RPI 2011-12 Part II: We Like to Post!

[Big Jim]

Re: RPI 2011-12 Part II: We Like to Post!

I'm just puzzled, I like SA, he seems to know the right thing to say, always upbeat, hard working...but I can't figure out scoring woes, we have had great recruiting classes for a number of years now ( I know JD & BP left) but it seems for the most part the great recruiting classes don't turn out to be so great, this years senior class of forwards has little going for it, 2 of them have great speed but it never turns into anything, it is just speed and then they lose the puck or are easily knocked on their keister, the other 3 are hard working, hard hitting but will be lucky to score 10 goals all year collectively. I just don't get it when posters state we have great offensive talent from the upper classes, I just don't see it. On the other hand if these were great recruiting classes and we do have great offensive talent why have they not shown it? Perhaps SA's system needs to change to meet the type of talent that we actually have...I get tired of watching every team we play look better than us. I'm just confused, and no I don't want Fridge back, I would just like to see more improvement after all these years.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI 2011-12 Part II: We Like to Post!

To shift over to something that happens even if we are actually putting the puck in the net: one thing I mentioned to AD at Appleton was that I thought our second period has been awful in the past couple of years. It makes me come to a hypothetical conclusion that we are having difficulty with adjustments and tweaks between periods. I have no idea how you'd practice for that (with the exception of maybe two-"period" scrimmages), but it may be something to investigate.

Fridgen's games were, well... interesting. I'd still take Appert over Fridge.

 

[engineerhockeyfan]

Re: RPI 2011-12 Part II: We Like to Post!

I'm just puzzled, I like SA, he seems to know the right thing to say, always upbeat, hard working...but I can't figure out scoring woes, we have had great recruiting classes for a number of years now ( I know JD & BP left) but it seems for the most part the great recruiting classes don't turn out to be so great, this years senior class of forwards has little going for it, 2 of them have great speed but it never turns into anything, it is just speed and then they lose the puck or are easily knocked on their keister, the other 3 are hard working, hard hitting but will be lucky to score 10 goals all year collectively. I just don't get it when posters state we have great offensive talent from the upper classes, I just don't see it. On the other hand if these were great recruiting classes and we do have great offensive talent why have they not shown it? Perhaps SA's system needs to change to meet the type of talent that we actually have...I get tired of watching every team we play look better than us. I'm just confused, and no I don't want Fridge back, I would just like to see more improvement after all these years.

Jim, I have seen this team, and they have played much better than they did this weekend.
Even with the injuries, we generated a lot of scoring chances. Most of them went to Haggerty and Schroeder. They just didn't seem ready to close the deal. I think they will be big contributers in the future.
This weekend, we showed nothing. No intensity, no urgency, no chemistry.
PK was great, but you can only win games if you score goals. Power Play was awful and predictable. Last year it was predictable, but Polacek could still score from the face off dot. This year, we are not even getting a shot off.

 

[AspyDad]

Re: RPI 2011-12 Part II: We Like to Post!

I'm just puzzled, I like SA, he seems to know the right thing to say, always upbeat, hard working...but I can't figure out scoring woes, we have had great recruiting classes for a number of years now ( I know JD & BP left) but it seems for the most part the great recruiting classes don't turn out to be so great, this years senior class of forwards has little going for it, 2 of them have great speed but it never turns into anything, it is just speed and then they lose the puck or are easily knocked on their keister, the other 3 are hard working, hard hitting but will be lucky to score 10 goals all year collectively. I just don't get it when posters state we have great offensive talent from the upper classes, I just don't see it. On the other hand if these were great recruiting classes and we do have great offensive talent why have they not shown it? Perhaps SA's system needs to change to meet the type of talent that we actually have...I get tired of watching every team we play look better than us. I'm just confused, and no I don't want Fridge back, I would just like to see more improvement after all these years.

We have to remember that there is big hole in the JR class (BP and JDA). We all worried that it was going to effect us last year but this is the year that it may hurt us the most. One place I might disagree with SA is playing the freshman. If we are going to have a tough season I would run em out there including rotating Diebold with Bryce. Look at the dividends it paid with last year's class by playing minutes in Frosh campaign. I am not trying to stifle debate on SA but by every objective metric he has done a great job, I think even his detractors would say this. BTW- I like Fridge...nice fellow.

 

[DrDemento]

Re: RPI 2011-12 Part II: We Like to Post!

