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Utica College Pioneers 2014-2015: Bust. Let's try this again!

Re: Utica College Pioneers 2014-2015: Bust. Let's try this again!

Birdwatcher said:
The article mentions the Clinton Comets in the 1920s...I am sure they were still around in the 1960s. I remember hearing their games drifting in and out on the car radio while traveling from Watertown to Carthage when I was a kid.

edit: I was correct....http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton_Comets
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Good memory - BTW, I see your article mentions:
Other Hockey Teams in the Mohawk Valley
Utica Mohawks of the Eastern Hockey League (1978–80)
Mohawk Valley Stars of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League (1981–84)
Mohawk Valley Comets of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League (1985–87)
Utica Devils of the American Hockey League (1987–93)
Utica Bulldogs of the Colonial Hockey League (1993–94)
Utica Blizzard of the Colonial Hockey League (1994–97)
Mohawk Valley Prowlers of the United Hockey League (1998–2001)
Mohawk Valley IceCats of the North Eastern Hockey League (2006–07)
Utica Comets of the American Hockey League (2013–present)

Guess they only counted teams with road games ;)
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2014-2015: Bust. Let's try this again!

jcase said:
Besides goalie Zelzer, looks like last year's frosh d'man Ryan Walker and center Zac Lazzaro are gone (not listed?) as well. Walker played in nearly every game last year.
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Time for me to get back into checking this daily..... Ok, here is what I understand.

Walker did not return due to some chronic medical issues.

Zelzer left for a reason not clear to me as of this time and is now at Salem State.

And unfortunately, Zac's father passed away from injuries resulting from a car accident. Sad stuff. Going to miss the kid.

Of the four Kenai River players to enter Utica as freshmen last season, one remains. Mik Bushinski.
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2014-2015: Bust. Let's try this again!

vcxc3200 said:
Time for me to get back into checking this daily..... Ok, here is what I understand.

Walker did not return due to some chronic medical issues.

Zelzer left for a reason not clear to me as of this time and is now at Salem State.

And unfortunately, Zac's father passed away from injuries resulting from a car accident. Sad stuff. Going to miss the kid.

Of the four Kenai River players to enter Utica as freshmen last season, one remains. Mik Bushinski.
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Thanks for the info Ray, it's good to know why the guys you plan to see for 4 years don't return. Sorry to hear about Zac's dad.
 
jcase said:
Thanks for the info Ray, it's good to know why the guys you plan to see for 4 years don't return. Sorry to hear about Zac's dad.
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Zelzer going to Salem State? He must have really been unhappy!
Would have been great to have both Olivieri and Zelzer this year,
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2014-2015: Bust. Let's try this again!

norm1909 said:
Good memory - BTW, I see your article mentions:
Other Hockey Teams in the Mohawk Valley
Utica Mohawks of the Eastern Hockey League (1978–80)
Mohawk Valley Stars of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League (1981–84)
Mohawk Valley Comets of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League (1985–87)
Utica Devils of the American Hockey League (1987–93)
Utica Bulldogs of the Colonial Hockey League (1993–94)
Utica Blizzard of the Colonial Hockey League (1994–97)
Mohawk Valley Prowlers of the United Hockey League (1998–2001)
Mohawk Valley IceCats of the North Eastern Hockey League (2006–07)
Utica Comets of the American Hockey League (2013–present)

Guess they only counted teams with road games ;)
Click to expand...

Don't forget the Copper City Chiefs !!
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2014-2015: Bust. Let's try this again!

Not expecting much from Utica this year, but I'll go to every game just the same.

The roster appeared to be stacked last season, but that team never panned-out.

Hoping to see some promise from the Freshmen, and to see a promising goalie emerge from the pack. I'll be fine win a barely > .500 record, and some indication that '15/'16 will be a much better year.
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2014-2015: Bust. Let's try this again!

Team looked pretty good overall tonight. In first period the rhythm was off but that was to be expected with so many new faces.
4 freshman scored which is a good sign. Thomas, Carter and Wold stood out. Looked like Hanth got KO'd--hope he's all right I believe he had concussion issues last year. Overall nice win with an improved Naz team coming to town for two next weekend.
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2014-2015: Bust. Let's try this again!

Was pleasantly surprised by what I saw last night. The Freshmen as a group appear to have good hands and good wheels. Samuels-Thomas and Carter stood out. The D was solid 90% of the time. Taffe let in one soft goal, but looked sound on the whole. If CSC fares as well as it normally does this season, last night's win might look really good on UC's resume down the road.
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2014-2015: Bust. Let's try this again!

Fishman'81 said:
Was pleasantly surprised by what I saw last night. The Freshmen as a group appear to have good hands and good wheels. Samuels-Thomas and Carter stood out. The D was solid 90% of the time. Taffe let in one soft goal, but looked sound on the whole. If CSC fares as well as it normally does this season, last night's win might look really good on UC's resume down the road.
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Castleton is no pushover, nice win for Utica. Next weekend it will be good to see if Nazareth is a real deal this year - Brockport is no power house, but 7-1 is impressive over a team with many of the same players that took down Oswego this past spring.
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2014-2015: Bust. Let's try this again!

Yeah I think Naz will be a very tough out, based both on what I saw from them last year and the fact that they returned a ton of guys. (They only have 4 Fr. on the roster this season.)
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2014-2015: Bust. Let's try this again!

As expected, Naz looked mature, fast, and clever with the puck. (At least their top-two lines, anyway.) That team is going to be a factor in the W this season, IMO.

