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Union College: 2017-2018

Re: Union College: 2017-2018

We are going to have to play a lot better to beat Princeton. They have the top 3 scorers in the ECAC and 4 of the top 6. They are not going to miss open nets. We have got to play tenacious defence, take away time and space, block shots, forecheck. When they get near the crease, we are going to have to sweep them away. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCZ3SN65kIs
 
Re: Union College: 2017-2018

From the TigerBlog:

The men's hockey team is also playing with an eye on the postseason, and this weekend it's doing what the women's basketball team did last weekend, as the Tigers will welcome back to Baker Rink the ECAC championship teams from 1998 and 2008 for ceremonies tomorrow night in the game against Union. .....

As for the current Tigers, each of the remaining four games is huge. Princeton is currently in a log-jam of teams who hope to earn home ice for the first round of the playoffs, with five teams - Princeton, Colgate, Dartmouth, Yale and Quinnipiac - separated by just two points. Barring something extraordinary, four of those teams will be the home teams for the first round, and the fifth will have to go on the road.
 
Re: Union College: 2017-2018

Dutchman said:
We are going to have to play a lot better to beat Princeton. They have the top 3 scorers in the ECAC and 4 of the top 6. They are not going to miss open nets. We have got to play tenacious defence, take away time and space, block shots, forecheck. When they get near the crease, we are going to have to sweep them away. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCZ3SN65kIs
Click to expand...

Forecheck and and block shots - check - that we can do.. Take away space - check - doable..
Stay out of the penalty box - that is mandatory - they score a bunch on the PP
Clear the crease? really ?-- if they do it I'd be surprised .. That isn't really their game.
not sure they are nasty enough yet..
 
Re: Union College: 2017-2018

Barring a miracle at the Cornell/RPI game this Friday, it looks as though Union will finish 2nd place in the ECAC. The team's rise after a rough start this year is a true testament to talent of the coaches and the players. If the top four teams make it to Lake Placid I think the 2nd place finish will work out nicely. In my view, the 4PM game at Lake Placid always feels like an appetizer anyway and Clarkson has been struggling as of late. However, there's plenty of hockey to be played between now and then and, as we've seen so many times before, there's no sure thing in hockey. Should be great games this coming weekend. Go U!
 
Re: Union College: 2017-2018

UnionFan said:
... there's no sure thing in hockey.
Click to expand...
Especially ECAC hockey!!!! In 2011-2012 RPI's overtime 2-1 win against Cornell at Lynah in the last regular season game gave us the Cleary Cup. Cornell was in 1st place in the ECAC at that time and RPI was in 10th. Almost identical to today.

In the ECAC quarterfinals, Cornell went on to defeat Dartmouth in two, and in Atlantic City lost to Harvard 6-1 in the semifinals. Actually got physically crushed. What was left of Cornell picked themselves up and defeated Colgate in the consolation game. In the NCAA tournament in the regional, Cornell defeated Michigan 3-2 in overime but lost to Ferris State 2-1.
 
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Re: Union College: 2017-2018

We have got to stay focussed on Colgate and block out everything else. We cannot be looking ahead to Cornell. In January, Gate averaged 1.5 goals per game. In February they are averaging 2.66 goals per game. They are going to needs points this weekend to hold on to home ice.

Good things will happen if we keep winning. Its got to start with Colgate. In 2010-2011 we were in first and won the Cleary and they were dead last and upset us in the Quarter Finals in Schenectady and we never made the ECAC final 4. In 2013-2014 they were the only ECAC team to beat us twice.

DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE !!!!!
https://youtu.be/gZ5q9dzEJ6s
 
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Re: Union College: 2017-2018

Can you say "peaking at the right time" because that's what you're doing. You could give us a break this Friday.:)
 
Re: Union College: 2017-2018

sshablak said:
Can you say "peaking at the right time" because that's what you're doing. You could give us a break this Friday.:)
Click to expand...

I was going to ask "which of your legs do you want broken" but that would be in poor taste and completely uncalled for.. :)
Are you basically asking for mercy?? :eek:
 
Re: Union College: 2017-2018

Pokey said:
I was going to ask "which of your legs do you want broken" but that would be in poor taste and completely uncalled for.. :)
Are you basically asking for mercy?? :eek:
Click to expand...

We underestimated Colgate in 2010-2011 :mad: and we will never do that again.
 
