SLU 2009-2010 Season

[Got 6 Want More]

Re: SLU 2009-2010 Season

So there it is...

5th!!! **** good result considering all we lost, the incredibly bad run of injuries we had this year and officiating which often results in SLU getting 84.23 more bad calls against than any other opponent in the league! Congrats to a great class and a team we are proud of.

I will not be counting chickens this week against Clarkson.

Here is what we got...

#12 Clarkson at #5 SLU
# 11 Brown at #6 RPI
#10 Dartmouth at #7 Q-Pac
#9 Harvard at #8 Princeton

Assuming no upsets...well, only one Cap District team in Albany as it would be:

#8 Princeton at #1 Yale
#7 Q-Pac at #2 Cornell
#6 RPI at #3 Union
#5 SLU at #4 Colgate

Holy Crap....some good potential series there!

 

[Got 6 Want More]

Re: SLU 2009-2010 Season

I know they are dropping the puck on Seniors' Night right now at Appleton and I would just like to take a moment to wish the boys well from afar. I am at the Olympics in Vancouver and not able to be there for the final regular season game at Appleton for my guy and the others from his class.

I know the team has been on hard times lately and I know a lot of fans are frustrated at losing the bye and making the road to Albany very difficult and it's true that if they don't play better, their odds of getting there aren't very good.

But I would also remind everyone that this class of seniors has won an ECAC regular season title as freshmen, went to the ECAC Final Four in their freshman and junior seasons and the NCAAs in their freshman year. There is a lot of character and talent in this senior class and whether they get to Albany for the third time in four years or not, it won't be for lack of effort on their part.

Anyway, enjoy the game. Wish I were there in Appleton. I should get to see a pretty good hockey game tomorrow at Canada Hockey Place , but anyone who knows me knows where I would rather be right now.

Good luck to all the Saints but especially to a very good senior class, including my son Mike.

All the best.

Bob, enjoy the game tomorrow! It has been a sincere pleasure watching this class of great kids and your kid is certainly central to the class. He has been such a reliable scorer and has made some unbelievable plays which you know since you have missed only about a handfulf games over 4 years.

For my part, anything posted in the last 24 hours (or days) was frustration. Really wanted this team to get the bye and to make a statement to everyone that picked us so low among the press and coaches. With injuries along the way that resulted in Hughes and Child on the blue line and Flanagan, Cunningham, Bogosian, Carden, Armstrong, J. Keller, and I am sure I am forgetting a few guys missing games along the way due to injuries, I think 5th is still a pretty solid statement! Before the refs started calling a crap show tonight, the guys finally looked like they were having fun again tonight and walked out to a 4-0 lead ... and that was good to see. Some really pretty goals tonight...all of them actually except Bogo's which was the prettiest one of all because it was hard work with muscle in front of the net time on that one!!

It is a new season. Clarkson has done okay lately at Cheel and not so good on the road. Need all Saint fans to buy all the tickets and come support the Saints so they don't feel welcome in Appleton. And please charge their band the current e-bay price of the Gold Medal game tomorrow for each ticket next week!!

 

[StayPuftMMcu]

Re: SLU 2009-2010 Season

It is a new season. Clarkson has done okay lately at Cheel and not so good on the road. Need all Saint fans to buy all the tickets and come support the Saints so they don't feel welcome in Appleton. And please charge their band the current e-bay price of the Gold Medal game tomorrow for each ticket next week!!

Best rule in the ECAC, bands get 25 comp tickets

 

[hockeyplayer1015]

Re: SLU 2009-2010 Season

Alright, let's start from Friday:

To be completely honest, I really didn't leave Appleton too disappointed last night. They hit 4 posts, Flanny hit Mello in the head about 3 times, and they controlled the play for the better part of that game, but couldn't get lucky. Those games will happen, and I truly think they couldn't help but realize that they deserved a better fate. Tisi letting in the shot from the corner ended up being the difference, and I know he wants that back. The only ugly part of last night was the Powerless Play, which was downright atrocious, more on this down below. The Fleming, Reber, and whoever else is the other part of that forward line were relentless on the forecheck, and that allowed Dartmouth their chances. Fleming is also a really good player, shown by his 2 goals.

