Yale Hockey 2011 the Post-Season thread: AC, Harbor Yard, and ....

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: Yale Hockey 2011 the Post-Season thread: AC, Harbor Yard, and ....

I wanted to come in here and congratulate Yale on a remarkable season. While many of us in Sioux nation gave you plenty of grief (myself included) during the regular season, I hope you realize it was only because of how good of a team you had. I'm sure it is disappointing to end the season this way, but there aren't many programs in the country that have been to consecutive Regional Finals (Yale, Michigan and New Hampshire) in the past two seasons. You have a very good coach, and play a very fun style of play. Again, Yale had a great season, and should not hang their heads over the loss. Congratulations on a wonderful program that you are building, and I'm sure we'll be seeing more of you in the coming years.

 

[yalebulldogfan]

Re: Yale Hockey 2011 the Post-Season thread: AC, Harbor Yard, and ....

I wanted to come in here and congratulate Yale on a remarkable season. While many of us in Sioux nation gave you plenty of grief (myself included) during the regular season, I hope you realize it was only because of how good of a team you had. I'm sure it is disappointing to end the season this way, but there aren't many programs in the country that have been to consecutive Regional Finals (Yale, Michigan and New Hampshire) in the past two seasons. You have a very good coach, and play a very fun style of play. Again, Yale had a great season, and should not hang their heads over the loss. Congratulations on a wonderful program that you are building, and I'm sure we'll be seeing more of you in the coming years.

Much appreciated. We were truly honored to beat you guys last year and we all know that we will never have the program you do. Thank you for a classy post and good luck to you guys in Saint Paul.

 

[Saints#1]

Re: Yale Hockey 2011 the Post-Season thread: AC, Harbor Yard, and ....

Much appreciated. We were truly honored to beat you guys last year and we all know that we will never have the program you do. Thank you for a classy post and good luck to you guys in Saint Paul.

They still have to beat Denver tomorrow to get to St. Paul, which as we saw in the WCHA Championship game is no easy task.

 

[The Rube]

Re: Yale Hockey 2011 the Post-Season thread: AC, Harbor Yard, and ....

I will also say congrats on a good season. I do believe that Yale will remain in the tourney for a while.

 

[ColSkate65]

Re: Yale Hockey 2011 the Post-Season thread: AC, Harbor Yard, and ....

Kudos to you guys on a great season and run in the tourney. I know we will be facing another tough Eli team next season in the league. Maybe we can do better than the lone tie on your record this year

 

[RaiderJoe2014]

Re: Yale Hockey 2011 the Post-Season thread: AC, Harbor Yard, and ....

Colgate fan here

I was rooting for Yale to represent ECACHL in the Frozen Four.

You have a great program and will continue to have success because of your coach, the great atmosphere at your home games, and the fact that Yale is Yale.

If I was a Yale fan I would be incensed at the call on O'Neill. We all have seen bad calls and calls we have deemed the worst we ever saw. But this really was under all the circumstances the worst call I ever saw. An NCAA tourney game, and the ref throws out Yale's best guy for what at worst worst worst was a charge--and it wasn't even a charge.

What can the NCAA do about this officiating. It demeans the game. Not just that absurd call on O'Neill, but also handing Michigan an OT win on a goal that no one knows for sure if it ever crossed the line.

Anyway, a disappointing weekend for the ECAC. I don't understand what happened to Union. When we (Colgate) played them I thought they were great. Yes we beat them but we played our absolute best imaginable hockey for 2 nights and our goalie stood on his head. RPI--I don't get how they got into this tournament. I like their team and love their arena and fans and all, but they were 5th, Dartmouth was 3rd, RPI lost in the first round, Dartmouth made the final 4 ECAC--isn't there any common sense or do they just hand these decisions to a computer? Did Dartmouth do something to anger the NCAA?

 

[elihockeyfan]

Re: Yale Hockey 2011 the Post-Season thread: AC, Harbor Yard, and ....

First, Kudos to UMD. They played a great game, no doubt they are a strong team and it is not shameful to lose to them.

