SLU 2010-2011 - Until Moko Comes Along This Will Have To Do

[W-force]

Re: SLU 2010-2011 - Until Moko Comes Along This Will Have To Do

Tim Taylor was tossed under the bus by Rollie Betts, a Bush cronie and ultra powerful Yale booster. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_W._Betts
Betts and Co. brought in Allain, renovated the Whale and clearly set high expectations for the program - arguably too high.
After watching Yale's on-ice behavior vs SLU, I think what we saw was a very talented team and an antsy coach operating under heavier-than-you-can-imagine alumni/booster pressure and expectation. When SLU took game one and came out physical in game 2, Yale panicked and ran to the officials to try and change the script. The script ultimatly changed because of Yale's depth and skill advantage but I thought their chirping and whining were very telling.
Allain, already saddled with last season's loss to Brown in the ECAC's and goaltending meltdown in the NCAA's, is under enormous pressure. I'm rooting for them to win it all but I'm afraid they will crack along the way.
Having already wandered into the land of conspiracy theory, I might as well go all the way and share this: Adam Wodon's 3/9 blog (http://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2011/03/09_between_the_lines_coach_talk.php) on the Chris Cahill eligibility matter. If this turns out to be anything (and I hope for Yale's and the ECAC's sake it does not), chalk it up to the guys that tossed Taylor under the bus:


Fight Club
Boy was I wrong. After initially thinking that ECAC coaches wouldn't bother trying to rat out Yale, and thus endanger the possibility of the league looking good nationally, it turns out that there's plenty of animosity to go around.

I don't really know specifics, but all I know is that the Chris Cahill story doesn't go away. Yale insists there's nothing to worry about it, and I pretty much wrote the whole thing off myself after the Ivy League re-determined that there was nothing to pursue.

But the story won't go away. In recent weeks, I've been stopped, out of the blue, by three different people (not necessarily coaches) with knowledge of the situation, to tell me that there's more to it than anyone would let you believe. They all insist that if you looked hard enough, you'd see that the league Cahill participated in France last year, really did have some players considered pro. And there would be issues if the Ivy League athletic directors had the stomach to pursue the issue.

But more than anything, what has struck me has been the ill will that is swirling around over the situation, from both sides. Certainly Yale coach Keith Allain is not happy knowing there are a variety of people gunning for him this way.

 

[Got 6 Want More]

Re: SLU 2010-2011 - Until Moko Comes Along This Will Have To Do

Tim Taylor was tossed under the bus by Rollie Betts, a Bush cronie and ultra powerful Yale booster. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_W._Betts
Betts and Co. brought in Allain, renovated the Whale and clearly set high expectations for the program - arguably too high.
After watching Yale's on-ice behavior vs SLU, I think what we saw was a very talented team and an antsy coach operating under heavier-than-you-can-imagine alumni/booster pressure and expectation. When SLU took game one and came out physical in game 2, Yale panicked and ran to the officials to try and change the script. The script ultimatly changed because of Yale's depth and skill advantage but I thought their chirping and whining were very telling.
Allain, already saddled with last season's loss to Brown in the ECAC's and goaltending meltdown in the NCAA's, is under enormous pressure. I'm rooting for them to win it all but I'm afraid they will crack along the way.
Having already wandered into the land of conspiracy theory, I might as well go all the way and share this: Adam Wodon's 3/9 blog (http://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2011/03/09_between_the_lines_coach_talk.php) on the Chris Cahill eligibility matter. If this turns out to be anything (and I hope for Yale's and the ECAC's sake it does not), chalk it up to the guys that tossed Taylor under the bus:


Fight Club
Boy was I wrong. After initially thinking that ECAC coaches wouldn't bother trying to rat out Yale, and thus endanger the possibility of the league looking good nationally, it turns out that there's plenty of animosity to go around.

I don't really know specifics, but all I know is that the Chris Cahill story doesn't go away. Yale insists there's nothing to worry about it, and I pretty much wrote the whole thing off myself after the Ivy League re-determined that there was nothing to pursue.

But the story won't go away. In recent weeks, I've been stopped, out of the blue, by three different people (not necessarily coaches) with knowledge of the situation, to tell me that there's more to it than anyone would let you believe. They all insist that if you looked hard enough, you'd see that the league Cahill participated in France last year, really did have some players considered pro. And there would be issues if the Ivy League athletic directors had the stomach to pursue the issue.