That brings us to tonight. Let me begin by saying that I cannot complain about the officiating, other than the early whistle when Curran should have scored. The penalties that were called, all were legitimate. Period. Do I necessarily like the calls? No, however they were penalties, and considering the chippyness after the whistle by both teams, they had to call it tight or risk losing control.

The powerplay is night and day when Flanny is on the ice, compared to when the other unit is out there. He makes so many things happen, and instantly adds another dimension to the offense. I see him being on the powerplay with McKenzie next weekend, as they did toward the end of the game.

The key to this postseason run is the secondary scoring. Look back through this rough stretch: we weren't getting much scoring from the blue line, and/or not a ton from the bottom 2 lines. This, along with the powerplay will be vital to postseason success.

My gut says that Petizian will get atleast the first start Friday. He has played Clarkson pretty tough and has certainly played them the most out of the 3 goalies. I'm honestly not too concerned about playing Clarkson; yes, I realize that it gives them extra motivation, however SLU should know that they're the better team, and if they can't get motivated to play their best hockey in the playoffs against their archrival, then they deserve to have their season end. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but that's the way it is. Clarkson has been playing pretty well lately, but they still only managed to pot 50 goals and give up 84 in 22 league games, and no matter what way you look at it, that is still a -34 spread. However, I believe that SLU students go on spring break beginning Friday. Hopefully they still stay back for the series.

Wish I could make it up for the series next weekend, however my streak of games will have to come to an end. @ Colgate, should they win, is also likely not a possibility.

Bob, enjoy the game tomorrow, on paper it should be another classic.

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

Re: SLU 2009-2010 Season

Congrats Saints fans! While the season may not have ended like you wanted it, you finished a bit better than expected. All of us down here in Hamden know what that's like!

Best of luck next weekend (and hopefully beyond). Maybe we'll meet in Albany!

 

[critsports]

Re: SLU 2009-2010 Season

I know they are dropping the puck on Seniors' Night right now at Appleton and I would just like to take a moment to wish the boys well from afar. I am at the Olympics in Vancouver and not able to be there for the final regular season game at Appleton for my guy and the others from his class.

I know the team has been on hard times lately and I know a lot of fans are frustrated at losing the bye and making the road to Albany very difficult and it's true that if they don't play better, their odds of getting there aren't very good.

But I would also remind everyone that this class of seniors has won an ECAC regular season title as freshmen, went to the ECAC Final Four in their freshman and junior seasons and the NCAAs in their freshman year. There is a lot of character and talent in this senior class and whether they get to Albany for the third time in four years or not, it won't be for lack of effort on their part.

Anyway, enjoy the game. Wish I were there in Appleton. I should get to see a pretty good hockey game tomorrow at Canada Hockey Place , but anyone who knows me knows where I would rather be right now.

Good luck to all the Saints but especially to a very good senior class, including my son Mike.

All the best.

Bob..........thanks for an elegant post and for putting things in perspective for those of us who have let February get the better of us. Our frustration is certainly borne of the same passion that has fueled the Seniors that were honored tonight.
It was great to close out the regular season with a win. When one looks at this class so much stands out........has there ever been a Saint that has gotten more talent out of what he has than Travis Vermeulen? A better two way player??? And now capping off his senior year averaging more than a point a game!!!
Derek Keller matured to lead a defense that proved to be much better than we would have hoped at the beginning of the season while Jeff Caister turned out to be a find an a steady, reliable defenseman.
Mike McKenzie has provided a spark and spunk while averaging almost a point a game and is there anyone betterwho you would ever want to take a penalty shot or a shoot out??? Plus he joins a select group of SLU players in the 100 point career club.
Name any but a handful of players who you would want out on the PK than Alex Curran.......he's got the wingspan of a condor and has done more to prevent goals than probably anyone on the team over his four years all the while providing grit and solid effort every night. Jerry Cunningham developed into a speedy reliable forward who continues to give up his body to block shots, bang opponents and create havoc. And then there are guys like Weaver and Kelliher who barely got a sniff of playing time but who have stuck with the program for 4 years, giving it up in practice all for the good of the team knowing their chances of playing were always pretty slim. Lastly we have our two goalies.......Kain Tisi and Alex Petezian. Who can forget the run Alex had his freshman year leading us into the NCAA Tournament and all the games he stoned and stole victories. And what a great year and reward for Kain to do the job he has done this year and carry the team on a great run. It's such a pleasure to see him rewarded for 4 years of hard work with all those victories this year.
Thanks to all the seniors and best of luck in the playoffs.