I think UMD did a masterful job of taking Yale out of its game and destroying our rhythm. This was manifested in the number of penalites we took, I felt that the guys wanted to match UMD as an aggressive/hitting team, and that not being our normal style of play, it just backfired. I lost count of the penalties.

Of course, like everyone else (including ESPN), I felt the O'Neill hit was clean. I am surprised that even if the refs thought it was worthy of a penalty they would assess a five minute major for it. No doubt it was the turning point in the game, and we will always wonder what might have happened...

My daughter (age 11, who probably went to a dozen games with me this year) asked me if we have witnessed the end of Yale remarkable run over the last few years. What could I say? I don't want to contemplate that, but the amount of talent that has graduated over the last two seasons is immense. I hope Keith can keep working his magic and that one day we can get to the FF if not the championship game.

It was a great season and I always looked forward to reading the posts from the regulars on this thread. I guess I need a new hobby for the next seven months...

 

[DartmouthIndian]

Re: Yale Hockey 2011 the Post-Season thread: AC, Harbor Yard, and ....

Wow - what an embarrassment for the NCAA and college hockey -

Giving credit where it's due, UMDs top line and special teams were dominant and they buried every chance they got, from a short handed 1st period goal to 4 PP goals in the 2nd.

Yale dominated period 1 (both 5on5 and PP) and generally dominated 5on5 throughout but by the time the refs were done ruining the game half way thru the second, nothing mattered. I thought refs let 4 or 5 marginal penalties go on UMD in the first - nothing major but they added up - i would have maybe called one - there were two trips, a hook and face mask that turned a guy's head and body. Even so Yale had several first period PPs with very good pressure, one of which lead to a 2on1 shorthanded beauty by UMD - that was painful given the lopsided play in period one. Yale's one weakness seemed to be faceoffs and that lead to a point shot PP deflection early in the 2nd to give UMD a 2 zip lead. At that point, given the all the missed calls agst UMD in the first, plus the context of a top seed trailing 2-0, I expected the refs to tread cautiously. Instead the refs sent the arena into a mix of fury and disbelief with a series of calls. A marginal hitting from behind on a penalty kill gave UMD a 5on3. Now 3-0. Yale then started hitting - they were ****ed - and within a minute an elbow penalty was called on ONeil by the ref at the other end of the ice while the other ref was just 20 feet from the play. It was as if the refs never played the game and were oblivious to the context. After Yale scored to make it 3-1, Oneil then got tagged with a 5min major. Huh ? on that kill, Yale also picked up a boarding. Again 5on3, Hello ? It's almost impossible to get a boarding call when you are short handed playing a box. Now 5-1. Mid 2nd - GAME OVER.

Yale picked up 2 to make it interesting but anything after period one was just irrelevant.

What we learned. UMD has a goalie that was the MVP. UMD has 17 guys that did nothing special but also were error free. Great job guys. And UMD has 3 guys that are lethal, especially on the PP. Yale looked much better 5on5, but we only saw that for parts of the first. After the refs took over, most of the action was pointless. I do wonder if Allain would, in retrospect, have called a TO after the 3-0 lead. The whole place was shocked and I wonder if his players needed a mental reload. As for the major on ONeil, it seems relevant that he got the elbow call just before - perhaps he needed to cool down. Very few saw the hit and at the point in the second they stopped showing arena replays of all the atrocious calls. The place was livid, but a more aggressive crowd would have littered the ice.

Too bad bc it would have been fun to watch a hockey game, not 20 minutes of hockey, plus 20min of BS, plus 20 of Yale saving face.

 

[LTsatch]

Re: Yale Hockey 2011 the Post-Season thread: AC, Harbor Yard, and ....

I guess I need a new hobby for the next seven months...

Saltwater fishing in CT and Yale Hockey dovetail very nicely! To my wife's chagrin I am obsessed with both.

Great season by Yale that ended pretty sadly, we are going to miss those 9 seniors. As to the call, we got robbed of an excellent hockey game, all college hockey fans missed what could have been a classic.

