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RPI & Union @ Harvard & Dartmouth (2/12 & 2/13)

Re: RPI & Union @ Harvard & Dartmouth (2/12 & 2/13)

Since Union is in the thread title I'll go "Dutch" for a few comments. First, although the home teams are both in the lower half of the standings, that provides small solace. The dual losses to Harvard and Dartmouth started Union's mini-swoon and now they face them on the road. Harvard owns Union and plays with tremendous confidence against them. Dartmouth always plays U tough, including in more recent seasons when Union was showing signs of life. All that being said, I can't believe that both of the opposition's goaltenders will play out of their minds again, and the MVT/Walters/Prez line broke out of their slump this weekend in a big way, so I am despite the above, cautiously optimistic that Union should return with some points.

Union is going to be a very hard team to beat going forward - they got their losses out of the way, now they can relax and just play hockey, and boy did they against the north country teams. Here's hoping RPI doesn't meet up with Union until the TUC.
 
Re: RPI & Union @ Harvard & Dartmouth (2/12 & 2/13)

Union is going to be a very hard team to beat going forward - they got their losses out of the way, now they can relax and just play hockey, and boy did they against the north country teams. Here's hoping RPI doesn't meet up with Union until the TUC.
I will second that. The games between the two have been emotionally and physically exhausting ... and for the teams too. ;).
 
Re: RPI & Union @ Harvard & Dartmouth (2/12 & 2/13)

For what's it worth, it's a Winter Carnival weekend at Dartmouth, so expect larger then normal turnout. I might make to third period of Friday game and will be there for Saturday game...

Both RPI and Union are better teams, so at this point of the season, I just want Dartmouth to look respectable on the ice...
 
Re: RPI & Union @ Harvard & Dartmouth (2/12 & 2/13)

Both RPI and Union are better teams, so at this point of the season, I just want Dartmouth to look respectable on the ice...
Against RPI they will. RPI plays to level of their opponent, except for Yale whom they seem to match up with well.
 
Re: RPI & Union @ Harvard & Dartmouth (2/12 & 2/13)

I think the Harvard game will be easier for us. It's the big physical, hard hitting teams that RPI has problems with. D'Amigo watch out! However, I'm still optimistic RPI will come out with 3 or 4 points this weekend.
Speaking of D'Amigo (against Clarkson)- How can the refs call a hooking penelty on the guy that hooked D'Amigo, and then give D'Amigo a 2 minutes for "faking" it? Makes no sense.
 
Re: RPI & Union @ Harvard & Dartmouth (2/12 & 2/13)

I think the Harvard game will be easier for us. It's the big physical, hard hitting teams that RPI has problems with. D'Amigo watch out! However, I'm still optimistic RPI will come out with 3 or 4 points this weekend.
Speaking of D'Amigo (against Clarkson)- How can the refs call a hooking penelty on the guy that hooked D'Amigo, and then give D'Amigo a 2 minutes for "faking" it? Makes no sense.

I don't know how you can say that Harvard will be easier. I was at the Harvard game at HFH and Harvard gave us two goals. If not for the easy ones, we would have lost that game.
Now, they might do it again, but I am not counting on it. We will have to be much better in their building.
I will be there to see for myself,we did not have a great game against them, but they are not the best team I have watched this year.
 
Re: RPI & Union @ Harvard & Dartmouth (2/12 & 2/13)

Speaking of D'Amigo (against Clarkson)- How can the refs call a hooking penelty on the guy that hooked D'Amigo, and then give D'Amigo a 2 minutes for "faking" it? Makes no sense.

When the refs call matching penalties like that, they're saying that yes, the player was hooked, but he did something to try and make it look more blatant in order to draw a penalty. For example if you feel a guy tug at your shoulder and you immediately throw yourself to the ice to make sure the refs see it happen.
 
Re: RPI & Union @ Harvard & Dartmouth (2/12 & 2/13)

When the refs call matching penalties like that, they're saying that yes, the player was hooked, but he did something to try and make it look more blatant in order to draw a penalty. For example if you feel a guy tug at your shoulder and you immediately throw yourself to the ice to make sure the refs see it happen.

In this case with D'Amigo, the official could not have been more incorrect. The SLU player was trying to haul him down for the better part of 20 feet. Again, the official didn't want to "decide" the game by putting SLU at a huge disadvantage late. :rolleyes:
 
Re: RPI & Union @ Harvard & Dartmouth (2/12 & 2/13)

In this case with D'Amigo, the official could not have been more incorrect. The SLU player was trying to haul him down for the better part of 20 feet. Again, the official didn't want to "decide" the game by putting SLU at a huge disadvantage late. :rolleyes:

I agree with you in this case. My explanation was for the typical matching penalties, but in this instance even after watching the replay multiple times I can't see how it was embellishment, unless the SLU player throwing his arms up in the air is taken as a guarantee that he didn't do anything.
 
Re: RPI & Union @ Harvard & Dartmouth (2/12 & 2/13)

When the refs call matching penalties like that, they're saying that yes, the player was hooked, but he did something to try and make it look more blatant in order to draw a penalty. For example if you feel a guy tug at your shoulder and you immediately throw yourself to the ice to make sure the refs see it happen.
I'm not upset with the call against SLU in terms of the impact on the game. A tie is a pretty fair result for how the two teams played.

That said... If the Brown refs used these guidelines on the late Merth call we would have 1 or two more points right now. If the two instances were reversed (no call at Brown and only the hook for SLU), not only might we have 21 points today, but I wonder whether fans of Brown or SLU would feel like the refs cost them. My guess is that they wouldn't.
 
