Utica College 2017-2018 season

[Fishman'81]

Re: Utica College 2017-2018 season

Well, it wasn't all that much fun to watch such a lop-sided game, but UC certainly showed up and played solid fundamental hockey from the start.

Tomorrow looks to be a totally different game. Salve will be coming off a frustrating loss, while Utica basically played a scrimmage tonight. Hope Heenan has the guys' attention. This could very possibly represent a quality win that UC will need if they want to earn an AL bid.

(Any of you know if Virtanen is injured? He wasn't even dressed tonight... Baggetta has looked fine, but Dill doesn't offer real any depth in goal.)

 

[Fishman'81]

Re: Utica College 2017-2018 season

To answer my own question, Virtanen is obviously healthy... He was absolutely All-World tonight. Salve completely dominated the 1st tonight, but Patrick saved UC's bacon.

Utica woke up and carried the last 2 periods, but Saive's 1st and 2nd lines are big, strong, fast and talented. As good a team as I've seen all year. I predict this one will indeed look like a quality win at the end of the RS, and it was extremely entertaining to watch.

 

[Fishman'81]

Re: Utica College 2017-2018 season

Quality win at Rye. M'ville is building a decent resume, but the UCHC isn't all that as a whole. (I blame Hobart!)

Tomorrow will be a slam-dunk vs. King's, and 8-2 at this point doesn't suck.

 

[elbojpb]

Re: Utica College 2017-2018 season

... but the UCHC isn't all that as a whole. (I blame Hobart!)

The latest D3Hockey poll had 0 / nil / nada / null / zero UCHC teams in the top 15. That's a first in my recollection, and a sad legacy for a once proud conference.

 

[PrezdeJohnson09]

The latest D3Hockey poll had 0 / nil / nada / null / zero UCHC teams in the top 15. That's a first in my recollection, and a sad legacy for a once proud conference.

Elmira is doing work in out of conference with wins over Geneseo and Hobart.

 

[Fishman'81]

Re: Utica College 2017-2018 season

The latest D3Hockey poll had 0 / nil / nada / null / zero UCHC teams in the top 15. That's a first in my recollection, and a sad legacy for a once proud conference.

All the beauty-contest polls are silly, but none more that that site's. (I didn't bother to look, but I'm sure that Norwich was in it last week. )

The UCHC diluted itself to attain the requisite number of teams to "legitimize" itself in terms of the AQ BS, and even that didn't work this year, for whatever arbitrary, stupid, D-3 reason.

Having said that, I'll go out on a limb here, and guess that Utica and M'ville have a shot anyway -Stevenson too, and maybe Elmira- but D-3 needs to join the 21st century in terms of employing a transparent metric for all to see on the national level.

 

[Fishman'81]

Re: Utica College 2017-2018 season

Elmira is doing work in out of conference with wins over Geneseo and Hobart.

Best 1st line I've seen all year in D-3, and very good 'tending. Too bad the Eagles will have to fight for scraps, just as the rest of the UCHC will be forced to do.

 

[elbojpb]

Re: Utica College 2017-2018 season

All the beauty-contest polls are silly, but none more that that site's. (I didn't bother to look, but I'm sure that Norwich was in it last week. )

I agree that polls are useless for determining the viability of a team, but I also do believe that the polls are representative of the credibility that the "hockey world" lends to a team/conference and may have at least some impact on potential recruits.

 

[Fishman'81]

Re: Utica College 2017-2018 season

I agree that polls are useless for determining the viability of a team, but I also do believe that the polls are representative of the credibility that the "hockey world" lends to a team/conference and may have at least some impact on potential recruits.

I can't disagree with that, necessarily... But, I've talked to UC players over the years re: why they went there, and the quality of hockey program wasn't usually their stock answer; they tended to skew towards the academic in their response. Perhaps they were just being polite.

Anyway, what a game by Ferch of King's tonight. IIRC, he made 56 saves, many of the Grade-A variety. He, alone, made that game worth attending. That very young team might be one to watch if it stays together until they're all just 26 or so.

