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

[rvd5star69]

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

I totally agree with you Doc. It would be a huge confidence builder to win this tournament. I look for a big win on Friday, and then I will go up to Troy for the championship game. I would love to see RPI play LSSU.

LETS GO RED!!!

yes i hope to see rpi vs lake superior

i talked to aag he was having some personal matters and its cleared up now and will be ready to perform big time

 

[Beman]

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

AAG and Cullen
Your best players have to be the most focused and the hardest working if not your team is screwed. (thats why no one wants allen iverson, he ruins a locker room) It is important for Seth to expect more out of these two knuckleheads.
If they are real leaders and team players they will respond. If not let them sulk on the bench.

You can't have players out there soft as "puppy pooh"

 

[hockeymascot]

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

AAG and Cullen
You can't have players out there soft as "puppy pooh"

You set a precedent early in the season. From that point forward, you need to be consistent with it.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

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

You set a precedent early in the season. From that point forward, you need to be consistent with it.

That is exactly Coach's point. No "slump" excuses. No "bad night" excuses. 150% effort, or you shouldn't even be on the team.

Good to hear things have cleared up with Alex. Personal matters I can understand being an issue. However, once you put on that uniform, it's time to work, regardless of what else is going on. It's the same for all of us at our jobs, and wherever we happen to be.

 

[Ralph Baer]

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

I couldn't decide if this belonged here, on the alumni thread, or the recruit thread. When looking at the box score of the Burlington - North York game http://cchl.stats.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=1089963 featuring RPI 2011 recruit Patrick Koudys, I noticed that North York's coach was Brad Tapper. I wondered if that is the Brad Tapper who played for RPI. If it is, then it could be a first of two former RPI players coaching against each other because Burlington is coached by Mark Jooris '86.

I did not find an article confirming that this is the Brad Tapper who played for RPI. The wikipedia article for North York http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_York_Rangers does link the coach's name to the Brad Tapper who played for RPI.


Edit: Assuming Tapper has been coaching North York all year, they coached against each other earlier in the season.

 

[GreatLakerMohawk]

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

Tapper did retire from playing after last season (apparently due to health reasons) so I would imagine that it's him.

 

[Ralph Baer]

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

Tapper did retire from playing after last season (apparently due to health reasons) so I would imagine that it's him.

I don't think that it can hurt having RPI grads coaching in juniors.

 

[DrDemento]

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

Tapper did retire from playing after last season (apparently due to health reasons) so I would imagine that it's him.

Yup-the concussions sufferred added up. He would have had to retire earlier had he not gone to Germany to play where the game is far less physical.

 

[engineerhockeyfan]

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

That is exactly Coach's point. No "slump" excuses. No "bad night" excuses. 150% effort, or you shouldn't even be on the team.

Good to hear things have cleared up with Alex. Personal matters I can understand being an issue. However, once you put on that uniform, it's time to work, regardless of what else is going on. It's the same for all of us at our jobs, and wherever we happen to be.

Personal distractions may be a little different for those of us who have to toil at a desk 8 hrs a day vs those who are in a more physical environment.
I am glad that things have cleared up for Alex and hope to see him back at his usual level of competition.

 

[engineerhockeyfan]

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

Yup-the concussions sufferred added up. He would have had to retire earlier had he not gone to Germany to play where the game is far less physical.

I am sorry to hear that Brad has retired from playing. I thought that he had a real chance at an NHL career when he first left school.
I will always remember his two goal game against the Rangers as a Thrasher.
I wish him much success as a coach.

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

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

yes i hope to see rpi vs lake superior

i talked to aag he was having some personal matters and its cleared up now and will be ready to perform big time

Its easy to forget how many different things are going with these kids with school, athletics, social life...they have a lot of juggling to do...definitely a rapid "baptism" into adulthood. Glad AAG is getting a handle on things and I look forward to seeing him racing down the wing this weekend!

 

[knsmith]

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

I am sorry to hear that Brad has retired from playing. I thought that he had a real chance at an NHL career when he first left school.
I will always remember his two goal game against the Rangers as a Thrasher.
I wish him much success as a coach.

He would have had a much better chance had he stayed for his senior season and given himself the chance to put up 40 goals and be a Hobey candidate. I'm probably just jealous that I've never been a good enough athlete to have to make the decision he was forced with, but I hate the way it turned out for everyone.

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

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

I am sorry to hear that Brad has retired from playing. I thought that he had a real chance at an NHL career when he first left school.
I will always remember his two goal game against the Rangers as a Thrasher.
I wish him much success as a coach.

Brad never got cheated on the ice...He struggled at times maintaining his composure and playing hard at both ends of the ice...but he sure was fun to watch. IMO, there hasn't been a kid at RPI since Brad left who had the chance to singlehandedly change the game whenever he touched the puck. This year's freshman class may very well change that.

I'm sure he is at peace with his decision to retire. That said, I fully expect him to steer his stud players toward RPI.

 

[ThePeople]

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

What does everyone expect the lines to look like for the upcoming tourney?
Obviously with Tyler coming back and possibly Lee some players will have to sit, but who? Since we haven't seen this full team with the peoples line together it should be interesting to see how its set up.

