RPI 2024–25: Come for the Hockey, Stay for the Football

[CMcGarvey]

Hotson absolutely cost them the first game. How on earth he dressed for Saturday night's game is beyond me. I love the kid's game, but when you hurt your team to that extent, a message needs to be sent. Period. As has been mentioned here already, the officiating was horrible...not in one team's favor really just bad. Repeated inability to conduct a face off or recognize an off-sides, etc. Gonna be a long year for spectators if that's the level of officiating we get.

Seeing as they had a defenseman dressed at LW, I imagine this was not an option

 

[RPI fan 4 life]

I don't have any details, but was told that Muzzatti is not expected back anytime soon. Here's hoping that isn't the case...

I hope not either. All I know is that he had hip surgery over the summer and hopefully he’ll be back sooner than later.
FWIW, according to CHN, we are still #1 in the nation in GPG and #5 in power play percentage at 33.33%. Now we just need more defense.

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Seeing as they had a defenseman dressed at LW, I imagine this was not an option

It was a non-league game that we ended up losing....so yeah, Smitty could've sent a message to the team. But he didn't.

Culture change doesn't happen with platitudes in canned interviews, it's about actions and consequences. Perhaps if the team had been faced with challenge of overcome being down their star forward they would've rallied together... but we'll never know. Just my two cents...we can agree to disagree.

 

[vicious]

Hotson absolutely cost them the first game. How on earth he dressed for Saturday night's game is beyond me. I love the kid's game, but when you hurt your team to that extent, a message needs to be sent. Period. As has been mentioned here already, the officiating was horrible...not in one team's favor really just bad. Repeated inability to conduct a face off or recognize an off-sides, etc. Gonna be a long year for spectators if that's the level of officiating we get.

In Saturday's game, it looked like Giesbrecht wore his old Ferris State facemask (It said "Bulldogs" on it. ).

Maybe there's some explanation. But whatever the circumstances are, if he in fact wore a Ferris State mask as an RPI Engineer, I'm surprised the coaching staff allowed him to play the game in it. It's not a good look for the program.

If all Giesbrecht has is his old mask, at least get him a generic white or red one for his next game.

 

[engineerhockeyfan]

In Saturday's game, it looked like Giesbrecht wore his old Ferris State facemask (It said "Bulldogs" on it. ).

Maybe there's some explanation. But whatever the circumstances are, if he in fact wore a Ferris State mask as an RPI Engineer, I'm surprised the coaching staff allowed him to play the game in it. It's not a good look for the program.

If all Giesbrecht has is his old mask, at least get him a generic white or red one for his next game.

I noticed that too. You would think that they have known about that mask since he joined the team.
hopefully he is getting an RPI paint job on a new mask for future games.

 

[DavidNardolillo]

In Saturday's game, it looked like Giesbrecht wore his old Ferris State facemask (It said "Bulldogs" on it. ).

Maybe there's some explanation. But whatever the circumstances are, if he in fact wore a Ferris State mask as an RPI Engineer, I'm surprised the coaching staff allowed him to play the game in it. It's not a good look for the program.

If all Giesbrecht has is his old mask, at least get him a generic white or red one for his next game.

All of those goalie masks are custom design and paint jobs, and if the artist is popular, you might have to wait. He's probably sticking with his old mask for now due to comfort/superstition.

 

[DavidNardolillo]

Hotson absolutely cost them the first game. How on earth he dressed for Saturday night's game is beyond me. I love the kid's game, but when you hurt your team to that extent, a message needs to be sent. Period.

Don't want to rag Hotson too hard, we all make mistakes, but that was a bush league play. Whistle had gone and after jawing with a Niagara player, Hotson butt-ends the guy in the groin. I also was surprised there was not further sanction either from the team or the ECAC; you just can't stoop to that level to compete.

 

[rpi82]

I presume Giesbrecht will ultimately have an RPI helmet and mask. However, if there’s a choice between my goalie wearing his old gear that he’s comfortable with and wearing a generic helmet that may not be to his liking, I don’t have a problem with his choice. Hell, if he’s saving 90+% ( preferably closer to 92%), he can wear a horror movie mask as far as I’m concerned.

As for Hotson, it was a stupid penalty. Furthermore, under NCAA rules the ref has limited choices if he calls butt-ending - it’s a major and either a misconduct or DQ. However, I question whether it was butt-ending. The butt-end is defined in the rule book as the stick above the upper hand. Hutson appeared to be holding the stick at the end, leaving no butt-end. I think the ref should have just called a roughing minor. It would have been literally more accurate and appropriate for the conduct.

 

[DavidNardolillo]

However, I question whether it was butt-ending. The butt-end is defined in the rule book as the stick above the upper hand. Hutson appeared to be holding the stick at the end, leaving no butt-end. I think the ref should have just called a roughing minor. It would have been literally more accurate and appropriate for the conduct.