To shift over to something that happens even if we are actually putting the puck in the net: one thing I mentioned to AD at Appleton was that I thought our second period has been awful in the past couple of years. It makes me come to a hypothetical conclusion that we are having difficulty with adjustments and tweaks between periods. I have no idea how you'd practice for that (with the exception of maybe two-"period" scrimmages), but it may be something to investigate.

Fridgen's games were, well... interesting. I'd still take Appert over Fridge.

Thank FD-I have only been saying that about between period adjustments for about 11 years now. Other teams seem to do it well-SLU before this year with a great coach seemed to do it to us better than anyone. I absolutely love SA for his ability to recruit, his upbeat attitude, his treatment of our boys, his hockey knowledge, and most of all what he does for the program. I am just not convinced at all as to his ability to be the in game coach behind the bench that can make the changes on the fly that we seem to need. Perhaps that has to be delegated to someone else who can do it-although I have no clue who can. It just seems to me that when Plan A is not working-you have to have a Plan B and even Plan C to go to quickly. I have never felt we had any sort of scoring talent in the senior and junior classes. Hard working boys-yes-but not finishers at all. I edo think this freshman class has that-but we have not been able to see it due to injuries so far. I honestly believe what we are seeing is the total absence of any depth of scoring once Chase and Tyler graduated and after Pirri and D'Amigo left. We have defensive talent and decent goaltending-we have no aiblity to get consistent offensive chances from the upper classes.

 

[DrDemento]

Re: RPI 2011-12 Part II: We Like to Post!

We have to remember that there is big hole in the JR class (BP and JDA). We all worried that it was going to effect us last year but this is the year that it may hurt us the most. One place I might disagree with SA is playing the freshman. If we are going to have a tough season I would run em out there including rotating Diebold with Bryce. Look at the dividends it paid with last year's class by playing minutes in Frosh campaign. I am not trying to stifle debate on SA but by every objective metric he has done a great job, I think even his detractors would say this. BTW- I like Fridge...nice fellow.

Amen!!

 

[DrDemento]

Re: RPI 2011-12 Part II: We Like to Post!

Jim, I have seen this team, and they have played much better than they did this weekend.
Even with the injuries, we generated a lot of scoring chances. Most of them went to Haggerty and Schroeder. They just didn't seem ready to close the deal. I think they will be big contributers in the future.
This weekend, we showed nothing. No intensity, no urgency, no chemistry.
PK was great, but you can only win games if you score goals. Power Play was awful and predictable. Last year it was predictable, but Polacek could still score from the face off dot. This year, we are not even getting a shot off.

As usual-well put and i agree. Polacek is missed on the PP and the PK and anytime we need to finish from the circles on in. We have a bunch of great kids up front-but until we have some who can actually control the puck on their stick and then get a decent shot on net-we have no offensive pressure.

 

[hockeymascot]

Re: RPI 2011-12 Part II: We Like to Post!

Fridgen's games were, well... interesting. I'd still take Appert over Fridge.

FD.....why even bring that up???? Two totally different coaches. Quit looking in the rear view mirror!!! You got SA and will have until 2017......so move forward. Fridge is gone so why even relate to him? Move on man!

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI 2011-12 Part II: We Like to Post!

There are a lot of problems, and I still expect things to work out. I agree that the junior and senior classes are made up mainly of grinders and defensive players -- not scorers. For some reason, I expected the frosh to lead the team from the start, but that does not happen these days, although it once could happen, and I know it. Clearly the injuries and the OOC schedule didn't help, and then we started with the NC trip, which almost always turns out to be a disappointment.

Maybe we should continue talking about barber shops.

 

[AspyDad]

Re: RPI 2011-12 Part II: We Like to Post!

FD.....why even bring that up???? Two totally different coaches. Quit looking in the rear view mirror!!! You got SA and will have until 2017......so move forward. Fridge is gone so why even relate to him? Move on man!

In fairness to FDude, I was the first one to bring that in play. I agree re: moving on.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI 2011-12 Part II: We Like to Post!

Maybe we should continue talking about barber shops.

What are those?

 

[DrDemento]

Re: RPI 2011-12 Part II: We Like to Post!

Pretty darn quiet here on the thread after a weekend of frustrating games. From someone who has seen it all over the past many years-all is not lost. I just keep my fingers crossed that this freshman class starts to get some more ice time and chances to develop into the Division I level. I can't wait to see JL and Neal back in the lineup and see if they can help kick start a little offense. When you have followed RPI hockey since 1963, you get to ride the ups and downs. I have full faith that coach SA will get this ship righted.

 

[hab]

Re: RPI 2011-12 Part II: We Like to Post!

