The UNION Dutchwomen 2011/2012

[YabaDabaDoo]

I was able to watch the second game this weekend against St Lawrence. Very entertaining! The game was a lot more competitive than the shot total indicated, there seems to be a problem with counting shots on goal as it was against Sacred Heart "NO ONE believed that 75 shots on goal number" I for one watched a shot go through the crease that was trapped by the goalie that was counted as a shot on goal? but I digress. Union is on a role! They are playing with a lot of heart and skating hard! Their goalie hard a nice game that kept them in and gave them a fighting chance. The St Lawrence coach pulling the goalie with 3 minutes left to give them the 2 man advantage was a gutsie move that worked tying things up, but the Dutch women dug their heals in and held on for the win & point! Like I said "Very Entertaining game to watch" Good luck ladies and keep up the good work!!!!

 

[Goals For Good]

Re: The UNION Dutchwomen 2011/2012

Hello fans of Union Hockey-

I just wanted to quickly touch base with you in regards to the Goals For Good project. In short, it's a competitive goal-a-thon between every team in the ECAC, and every team has partnered with a charity in close relation to their team, school, and or community. We're currently looking for more prizes, but as of now, there is $1,000 on the line going to the local food cupboard of the team that raises the most money. Please check out www.goalsforgood.org to learn more and support your team and their charity by way of their goals and wins.

Thank you,
Kevin McNamara

 

[cosmo46]

Re: The UNION Dutchwomen 2011/2012

Ok...I'm sorry but I'm confused...I've watched most of the games online so far this season. Can someone tell me why the coaches aren't giving more of a chance to #20...not sure who she is, but I hear she's a freshman with over 100 points in prep hockey last year. She scored the only goal in the opening game vs. Minn and scored the 1st goal against St. Lawrence. 2 goals in her only 2 full games. She's been scratched every other game and plays 4th line getting a hand full of shifts per period in the other half. I don't know why they aren't using her skills...It's not like Union has an abundance of snipers? She would be leading the team in goals if she had a regular shift. No dog in this fight, but I know talent when I see it.

 

[Wholin1]

Re: The UNION Dutchwomen 2011/2012

Glad to see a new thread after the Dwomen's first undefeated ECAC weekend. I know next to nothing about the program and am a rabid fan of the men's team. Still I would love to see them do well and grow as a program. Is this corner turning time?

 

[Flarrow]

Re: The UNION Dutchwomen 2011/2012

Just thought someone should say "nice job this weekend" to Kate Gallagher

 

[ARM]

Re: The UNION Dutchwomen 2011/2012

Just thought someone should say "nice job this weekend" to Kate Gallagher

Is there a reason that she doesn't get to play more? She has just over a third of the minutes in goal with a .943 save percentage and a 1.97 GAA, both quite a bit better than the team's other options in goal. I found it odd when she did get to play at all opening weekend in Minnesota despite returning to the area where she'd had prep success.

 

[YabaDabaDoo]

Re: The UNION Dutchwomen 2011/2012

I too think Kate "A Senior and Asst Captain" is a good goalie! But don't get to caught up in the stats as they are not the tell tale of any goalie. I had a chance to be educated on the topic by a great goalie "Cory Schneider". Cory told me to look at the goals that were given up first, should they have been stopped? did the goalie steal the game? and of the shots saved how many were saves that made you say wow? Two years ago Kate had a nice season and last year she was off? also look at the teams they play against, are they playing the softer games, a good mix or mostly the tough games? and last, remember that the shots are being counted by a person that is not on the ice but rather up in the box not at eye level and cannot tell whether the shot would have go in or not if the goalie was not in the net. I am not a fan of the process! Goalies that play for great teams like Wis., Mn., ect get a sniff from USA Hockey for potential National team play while goalies like Kate are over looked because the scouts are not going to go to Union to watch a hockey game and probably not going to be seen at a school that is playing Union.