Hard to blame the refs when it was such a cynical move from Hotson. When you unnecessarily put the referee in a spot where they have to make a decision, you can't really complain when the decision is harsh.

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Don't want to rag Hotson too hard, we all make mistakes, but that was a bush league play. Whistle had gone and after jawing with a Niagara player, Hotson butt-ends the guy in the groin. I also was surprised there was not further sanction either from the team or the ECAC; you just can't stoop to that level to compete.

Agree on all fronts. Dumb move and we hopefully learn from it and move on. I think I was equally as irked with the bench minor by RPI for chirping the ref. I don't know whether it was a player or Smitty, but you just can't have it...and the ref needs to grow a thicker skin and jsut skate away.... IMO. They were bad enough that they should've been able to guess the level of frustration by the players...

 

[DrDemento]

A bit late this week with the odds but i was waiting for the football game and only e discovered we are not playing this weekend. The boys are dead even at home with Union for Friday and a 0.5 goal underdog for Saturday at Union. The girls are a 1.5 goal favorite on Friday over Dartmouth and a 0.5 goal favorite over Harvard on Saturday. personally I think we are being given a bit too much respect for the two men's games and perhaps also too much against Dartmouth. The girls just have not shown as yet that they can score enough from the forward lines. Defensively and at goal seems to be the stronger points starting the always tough ECAC schedule.

 

[Ralph Baer]

24-25 Pregame Hype Video


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHVHWXDoIuU

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

A bit late this week with the odds but i was waiting for the football game and only e discovered we are not playing this weekend. The boys are dead even at home with Union for Friday and a 0.5 goal underdog for Saturday at Union. The girls are a 1.5 goal favorite on Friday over Dartmouth and a 0.5 goal favorite over Harvard on Saturday. personally I think we are being given a bit too much respect for the two men's games and perhaps also too much against Dartmouth. The girls just have not shown as yet that they can score enough from the forward lines. Defensively and at goal seems to be the stronger points starting the always tough ECAC schedule.

Agree completely Doc. Last week we were minus Muzzati, Borgault, Sullivan and Tonelli. Thanks to the death of journalism and not having any semblance of reliable beat reporting or a sports information department, its anyone's guess if any of those four will return. As I previously mentioned, I was told Sutter is on the shelf for a bit ..and Smitty himself mentioned recently that Tonelli had a "Setback"....so who the heck knows. At this point I'll be shocked if it isn't a U sweep...but I'm not a betting man thankfully....for those not apt at tea leaf reading...my optimism left the building awhile ago....

 

[Engineers]

Agree completely Doc. Last week we were minus Muzzati, Borgault, Sullivan and Tonelli. Thanks to the death of journalism and not having any semblance of reliable beat reporting or a sports information department, its anyone's guess if any of those four will return. As I previously mentioned, I was told Sutter is on the shelf for a bit ..and Smitty himself mentioned recently that Tonelli had a "Setback"....so who the heck knows. At this point I'll be shocked if it isn't a U sweep...but I'm not a betting man thankfully....for those not apt at tea leaf reading...my optimism left the building awhile ago....

Ken Schott interviewed our great coach on Tuesday. Smith said sutter is back this weekend. I guess nobody wants to get the beat on rpi hockey but the union guy. Lol

 

[CMcGarvey]

Dan Bahl had him on his radio show yesterday afternoon

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Ken Schott interviewed our great coach on Tuesday. Smith said sutter is back this weekend. I guess nobody wants to get the beat on rpi hockey but the union guy. Lol

Great news indeed. And yes Schott is the gold standard of college hockey coverage !

 

[DrDemento]

Ken Schott interviewed our great coach on Tuesday. Smith said sutter is back this weekend. I guess nobody wants to get the beat on rpi hockey but the union guy. Lol

Very happy he will be back - hopefully at full speed and in game shape. Would love to see us getting back to a full roster now that the ECAC games are upon us.

 

[Go Puckman]

I hope Tinling comes back! He makes things happen. Did anybody catch the interview with Dan Bahl? I was late getting on his broadcast, so I did not catch everything, but he was talking about what happened last Saturday against Niagara. I guess the PA announcers did not correctly inform the crowd on what was going on. He also made a comment on the fact that you can get another challenge in overtime. I am still confused!

 

[Ralph Baer]

I'm in favor of your suggestion - two points for a win in regulation or OT, no points for a loss in regulation or OT, and one point for a tie or a shootout, regardless of which team wins the shootout. I think that's the fairest way to go about it.

If RPI wins in a shootout, the person who started that game's thread may have the privilege of starting the next one, but no extra point in the thread-starting stats.

We haven't had any other comments on this. Since you and I agree on the first paragraph, let's go with that. I guess that you then said that if we win a shootout, the thread starter may but does not have to start the next thread. I buy that if it is a league game where the shootout counts for something but not if it is a nonleague game and there is a shootout for the fun of it.

 

[Ralph Baer]

I may miss this evening's game.