Re: Union College: 2017-2018

A good game against the Tigers. There was a lot of energy on the ice, more than I'd noticed in the past few months. That was good. I do like the power play puck movement. You can tell it's a new thing, players are having trouble visualizing open shooting lanes, but I bet you it's a nightmare to defend against, and exhausting or the other team. I hope we keep doing this. The game turned out to quite a free for all at the end, but it was fun from a viewer's perspective.
I am still impressed by Kupsky. The goal on Friday was a tricky shot (fluttering puck) and I'm sure he wanted it back, but he's been outstanding recently. Hope he keeps it up.
Morgan is having a good stretch as well. So is Harrison. Those 2 need a bit more playing time with some older guys on the ice, they need a bit better vision of what's going on. It bodes well for next year if they keep getting better!

On to Colgate! Go U!
 
Re: Union College: 2017-2018

Not much written on the Dutchmen, who are only 9-1 in their last ten. Perhaps that is a good thing. They are in the "red zone" now, with some tough yards in front of them (pardon the metaphor).
Much written on Point of Colgate, but Jake Kupsky is playing as well as any goaltender in the country. The "kids" are coming into their own. The studs are producing. Rick Bennett & Co. are among the best. Union should enter the final regular season weekend in the top twenty, regaining much of the lost ground from their preseason ranking.
It all boils down now to tournament success as far as the NCAA invitation is concerned. If the Dutchmen are to succeed, no better place to start than at Achilles!
 
Re: Union College: 2017-2018

Miami Ice said:
Not much written on the Dutchmen, who are only 9-1 in their last ten. Perhaps that is a good thing. They are in the "red zone" now, with some tough yards in front of them (pardon the metaphor).
Much written on Point of Colgate, but Jake Kupsky is playing as well as any goaltender in the country. The "kids" are coming into their own. The studs are producing. Rick Bennett & Co. are among the best. Union should enter the final regular season weekend in the top twenty, regaining much of the lost ground from their preseason ranking.
It all boils down now to tournament success as far as the NCAA invitation is concerned. If the Dutchmen are to succeed, no better place to start than at Achilles!
Click to expand...

Health and the penalty box are our two worst enemies.. need to control those..
 
Re: Union College: 2017-2018

ecachawkeyfan said:
Dutchmen back in the national polls: https://www.unionathletics.com/news...ckey-dutchmen-back-in-the-national-polls.aspx

Of course, the Pairwise is the real ranking that matters but still nice to see.
Click to expand...

discussion point - PAIRWISE - Can it be "gamed" ??
Does the Conference and their schedule make up provide an advantage in Pairwise rankings?

A .500 team inside a "strong conference" looks mighty good in the pairwise rankings
vs a team near or even over .600 from a conference that may be larger and thus have some weaker teams and scheduling differences.

Why ? A conference with 5-8 teams play each other 4 times each year (strength of schedule ) - and may only play some of the teams twice (in the case of a 9 team league)
not sure what determines which one you don't play 4 times or why you don't play them twice more instead of the patsy teams they start with?
and results in those back to back games where your strongest goalie may not play game 2 especially following a game 1 win
opening the door for the "split at home" scenario thus providing each team "pairwise points" for beating or tying a "strong team"
Meanwhile you have a larger conference (primarily in the East) - that ensures you only play each team twice in a season
usually weeks apart. Limiting your opportunity to possibly take advantage of the need to rest players in that 2nd game
Yes they play 2 back to back but not always against a stronger team (Playing Clarkson back to back days vs playing Clarkson followed by St Lawrence is a bit different)

Just to push up the page count a bit maybe - I am not a Conspiracy theory person - just a fan.. And since pairwise prides itself on not being a "voting poll"
but instead a "merit poll" I believe anything that could be construed as less than that is open for discussion..

What made me look at it -- North Dakota .. certainly not unbeatable at 14-14 but ranked way up there and somehow in their conference they are 2-2 with Neb-Omaha, 2-2 with Colorado College, 1-1-2 with Denver, 1-1 with Miami (2 games pending) and 0-1-1 with St Cloud (2 games pending) So each f those teams are collecting "power points" - once would think to be ranked like they are would require dominating somebody in 4 games?
 
Re: Union College: 2017-2018

Cornell has 100% chance of making the NCAA's and Clarkson has 98% of making the NCAA's
Union and Harvard have 11% but most of that probability is comprised of our ability to win the tournament.
Remember there are other ECAC teams that can run the table and win the tournament as well. Remember Brown back in 2012 and how close they came.
https://www.collegehockeynews.com/ratings/probabilityMatrix.php

"If you’re not currently in the top 14 of the PairWise, be prepared to either make a very deep postseason run if you’re on the bubble, or if you’re currently ranked 18 or below, hope to win your conference tournament."

Basically, we have to win the Tournament to make the NCAA's. The most probable outcome is that the ECAC sends two, Cornell and Clarkson.

https://www.collegehockeynews.com/ratings/probabilityMatrix.php

We have to stay focussed on Point.
 
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