What's new
By:
USCHO Fan Forum

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • The USCHO Fan Forum has migrated to a new plaform, xenForo. Most of the function of the forum should work in familiar ways. Please note that you can switch between light and dark modes by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right of the main menu bar. We are hoping that this new platform will prove to be faster and more reliable. Please feel free to explore its features.

RPI 2023-24: In Our 200th Year, We're Getting It Right

Status
Not open for further replies.
In honor of Isabelle Hardy, today is 16 September 2023. There are 21 days (3 weeks) until RPI's next game.


This is based upon 7 October 2023 for the start of next season.
 
rpi82 said:
That’s the same range I specified in an email to Sezenack complimenting his analysis. I have a feeling what we are going to get up front and in the d corps. I have no clue what we are going to get in net. If we get frosh Watson we will compete for a bye. If we get soph Watson we may struggle for home ice. He’s an excellent talent but something was off last year. I have no idea the cause (could have been injury, confidence, personal issues, misalignment of biorhythms with phases of the moon, etc.), but he wasn’t at the level we know is within him. If necessary let’s “Trae Turner” him (Google his season and the fan reaction in, of all places, Philadelphia), because he’s that critical to the team.
Click to expand...

Yup - but it also could have been difficulty in communicating with the defense and even the play of forwards coming back to help on defense. A couple of really good pairs of defensemen and a few defensive forwards coming back to help defend can often make a mediocre goal tender appear to be a super star. I agree totally with what you posted. Watson has shown the potential to steal games (frosh Watson) or give some away (soph Watson). personally I think he is more the former than the latter and can be a real presence in net. He will only be able to do so much if the defense in front of him is like a piece of Swiss cheese. You can only do so much to stop clean break aways or odd man rushes where you are left hanging out to dry. If our defense can put it together and our special teams are reliably consistent and good, his job in net becomes far easier. He just cannot be expected to stop everything if the shots are coming from right on his doorstep or if they are coming and he cannot see them by being blocked out.
 
Football - nice win last night at WPI 25-0. But did not start out like it would be easy. We made several mistakes early (taking a few early self inflicted penalties) and having to settle for just an early 3-0 lead. WPI seemed to be moving the ball well offensively when perhaps their best running back got injured on a play and either fumbled or we stole the ball for a TD return. That one play seemed to turn the game into a much easier affair. Our defese against the run was incredibly solid and we made some big offensive pass plays to add to the lead . Now 3-0 overall with one more game before the league season starts.
 
In honor of Nathan Sullivan, today is 17 September 2023. There are 20 days until RPI's next game.


This is based upon 7 October 2023 for the start of next season.
 
sezenack said:
Appreciate the compliments on my post DrD and rpi82! They are appreciated. Should be a good season
Click to expand...

Well deserved. Great work and plenty of food for discussion. I think that the only thing that can move us up is the goaltending. I think that we will see a lot of improvement on defense and that will help.
JMO.
 
DrDemento said:
Yup - but it also could have been difficulty in communicating with the defense and even the play of forwards coming back to help on defense. A couple of really good pairs of defensemen and a few defensive forwards coming back to help defend can often make a mediocre goal tender appear to be a super star. I agree totally with what you posted. Watson has shown the potential to steal games (frosh Watson) or give some away (soph Watson). personally I think he is more the former than the latter and can be a real presence in net. He will only be able to do so much if the defense in front of him is like a piece of Swiss cheese. You can only do so much to stop clean break aways or odd man rushes where you are left hanging out to dry. If our defense can put it together and our special teams are reliably consistent and good, his job in net becomes far easier. He just cannot be expected to stop everything if the shots are coming from right on his doorstep or if they are coming and he cannot see them by being blocked out.
Click to expand...