Re: RPI & Union @ Harvard & Dartmouth (2/12 & 2/13)

You're getting really annoying. I usually root for Union but you're making it very difficult.
 
Re: RPI & Union @ Harvard & Dartmouth (2/12 & 2/13)

If the two instances were reversed (no call at Brown and only the hook for SLU), not only might we have 21 points today, but I wonder whether fans of Brown or SLU would feel like the refs cost them. My guess is that they wouldn't.

There are one or two SLU fans on this board (not naming any names) who feel the refs screw them every time they lose.

The penalty to D'Amigo, in my eyes, was legit and was a bad move on his part, done partially, I think, out of frustration. He *was* being impeded for quite some time and didn't get a whistle until he decided to put his skates above his head. But that doesn't make it the right move.

The hit on him prior was indeed dirty, but in this case I applaud the referees for only giving out a deuce. They ran him, but not to an extent that, with the game on the line, that SLU deserved to be down for 5 full minutes.
 
Re: RPI & Union @ Harvard & Dartmouth (2/12 & 2/13)

I don't know how you can say that Harvard will be easier. I was at the Harvard game at HFH and Harvard gave us two goals. If not for the easy ones, we would have lost that game.
Now, they might do it again, but I am not counting on it. We will have to be much better in their building.
I will be there to see for myself,we did not have a great game against them, but they are not the best team I have watched this year.

I saw both games at the HFH. IMO they had an easier time with Harvard than they did against Dartmouth. I'm not saying Harvard is an easy team, I'm saying I think RPI 's style fairs better against Harvard. I wasn't that impressed by them.
I thought Harvard didn't have much gas left in the 3rd period, and we didn't convert on our chances. Dartmouth on the other hand played for 60 minutes, and it showed. Just my opinion.
 
Re: RPI & Union @ Harvard & Dartmouth (2/12 & 2/13)

...Playing on the 4th line doesn't give him the opportunity to play his game, so I don't think it's fair to use his ineffectiveness last night as a demonstration that he doesn't belong.

Effort and intensity can be demonstrated on any line and I sure didn't see it from Tyler this weekend. But lucky for him you and I aren't deciding whether he dresses or not. :p (I'm not trying to run the kid down, I like Tyler a lot, but something is going on it that head of his. We need him to regain his form.)

If you were to view clips of his shifts from this weekend up against say, AAG's, you'd see two very different levels of intensity. I believe this lack of intensity is what has kept Tyler out of the lineup. We'll see what the week brings and what Seth decides for two important tilts this weekend.
 
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Re: RPI & Union @ Harvard & Dartmouth (2/12 & 2/13)

... I would not sit two players who have demonstrated that they are high point producers for this team. There is more to playing a great game besides talent. ...

Seth doesn't grant playing time to players for what they demonstrated in the past. The reason Appert has as many forwards as he does is to generate competition for ice time, clearly Tyler is in a bit a funk right now and needs to get it together in practice, if he expects to skate with his old linemates on game night.

There is indeed a lot more to the game then talent -- effort an intensity being two key traits, IMO, IMO. How many times do you see highly talented players get beaten by players who outwork them? Happens all the time, in any sport.
 
Re: RPI & Union @ Harvard & Dartmouth (2/12 & 2/13)

I'm not upset with the call against SLU in terms of the impact on the game. A tie is a pretty fair result for how the two teams played.

That said... If the Brown refs used these guidelines on the late Merth call we would have 1 or two more points right now. If the two instances were reversed (no call at Brown and only the hook for SLU), not only might we have 21 points today, but I wonder whether fans of Brown or SLU would feel like the refs cost them. My guess is that they wouldn't.

I guess I am not the only one who was upset by those calls and felt that they only seem to happen against us;)
 
Re: RPI & Union @ Harvard & Dartmouth (2/12 & 2/13)

Harvard is really an enigma of a team this year. After beating Dartmouth on the road in convincing fashion to start the season, the team went on a 10 game winless streak with some epic implosions - leading Cornell and Colgate on the road by 2 & 3 goalss heading into the 3rd period. Those kinds of losses hurt big time and really sent the team spiraling downward.

After exam break, the team really started to play well, and some good wins followed.

Then the disaster performance in the Beanpot that culminated in some misconduct penalties - not bad hits, but running your mouth and those kind of uncalled for antics. Stuff that happens when your play is shameful.

Then, this past weekend against Brown, Harvard took 2 misconducts for hitting from behind - one of which (Danny Biega) was a very bad hit. He will not play tonight (Northeastern) as a result.

What does this all mean? I think it will be very critical for RPI and Union to get out of the gates early. If Harvard can get an early lead, I think they will play with confidence and play the way that led them to defeating and going toe-to-toe with the best teams in the conference. If Harvard gets down early, they very well could implode and take dumb penalties and go down with the ship.
 
Re: RPI & Union @ Harvard & Dartmouth (2/12 & 2/13)

What does this all mean? I think it will be very critical for RPI and Union to get out of the gates early. If Harvard can get an early lead, I think they will play with confidence and play the way that led them to defeating and going toe-to-toe with the best teams in the conference. If Harvard gets down early, they very well could implode and take dumb penalties and go down with the ship.
For whatever reason(s) RPI seems to match up must better against Harvard than Union does. The CD games were cases in point. I was a bit surprised by the Biega hit which from what I read was very dangerous and wilfull. That doesn't seem to be in character with what I've seen of most Harvard teams. Also, with Harvard's enigmatic performance this season and for that matter last season, is there talk of Donato being in jeopardy? If the answer to that is in the affrimative, please leave our coach (Leaman) alone. :eek:
 
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