 

[bakdraft21]

Re: Utica College 2017-2018 season

I can't disagree with that, necessarily... But, I've talked to UC players over the years re: why they went there, and the quality of hockey program wasn't usually their stock answer; they tended to skew towards the academic in their response. Perhaps they were just being polite.

Anyway, what a game by Ferch of King's tonight. IIRC, he made 56 saves, many of the Grade-A variety. He, alone, made that game worth attending. That very young team might be one to watch if it stays together until they're all just 26 or so.

1-1 game if you take away special teams play

 

[Fishman'81]

Re: Utica College 2017-2018 season

1-1 game if you take away special teams play

Yup. That was the Ferch Effect. He was stellar, while his D generally looked-on as though they'd bought tickets. If UC and King's had traded goalies, the final probably would have been 15-0. I don't want to see Dill again, ever.

 

[PSUChamps2001]

Re: Utica College 2017-2018 season

Yup. That was the Ferch Effect. He was stellar, while his D generally looked-on as though they'd bought tickets. If UC and King's had traded goalies, the final probably would have been 15-0. I don't want to see Dill again, ever.

Can he transfer to Plattsburgh.....

 

[Fishman'81]

Re: Utica College 2017-2018 season

Can he transfer to Plattsburgh.....

Believe me, Champs, you don't want him (Dill, i mean)... You no doubt see enough deer in the headlights already, just driving around at this time of the year.

 

[Fishman'81]

Re: Utica College 2017-2018 season

Best game I've seen in a looong time. Stevenson's Caffrey was beyond outstanding -Virtanen was excellent, too- but the cream rose to the top at last. UC's speed just wore a rangy yet not-very-physical team down as the game went on.

Really appreciate Heenan's approach this season. He's playing to his team's strengths, and it's paying off. Kudos to him and the boys for a very nice 1st-half, so far.

 

[sshablak]

Re: Utica College 2017-2018 season

Fishman complementing Heenan, wow, hope for humanity !

 

[joecct]

Fishman complementing Heenan, wow, hope for humanity !

It snowed in Florida..

 

[Fishman'81]

Re: Utica College 2017-2018 season

Fishman complementing Heenan, wow, hope for humanity !

Well, I deserved that one, Shabby.

But I try to give credit where credit is due, and Heenan has done a great job with this team.

He's played to his strengths (mainly trusting his straight-ahead speed and good hands), he doesn't have his goalies over-playing the puck, and he has his D positioned in front of their men and not making dumb passes through the low-slot and/or over-pinching.

This certainly isn't the most talented Utica team I've ever seen, but it has considerable depth and they play balls-out, smart, hockey. Hope they sustain it. I can see a bid in their future if they do...

 

[sshablak]

Re: Utica College 2017-2018 season

JUst good natured busting fishy, you know that Looks like UC is putting it all together, weird league with those cellar dwellers makin a lot of records look pretty good. BTW...prob no AQ for this league ?? Wasn't ECAC West about to get one ?

 

[OZrebel]

Well, I deserved that one, Shabby.

But I try to give credit where credit is due, and Heenan has done a great job with this team.

He's played to his strengths (mainly trusting his straight-ahead speed and good hands), he doesn't have his goalies over-playing the puck, and he has his D positioned in front of their men and not making dumb passes through the low-slot and/or over-pinching in their own zone.

This certainly isn't the most talented Utica team I've ever seen, but it has considerable depth and they play balls-out, smart, hockey. Hope they sustain it. I can see a bid in their future if they do...

If Rutkowski joins his brother, he did leave Oswego after all, then that's a huge defensive addition was one of our better with a bunch of experience from last year. Will make our game interesting down there.

 

[CARDS_rule_the_Burgh]

BTW...prob no AQ for this league ?? Wasn't ECAC West about to get one ?

This would have been year 2 of the 2 year wait for the ECAC-W (I.e. they would have gotten it next season). Because of the change of league, this is year 1 of 2 for the UCHC. They will get it in 2019-20.