 

[yalehockeyfan]

Re: Yale Hockey 2011 the Post-Season thread: AC, Harbor Yard, and ....

UMD deserved to win, but Yale derseved a chance to fight it out and be given a fair shake. Unfortunately, that was prevented by the worst officiated game I have ever seen.
Congrats to UMD and good luck- go win a championship in Minnesota!

Most imprtantly of all, thank you to this group of Yale seniors who have completely reshaped the entire landscape of Yale Hockey. While a trip to the Frozen Four would have been a fitting end to their great run, I believe that in the end the contribution they have made as a group to this program over the past 4 years will have a much greater impact when we look back at Yale Hockey history. Thank you.

 

[BC/HE]

Re: Yale Hockey 2011 the Post-Season thread: AC, Harbor Yard, and ....

Did not see the call but from what I have heard there seems to be some conflict as to the interpretation of the rules. From the NCAA rulebook:

Contact to the Head
This is an important safety issue and the committee is concerned about
some violent contact that has occurred in the game and caused injury. To
make this rule clearer, any time a player targets the head or neck area of
an opponent, it must be a major penalty and a game misconduct penalty at
a minimum. This rule is not intended to cover incidental contact or contact
with the head that occurs that should be a minor penalty (e.g., unintentional
high stick, body check where the contact is initiated at the shoulder or torso,
but the follow through makes some contact with the head). Clear direction
is being provided here to assist officials, coaches and players with this rule.
The committee expects a heightened awareness to direct contact to head,
but it should be noted that many contact to the head fouls in previous seasons
that were minor penalties should remain minor penalties (e.g., an incidental
high sticking foul would remain a minor for high sticking).
The committee reminds coaches and players that the responsibility
remains with the player making the hit to avoid contact with the head and
neck area of an opposing player. Any contact which directly targets the
player’s head and neck area must be penalized with a major penalty and
a game misconduct or disqualification. A player delivering a check to an
unsuspecting and vulnerable player puts themselves in jeopardy of being
penalized under this rule.
Officials are to pay particular attention to these examples when applying
this rule. These are intended as guidance and include, but are not limited to,
the following:
• A player that has just released a shot or pass;
• A player that delivers a late hit;
• A player that extends and directs the arm, elbow, forearm or shoulder
to contact the head and neck area of the opponent;
• A player that extends the body and targets the opponent’s head or
neck area.
• A player that leaves the skates or launches in order to deliver a blow
to the head or neck area of the opposing player.
• A player that uses the stick in any way to target the head or neck area
(e.g., cross checking, butt-ending, etc.).
As additional guidance, when the initial force of the contact is a shoulder
to the body of the opponent and slides up to the head or neck area, this is not
classified as contact to the head. This type of action may still be penalized,
at the referee’s discretion, as another penalty (e.g., charging, roughing,
elbowing, etc.).

 

[GreenCat]

Re: Yale Hockey 2011 the Post-Season thread: AC, Harbor Yard, and ....

Not sure if it is a hex on ECAC or what.....I think it was 2 or 3 years ago that Princeton got hosed by a horribly officiated game which again I think was against UMD or SCSU...one of those two.

 

[hockeymascot]

Re: Yale Hockey 2011 the Post-Season thread: AC, Harbor Yard, and ....

Great season guys! Saw both your games this weekend and felt that you deserved a different fate (taking nothing away from the play of UMD). There is only one other team similar to Yale that I saw this season that could turn it up a notch and buzz a team to death, and that was Union. Stronger goaltending vs UMD was much needed. However, an ECAC League Championship you have that no one can take away, something the other ECAC teams in the NCAA Tournament wish they had an opportunity to play for in AC.

 

[Got 6 Want More]

Re: Yale Hockey 2011 the Post-Season thread: AC, Harbor Yard, and ....