It felt like a good tie for UC, despite them carrying the play for maybe 65-70% of the game. No bounces went their way, but they garnered a league point, and were clearly the faster team. Wells looked good, too. (It appears as though Utica has some 'tending this year, again.)

Two points tomorrow will make for a best-case scenario vis-a-vis this weekend in my mind, and another tie won't end the world as we know it. Just a guess, but I can see Naz being in serious contention for the W title this season.
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2014-2015: Bust. Let's try this again!

Fishman'81 said:
As expected, Naz looked mature, fast, and clever with the puck. (At least their top-two lines, anyway.) That team is going to be a factor in the W this season, IMO.

It felt like a good tie for UC, despite them carrying the play for maybe 65-70% of the game. No bounces went their way, but they garnered a league point, and were clearly the faster team. Wells looked good, too. (It appears as though Utica has some 'tending this year, again.)

Two points tomorrow will make for a best-case scenario vis-a-vis this weekend in my mind, and another tie won't end the world as we know it. Just a guess, but I can see Naz being in serious contention for the W title this season.
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Naz is good but UC missed a number of point blank opportunities. Scored two minutes in and two minutes left with nothing in between. I expect a similar battle between the two teams tonight. Most disciplined game I've seen UC play in years with them drawing only one penalty--very happy to see that.
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2014-2015: Bust. Let's try this again!

Was I hallucinating Friday night or did Naz's goalie get tripped during the 2nd period, in a very Hanson-esque manner?

<img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RngCuG5qLfk/UhCwooi297I/AAAAAAAAenA/goxyOiubloI/s1600/SlapShot_168Pyxurz.jpg" alt=":0">
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2014-2015: Bust. Let's try this again!

I remember playing a game in the Utica area?? When I was at Oswego,and when I came thru the lobby there was The Chief standing there....WOW....I think he had a kid playing after us??? ...........anyway.........who owens the chiefs?????????:p
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2014-2015: Bust. Let's try this again!

Well, Saturday"s game v. Naz lent some credence to two ancient hockey cliches:

1. The first shift after a goal-scored is crucial, and
2. You have to play 60 minutes.

UC fell WAAAAY short in both departments.

They played hard for about half the game, then got very very sloppy in their own end. When they went up 4-2, they took the rest of the game off.

This Utica team is good, but not good enough to mail it in, even with a two-goal lead in the 3rd, especially vs. a quality team like Naz. They'd better get with the program immediately, 'cause the W will likely be decided by a point or two, and squandering even one of them means teeing it up in March, the weather allowing.

(Wasn't crazy about Simic, either... It was interesting to see three goalies in three games, and he didn't allow a soft goal, but neither did make any exceptional saves. UC is fairly deep in goal, but Taffe is my guy so far.)
 
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Re: Utica College Pioneers 2014-2015: Bust. Let's try this again!

Fishman'81 said:
Well, Saturday"s game v. Naz lent some credence to two ancient hockey cliches:

1. The first shift after a goal-scored is crucial, and
2. You have to play 60 minutes.

UC fell WAAAAY short in both departments.

They played hard for about half the game, then got very very sloppy in their own end. When they went up 4-2, they took the rest of the game off.

This Utica team is good, but not good enough to mail it in, even with a two-goal lead in the 3rd, especially vs. a quality team like Naz. They'd better get with the program immediately, 'cause the W will likely be decided by a point or two, and squandering even one of them means teeing it up in March, the weather allowing.

(Wasn't crazy about Simic, either... It was interesting to see three goalies in three games, and he didn't allow a soft goal, but neither did make any exceptional saves. UC is fairly deep in goal, but Taffe is my guy so far.)
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Yes, giving up a goal immediately upon scoring a goal once is bad and three times was ridiculous. I'm afraid this team is destined for middle of the road and have lowered my expectations for this year--the league games will be brutal as I expect the more experienced teams to win out over our youth on most nights.

I was rather surprised with the decision to start Simic in a league game as I had expected to see the frosh netminders in the non-league tilts. I was good with the Taffe/Wells tandem and now Taffe will have two weeks between starts. Two league road games next weekend won't be an easy task as the team continues to jell.
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2014-2015: Bust. Let's try this again!

jcase said:
Yes, giving up a goal immediately upon scoring a goal once is bad and three times was ridiculous. I'm afraid this team is destined for middle of the road and have lowered my expectations for this year--the league games will be brutal as I expect the more experienced teams to win out over our youth on most nights.

I was rather surprised with the decision to start Simic in a league game as I had expected to see the frosh netminders in the non-league tilts. I was good with the Taffe/Wells tandem and now Taffe will have two weeks between starts. Two league road games next weekend won't be an easy task as the team continues to jell.
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Your point about Utica's inexperience makes sense, but I'm not discouraged quite yet. For 83% of this young season I've been impressed with the team's discipline, work ethic and speed. The Wells/Taffe tandem has looked sharp, and some of the best play has come from the freshmen. I'm hoping that Saturday's collapse will be a lesson learned re: the folly of trying to sit on a lead against a talented and determined team.
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2014-2015: Bust. Let's try this again!

Fishman'81 said:
Your point about Utica's inexperience makes sense, but I'm not discouraged quite yet. For 83% of this young season I've been impressed with the team's discipline, work ethic and speed. The Wells/Taffe tandem has looked sharp, and some of the best play has come from the freshmen. I'm hoping that Saturday's collapse will be a lesson learned re: the folly of trying to sit on a lead against a talented and determined team.
Click to expand...

Good point - You can't climb up from the top.
 
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