style but not you. You have balls. I like balls. (I forget what movie that line is from but it makes me laugh every time I remember it)

I've seen the team in person a number of times this season and we definitely aren't a team of bruisers (although we have a number of guys that can throw their weight around, see also Smith, Justin; Rabbani, Josh; Bergin, Mike). But as one of my cohorts is fond of saying, speed kills. I don't see this team backing down when the opposition gets frisky - they have to catch them first.

I can't wait for the matchup with Cornell (even though I'm going to be in Denver watching CC/DU that weekend). Can you say orange road cone drills?

RC, who cares about style, at the end of the day, we both want the same thing. A great RPI hockey team.
I wanted to hear your ideas about the team, because when you talk hockey, you make sense. When you are fighting with everyone else, I just try to stay out of it.
I think we have a very well balanced team. Speed does kill, and when we learn how to use it, we will kill too.
If you look at the Yale game, they started hitting and scored, and before we could respond, they scored again. After that, we took the game back.
Against SLU, we gave up two quick goals. Unfortunately, that was all it took to win the game.
This year, I am looking forward to January, because, this year I think we play our best hockey after January 1st.
This is a very good team, but the talent is young and it will take some time for them to reach their potential. In the meantime, they are playing pretty well.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI 2009 - 2010 Part II: I Believe in Seth Appert

Of course losses are going to happen; we're not the 1970 Cornell team.

We're better. There has been a lot of overall improvement on the level of college play.

 

[DrDemento]

Re: RPI 2009 - 2010 Part II: I Believe in Seth Appert

We're better. There has been a lot of overall improvement on the level of college play.

Agree RB. Perhaps only you and I are around long enough to remember those teams of the 60's and 70's but every team now is so much bigger, faster and skilled that one cannot compare them. The game has just changed so much.

 

[Senna]

Re: RPI 2009 - 2010 Part II: I Believe in Seth Appert

Winner. Although I didn't see the game, we should bear in mind that the breakdown only lasted a couple of minutes (the time period in which SLU tied and took the lead). Sometimes that's all it takes, but with this team they're usually going to have some space to work with.

I've termed the major issue that this team needs to work through as the "sixth period" dilemma. It's not so much a third period issue - we saw the first two goals allowed in ECAC play in the third period last night. It's a third period on Saturday concern. Four straight weeks now the team has looked a bit off in the third period on the second night of the weekend. Twice we bent but didn't quite break - AIC and Brown - twice we broke - Army and SLU.

Make that ratio 3 to 1 instead of 1 to 1 and we're cooking.

Hey peeps. Bergin and Foss are dynamite together. I don't know if you've noticed but they are lockdown whenever they're on the ice. Kennedy and Merth come close to that level. Burgdoerfer's still ****ing me off with dumb penalties and being out of position too much (Brutlag still has a proclivity for taking dumb and untimely penalties but he's definitely much, much improved in that area). Example: Burgdoerfer was on the ice for both SLU goals last night and in the box for both of Clarkson's goals. He's been either on the ice or in the box for each of the last EIGHT goals the Engineers have given up going all the way back to Army's second goal. So my question is on last night's game. How did Jensen work with Foss?

Another thing - remember that we're shooting for a WCHA style of play, right? Just so happens I'm a 3-year WCHA veteran now. At St. Cloud, we liked to say "first to three wins." Five straight games with less than three goals allowed. More often than not with this team scoring goals like it's going out of style, that's a winner.

Bottom line is, whiners shut up. We're going to lose a few games every now and then and we darn near swept the North Country. Given what we've been through for the better part of a decade, ENJOY THIS RIDE.

RC - I'll be the "yes man" and say that "I couldnt agree with you more completely". I have said the same in a coupkle of other posts as well. There is a ton of talent on this team and when they start converting that into goals, then look out. I think aftetr the Army game when we had 40+ shots on net and a ton of opportunities that if we net 4-5 the tone of the games and coming from this team will massively different. We had that opportunity then and will have it alot again - we just need to capitalize on our opportunities. Will we get beat ? Yes. Do we have the ability to beat virtually anyone ? Yes again. Speed does kill and we need to use that speed because we are just not a team of really big guys. I loke the kind of hockey we are playing...its exciting to watch. The team seems to be really close, kind of a "god, country, core" type of thing. Teams win. I for one and holing on to enjoy the ride. BTW - Interesting stat on Burgdorfer.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI 2009 - 2010 Part II: I Believe in Seth Appert

Agree RB. Perhaps only you and I are around long enough to remember those teams of the 60's and 70's but every team now is so much bigger, faster and skilled that one cannot compare them. The game has just changed so much.

Waite21 also was around in the late 60's.

 

[Red Cloud]

Re: RPI 2009 - 2010 Part II: I Believe in Seth Appert

I'm officially writing off Saturday's game as a "greater good." It prolongs the sleep, so to speak.

Who's got the targets on their backs right now? Quinnipiac. They're 4-0. Colgate. They're unbeaten. Union. They're unbeaten (never mind that they didn't beat Brown) and they just swept the North Country (which, as I mentioned last week, isn't the feat it used to be, and wouldn't have been if we'd have done it). Cornell. BECAUSE THEY'RE CORNELL SO AWESOME!

We're 3-1, we didn't just sweep the North Country, and we fall right in the midst of all four of those teams.

Sleep, biznatches.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI 2009 - 2010 Part II: I Believe in Seth Appert

I'm officially writing off Saturday's game as a "greater good." It prolongs the sleep, so to speak.