Did not see the call but from what I have heard there seems to be some conflict as to the interpretation of the rules. From the NCAA rulebook:

Contact to the Head
This is an important safety issue and the committee is concerned about
some violent contact that has occurred in the game and caused injury. To
make this rule clearer, any time a player targets the head or neck area of
an opponent, it must be a major penalty and a game misconduct penalty at
a minimum. This rule is not intended to cover incidental contact or contact
with the head that occurs that should be a minor penalty (e.g., unintentional
high stick, body check where the contact is initiated at the shoulder or torso,
but the follow through makes some contact with the head). Clear direction
is being provided here to assist officials, coaches and players with this rule.
The committee expects a heightened awareness to direct contact to head,
but it should be noted that many contact to the head fouls in previous seasons
that were minor penalties should remain minor penalties (e.g., an incidental
high sticking foul would remain a minor for high sticking).
The committee reminds coaches and players that the responsibility
remains with the player making the hit to avoid contact with the head and
neck area of an opposing player. Any contact which directly targets the
player’s head and neck area must be penalized with a major penalty and
a game misconduct or disqualification. A player delivering a check to an
unsuspecting and vulnerable player puts themselves in jeopardy of being
penalized under this rule.
Officials are to pay particular attention to these examples when applying
this rule. These are intended as guidance and include, but are not limited to,
the following:
• A player that has just released a shot or pass;
• A player that delivers a late hit;
• A player that extends and directs the arm, elbow, forearm or shoulder
to contact the head and neck area of the opponent;
• A player that extends the body and targets the opponent’s head or
neck area.
• A player that leaves the skates or launches in order to deliver a blow
to the head or neck area of the opposing player.
• A player that uses the stick in any way to target the head or neck area
(e.g., cross checking, butt-ending, etc.).
As additional guidance, when the initial force of the contact is a shoulder
to the body of the opponent and slides up to the head or neck area, this is not
classified as contact to the head. This type of action may still be penalized,
at the referee’s discretion, as another penalty (e.g., charging, roughing,
elbowing, etc.).

It was absolutely not targeting the head or neck area of Hendrickson. It was a clean, shoulder hit in open ice and O'Neill is only 5'9" as opposed to Hendrickson who looks to be about 6'0" or even bigger and O'Neill did not have his hands or stick up. It was a horrible call. Then in the Merrimack - Notre Dame game the player got hit in the head by an elbow and from behind and was injured and no call - not even a minor - and Merrimack goes on to lose a game they probably would have won with that call. The calls were so awful you have to start wondering if the refs took payoffs. Having said that, I knew Yale's behavior against SLU in the ECAC playoffs would come back to bite them and it did. 9 Penalties for 29 minutes including a full 2 minute 5 on 3 for UMD. To their credit though, Yale did not seem to be chirping at UMD or the refs and UMD guys were after getting penalties called against them. Obviously, it is a shame that with 2 ECAC teams in the East regional we have no teams in the FF.

 

[cornellgradyalefan]

Re: Yale Hockey 2011 the Post-Season thread: AC, Harbor Yard, and ....

UMD deserved to win, but Yale deserved a chance to fight it out and be given a fair shake. Unfortunately, that was prevented by the worst officiated game I have ever seen.

This sums it up as well as any comment I have seen on here about the game. Yale hurt themselves by not scoring in the first, including missing 2 open nets, by giving up the breakaway shortie, and by not being intelligently aggressive in the second, meaning being aggressive without taking penalties. All of that led to them being down 3-0. But Yale is nothing if not a come back team and the O'Neill goal ignited the team and the crowd. Then 8 seconds later came the call which took the game out of the realm of fair competition and put into the realm of the officials taking the game into their hands and effectively deciding the outcome. I am not saying Yale would have come back. I am saying they had that chance unjustly taken from them

 

[Saints#1]

Re: Yale Hockey 2011 the Post-Season thread: AC, Harbor Yard, and ....

