RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

[AspyDad]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

I'd be surprised. They have absolutely no reason to leave, since as of late (with the exception of one or two teams here and there), they've pretty much been dominating the league. Ever since the Union rule, there's only been 4 years ('04, '07, '10, '12 since Colgate plays Union in one of the semis) in which a non-ivy has even PARTICIPATED in the championship game, and in only one of those years thus far (we don't know about '12) has a non-ivy won (that was '07, CCT defeated Q-Pac). What are they going to get out of it, 2 non-conference games? It doesn't seem worth it.

Quote from Paul Kelly from United States of Hockey,

“Having commonly five conferences, soon to be six conferences, and you may one day have the Ivy League spinning out for seven conferences, what you get is very parochial interests,” Kelly said.

Source - http://unitedstatesofhockey.com/2012/02/24/paul-kelly-explains-surprise-resignation-what-comes-next/

The ECAC is a crap league. Period. We want to be ahead of the curve. Having SA as Head of Coaches Assn. helps in that area.

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

How about when they build a mirror image to Shirley's throne room on the east end instead of a glassed in box they leave the middle open as a band platform? It would be the best band setup in the country and really contribute to the game environment.

FYP ! Best idea I've heard in a while... as GRuss ( I think) mention ...the almighty dollar will dicatate. Sounds like its time for a fundraising campain.

 

[DrDemento]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

The rink is essentially centered in the footprint of the main building. There is room to build on the east end if they so desired. There have been numerous ideas floated about for development of that end of the rink but I think money is the limiting factor. It would also require reconfiguring the end-most seating sections on the east end to have them turn the corner similar to those at the west end.

Edit: I should add, I'm all for eventually having something here that mirrors the west end of the building. I never liked the way the building just sort of fades into nothingness at the east end, and especially the bench seats that don't even face the ice. Turning the corner with the seats and mirroring the west end would give a much closer and more intimate feel to the rink while maintaining more than enough seating capacity for our regular use of the building.

Well if it's only a matter of bucks i would certainly be willing to change the earmark on my annual donations.

 

[HighlanderRPI]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

How about when they build a mirror image to Shirley's throne room on the east end instead of a glassed in box they leave the middle open as a band platform? It would be the best band setup in the league and really contribute to the game environment.

Raised platform in front of a parabolic dish painted with the RPI bullet, with the focus point of the sound right at the goal crease. We're engineers, we could make this happen. I guess it would need a silencing method for the 2nd period though....

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

Raised platform in front of a parabolic dish painted with the RPI bullet, with the focus point of the sound right at the goal crease. We're engineers, we could make this happen. I guess it would need a silencing method for the 2nd period though....

Why do I think that there would be another RPI rule after this.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

Why do I think that there would be another RPI rule after this.

...one that'd be tough to enforce unless every team builds new stadiums.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

Raised platform in front of a parabolic dish painted with the RPI bullet, with the focus point of the sound right at the goal crease. We're engineers, we could make this happen. I guess it would need a silencing method for the 2nd period though....

Pneumatic parabolic dish that points outward towards the other goal for the second period and overtime.

 

[GRussinko]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

and overtime

If they remember to switch ends.

 

[sk8tronthepond]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

The ECAC is a crap league. Period. We want to be ahead of the curve. Having SA as Head of Coaches Assn. helps in that area.

Two questions:
1) Please elaborate and explain how this would actually help RPI be " ahead of the curve "?

2) What curve are you referring to?

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

Two questions:
1) Please elaborate and explain how this would actually help RPI be " ahead of the curve "?

2) What curve are you referring to?

He's talking about wanting to be in a "have" league (Hockey East) as opposed to a "have not" league (ECAC).

 

[lugnut92]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

I will reiterate what I have said many times in the past. I have spoken with a few people in the administration about getting something done about the band's location. The stage as we knew it will never come back. Forget about it. Stop complaining about it being gone. It's done. That being said, once construction begins on the east end, there is a chance that the band will find a new home. There will be a warm-up room and some sort of luxury box (similar to the other end). If the money is there, a level devoted to the pep band could be constructed, allowing us to be back in that end and be over the glass. Coach Appert has said that he prefers having us where we are now to where we were before. We are louder on the ice, simply because we are playing down over the glass instead of straight into it. Whether it is better for the fans, I wouldn't know. I have never been to a game where the pep band played and I wasn't with them. I don't mind the volume, but I can imagine that some would. As a newer member of the band who only had the stage for one year, maybe I just don't have the emotional attachment to the stage that older alumni have, but we are doing the best with what we have while we have it.

In other news, leading the band this year, especially being there for the team on the road the last three weekends, has been one of the greatest experiences of my life, and I can't thank the team enough for making it happen. I should give special thanks to the seniors, who have given 4 years to making what the pep band does worthwhile. Earlier this year, Justin, Alex, Mike, and Patrick came to a rehearsal and talked to the band. I know it felt great for me to know that they hear us, and I'm sure every one else felt the same. For those who don't know, after road games the band stands out by the bus and claps for each player as they bring out their gear. Hearing their thanks in person is extremely rewarding. After Saturday's game at Union, Alex made a point to shake hands with every member of the band, thanking us each individually. Given that he had just played his last game for RPI, he (and others) could have sulked and moped and ignored us, but I think it was a pretty **** classy thing to do.

Anyway, sorry for the wall of text. Just my opinions.

 

[REDaero91]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

Late to the party, but FWIW here are some of my thoughts/observations on Saturday's game and our season:

1. That was not a trip on Dolan. At least we lasted longer than 8 seconds that time. And it actually may have done us a favor-we seemed to mainly be trying to hang in there scoreless as long as possible until they forced us to step up our offense with a goal.