But more than anything, what has struck me has been the ill will that is swirling around over the situation, from both sides. Certainly Yale coach Keith Allain is not happy knowing there are a variety of people gunning for him this way.

Well, the kind of behavior we saw out of Yale along with the kind of success they have had makes enemies. There have been a few instances of coaches getting thrown under the bus such as Fridgen, but what happened to Taylor takes the cake. Bad Karma catches up with you!

 

[goblue78]

Re: SLU 2010-2011 - Until Moko Comes Along This Will Have To Do

For what it's worth, my version of the Tim Taylor story differs from yours. Allain is Taylor's protege in more ways than one, and it is far from coincidental that Taylor was GM for the Under 21 US team this year that Allain coached. I saw Tim at the Brown game at Meehan this year and he is very pleased with program. But don't feel any need to be convinced by me. There's really no point.

 

[apple2k]

Re: SLU 2010-2011 - Until Moko Comes Along This Will Have To Do

Uh, whatever DID happen to Moko, anyway? We need that good luck charm for next season!

 

[hockeyplayer1015]

Re: SLU 2010-2011 - Until Moko Comes Along This Will Have To Do

Sean Flanagan signs with Las Vegas of the ECHL. Congrats to Sean, and best of luck in continuing his career!

 

[LTsatch]

Re: SLU 2010-2011 - Until Moko Comes Along This Will Have To Do

I met coach allain after the Colgate game last week, my from the stands impression of him was a gruff taskmaster, after meeting him, I took away that he is a nice down to earth pretty much a regular guy, with no attitude. This article from the New york daily News from January 1, 2011 will put to bed what the two coaches think of each other, I think it is admirable that they still continue to support each other and the program. sometimes a good thing is what it is, a good thing. I will let the coaches own words speak for themselves instead of hearsay and innuendo.


Friends on & off the ice

Keith Allain is taking a short hiatus from Yale to coach the U.S. junior team at the world championships, which conclude with Wednesday's title game in Buffalo. The director of player personnel for the U.S. side is Tim Taylor, the man who was pushed out after 28 seasons behind the Yale bench to make room for Allain - a former Yale goalie who once played for Taylor.

You'd think the situation would be impossibly awkward, until you find out what the men think of one another.

"He's a very professional, quality coach, and a quality human being," Taylor says. "It's hard to imagine a better guy to work with."

Taylor won six Ivy League titles, and one ECAC crown, in his time in New Haven, winning more games (333) than any coach in Yale hockey history and becoming one of the most venerable coaches in the sport. His dismissal by athletic director Thomas Beckett in the spring of 2006 after a 10-20-3 season left hard feelings all over the place. When Yale reached out to Allain, his first call was to Taylor.

Taylor, after all, wasn't just Allain's former coach. He was his mentor, the person who encouraged the 52-year-old Allain to try coaching in the first place, after Allain had spent an unfulfilling year in a Proctor & Gamble internship program.

Allain's first question to Taylor, over a cup of coffee that would last almost five hours, was basically, "Should I take the job if it's offered to me?"

Replied Taylor, "It's a great job, and you're a great coach. I'm not going to be coaching there next year. I'd rather have it be you than someone else."

Says Allain, "I'm not sure if it's correct to say I had his blessings, but I guess I did. I probably would've shied away if I hadn't."

Taylor not only gave Allain a complete go-ahead, he actually called his incoming recruits and encouraged them to stick with Yale, telling them the program was in capable hands. Allain lauded Taylor at his introductory press conference, and the admiration continues unabated. Working together is not awkward at all, both men say.

"Any issues I had were not with the players and not with Keith Allain," Taylor says. "I'm extremely proud of the job Keith has done. And I'm proud that, despite our won-loss struggles the last few years (of my time at Yale), that the foundation was there for a good future."

 

[hockeyplayer1015]

Re: SLU 2010-2011 - Until Moko Comes Along This Will Have To Do

Tim,

Sorry for any spam you've gotten from my email account, looks like I got "hijacked" and am being used for spamming purposes. I'm in the process of cancelling the yahoo account.