It was absolutely not targeting the head or neck area of Hendrickson. It was a clean, shoulder hit in open ice and O'Neill is only 5'9" as opposed to Hendrickson who looks to be about 6'0" or even bigger and O'Neill did not have his hands or stick up. It was a horrible call. Then in the Merrimack - Notre Dame game the player got hit in the head by an elbow and from behind and was injured and no call - not even a minor - and Merrimack goes on to lose a game they probably would have won with that call. The calls were so awful you have to start wondering if the refs took payoffs. Having said that, I knew Yale's behavior against SLU in the ECAC playoffs would come back to bite them and it did. 9 Penalties for 29 minutes including a full 2 minute 5 on 3 for UMD. To their credit though, Yale did not seem to be chirping at UMD or the refs and UMD guys were after getting penalties called against them. Obviously, it is a shame that with 2 ECAC teams in the East regional we have no teams in the FF.

Not to mention our two best teams in the same regional and still no team in the Frozen Four. This kinda sucks!

 

[Saints#1]

Re: Yale Hockey 2011 the Post-Season thread: AC, Harbor Yard, and ....

Not sure if it is a hex on ECAC or what.....I think it was 2 or 3 years ago that Princeton got hosed by a horribly officiated game which again I think was against UMD or SCSU...one of those two.

This game was a 5-4 OT loss to who else, but UMD....I don't recall the officiating from that game though so I can't comment on that.

 

[Runninwiththedogs]

Re: Yale Hockey 2011 the Post-Season thread: AC, Harbor Yard, and ....

Not sure if it is a hex on ECAC or what.....I think it was 2 or 3 years ago that Princeton got hosed by a horribly officiated game which again I think was against UMD or SCSU...one of those two.

Actually, no, Princeton lost because their goalie blindly shoved the puck behind the net, Mike Connolly got the puck to MacGregor Sharp, MacGregor Sharp got the puck to Evan Oberg, and Evan Oberg went top shelf with 0.8 seconds left. Then in OT some Princeton doofus tripped a Bulldog player and Mike Connolly scored on the ensuing PP.

It's not a hex on the ECAC. I'll try to be nice here and refrain from telling you what it is.

 

[Eph72]

Re: Yale Hockey 2011 the Post-Season thread: AC, Harbor Yard, and ....

Hard to know what to say. Its still too soon. Here's a try.

It was a great, great season. I think the guys accomplished so much that they can be proud of for the rest of their lives. They certainly punched above their weight. They got recognition from opposing coaches and players, from fans and from the media and the polls.

When we played well, we played very very well. I've been watching college hockey for over 40 years now, and Yale hockey closely for about 15 years. This was by far the best Yale team I've seen, and on our best days, like coming back from a 3-0 deficit at Princeton, one of the best "teams" I've ever seen in any sport.

The debate on these boards about number one rankings and the relative strength of Yale and the ECAC versus the other conferences was pretty pointless and demeaning... to us and to our detractors. It is one of the few small sour notes in a wonderful season. I regret that the discussion too often got hijacked from the high road to the low road. I do agree with some of the detractors, however, that the goal is to get to the Frozen Four and, hopefully to a National Championship, and to win, and we haven't done that. But we have a coaching staff and a roster that has the potential to go even further, and I hope we do. It isn't going to be easy to continue to recruit kids who can play at the highest level and surmount the admissions barriers Yale throws up, but Coach Allain and his assistants are showing that it can be done.

It was wonderful to see Yale fans (town and gown) fill the Whale this year. The student support, as the season unfolded, was terrific. The renovation is spectacular and from all I hear the new locker rooms, the training facilities and the improved ice are a seriously important recruiting tool. It sure helps to get through a northeastern winter like the one we just had to know that Friday or Saturday evening will be spent watching some seriously good, competitive college hockey.

