Re: RPI 2010-11 Part II: RPI, the Other Team, the Refs -- We're outnumbered 10 to 6.
Good morning. I am working on an editorial that should post on WaP sometime today, and did some video research on some of the items of contention this weekend. I'm not going to bring it up in the editorial, so I thought I would give you my thoughts on the items of note.
Friday, 3rd period, 19:53: The only available video, to my knowledge, is the RPI wide-angle shot that was shown in the post-game presser by Seth Appert - it was a video of a video. It's not the clearest thing in the world, but fortunately the contrast of white jerseys with black jerseys helps make things at least somewhat analyzable. Appert obviously couldn't see anything by his review, and I couldn't see any issues either. I do believe this is a goal that probably should have counted.
Saturday, 1st period, 10:32: This is the Halpern goal that was disallowed. The official ruling on the ice was that the net was off its moorings, or so we were led to believe. After reviewing RPI TV's excellent video, I doubt that was the actual ruling - the net doesn't appear to move in the slightest. The puck did, however, get kicked in off a skate, and the WRPI announcers believed it was off an Engineers' skate. After looking at it several times, I believe it was probably kicked in by Union's Nolan Julseth-White. He was crashing the net to keep an Engineer who I think was Johnny Rogic from getting to Halpern's rebound, and it looks like he inadvertently kicked the puck in. This should also have been a goal, credited to Scott Halpern.
Saturday, 3rd period, 13:59: There had been some grumbling in the RPI sections at the Field House that Jooris' goal may not have crossed the line. I had to watch the replay several times to see it, but it did in fact squirt past Mike Bergin, who was standing in the net with York sprawled out on the ice. Bergin went to stop the puck with his shin, but it bounced down onto the goal line and barely over it before his skate, coming around with a natural motion, swept it out of the net. The referee was well positioned to see it, the goal light did come on, and the WRPI announcers, from their position on the catwalk, probably had a good look at it too. Right call.
Saturday, 3rd period, 18:09: Ingoldsby's check from behind was textbook - the reason that the automatic five and the gate were put into place. Lee is lucky he wasn't a couple of inches farther away from the board or he could have been seriously injured. I had to double check this one because it happened in the corner that was out of my view at the Field House and wasn't sure if it was legit or not.
Saturday, 3rd period, 19:28: Andrew Buote absolutely got away with one here. With Polacek firing away on the doorstep, he turned away from his man and, unassisted, skated directly into the crossbar and threw the net off its moorings. Textbook delay of game - RPI really should have had a 6-on-3.
Saturday, 3rd period, 19:59: O'Grady's goal was absolutely over the line prior to the green light. The video's pretty clear about that - it's just a shame the referees didn't have access to the video to dispel doubt.
Saturday, Overtime, 1:42: I'm leery of penalties in overtime unless they take away an obvious scoring chance or they are the result of a dangerous play. Julseth-White's penalty was absolutely the latter. It wasn't quite as dangerous as Ingoldsby's hit, but it's something that absolutely has to be called to discourage that kind of play from happening for the safety of everyone who plays.