 

[ARM]

Re: The UNION Dutchwomen 2011/2012

I understand all of the limitations in the stats that you mention, but one seldom sees a case where the numbers are this disparate, yet the coach appears to be grasping regarding whom to play. SOG is a flawed stat, but in the long term, factors such as human error by those keeping the stats will even out.

If I'd seen all of Union's games, then I wouldn't be asking, but I've only seen three games and the freshman played in all of those. Looking at the box scores, it looks like a similar pattern is developing to the goaltending situation at UNH. My theory is that a coach brings in a highly-touted rookie, hopes she'll be the answer in goal, and hands her the job. On a lower-tier team, a goaltender, no matter how talented, is going to get lit up at some point. The mental part of the position then takes over, and just as with baseball closers, some people are better equipped to shrug off failures and perform confidently in the next outing. It seems that a goalie at Union is given the starting job, and it is hers to lose. When her team has a bad game in terms of goals allowed -- can't tell if the fault rests with the goalie or D playing in front of her from a box score -- that net minder is yanked and the cycle starts again with somebody else. Such a process makes it doubly tough on the goalie's confidence, because now a bad game means you may not get to play for a while. This goes on at any school to an extent, but the reactions seem particularly knee-jerk at Union and UNH. Maybe as a senior, Gallagher is handling the "musical goalies" better.

 

[YabaDabaDoo]

Re: The UNION Dutchwomen 2011/2012

I think you have it right! unfortunately most coaches know very little about the position. The thing that I just don't get with this program is why do they continue to play the same players with the worst +/- s on the team? because they are upper class men? If you're losing shouldn't you lose developing your future? All I can say for them is thank god that they have talented goaltending. I heard that they are bringing in another nationally ranked goalie next year someone from the Minnesota area? goaltending isn't their problem, they need to put the puck in the net! So, if things run true to form then Kate will probably be playing Uconn tomorrow and depending on the outcome it's up in the air for Harvard on Fri and Dartmouth this Saturday. The with the exception of Uconn the Dutchwomen have their work cut out for them!

 

[Flarrow]

Re: The UNION Dutchwomen 2011/2012

ARM ="Is there a reason that she doesn't get to play more?"
yeah.the coach doesn't play her.

YabaDabaDoo -"goalies like Kate are over looked because the scouts are not going to go to Union to watch a hockey game"
...but people saw Lundy Day, didn't they?

ARM - "the coach appears to be grasping regarding whom to play" &
"This goes on at any school to an extent, but the reactions seem particularly knee-jerk at Union"
look at those first two words in the quote for your answer.

YabaDabaDoo - "unfortunately most coaches know very little about the [goalie] position."
& "The thing that I just don't get with this program is why do they continue to play the same players
with the worst +/- s on the team? because they are upperclassmen?"
Couldn't say those things about Tim Gerrish.
But YabaDabaDoo--there's no "they" there--there's a coach...
or maybe there's no coach there, just an ex-player who has the AD's misplaced loyalty.

Look at Tuesday's UConn game: A non-conference OT tie between two evenly weak teams.
KG in goal... that's good.
Disciplined Union play for a change--many fewer penalties...that's good.
But although they outshot their opponent in the game, they didn't in the second period, when all goals were scored for both sides, nor, sadly,in OT)
Is that the team or Assano ? I don't know.
Does the AD and the college tolerate Assano's coaching because they only want a qualifying balancer for their men's team? I don't know.
But the goalie assignments...
the recruiting, or lack of it....
the undisciplined play...
the individual efforts over team play, especially on offense...
the continual failure of defense to clear the zone...
the continual failure of special teams (especially when the goalie is pulled)...
in general, these are weaknesses that a coach in her FOURTH YEAR should be well on the way to correcting:
I still see the missing cog in the women's Union team as the coach.
Sorry if some of you you don't like to hear that.
I've tried to watch & be quiet this season, new contract and all. But geez....
If Assano is trying to recruit you, go to games and observe her...If you can, watch her practices. Be smart.

 

[Cali]

But the goalie assignments...
the recruiting, or lack .