Which brings me to last night. I have to say I think we - not the refs - blew it. Not because we are a bad team or even because we are not a better team than Duluth. We may be but we'll never know. While we came out taking the play in the first, and getting the better of the shots on goal, we weren't dominant. We couldn't push Duluth back on their heels. I was thinking, if we're going to win a national championship, we've got to dominate. Then we got the 5 on 3 and it wasn't that we didn't control the puck (we did) but we weren't crashing. I don't know if it has been commented on, but early in the 5 on 3 one of the Duluth D lost his stick and it was 5 on 2 1/2 for 20 or 30 seconds. But we played the guy as if he had a stick. We couldn't overwhelm them. When Duluth killed that penalty I felt we were in for a tough road. The rest has been well commented on extensively by Dartmouth Indian and others. The shorty was the result of a break down in discipline and the second goal was soft. These things happen, but not, I think to a team that is playing through to a championship. I honestly think the game was probably lost by the time we were down 3-0, although I have enormous respect for our team's drive and fighting spirit. Anyone who saw the comeback in Princeton knows this team doesn't quit. O'Neil's goal did put a jump in the team and in the house and its conceivable we could have come back. I didn't see the hit, but I called my son at home watching on TV and he said the replay was clear. I don't know what to say. The officiating all year has been a problem. I think the increasing emphasis on taking head shots out of the game is absolutely commendable, but a nonreleasable five minute major is a serious penalty and I think the ref has to be CERTAIN when he calls it. He has to say to himself , "Am I certain I saw the direct hit to the head?" The answer to that question had to be "no", since there was no hit. Its true that the kid got up holding his head. And I don't see how we can have video replay on penalty calls. But this was a wrong call that for all intents and purposes ended the game for Yale. I won't say the next two Duluth goals were inevitable but without the five minute major its a different game. Nevertheless, I don't think I come out thinking, but for the bad call, we're in the finals. We weren't winning the game before the call and we certainly hadn't solved our opponent.

Anyway, the sour ending of last night's game shouldn't and doesn't affect what was an incredible season for the players, the coaches, the Yale student body and the University, the fans and the community. I got a great deal of pleasure being a Yale fan this season and I can't wait till next October.

 

[critsports]

Re: Yale Hockey 2011 the Post-Season thread: AC, Harbor Yard, and ....

Not to mention our two best teams in the same regional and still no team in the Frozen Four.

Obviously, it is a shame that with 2 ECAC teams in the East regional we have no teams in the FF.

I'm about glazed over from watching so many hockey games the last few days but as an ECAC fan my disappointment today is summed up in the above two statements. Never, ever, will we (ECAC) have a better chance to have a team in the Frozen Four than we did this weekend in Bridgeport. Our two best teams, one of them playing what amounts to a home game (like UNH in Manchester, NH) and we still are left standing at the altar.

Yes the call on O'Neill was a horribly botched call, but the way that game was playing out I have a feeling the outcome wouldn't have been different even if a minor or nothing was called. I think the thing I took away from this weekend was that (although Ylae scored on the PP against UMD) overall it was a miserable weekend for Union and Ylae in any kind of man advantage situation. From Union going 0 for 9 on the PP to Ylae having their back broken in the first when while controlling play and putting shot after shot on Reiter and then they give up the shortie. I was also shocked when a man down, how easily UMD scored on both Union and Ylae.
Man up, man down, (and one horrible penalty call) were really the story of the weekend.

I've read all the other boards and the amount of woofing and taunting going on is ridiculous. Yale was one of the best teams in the country this year and I think it will be a long time before our conference has such an assemblage of talented offensive players. To say Ylae or Union aren't one of the Top 10 teams in the country is just falsehood. Because BC got blown out do you really think they weren't one of the best teams in the country this year?? The reality in a one and done series just about anything can happen and we saw that this weekend in numerous games.
Look at the non-call in the Merrimack/Notre Dame game. Merrimack clearly should have been on a 5 minute PP (when in the Ylae game the opposite happened). Look at the controversial ending in the first Michigan game. Things can go right or they can go wrong but that doesn't take away from the fact that those teams on the losing end weren't quality teams deserving of their rankings.

Again.......I am so disappointed for our league in not getting a team to the Frozen Four. This year was a wonderful opportunity. Ylae loses a lot of talent. Union returns a bunch. I hate to think how good RPI could have been this year had D'Amigo and Pirri not jumped. But I guess that's the feeling I am left with after this season........coulda, woulda, shoulda........but again it didn't happen.