RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

[Dutchman]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

I don't want to put you guys under any sort of pressure or anything but right now we (ECAC) are 26-26-1 in non-conference games and third behind NCHC and the Big10. This weekend we are 5-2 against HE and you are the last game. We (ECAC) are 12-9 against HE thus far this year (.571) and only once has the ECAC ever finished higher that .500 against HE. I believe that was 2013-2014.

So .... we could really use a win here. If you can sweep us, you sure as hell can sweep UML. Get that same team to show up Good luck !!!

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

Early line on next week's game (thanks to Jenny and her family) has our win chance listed at 4% (1% worse than yesterday) and the median score as 40-14. Hopkins starts the week as a 26 point favorite. But i recall that Brockport was listed as a 24 point favorite with the probable score as 38-14. My own feeling is we face a totally different offense coming up. Brockport was a passing team (and I truly feared that our poor pass defense the previous 3 weeks was just suspect). Hopkins is far more balanced and a far better rushing offensive team. As such do not expect weather to play as much of a role but also do not expect them to turn the ball over as frequently as Brockport did. Brockport simply self destructed early in every way imaginable. Fumbles, interceptions, missed kicks, blocked kicks. In fact it is hard to find a type of turnover they did not commit.
This has been a super RPI football year and I hope we can somehow find a way to extend it one more week. A real shot in the program arm to reach the final 4 as we did in 2003. At the end of the regular season, Brockport was ranked #4 and Hopkins #12 so I guess anything is possible. At the beginning of the season just the thought that we might be one game away from facing Mt. Union would indicate some form of insanity but that is where we find ourselves. Go Red!!

As for the hockey team, before the season, if you told me we would have 4 victories after 10 games I might have believed you (probably not). But to tell me that 2 would be against Union and 1 against UML would have been my guess at all. As we have gotten healthy with Lacka and Reilly back, things look more encouraging than at any time last year. A bit early for me to say this but I would like to think that much of this is coaching related. There are just too many fundamentals that are improved for this to just be player related. Face offs, special teams, break out from the zone plays, all look promising. Still a long way to go and lots to improve upon but things are beginning to look up in Troy.

Have not had the chance to say this yet but as the weekend draws to a close, happy Thanksgiving to all those who follow and post here from Jenny and myself.

Brockport had more turnovers than the RPI power play under SA.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

Brockport had more turnovers than the RPI power play under SA.

Let's not forget all the dropped passes as well. Brockport was practically handing that game to us. The fact it was as close as it was shows our need for quite a bit of improvement.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

Let's not forget all the dropped passes as well. Brockport was practically handing that game to us. The fact it was as close as it was shows our need for quite a bit of improvement.

Agreed. It's hard to fathom how they were 11-0.

 

[Waite21]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

I'm going to commit the twin sacrileges of mentioning both football and basketball on a hockey thread.

RPI has never played Johns Hopkins in football, but the two schools have faced each other in at least one sporting event.

That took place in December 1969, when Bill Kalbaugh took his RPI basketball team to Baltimore to play the Blue Jays.

The game wasn't an artistic success from an RPI standpoint. Johns Hopkins' coach, a young fellow in his very first year as a collegiate head coach, had his team good and ready to play us and Hopkins won by 14 points in what turned out to be the Engineers' worst loss of the season. Probably very few RPI fans took note of that coach's name, but it could fairly be said, in retrospect, that he showed a good deal of promise.

His name was Jim Valvano.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

I'm going to commit the twin sacrileges of mentioning both football and basketball on a hockey thread.

RPI has never played Johns Hopkins in football, but the two schools have faced each other in at least one sporting event.

That took place in December 1969, when Bill Kalbaugh took his RPI basketball team to Baltimore to play the Blue Jays.

The game wasn't an artistic success from an RPI standpoint. Johns Hopkins' coach, a young fellow in his very first year as a collegiate head coach, had his team good and ready to play us and Hopkins won by 14 points in what turned out to be the Engineers' worst loss of the season. Probably very few RPI fans took note of that coach's name, but it could fairly be said, in retrospect, that he showed a good deal of promise.

His name was Jim Valvano.

I also checked if we played them in lacrosse. We did each year from 1955 to 1961 except 1957. We lost all 6 games.

