Re: RPI 2010-2011 V: The "Chase" to AC & Beyond
Yes, and there is also the adage that says you play like you practice. Appert was dealing with a team that has been listless of late...our players were quoted in the Record on Friday as saying that perhaps they have been too relaxed or lackadaisical playing at home. If that's the case, then I'd have done exactly what Seth did.
History is full of teams who have "taken it easy" in the week leading into big games only to be flattened by teams who went hard all week. I would note that my beloved Packers practiced in full pads all week leading up to their bringing Coach Lombardi's trophy back to Titletown...
I guess my point is there are as many theories on how to practice as there are coaches coaching. I do think that Chase and Bailen look tired...and their number of double shifts is the reason. Bottom line is its time for this team to cowboy up. Everybody is sore, tired and injured this time of year. The teams that can rise above will move on.
WS - cannot agree with you more. I went to the game Friday night and it was a pretty uninspired showing. I understood that Chase was a game time decision from the message Charlene circulates, and I didnt expect to see him based on that messaging. That said, this is a team and teams win, not individuals. On Friday, the only ones I noticed that stood out were Koudys, LeBoeuf, Foss, Rogic and York. Beyond that, we looked dead and Princeton skated circles around us. I have been a big fan of CJ Lee, but think that he's caught the ire of Seth - I think Appert threw a clipboard when CJ got his penalty. Other thing I noticed was how animated Appert was during the time out with 1:47 left in the 3rd after Princeton took a penalty. I havent seen him that fired up in speaking to the guys ever - arms waiving and almost veins in the neck sticking out, trying to get some life and energy and desire into the boys because they didnt seem to have it in themselves. The team just doesnt sem to have that same confidence and "swagger" that it did earlier in the season. Also, gotta say that we absolutely cannot be giving up 40+ shots on net every night. York has been tremendous this year and without him we dont have the record we do. Flip side, and I have posted this before, we need that 1 more goal per game - every game. I think that Seth is trying every trick in the book to raise the level right now and think that he knows the kids better than anyone and not going to question whether or how hard he works them during the week. I guess my point is that I think the team is burned and searching for its identity right now (its internal desire, sense of urgency, and self belief), right at the point of the season where we should be just about peaking. Im prety sure that I'll get flamed for this post and trust me, I think that this team has everything it needs to play with anyone - but uninspired efforts for any portion of a game just are not going to cut it at this point of the season.
Finally, couldnt make the game Saturday so glad to hear that people have posted that we played much better than on Friday. I was able to catch the last 1/2 of the Union - Princeton game, and as much as I am choking on saying this, they are a **** good team. They dominated Princeton and won every race to a loose puck, held them to something like 25 shots on net, and took the body on everyone. I say this because I honestly dont think that they have 1/2 the team that we do - but they play with a no excuses attitude and refuse to be beaten. I dont know what that attitude switch is for our guys, but i think we need a shot of that right now.
1 final thing - I sat in Section 5 on Friday, and I think that our 1 goal went in after the net was dislodged. It was clearly moved before the shot and never called. I dont know if anyone else saw it or not, but I wouldnt mention in a post unless i was absolutely certain. Interestingly, Priceton had one waived off minutes later for he net being off. I think that the reffing was way more than fair to RPI on Friday, and if I was Princeton, I would have felt a bit hosed given some of the calls / non-calls.
