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RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

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Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

TucsonMike said:
I think it's more than appropriate to start now.
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Meh, I guess the Brown rule applies here, but five of our next six games look very winnable. If we can figure it out and pull down 6 of 8 points against Princeton, Quinnipiac, Yale, and Brown, we're looking significantly better going into the new year.
 
Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

lugnut92 said:
Meh, I guess the Brown rule applies here, but five of our next six games look very winnable. If we can figure it out and pull down 6 of 8 points against Princeton, Quinnipiac, Yale, and Brown, we're looking significantly better going into the new year.
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I respect your opinion, but I'm struggling with that kind of thinking. What systemic issues with this team are going to magically correct themselves in a matter of a few weeks? If it were truly a case of just "figuring it out", I think we would have gotten there by now. I love this team, this program, and these players, but at 2 up and 11 down, there has to be something fundamentally flawed with respect to coaching, execution, and our overall approach to winning games. Posts on this board alone show a pattern of the same types of issues and mistakes over the years - this tells me that what's broken now has been broken for quite a while. Not being defeatist here - just an honest assessment.
 
Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

lugnut92 said:
Meh, I guess the Brown rule applies here, but five of our next six games look very winnable. If we can figure it out and pull down 6 of 8 points against Princeton, Quinnipiac, Yale, and Brown, we're looking significantly better going into the new year.
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Considering I thought we'd be able to start the season at least 3-2, and instead it's 1-3-1, I'm not too up on the term "winnable" at this point. You do raise a very good point, though: If we cannot get at least 9 "points" in the next six matches, then there really needs to be some serious discussion about the next four years of the contract. That's the biggest issue is that there was a four-year contract extension after each of three "good seasons". Either the administration knows jack about contracts (wouldn't surprise me given the tenure policies of NYS), or there's some alternate motive (please tell me that's false). We have a new AD that wasn't involved with those extensions, so hopefully fresh eyes will give a better perspective.
 
Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

FlagDUDE08 said:
Considering I thought we'd be able to start the season at least 3-2, and instead it's 1-3-1, I'm not too up on the term "winnable" at this point. You do raise a very good point, though: If we cannot get at least 9 "points" in the next six matches, then there really needs to be some serious discussion about the next four years of the contract. That's the biggest issue is that there was a four-year contract extension after each of three "good seasons". Either the administration knows jack about contracts (wouldn't surprise me given the tenure policies of NYS), or there's some alternate motive (please tell me that's false). We have a new AD that wasn't involved with those extensions, so hopefully fresh eyes will give a better perspective.
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What's the buyout on Appert's contract? That's probably the number that is more important than the years.
 
Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

TucsonMike said:
If it were truly a case of just "figuring it out", I think we would have gotten there by now.
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I agree that it's a bit wishful thinking to just say "figure it out", but Brown and Princeton are pretty much the only two teams in the country that we can say are worse than us, and ASU and Yale both look mighty questionable at a combined 4-15-1 (with one of those wins being against us last month). As long as we can find a Niagara/RIT level of "figured out", we should win a few of these games. Obviously it's not saying much when we say we can (hopefully) beat up the two smallest kids on the playground, but a win is a win is a win.

QUAlum2004 said:
What's the buyout on Appert's contract? That's probably the number that is more important than the years.
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I don't think that information is public, though I doubt SAJ and the administration will be willing to throw money down that hole.
 
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Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

lugnut92 said:
I agree that it's a bit wishful thinking to just say "figure it out", but Brown and Princeton are pretty much the only two teams in the country that we can say are worse than us, and ASU and Yale both look mighty questionable at a combined 4-15-1 (with one of those wins being against us last month). As long as we can find a Niagara/RIT level of "figured out", we should win a few of these games. Obviously it's not saying much when we say we can (hopefully) beat up the two smallest kids on the playground, but a win is a win is a win.



I don't think that information is public, though I doubt SAJ and the administration will be willing to throw money down that hole.
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Well its not the 10 million buyout that Texas is going pay Charlie Strong to go away but RPI really needs to consider just cutting the cord on Appert and not worrying about the money owed. The program is going to nowhere under him.
 
Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

QUAlum2004 said:
What's the buyout on Appert's contract? That's probably the number that is more important than the years.
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Don't know. The years could be important not only for aggregate amount, but if the payments are in some form of an installment plan, especially considering for that time, the 'tute could be simultaneously paying for two head coaches.
 
Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

FlagDUDE08 said:
Don't know. The years could be important not only for aggregate amount, but if the payments are in some form of an installment plan, especially considering for that time, the 'tute could be simultaneously paying for two head coaches.
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Might be worth it in the long run to pay two coaches instead of just keeping Appert to go through the motions. They need a coach who is going to breath some life into the program.
 
Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

QUAlum2004 said:
Might be worth it in the long run to pay two coaches instead of just keeping Appert to go through the motions. They need a coach who is going to breath some life into the program.
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I can understand the benefits to having a long-term coach though, otherwise you could end up in a cycle of mediocrity just hoping for that magical "fixer", sort of like the Buffalo Bills for this century. :eek: In this case, though, his system's in place, it's all his kids, and from what I can tell, there's plenty of financial support from formerly the Student Union (now the administration). No more excuses.
 
Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

QUAlum2004 said:
Might be worth it in the long run to pay two coaches instead of just keeping Appert to go through the motions. They need a coach who is going to breath some life into the program.
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Send us yours and we'll be happy to stick with just one ;)
 
Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

FlagDUDE08 said:
I can understand the benefits to having a long-term coach though, otherwise you could end up in a cycle of mediocrity just hoping for that magical "fixer", sort of like the Buffalo Bills for this century. :eek: In this case, though, his system's in place, it's all his kids, and from what I can tell, there's plenty of financial support from formerly the Student Union (now the administration). No more excuses.
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We are averaging less than 2 goals a game. We have had breakaways, open nets, great passing plays to set up easy goals, and we get nothing. 2 man advantages and nothing. I know that you can't fire the players, and the players were all brought in by SA, but we all thought that some of these guys looked very good coming into the RPI family. I wouldn't mind changing coaches, if there was a coach out there that could turn this thing around. Is he out there?
 
Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

I've joked before about Adam Oates - but hey, why not? He's already coached at the highest level, seems to be a master of the power-play and winning face-offs (both of which we are in dire need of improvement), and he's an honored alum. Other than the price tag (and his availability), what's not to like?
 
Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

TucsonMike said:
I've joked before about Adam Oates - but hey, why not? He's already coached at the highest level, seems to be a master of the power-play and winning face-offs (both of which we are in dire need of improvement), and he's an honored alum. Other than the price tag (and his availability), what's not to like?
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I think you already mentioned the disqualifications. ;)
 
Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

engineerhockeyfan said:
I wouldn't mind changing coaches, if there was a coach out there that could turn this thing around. Is he out there?
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Wait...I feel like this is ground hog day 11 years later. IMO, the program was not broke back then but needed administrative support. Compare to now, new budget, new salary, wiggle room with admissions, Field House upgrades, new staff positions. It's like comparing apples to oranges. Results? Be careful what you wish for!
 
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Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

sk8tronthepond said:
Wait...I feel like this is ground hog day 11 years later. IMO, the program was not broke back then but needed administrative support. Compare to now, new budget, new salary, wiggle room with admissions, Field House upgrades, new staff positions. It's like comparing apples to oranges. Results? Be careful what you wish for!
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The only thing I am wishing for, is more goals.
 
Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

RPI currently @ #59 in Krach, Brown #60. If Brown beats Maine tonight & RPI.....(well, you know) Appert will have the last ranked team in the nation. Quite an accomplishment Seth :mad:
 
Re: RPI Hockey 2016 - 2017: Here we go again! I hope it's a fun ride.

turk181 said:
RPI currently @ #59 in Krach, Brown #60. If Brown beats Maine tonight & RPI.....(well, you know) Appert will have the last ranked team in the nation. Quite an accomplishment Seth :mad:
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But PWR is what counts, and there we are still #58. So we need UAA to also win. :D

It is pretty crappy no matter how you cut it.

BTW, did you notice that the women went 5 for 8 on the power play yesterday? I wonder when the last time was that men did that well.
 
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