 

[Saints#1]

Re: SLU 2010-2011 - Until Moko Comes Along This Will Have To Do

So I was rewatching the watching the Yale/UMD game on ESPNU and I saw an SLU jersey behind the players bench. Was that anyone from on here, perhaps critsports? Hopefully our team can make it next year and we can have more than one SLU jersey in the stands

 

[critsports]

Re: SLU 2010-2011 - Until Moko Comes Along This Will Have To Do

So I was rewatching the watching the Yale/UMD game on ESPNU and I saw an SLU jersey behind the players bench. Was that anyone from on here, perhaps critsports? Hopefully our team can make it next year and we can have more than one SLU jersey in the stands

Not me. Was watching from the comforts of home with the benefit of all those replays on TV. My guess is it was probably Hockeyplayer 1015 (Brandon).

First time I have been on our thread for awhile. Didn't realize there was all this flaming going on.

Following up what I wrote on another thread I am SO DISAPPOINTED the ECAC didn't get a team through to the Frozen Four. If ever there was a year this was it. We had Union and Ylae both with very strong teams, playing in the same bracket (and not playing each other in the first round), Ylae playing what amounted to at home as a heavy favorite and nothing went our way.
To me the story of the ECAC teams this weekend was the man advantage situations up or down a man.
Ylae/Union/RPI didn't do enough when they had the PP's and when they were a man down N Dakota and UMD both scored way too easily. There are lot's of differences in our leagues but I think the primary one is the other leagues really have more depth and snipers and really bury their chances when they have them. That shortie Ylae gave up after blitzing Reiter for most of the first period was a back breaker.
I didn't want to talk about Rondeau openly on the Ylae forums (as I don't want to get into a flame fest) but like Barry Melrose said at one point on Friday and Saturday......Ylae needed him to come up big in a big game where he faced a lot of shots and he didn't in spite of facing not a lot of shots. Boy had he stopped that shortie two on one (a tall order for any goalie) or had he not let in those softies on goal number 2 and the one where he left the post to slide across and it certainly could have been a different outcome. No question Ylae got hosed on the penalty call to O'Neill which stole some momentum.

I also read a quote or two prior to the tournament from Allain about his goaltending where he said Rondeau didn't need to be a superstar but just needed to play steady and competant (taking liberty with the words but that was the gist of the quote). Clearly that didn't happen and he had a sub par game which cost them.

I was actually really more disappointed in Union as I thought they had a more balanced team overall than Ylae. Union got outworked and outhustled in addition to going 0-9 on the PP. The dynamics of these hockey games continue to amaze me. I really thought Union would be amped but they ended their entire season on a downer losing to Colgate and then not making it to A/C, after such a strong season.

It will probably never happen but I think one thing that cost Ylae in the long run was the scheduling limit the Ivies have on games. Clearly some more out of conference games against quality competition for Ylae could have better prepared them for the NCAA tournament.

What a downer........I thought for sure we would get someone through to the Final Four.

 

[Saints#1]

Re: SLU 2010-2011 - Until Moko Comes Along This Will Have To Do

Not me. Was watching from the comforts of home with the benefit of all those replays on TV. My guess is it was probably Hockeyplayer 1015 (Brandon).

First time I have been on our thread for awhile. Didn't realize there was all this flaming going on.

Following up what I wrote on another thread I am SO DISAPPOINTED the ECAC didn't get a team through to the Frozen Four. If ever there was a year this was it. We had Union and Ylae both with very strong teams, playing in the same bracket (and not playing each other in the first round), Ylae playing what amounted to at home as a heavy favorite and nothing went our way.
To me the story of the ECAC teams this weekend was the man advantage situations up or down a man.
Ylae/Union/RPI didn't do enough when they had the PP's and when they were a man down N Dakota and UMD both scored way too easily. There are lot's of differences in our leagues but I think the primary one is the other leagues really have more depth and snipers and really bury their chances when they have them. That shortie Ylae gave up after blitzing Reiter for most of the first period was a back breaker.
I didn't want to talk about Rondeau openly on the Ylae forums (as I don't want to get into a flame fest) but like Barry Melrose said at one point on Friday and Saturday......Ylae needed him to come up big in a big game where he faced a lot of shots and he didn't in spite of facing not a lot of shots. Boy had he stopped that shortie two on one (a tall order for any goalie) or had he not let in those softies on goal number 2 and the one where he left the post to slide across and it certainly could have been a different outcome. No question Ylae got hosed on the penalty call to O'Neill which stole some momentum.