My D was recruited by Union. We found Coach Asano to be very nice, passionate and committed to the program. The campus was nice, the academics are highly regarded. They have three major flaws though.
1). The city is a cesspool. Hard to get past that on first impressions.
2). The hockey program is a perennial cellar dweller.
3). Very expensive! With limited flexibility in Aid.

We opted for another option.

 

[YabaDabaDoo]

Re: The UNION Dutchwomen 2011/2012

Yes, But Ms Day was a known quantity from U-Maine I think, but point taken!

 

[Flarrow]

Re: The UNION Dutchwomen 2011/2012

Cali:
re: #1--Schenectady is really not a cesspool. It has several nice neighborhoods, many interesting business areas, lots of friendly people.
But you (or is it your daughter?) go by first impressions. Your loss.
#2 Definition of perennial: "lives more than two years, with new growth appearing each year". Everyone knows Union's situation; most who try it are hopeful the new growth could appear during their stay there. (cup half full rather than half empty)
#3 American colleges are too expensive now. It's the business structure the entire educational system and the country have taken on:
you didn't notice until now?

 

[Cali]

Re: The UNION Dutchwomen 2011/2012

Cali:
re: #1--Schenectady is really not a cesspool. It has several nice neighborhoods, many interesting business areas, lots of friendly people.
But you (or is it your daughter?) go by first impressions. Your loss.
#2 Definition of perennial: "lives more than two years, with new growth appearing each year". Everyone knows Union's situation; most who try it are hopeful the new growth could appear during their stay there. (cup half full rather than half empty)
#3 American colleges are too expensive now. It's the business structure the entire educational system and the country have taken on:
you didn't notice until now?

1) 100% my D's. She's the one living there, not me. When the coach says to you (and I paraphrase), "I wouldn't go out at night in town" to a kid who is coming from a safe environment, it can be a bit unnerving. She also said that we came to the campus from the wrong direction. We should have come in "the other way". So first impressions are important and although I appreciate your support for the school, in no way does our family feel that it is "our loss" My D has landed at a great school and she is beyond excited about starting in September.

2) Losing, under any circumstance, is not fun. Those that look for other areas to find positives around a losing team are grasping. Everyone hates to lose and if they don't then they are not the elite athlete they think they are.

3) No, only noticed when I had to go through the process for my D, which included Financial Aid. When you are looking at $45k+ per year at Union compared to $20k at an academically comparable school (difference being Aid availability), it is a good start to the decision making process. Throw in the other two points made and it is a no brainer.

 

[rdf8585]

Re: The UNION Dutchwomen 2011/2012

This weekend might be a great time to throw some support behind the women's team. They have a home game at 4 PM on Saturday. Odds are it's over with in time to get where you need to be to follow to the men's game at 7 on Saturday.

 

[rdf8585]

Re: The UNION Dutchwomen 2011/2012

http://unionathletics.com/news/2011/10/10/MICE_1010113120.aspx

SCHENECTADY, NY -- Union College Athletics, in conjunction with Anastos Media and Bombers Burrito Bar in Schenectady, is proud to feature “Union College Hockey Coach's Corner LIVE from Bombers” for the second straight season. The show airs every other Wednesday, with the next show January 18, from 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Union College women's head coach Claudia Asano and senior defenseman Dania Simmonds will be joined by the “Voice of Union Hockey,” Matt Dubrey, for a talk show format that will be broadcast live from Bombers Burrito Bar, 447 State St. in Schenectady. Asano and Simmonds will discuss upcoming games against Brown and Yale this weekend, as well as the annual Pink at the Rink event on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. against Yale. Fans in attendance will be eligible for live raffle drawings during the show, and those who wear pink will be eligible for extra raffle tickets. Prizes include an autographed stick and apparel from assistant coach Julie Chu, a member of the US National Team, and two pairs of tickets each to Saturday's Pink at the Rink Game and also Friday's game vs. Brown.

The program will be broadcast live on the Union Hockey Network, WABY-AM 1160 and WVKZ-AM 1240. In addition, the show will be on the web at www.TEAMLINE.cc.