Speaking of which..........I'm with Saints 17........I'm going to have to double up on my blood pressure medication to face Clarkson in the first round. My head tells me we are the better team but my heart tells me anything against Clarkson never comes easy (especially considering the rivalry).

 

[SLUwriter]

Re: SLU 2009-2010 Season

An interesting tidbit about Clarkson/SLU playoff series...

It's been 27 years since SLU has hosted Clarkson in the conference playoffs... and Clarkson has won the last eight consecutive meetings in conference tournament play.

Just sayin'

Some vids are up on the Casstle of the Saints as well.

 

[Got 6 Want More]

Re: SLU 2009-2010 Season

Sorry Brandon, the refs missed a few. The early whistles while the puck was loose twice early. The too many men call on Caister did not appear the right call. Not getting a PP when Del Mauro clearly and intentionally ran Petizian, All in all a typical night for the zeebs!

I also don't completely agree with you about Clarkson. First, they had both injuries and suspensions this season which shaped outcomes. Second, they can redeem the entire season with a playoff run. Third, with Clarkson it of ten comes down to who can control their emotions and who gets the better of the typically incompetent ECAC officiating. Clearly, SLU was the better team over the whole season this year, but that means absolutely nothing. If it were a 7 game series, I'd feel better. Best of 3, I don't think either team has a huge advantage and lets not forget how much higher Clarkson was picked to finish than us this season. Are we ready to admit the people who made those picks know nothing??? Okay, well, maybe!!! I really think we have a much tougher task than RPI, Q-Pac or Princeton. That is no reward for finishing above them.

As for Friday night, that pretty well describes the game at Dartmouth too, but we are still 0-2 against Dartmouth this season.

 

[vicb]

Re: SLU 2009-2010 Season

ECAC Hockey Fans, it is with great pleasure that I announce your ECAC Pick the Standings 2009-2010 winner: Saints17, a comfortable 16 points ahead of the runnerup jmhusker.

 

[Got 6 Want More]

Re: SLU 2009-2010 Season

ECAC Hockey Fans, it is with great pleasure that I announce your ECAC Pick the Standings 2009-2010 winner: Saints17, a comfortable 16 points ahead of the runnerup jmhusker.

Congrats Mr. Paige!!

Oh wait, now you need to double up on your blood pressure meds! I hope there is nothing to read into there!!!

 

[vicb]

Re: SLU 2009-2010 Season

I also don't completely agree with you about Clarkson. ...and lets not forget how much higher Clarkson was picked to finish than us this season. Are we ready to admit the people who made those picks know nothing???

Coaches pick SLU in 10th and Clarkson in 11th pre-season
Media pick SLU 7th and Clarkson 8th in pre-season
ECAC Pick The Standings Contestants Clarkson 10th SLU 11th

I guess we were forgetting .

I do agree with you on a couple of points. Officiating will play a big part in these games. Last knight the officials let both Clarkson and Dartmouth get away with a lot of crap, a lot on both sides. The other turning point in the series with be Karpowich. I fully expect SLU to outshoot and outplay Clarkson by a wide margin. If he stands on his head Clarkson has a chance. If not, then no chance. It would not surprize me to see a 3 game series and it would not surprize me to see OT in each game. It also would not surprize me to see SLU blow out Clarkson. The only thing that will surprize me is a Clarkson sweep . LGT

 

[Saints17]

Re: SLU 2009-2010 Season

Congrats Mr. Paige!!