I also read a quote or two prior to the tournament from Allain about his goaltending where he said Rondeau didn't need to be a superstar but just needed to play steady and competant (taking liberty with the words but that was the gist of the quote). Clearly that didn't happen and he had a sub par game which cost them.

I was actually really more disappointed in Union as I thought they had a more balanced team overall than Ylae. Union got outworked and outhustled in addition to going 0-9 on the PP. The dynamics of these hockey games continue to amaze me. I really thought Union would be amped but they ended their entire season on a downer losing to Colgate and then not making it to A/C, after such a strong season.

It will probably never happen but I think one thing that cost Ylae in the long run was the scheduling limit the Ivies have on games. Clearly some more out of conference games against quality competition for Ylae could have better prepared them for the NCAA tournament.

What a downer........I thought for sure we would get someone through to the Final Four.

The guy looked quite old (now I really hope it isn't someone from on here hahaha) so I don't think it was Brandon

All this flaming has been going on from WCHA fans about the ECAC and there inability to compete against the other leagues. I guess they will say what they will say, not much we can do to change there minds. I really wish Yale/Union could have taken care of business for the ECAC, but they didn't so it's onto next year we go.

I don't know what the problem was, but Yale looked a lot slower and just wasn't there normal self this weekend. This appeared to be the case on both nights from what I saw. Some people had mentioned the ice conditions at The Arena at Harbor Yard, but I think if you are a good team you'll get the job done no matter what the conditions, so I am not sure what was going on there.

Hopefully next year SLU can get it together and makes some noise. I'm not pulling for the NCAA's just yet (that would be quite a strectch), but I am hopeful that we can make it to Atlantic City next year and play for a championship. We should be vastly improved next year and should have a better year all around. Here's hoping!

 

[TimU]

Re: SLU 2010-2011 - Until Moko Comes Along This Will Have To Do

Tim,

Sorry for any spam you've gotten from my email account, looks like I got "hijacked" and am being used for spamming purposes. I'm in the process of cancelling the yahoo account.

I think my filter must have caught it, because I haven't seen anything. Thanks though.

 

[TimU]

Re: SLU 2010-2011 - Until Moko Comes Along This Will Have To Do

All this flaming has been going on from WCHA fans about the ECAC and there inability to compete against the other leagues. I guess they will say what they will say, not much we can do to change there minds.

Not really disagreeing with you - I totally get your point - but there actually is one thing that would make this stop: WIN A FEW **** GAMES. Someone said on another thread that Union was the best team in Bridgeport this weekend, and I actually agree, but the bottom line is they got shut out. Special teams play wins in the playoffs, and UMD stepped up. Union tanked. 0-9 on the PP is nothing but a recipe for losing. We all know their PP was much better than they showed, but that doesn't matter. They had a chance to win a big game, the game played out EXACTLY how they wanted it to, and they lost. You don't go through a season with a 31% PP by accident. They were really that good. But if you want people to recognize your abilities, then you can't go 0-9 in your biggest game of the year.

BC got smoked, so did Denver, and nobody will say that Hockey East and the WCHA suck. But that's the way it's going to be until the results on the ice change. At some point, the ECAC just needs to shut up and win.

 

[hockeyplayer1015]

Re: SLU 2010-2011 - Until Moko Comes Along This Will Have To Do

Not me. Was watching from the comforts of home with the benefit of all those replays on TV. My guess is it was probably Hockeyplayer 1015 (Brandon).

Nope, I decided against going up as well.

 

[Saints#1]

Re: SLU 2010-2011 - Until Moko Comes Along This Will Have To Do

Not really disagreeing with you - I totally get your point - but there actually is one thing that would make this stop: WIN A FEW **** GAMES. Someone said on another thread that Union was the best team in Bridgeport this weekend, and I actually agree, but the bottom line is they got shut out. Special teams play wins in the playoffs, and UMD stepped up. Union tanked. 0-9 on the PP is nothing but a recipe for losing. We all know their PP was much better than they showed, but that doesn't matter. They had a chance to win a big game, the game played out EXACTLY how they wanted it to, and they lost. You don't go through a season with a 31% PP by accident. They were really that good. But if you want people to recognize your abilities, then you can't go 0-9 in your biggest game of the year.

BC got smoked, so did Denver, and nobody will say that Hockey East and the WCHA suck. But that's the way it's going to be until the results on the ice change. At some point, the ECAC just needs to shut up and win.