I agree that there is no reason, at this point, to talk about whether SA is the right guy for the coaching job: his success to date doesn't justify talk of an exit. However, I do want to make two points about the job of coaching college hockey, to take the discussion beyond whether he stays or goes: 1) coaching is about recruiting but also about developing players: when young men enter college they still have a LOT of development in front of them, and a good coaching staff can do a lot with their players over 4 years; and 2) coaching is about more than just the head coach: it takes an entire team of quality coaches to fulfill the demanding roles of recruiting and developing. I don't know how the duties have been divided on the RPI staff, but it does seem to me that they have had more apparent success on the recruiting side than on the development side. Maybe that's where the strengths lie? Based on the evidence of the last few years it seems to me that there is room on the RPI staff for more talent in hockey development. That doesn't necessarily mean someone has to go, but at the very least it might call for more time and effort spent on developing the staff's overall hockey skills teaching and games skills teaching abilities, particularily in the off season.

I remember watching a Union practice in either the first or second year that Nate Leaman was there, and thinking "even though this is a losing team, a young player would do well to come here". The practices were something to behold.

 

[AspyDad]

Re: RPI 2011-12 Part II: We Like to Post!

I agree that there is no reason, at this point, to talk about whether SA is the right guy for the coaching job: his success to date doesn't justify talk of an exit. However, I do want to make two points about the job of coaching college hockey, to take the discussion beyond whether he stays or goes: 1) coaching is about recruiting but also about developing players: when young men enter college they still have a LOT of development in front of them, and a good coaching staff can do a lot with their players over 4 years; and 2) coaching is about more than just the head coach: it takes an entire team of quality coaches to fulfill the demanding roles of recruiting and developing. I don't know how the duties have been divided on the RPI staff, but it does seem to me that they have had more apparent success on the recruiting side than on the development side. Maybe that's where the strengths lie? Based on the evidence of the last few years it seems to me that there is room on the RPI staff for more talent in hockey development. That doesn't necessarily mean someone has to go, but at the very least it might call for more time and effort spent on developing the staff's overall hockey skills teaching and games skills teaching abilities, particularily in the off season.

I remember watching a Union practice in either the first or second year that Nate Leaman was there, and thinking "even though this is a losing team, a young player would do well to come here". The practices were something to behold.

I believe that the staff did a pretty good job developing Chase and York...just saying.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI 2011-12 Part II: We Like to Post!

I believe that the staff did a pretty good job developing Chase and York...just saying.

Agreed.

To me the problem seems to be one of adapting as a game progresses. That is to say making adjustments in the locker room between periods. I also think that the injuries have kept us from having a consistent powerplay.

 

[ajt6954]

Re: RPI 2011-12 Part II: We Like to Post!

Pretty darn quiet here on the thread after a weekend of frustrating games. From someone who has seen it all over the past many years-all is not lost. I just keep my fingers crossed that this freshman class starts to get some more ice time and chances to develop into the Division I level. I can't wait to see JL and Neal back in the lineup and see if they can help kick start a little offense. When you have followed RPI hockey since 1963, you get to ride the ups and downs. I have full faith that coach SA will get this ship righted.

Here here, Doc! Ralph put it well...our upperclassmen are primarily grinders and defensive types, no proven snipers really. We'll persevere, it'll just take time..."...talk about barbershops"...haha...nice one, Ralph!

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI 2011-12 Part II: We Like to Post!

FD.....why even bring that up???? Two totally different coaches. Quit looking in the rear view mirror!!! You got SA and will have until 2017......so move forward. Fridge is gone so why even relate to him? Move on man!

Who said I was looking in the rear view mirror? I had only seen two years of Fridge. On top of that, it's too bad I can't put vocal inflections on my words here, otherwise you would have heard the sarcastic tone behind "interesting".

 

[Havasu M]

Re: RPI 2011-12 Part II: We Like to Post!

Put Bailen in Polacek's spot on the power play. He's got the foot work and shot to make those one timers like he got the game winner in ot against Union. Great puck carrier as well. He can play catch on the blueline with Koudys and one of them can blast ala Oates & Friday. Of course it would help to have an Oates and Friday and while we are at it a Carter as well.

 

[AspyDad]

Re: RPI 2011-12 Part II: We Like to Post!

He can play catch on the blueline with Koudys and one of them can blast ala Oates & Friday.

Patty K is a great passer and would help moving the puck around. Was at SLU Sat. and you could see the confidence in his play.

 

[AspyDad]

Re: RPI 2011-12 Part II: We Like to Post!

I have full faith that coach SA will get this ship righted.

Concur