2. Messa is not that bad. I had a lot of fun at the game, and it was fun being down on ice-level standing the entire time. Sure, it doesn't hold a candle to the Field House, but I was expecting much worse from the comments on here!

3. Lots of good things from Leboeuf on Saturday, probably in other games as well, but I haven't seen one in a while.

4. Brock Higgs is a fantastic player but needs to work on faceoffs. Maybe it's been an anomaly since I've just recently started paying attention to it, but he seems to lose more often than win-and this tends to hurt us more than usual as he is typically the one on the draw on the PK or PP. Then again, with some of the officials in this league, maybe we'd better start training defensemen to take faceoffs!

5. In the end we just got outplayed. As much as it hurts to admit, Union is a very good team, and they just got the better of us this year-although this weekend we did not by any means make it easy for them.

6. I love that this team refused to quit. From not giving up on the season although, as has been mentioned they could have mailed it in weeks ago and we would not have blamed them much, to playing all the way through to the final buzzer on Saturday-they had me convinced we could score two goals in the final minute to take it to overtime.

7. What lugnut92 said about the team thanking the band. We have the classiest guys in college hockey.

8. Watching the postgame interview, Brock and Mike clearly don't agree with Appert when he says he's pleased with the way the team played on Saturday. To me this is good news for next year-the team clearly wants to build on what they found in the last few months of the season.

9. I would be very surprised if Higgs doesn't have an extra letter on his sweater next year. I agree about Tinordi and Bailen being potential captains/assistants as well, and want to throw Lee and possibly Dolan in the mix.

10. We have two very good goalies with very different styles of play. I think Bryce's wandering is possibly a direct result of watching York play for two years. He is more than capable of playing the puck, but sometimes just barely gives himself enough time to get back in the crease before the other team arrives in our zone-maybe a little more prudence in choosing when to go get the puck would be good, instead of going for it every time. Also, it seems to me like goaltending is much more of a head game with Merriam than with Diebold. I know it's the most mental position on the ice, but Scotty just seems to shake off goals he allows and refocus, while they seem to get to Bryce and shake his confidence, and can snowball. He plays MUCH better when he's confident, and it shows.

Whoa, sorry for the novel. It's been quite the season.

 

[DavidSec17]

In other news, leading the band this year, especially being there for them on the road the last three weekends, has been one of the greatest experiences of my life, and I can't thank the team enough for making it happen. I should give special thanks to the seniors, who have given 4 years to making what the pep band does worthwhile. Earlier this year, Justin, Alex, Mike, and Patrick came to a rehearsal and talked to the band. I know it felt great for me to know that they hear us, and I'm sure every one else felt the same. For those who don't know, after road games the band stands out by the bus and claps for each player as they bring out their gear. Hearing their thanks in person is extremely rewarding. After Saturday's game at Union, Alex made a point to shake hands with every member of the band, thanking us each individually. Given that he had just played his last game for RPI, he (and others) could have sulked and moped and ignored us, but I think
it was a pretty **** classy thing to do.

That's a great story . I remember someone posting that this happened after the Dartmouth playoff series 2 years ago. May have been an article? A story like this is another reason why I'm such a fan of RPI hockey and already looking forward to next year. By he way, I don't care where the band plays,(of course Id prefer the East end)but as long as they are at the Field House .

 

[Jasma]

If the admins didn't like it, why would they have remained associated with the ECAC for the past 25+ years? They had a chance to break off when the eastern non-ivy sect of the ECAC created Hockey East.

The Ivies were the reason that HE was formed. Most of the Ivies couldn't compete wit BU, BC, etc and wer thought to be on the verge of pulling out of the old league so the HE teams beat them to the punch. If they pulled out they would have an auto bid and a chance to get a second team in. It's a no brainer I think it will happen, probably within three years.

 

[mackek2]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

Well if it's only a matter of bucks i would certainly be willing to change the earmark on my annual donations.

... How about an RPI TV earmark? We might even be able to get you a private HD stream / not have to deal with B2 / watch on your TV if the price is right

 

[rpi82]

That makes too much sense for it to happen.

I have never paid attention, but is there enough depth there in the east direction to fit a mirror image?

My hope has always been that they would finish the east end to mirror the west. Unfortunately, while there is room to build a structure like the new box/offices, I don't think there is enough room to completely match the stands that were added in the early '80s. However, we have more than a few structural engineers and architects hanging around campus. I'm sure they could come up with something useful and attractive. Making the band a centerpiece instead of another box that is used a couple of times per year would definitely enhance the environment.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

Today is 13 March 2012. There are 207 days until RPI's next game.


This is based upon 6 October for the start of next season.

That is the day that an exhibition game is supposedly scheduled.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

My hope has always been that they would finish the east end to mirror the west. Unfortunately, while there is room to build a structure like the new box/offices, I don't think there is enough room to completely match the stands that were added in the early '80s. However, we have more than a few structural engineers and architects hanging around campus. I'm sure they could come up with something useful and attractive. Making the band a centerpiece instead of another box that is used a couple of times per year would definitely enhance the environment.

The archies are too busy getting in our way and making the courtyard around Greene look wacky.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

... How about an RPI TV earmark? We might even be able to get you a private HD stream / not have to deal with B2 / watch on your TV if the price is right

Hopefully the Freakout was a good pilot and you guys will get even more games with Time Warner, now that they (hopefully) realize all they have to send is Tim, Kevin, and a simulcast in-boarder to get the signal out to cable, which I'm sure is MUCH less expensive than hiring in a full crew.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

Does anyone know when the team awards banquet will be held?