I was thinking more along the lines of there is nothing WE ourselves can do about it. We can't lace on the skates put the puck in the net and win it for the ECAC. But I agree that a few wins by the ECAC when it matters will go along way into shutting them all up. Here's to next year!

 

[hockeyenthusiast]

Re: SLU 2010-2011 - Until Moko Comes Along This Will Have To Do

I was thinking more along the lines of there is nothing WE ourselves can do about it. We can't lace on the skates put the puck in the net and win it for the ECAC. But I agree that a few wins by the ECAC when it matters will go along way into shutting them all up. Here's to next year!

I honestly can't help but agree with them a little bit. We are the EZAC. No frozen four teams since Cornell in '03. Also all year it has been said that this was one of the strongest years in a while for the ECAC. I don't think going 1-3 in the NCAAs and getting outscored 14-5 in those games really helps change the image of the league.

 

[Harp 34]

Re: SLU 2010-2011 - Until Moko Comes Along This Will Have To Do

Surprised that no ECAC teams made the frozen four this year. I thought that one of the Capital District teams would have won at least a game an Yale was determined to make a run after how they finished this season and ended last year. I was impressed with Yale's offense but felt that their defense and goaltending was questionable. Anyway hopefully next year will be the charm for the ECAC to break the string of bad luck and SLU will be the team to do it

 

[Saints#1]

Re: SLU 2010-2011 - Until Moko Comes Along This Will Have To Do

Surprised that no ECAC teams made the frozen four this year. I thought that one of the Capital District teams would have won at least a game an Yale was determined to make a run after how they finished this season and ended last year. I was impressed with Yale's offense but felt that their defense and goaltending was questionable. Anyway hopefully next year will be the charm for the ECAC to break the string of bad luck and SLU will be the team to do it

We clearly will be a stronger team next year compared to this past year. We have an abundance of young talent on the team with one or two years under there belt so we are sure to improve. However, I am not going to go as far as to say we are in for a championship caliber team just yet. This team is still young and while I feel we are going to be improved, the big two years will be the following two seasons. The future is definitely looking bright that is for sure. I think Union is going to be the class of the league next year. What they return is frightening! I also feel as though Quinnipiac (which is still a young team that has graduated very little), Colgate and St. Lawrence all will be strong. There are several teams that are losing alot and have some question marks. Next year will be an interesting year for sure.

 

[critsports]

Re: SLU 2010-2011 - Until Moko Comes Along This Will Have To Do

I also feel as though Quinnipiac (which is still a young team that has graduated very little)

Don't know if you saw it on the Q Pac thread but to show you the challenges our program faces in all phases from recruiting to financing. Quinnipiac no longer plays at the TD Bank Center. They just received a MILLION dollars to be re-named the High Point Solutions Arena. They are speculating on the Q Pac thread that an incoming goalie recruit named Nauta is from Sparta NJ which is also the home office town of High Point Solutions. The rich get richer.....

Do you have any idea what that kind of money could do for our program????

 

[Saints#1]

Re: SLU 2010-2011 - Until Moko Comes Along This Will Have To Do

Don't know if you saw it on the Q Pac thread but to show you the challenges our program faces in all phases from recruiting to financing. Quinnipiac no longer plays at the TD Bank Center. They just received a MILLION dollars to be re-named the High Point Solutions Arena. They are speculating on the Q Pac thread that an incoming goalie recruit named Nauta is from Sparta NJ which is also the home office town of High Point Solutions. The rich get richer.....

Do you have any idea what that kind of money could do for our program????

We have a received large sums of money for the school before that they have used towards the hockey program, but it has been awhile since that has happened. Yes it would be an absolute blessing. I feel as long as Joe Marsh is around our recruiting will remain strong or strong enough to stay in contention year after year. The style he coaches with and teaches the players is one that attracts several recruits. Not to mention his track record for the program is top notch.

 

[Muskieman]

Re: SLU 2010-2011 - Until Moko Comes Along This Will Have To Do

We have a received large sums of money for the school before that they have used towards the hockey program, but it has been awhile since that has happened. Yes it would be an absolute blessing. I feel as long as Joe Marsh is around our recruiting will remain strong or strong enough to stay in contention year after year. The style he coaches with and teaches the players is one that attracts several recruits. Not to mention his track record for the program is top notch.

Very well said, much beter than my post made about an hour ago that I just deleted because it was a knee-jerk reaction to what happened at Q'Pac.