 

[rvd5star69]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

Tough loss fluky goal never seen that 30 plus years of hockey. We lost that game end of 2nd not being able to clear puck for 3 minutes and then they scored. We are better than last year but still not up to standards of being a .500 team

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">UML's opening goal last night was an empty-netter, by rule (Section 6, Article 6 to be exact). <a href="https://t.co/ZQIC3CJdCj">pic.twitter.com/ZQIC3CJdCj</a></p>— Perry Laskaris (@PerryLaskaris) <a href="https://twitter.com/PerryLaskaris/status/1067081823690387456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[DrDemento]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

Let's not forget all the dropped passes as well. Brockport was practically handing that game to us. The fact it was as close as it was shows our need for quite a bit of improvement.

I think Brockport might have even found new ways to turn over the ball that no one ever saw before! Their kicking game was just horrendous. We will need a lot of help against a really strong Hopkins team that moves the ball both in the air (our nemesis) and on the ground. Hard for any team to keep them under 50 points this year. I am hoping for terrible weather for Saturday as that could be quite an equalizer for us as it was last week. In any case, congratulations indeed for being one of the last 8 teams in the nation still standing!!

The Sunday hockey game was a good game for about 30 minutes. That horrible giveaway late in the second completely changed the entire game. Then we just chased UML around our zone for about 3 minutes while everyone watching knew exactly what was going to happen. Wide open shot near the net and for all intents and purposes the game was over. There are times this team plays well (even very well but not quite great yet). But then there are still times where we look like most of last year. Some improvement from last year is obvious. But we have a way to go. If we can play like we did for the first 4 1/2 periods of the weekend all the time, we are a competitive team against most if not all.

 

[25+years]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

Tough loss fluky goal never seen that 30 plus years of hockey. We lost that game end of 2nd not being able to clear puck for 3 minutes and then they scored. We are better than last year but still not up to standards of being a .500 team

The Engineers played well for about 30 minutes. I was impressed with how they looked. Nice to have everyone healthy. Then it was as if a switch was thrown. They looked lost out there the rest of the game. If it wasn't for Savory the score would have been much more of a blow out. One thing I noted: Far too many turnovers all related to trying to finesse the puck out of the D zone and finesse it into the O zone. I read about a strategy Rick Bennett talks about in a Gazette article: When you are in the D zone within 5 feet of the blue line always chip it out of the zone and go get it. When within 5 feet of the O zone blue line dump the puck deep in the zone. You will accomplish nothing chipping the puck 10 feet into the O zone. Dump it in deep and forecheck. There were lots of turnovers on either side of the blue line trying to get fancy with the puck. This is not a team of guys who can do fancy. When you try to do fancy and turn the puck over, you use an awful lot of energy with little to show for it. As to Savory. He impressed me. Lots of poise. RB asked about his "credentials". I looked up his numbers and they were pretty impressive the last two years for the league he was in. Irregardless, he held his own. Whoever gets the assignment next weekend is in for a tough weekend.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

The Engineers played well for about 30 minutes. I was impressed with how they looked. Nice to have everyone healthy. Then it was as if a switch was thrown. They looked lost out there the rest of the game. If it wasn't for Savory the score would have been much more of a blow out. One thing I noted: Far too many turnovers all related to trying to finesse the puck out of the D zone and finesse it into the O zone. I read about a strategy Rick Bennett talks about in a Gazette article: When you are in the D zone within 5 feet of the blue line always chip it out of the zone and go get it. When within 5 feet of the O zone blue line dump the puck deep in the zone. You will accomplish nothing chipping the puck 10 feet into the O zone. Dump it in deep and forecheck. There were lots of turnovers on either side of the blue line trying to get fancy with the puck. This is not a team of guys who can do fancy. When you try to do fancy and turn the puck over, you use an awful lot of energy with little to show for it. As to Savory. He impressed me. Lots of poise. RB asked about his "credentials". I looked up his numbers and they were pretty impressive the last two years for the league he was in. Irregardless, he held his own. Whoever gets the assignment next weekend is in for a tough weekend.

OS's credentials were indeed excellent for the league which he played in. He carried his team last season. Coach Smith must like the GOJHL because our third goalie next season, Brett Miller, also played there last year, although he is in the NAHL now.

BTW, remember that although Savory came in a year after Marshall, he is the older of the two.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

I think Brockport might have even found new ways to turn over the ball that no one ever saw before! Their kicking game was just horrendous. We will need a lot of help against a really strong Hopkins team that moves the ball both in the air (our nemesis) and on the ground. Hard for any team to keep them under 50 points this year. I am hoping for terrible weather for Saturday as that could be quite an equalizer for us as it was last week. In any case, congratulations indeed for being one of the last 8 teams in the nation still standing!!