I agree completely Doc. It works the other way too. When the team has a goaltender that it is confident will bail them out they can get more aggressive pushing the play up ice. We saw that when Savory emerged as a stone wall in net. We also saw it at times in Watson's freshman year. His play in the Harvard playoff series and the way it impacted the team's overall play showed he has the potential to be that guy too. Our tough early schedule, particularly after last year's road struggles, will tell us a lot.
 
rpi82 said:
I agree completely Doc. It works the other way too. When the team has a goaltender that it is confident will bail them out they can get more aggressive pushing the play up ice. We saw that when Savory emerged as a stone wall in net. We also saw it at times in Watson's freshman year. His play in the Harvard playoff series and the way it impacted the team's overall play showed he has the potential to be that guy too. Our tough early schedule, particularly after last year's road struggles, will tell us a lot.
Click to expand...

That tough early schedule you mention looms large especially with much of it on the road. I have gotten used to the past several years of a much easier schedule early and always had expectations of a very positive start. personally I think if we are a .500 team after 10 games I will be a happy camper. What do others think?
I also agree that a confident goal tender can affect the entire flow of the team and we have seen in a few times in the past as you mentioned and also with a season from Joel Laing and a playoff run ending in Lake Placid by Mike Tamburro.
 
In honor of Sutter Muzzatti and Asiah Taylor-Walters, today is 18 September 2023. There are 19 days until RPI's next game.


This is based upon 7 October 2023 for the start of next season.
 
DrDemento said:
That tough early schedule you mention looms large especially with much of it on the road. I have gotten used to the past several years of a much easier schedule early and always had expectations of a very positive start. personally I think if we are a .500 team after 10 games I will be a happy camper. What do others think?
I also agree that a confident goal tender can affect the entire flow of the team and we have seen in a few times in the past as you mentioned and also with a season from Joel Laing and a playoff run ending in Lake Placid by Mike Tamburro.
Click to expand...

Did you pick 10 games as the cut-off because in the 11th game we get the honor of playing the defending national champion? I'd be thrilled with a .500 record in the first 10 games. Not only are seven of those games on the road, but it's a tough line-up that includes games at BC (picked for 2nd in HE), two at HFH vs Northeastern (4th in HE), at Providence (6th in HE) and two at Maine (9th in HE). Back in our own league we get H/H against our rival so projected finish doesn't mean as much, and the North Country trip which is a traditional trap against two teams in the upper half of our league. As I said before, if we're .500 at that point I'm buying Lake Placid tickets (note: that's actually more aspirational than reality since I doubt my wife would let me disappear for an extended weekend as my 94 year old father lives with us).
 
In honor of Jakob Lee and Georgia Bailey, today is 19 September 2023. There are 18 days until RPI's next game.


This is based upon 7 October 2023 for the start of next season.
 
rpi82 said:
Did you pick 10 games as the cut-off because in the 11th game we get the honor of playing the defending national champion? I'd be thrilled with a .500 record in the first 10 games. Not only are seven of those games on the road, but it's a tough line-up that includes games at BC (picked for 2nd in HE), two at HFH vs Northeastern (4th in HE), at Providence (6th in HE) and two at Maine (9th in HE). Back in our own league we get H/H against our rival so projected finish doesn't mean as much, and the North Country trip which is a traditional trap against two teams in the upper half of our league. As I said before, if we're .500 at that point I'm buying Lake Placid tickets (note: that's actually more aspirational than reality since I doubt my wife would let me disappear for an extended weekend as my 94 year old father lives with us).
Click to expand...

Actually just picked 10 as an even number with most of the early road games behind us. I too would be looking for tickets for lake Placid with a 5-5 start. Also hoping that this team is the type that will build chemistry and momentum as the season progresses since they will be starting off with so many changes. Perhaps you could bring dad along - he is of an age that he might remember when we were able to win a couple big tournaments and the days of being a national power!!
 
Anyone got some line predictions?

Mine would be
Hotson - Lee - Brushett
Budy - Muzzatti - Heidemann
Tinling - Beaton - Gagnon
Brackett - McNeil - Evans

Sertti - Agnew
Strom - Smolinski
Ardanaz - Regula
Matta/Davies
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top