Who's got the targets on their backs right now? Quinnipiac. They're 4-0. Colgate. They're unbeaten. Union. They're unbeaten (never mind that they didn't beat Brown) and they just swept the North Country (which, as I mentioned last week, isn't the feat it used to be, and wouldn't have been if we'd have done it). Cornell. BECAUSE THEY'RE CORNELL SO AWESOME!

We're 3-1, we didn't just sweep the North Country, and we fall right in the midst of all four of those teams.

Sleep, biznatches.

Are you implying that SA threw the SLU game?

 

[Red Cloud]

Re: RPI 2009 - 2010 Part II: I Believe in Seth Appert

Are you implying that SA threw the SLU game?

What did I do with that facepalm picture...

 

[Wholin1]

Re: RPI 2009 - 2010 Part II: I Believe in Seth Appert

I would be very surprised if RPI is flying under anyone's radar at this point. They have had some scary good recruiting classes and how can any team in its prep ignore the season that Polacek is having? Mix in a solid goal tender some injuries which are likely to resolve, and any team that takes this one lightly does so at their own peril.

 

[Red Cloud]

Re: RPI 2009 - 2010 Part II: I Believe in Seth Appert

I would be very surprised if RPI is flying under anyone's radar at this point. They have had some scary good recruiting classes and how can any team in its prep ignore the season that Polacek is having? Mix in a solid goal tender some injuries which are likely to resolve, and any team that takes this one lightly does so at their own peril.

It's certainly not on the level that it was before the season started, but the level of alertness certainly isn't "all hands on deck" yet. Just a quick glance around the college hockey webisphere betrays this. Throw in the fact that Polacek is in line to get boned out of POTW for a third week straight, and it's pretty much official.

Taking us lightly at their peril is the whole point of being satisfied with sleep.

 

[rpi82]

Re: RPI 2009 - 2010 Part II: I Believe in Seth Appert

Agree RB. Perhaps only you and I are around long enough to remember those teams of the 60's and 70's but every team now is so much bigger, faster and skilled that one cannot compare them. The game has just changed so much.

I only go back to the mid-70s, but I see a big difference in preparation prior to enrolling. In those days an Ivy League roster (Cornell excepted) consisted mostly of prep school kids. While many of our players came from Canadian juniors, we also had our share from Northwoods, Deerfield, NMH, Hotchkiss, et al. Others would come directly from public or private high school (for some reason Zach Dargaty popped into my head first but he was preceded by Carter, Sadeghpour, DiPronio, Iturralde, Friday and others just from the mid-80s).

Now even most of those kids would add a year or two of junior hockey so they come in bigger, stronger, faster and more experienced. Looking at Yale's roster the other day I noticed that they only have 4 or 5 prep school kids, although one was Mark Arcobello from nearby Milford via Salisbury School and he is among the top players in the ECAC. For example, his linemate from uber-wealthy Greenwich, Sean Backman, played in the USHL prior to enrolling at Yale. Even when we've taken high school kids in recent years (Brutlag, Polacek, Foss, etc.) it's generally been perceived that we "took them early" to get highly-skilled players that would be more heavily recruited by hockey powers if they waited. As a result we've experienced some of their growing pains at the collegiate level.

 

[IMO]

Re: RPI 2009 - 2010 Part II: I Believe in Seth Appert

I only go back to the mid-70s, but I see a big difference in preparation prior to enrolling. In those days an Ivy League roster (Cornell excepted) consisted mostly of prep school kids. While many of our players came from Canadian juniors, we also had our share from Northwoods, Deerfield, NMH, Hotchkiss, et al. Others would come directly from public or private high school (for some reason Zach Dargaty popped into my head first but he was preceded by Carter, Sadeghpour, DiPronio, Iturralde, Friday and others just from the mid-80s).

Now even most of those kids would add a year or two of junior hockey so they come in bigger, stronger, faster and more experienced. Looking at Yale's roster the other day I noticed that they only have 4 or 5 prep school kids, although one was Mark Arcobello from nearby Milford via Salisbury School and he is among the top players in the ECAC. For example, his linemate from uber-wealthy Greenwich, Sean Backman, played in the USHL prior to enrolling at Yale. Even when we've taken high school kids in recent years (Brutlag, Polacek, Foss, etc.) it's generally been perceived that we "took them early" to get highly-skilled players that would be more heavily recruited by hockey powers if they waited. As a result we've experienced some of their growing pains at the collegiate level.

Not with you on "As a result we've experienced some of their growing pains at the collegiate level." The year these high school kids came in they were our top producers. The growing pains are not because they were unable to compete but because the freshman were the top talent and the supporting upperclassman (who deserve a ton of credit) were recruited to play a different style of game. You cannot be a power house when freshman lead your team in points, even though their points that year were quite respectable. This year those players and their classmates are now juniors. Now add the talent that has come in behind them you have a team that has a chance of competeing and winning each and every game. This team competed this weekend without a top forward and D and one player in the lineup not 100% and still had a respectable weekend. Mark my words "They have only just begun."

 

[rpi82]

Re: RPI 2009 - 2010 Part II: I Believe in Seth Appert

Although there are definite benefits to having more experience at both ends of the rink, I was actually thinking more of defensive growing pains than offensive ones. A young guy can make a mistake on offense and make up for it the next trip down the ice. Not so on defense. It takes time to build a cohesive defensive system (including committed two-way forwards) and physical maturity to win battles in front of the net or along the boards.