Does Halpern sit despite his excellent play over the past few games or does Appert opt for a top line of Halpern/Polacek/Helfrich and put Cullen on another line. This of course would mean sitting one of Vassel/Smith/Rabbani and if Lee comes back you'll have to sit 2 of those unless Halpern sits.
Smith has been great and Vassel plays with a lot of energy but I have not been impressed with Rabbani this year(loved him last year) and its possible that hes still feeling his injury from the before(wild guess)

Also i'd like to say that I know they're a fourth line but Malchuk's group plays as hard or harder than anyone else on the ice and have created a lot of great scoring chances, I wouldn't be surprised if they started producing a decent amount of points a game which would make this team really complete and very scary offensively

And just to make this post even longer, I'm gonna say right now that I will be very disappointed if Merriam is in goal against Bentley. Other than his size, he has been anything but impressive and I feel changing goalies sends a very negative message to York who has been pretty much outstanding so far and will only get better by playing more games. He deserves an "easy" game for his confidence and record.

 

[GreatLakerMohawk]

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

I think Malchuk's line stays in tact as best as possible although their purpose doesn't seem to be as a scoring line. They're the energy/checking line and get those scoring chances because the collective motor never stops with them. I doubt we'll see C.J. Lee this weekend at all based on Appert's quotes on his availability.

Provided Cullen is out of the doghouse for now, I think you'll see Helfrich, Polacek and Cullen together and The People's Line will get back together. It sounded like the lines were shuffled a little bit during the Niagara game but I could be wrong about that. FlagDude was there so he would know best.

Halpern has played better of late, but I think he's better served on the third or fourth line simply because he's just not as good as the top six guys. Flat out. If any forward is going to end up sitting I think it's going to be Vassel.

Bergin's return will be just as important for the defense as Helfrich's return is for the forwards. I doubt we'll see Merriam start any game in the tournament.

 

[ThePeople]

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

Halpern has played better of late, but I think he's better served on the third or fourth line simply because he's just not as good as the top six guys. Flat out. If any forward is going to end up sitting I think it's going to be Vassel.

Bergin's return will be just as important for the defense as Helfrich's return is for the forwards

Halpern may not be quite as good but he is fast and he always crashes the net well, and maybe he and Chase have built some chemistry idk but I agree that Cullen will probably be on the top line again

Also I agree that Bergin coming back is as big or bigger than Tyler being back. Hes clearly got the best hands of all the d-men and helps offensively(though not as much as Brutlag) as well as being a top-notch defender. I'd almost go as far as saying him being healthy this year has been one of the top 3 reasons why we're playing the way we are this year (obviously the others being York and the 4 freshman forwards)

 

[DrDemento]

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

He would have had a much better chance had he stayed for his senior season and given himself the chance to put up 40 goals and be a Hobey candidate. I'm probably just jealous that I've never been a good enough athlete to have to make the decision he was forced with, but I hate the way it turned out for everyone.

The decison was made easier for him by the fact that 2 teams offerred him the rookie maximum for the NHL. He chose Atlanta because at the time it seemed like the express route to the NHL. I would have loved him to stay at RPI for his senior year-but then I was being selfish. He knew he risked injury and his market value could have taken a big hit. The money made the decision. After leaving Atlanta and going to Ottawa (and playing for Binghamton in the AHL) he became a big fan favorite but a severe concussion cut short his stay there. He was in the middle of a comeback attempt with the Flyer's organization and was on a conditioning assignment with their farm club, the Phantoms, and after his first game scoring a hat trick for them, he sufferred his worst concussion of his career. That basically ended any chance of an NHL comeback and he went to Germany to play in a far less physical environment. BTW there hasnt been a 30+ game scorer in the ECAC since he left.

 

[DrDemento]

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

Here's just hoping we get all the wounded back at 100%. Coach has indicated already that Helfrich will be back but he has been much more reserved about any announcements that Bergin or Lee would be back. As far as Bergin-concussions are difficult to deal with. Any sign of headache or dizzyness (or even nausea) and he sits longer even if he has been cleared by a neurologist. Coach has not sounded in any way that Lee would be back so it is just watchful waiting.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

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

I think Malchuk's line stays in tact as best as possible although their purpose doesn't seem to be as a scoring line. They're the energy/checking line and get those scoring chances because the collective motor never stops with them. I doubt we'll see C.J. Lee this weekend at all based on Appert's quotes on his availability.

Provided Cullen is out of the doghouse for now, I think you'll see Helfrich, Polacek and Cullen together and The People's Line will get back together. It sounded like the lines were shuffled a little bit during the Niagara game but I could be wrong about that. FlagDude was there so he would know best.

Halpern has played better of late, but I think he's better served on the third or fourth line simply because he's just not as good as the top six guys. Flat out. If any forward is going to end up sitting I think it's going to be Vassel.

Bergin's return will be just as important for the defense as Helfrich's return is for the forwards. I doubt we'll see Merriam start any game in the tournament.

Paul Kerins was put on the line with Chase and Scott. I think "The People's Line" only had 2, and that Marty O'Grady was placed somewhere else. Obviously Kevin Beauregard was 4th line center, I think with Vassel and someone else. I don't remember all of them exactly, aside from that they were quite weird.

I've said it since I started posting here, and I'll say it again: Helfrich/Polacek/Halpern has always been one of our best lines. Pat Cullen does fill in very well when one of Chase's wingmen aren't quite up to snuff. Scott will continue to show Coach that he deserves playing time, and will earn it. He's certainly proven his value in Tyler's absence.

And EHF, regarding earlier, yes, personal distractions can be a bit different. I know with Brad Farynuk, he got a failing grade on an exam, and promptly took it out on Cornell. Ah, what a great white-out game. Can't say the same about the other one, though.

EDIT: CHS says the People's Line remained intact.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

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

Polls are out, and despite this past week, we still have votes. I guess the media actually looked at who we had for lines. Seven of the 12 teams in the ECAC garnered votes, Quinnipiac, Cornell, Yale, and newcomer Colgate are in the top 20 at 7, 9, 11, and 20, respectively. Other votes include Union, RPI, and sL*u(t).