Oh wait, now you need to double up on your blood pressure meds! I hope there is nothing to read into there!!!

Thank you.....there is nothing to read into that comment.......

I was only trying to "capture the spirit of the thing".

 

[TimU]

Re: SLU 2009-2010 Season

First, it was great to be at Appleton last night and see everybody at the game. Mr. and Mrs. P, it was very nice to meet you - hope to see you again soon. Nice to be able to see a great senior class recognized, whether for big-time accomplishments or quiet perseverance.

I didn't see Friday's game - SLU should have beaten Dartmouth at home, but it does sound like there was some bad luck involved.

Feelings on last nights game: ummmm, we won. After two periods it looked like the team was rolling into the playoffs on a high note. After three it looked like the team was being wheeled into the playoffs on a respirator. But I still have to look back to October and consider all the talent that had just walked out the door, and all the doubts about the freshmen and the defense. If someone had offered me fifth place ahead of Dartmouth, Harvard, Quinnipiac, and RPI, I would have taken it and turned cartwheels.

There were some positives beyond the obvious of getting two points. SLU scored four and easily could have scored 8. So many scrambles in front, so many near misses off great passes, a lot of good puck movement. Bollig's goal was a Kessel-like shot, and Flanagan's pass was just beautiful. When Flanagan is on the ice with the man advantage, SLU is instantly a threat to score. The combination of Flanagan and McKenzie is as good as any in terms of playmaking and puck control. They looked great. The disallowed goal on the PP should have counted. Carden hit the crossbar on a breakaway. McKenzie set up a PERFECT, wide-open slapshot from the slot in the third, and Kelliher just missed.

The other side of the coin is that SLU came out for the third sleepwalking. The second goal was just plain bad on Petizian's part. The other concerning thing is that as soon as Harvard decided to stop the yapping, elbowing, and cheap shots and play hockey, they closed the gap in about two minutes. But a win is a win. Alex had a nice stop on a good shot through traffic in the closing seconds.

Officiating: Bad call on the disallowed goal. SLU should have had a power play when Petizian got run, but they would have had one if they'd kept their cool. The referee made the initial call right away. A couple of missed hooks and trips. At one point McKenzie and LeBlanc(?) got penalties on the same sequence. I honestly thought it was a terrible call against Harvard. Overall, I didn't think the officiating was too bad.

Playoffs: As I told people last night, for me getting Clarkson is the worst possible scenario. Their season has been a train wreck from Day 1. They finished in last place. If you could let those guys write their own script to get something positive out of this season, what would they want? They'd want to play SLU. At Appleton. And I've seen this too many times in my life.

But I expect the players won't share my attitude. They're a better team than Clarkson this year, and don't have a 25-year history to fret over.

It's the ultimate exciting weekend in the NC. And like others have already said: Don't want to lose to Clarkson? Then go out and beat them. If you can't beat the last-place team on your home ice, you don't have a lot to complain about. If you beat Clarkson, it will be so much more satisfying than beating any other 12 seed.

I'm going to try to make it up next Saturday.

And last but not least, it was great to see the women beat Clarkson at Cheel yesterday. Way to go, Chris. Do it again today.

 

[critsports]

Re: SLU 2009-2010 Season

The only other nagging little thing in the back of my mind is who will be in goal???
That's a pretty tough choice!! The thing that gets me wondering is to us laymen..........there doesn't appear to be an obivous choice and that is what concerns me. Have we ever come down to the wire like this still rotating and with no obvious favorite???

I'm guessing Tisi starts game one and stays there if we win. The coaches have a tough week and choice ahead of them.