The Sunday hockey game was a good game for about 30 minutes. That horrible giveaway late in the second completely changed the entire game. Then we just chased UML around our zone for about 3 minutes while everyone watching knew exactly what was going to happen. Wide open shot near the net and for all intents and purposes the game was over. There are times this team plays well (even very well but not quite great yet). But then there are still times where we look like most of last year. Some improvement from last year is obvious. But we have a way to go. If we can play like we did for the first 4 1/2 periods of the weekend all the time, we are a competitive team against most if not all.

I agree that there is definite improvement from last season. Perhaps that is all we can hope for.

I wonder what effect the three transfers in midseason will have. I don't recall ever having more than one new face in the middle of the year. Will they significantly help or will they destroy whatever chemistry we have now.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

I wonder who gave 2 points to SLU. https://www.uscho.com/rankings/

Edit: Maybe Ken Schott has the answer.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Just curious, but how the hell did <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SLUHockey?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SLUHockey</a>, with a 2-10 record, get 2 points in the <a href="https://twitter.com/USCHO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USCHO</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NCAAIceHockey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NCAAIceHockey</a> poll? One point for each win?</p>— Ken Schott (@slapschotts) <a href="https://twitter.com/slapschotts/status/1067117957766152193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Waite21]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

One of SLU's two wins came against # 19 Minnesota, in a game that was televised on FSN1. If there was a voter out there who watched that game and wasn't aware of how SLU had fared in their other 11 games, that might explain the 2 points.

I might have guessed that RPI would have played John Hopkins in lacrosse at some time back when RPI's team was a national powerhouse, but I didn't know where to look it up.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

One of SLU's two wins came against # 19 Minnesota, in a game that was televised on FSN1. If there was a voter out there who watched that game and wasn't aware of how SLU had fared in their other 11 games, that might explain the 2 points.

I might have guessed that RPI would have played John Hopkins in lacrosse at some time back when RPI's team was a national powerhouse, but I didn't know where to look it up.

A year or two ago, they added past season scores to the RPI athletic website. This is lacrosse https://rpiathletics.com/schedule.aspx?path=mlax You can select the season from the pull-down menu at the upper right and then click Filter Season.

 

[DrDemento]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

One of SLU's two wins came against # 19 Minnesota, in a game that was televised on FSN1. If there was a voter out there who watched that game and wasn't aware of how SLU had fared in their other 11 games, that might explain the 2 points.

I might have guessed that RPI would have played John Hopkins in lacrosse at some time back when RPI's team was a national powerhouse, but I didn't know where to look it up.

A few years ago i tried to compile some of the older results for the lacrosse team. I am not totally sure of the number of time we did play Hopkins but i think it was 5 or 6 during the 50's. I seem to recall we did not do well and most scores were terribly one sided against us. i also do not think we ever won any of those contests but I am not sure.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">RPI Hockey trying to develop a killer instinct. <a href="https://t.co/JvKQv939F5">https://t.co/JvKQv939F5</a></p>— Marisa Jacques (@MarisaJacquesTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarisaJacquesTV/status/1067301027664314368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

A few years ago i tried to compile some of the older results for the lacrosse team. I am not totally sure of the number of time we did play Hopkins but i think it was 5 or 6 during the 50's. I seem to recall we did not do well and most scores were terribly one sided against us. i also do not think we ever won any of those contests but I am not sure.

We did lose all six games. The scores are listed on the RPI lacrosse website.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

Football postgame https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3Ic7s1hghQ

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019: 28 Guys Skate onto a Rink ...

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">College Hockey Videos: <a href="https://twitter.com/RiverHawkHockey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RiverHawkHockey</a> @ <a href="https://twitter.com/RPI_Hockey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RPI_Hockey</a> , November 25, 2018, Houston Field House, Troy, NY<a href="https://t.co/kCcCYOCh1v">https://t.co/kCcCYOCh1v</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/collegehockey?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#collegehockey</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/hockey?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#hockey</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ncaahockey?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ncaahockey</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/rpi?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#rpi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/rpihockey?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#rpihockey</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/lowellhockey?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#lowellhockey</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/umasslowell?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#umasslowell</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RPIAthletics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RPIAthletics</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RiverHawkNation?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RiverHawkNation</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/brokebatmedia?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#brokebatmedia</a></p>— BROKEN BAT MEDIA (@brokenbatmedia) <a href="https://twitter.com/brokenbatmedia/status/1067593900825747456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>