 

[vicb]

Re: SLU 2009-2010 Season

Well here is hopin this weekends Clarkson womens victory over the Lady Saints portends good things for next weekend at Appleton. . First time in the history of Clarkson's womens program that they have taken a playoff series from the Saints. The Saints women are to be congradulated for an excellent series.

We know who is gonna be in goal for Clarkson. We don't know which Karpowich and defense infront of him will show up .

 

[Spaceman]

Re: SLU 2009-2010 Season

Congrats Saints for finishing 5th this season. Now the fun really begins. Let's kick the crap out of those Clarkson Knights.

Wish I could be there this weekend, but work is keeping me away. Looks like my next game I'll see is in Albany. Let's go guys!

 

[Got 6 Want More]

Re: SLU 2009-2010 Season

Coaches pick SLU in 10th and Clarkson in 11th pre-season
Media pick SLU 7th and Clarkson 8th in pre-season
ECAC Pick The Standings Contestants Clarkson 10th SLU 11th

I guess we were forgetting .

I do agree with you on a couple of points. Officiating will play a big part in these games. Last knight the officials let both Clarkson and Dartmouth get away with a lot of crap, a lot on both sides. The other turning point in the series with be Karpowich. I fully expect SLU to outshoot and outplay Clarkson by a wide margin. If he stands on his head Clarkson has a chance. If not, then no chance. It would not surprize me to see a 3 game series and it would not surprize me to see OT in each game. It also would not surprize me to see SLU blow out Clarkson. The only thing that will surprize me is a Clarkson sweep . LGT

Okay, busted....I don't remember back that far and don't read that crap anyway because it just annoys me. In my mind, I remember Clarkson being picked a lot higher and a lot of people saying that hell would freeze over before Clarkson finished last. Still, when is SLU - Clarkson EVER easy for either team???? I agree with Tim, it is a matchup that makes me want to hurl because I remember a lot of losses to Clarkson over the years when I thought we were the better team in the game.

Anyway, it is what it is and if we want to move on we have to win and if we do win we know who we get in the second round. Ending a career in Starr Rink is about as depressing as finding out your job just got relocated to downtown Detroit, so we can't let that happen!

 

[hockeyplayer1015]

Re: SLU 2009-2010 Season

I see both sides to the Clarkson argument, however at the end of the day, I see it as:

How do you get motivated for Brown, after having just suffered a losing tie down there 2 weekends ago. I don't really want that matchup.

Dartmouth is 2-0 against us this year, and while SLU controlled the play more than Dartmouth Friday, they still looked dangerous at times, especially Fleming. Don't like that matchup, in terms of being easier than the rest.

Harvard came real close to coming back to tie it Saturday, and they have some talented players that could tilt that series too. Also not a great matchup.

Then we've all discussed pros/cons of Clarkson, no need to repeat that.

Overall, none of the bottom 4 are teams that I would want to face, its really a pick your poison type of deal. The boys just need to take care of business next weekend and play their best hockey and things should pan out. Play disciplined, limit the mistakes as much as possible, and get the PP working. And, really... should they beat Clarkson, Colgate is definitely the best draw out of the top 4, even if it is @ Starr. God knows we owe Colgate about 5 years worth of embarrassment and bad luck down there.

 

[doghok]

Re: SLU 2009-2010 Season

[QUOTE Ending a career in Starr Rink is about as depressing as finding out your job just got relocated to downtown Detroit, so we can't let that happen![/QUOTE]

Your main goal should to be first win the series. Then, you should be glad to play anywhere, with a shot to go to the ECAC final.
The Colgate campus is beautiful, and while you may not love the Arena, should you win your series, how do you not Let it Happen. ?

 

[hockeyplayer1015]

Re: SLU 2009-2010 Season

Your main goal should to be first win the series. Then, you should be glad to play anywhere, with a shot to go to the ECAC final.
The Colgate campus is beautiful, and while you may not love the Arena, should you win your series, how do you not Let it Happen. ?

By winning the potential series at Starr, they wouldn't end their career there, now would they?