Cornell @ RPI postgame

2-0 loss, 2nd annual whiteout for RIP, using noisemakers during play....
what did everyone think?

1 16:41 RPI Eizenman (unassisted)
1 18:18 RPI Croxton (Colling, McWilliams)

I'd say Lange gets my vote for the TBRW award that goes to the most respected opponent this season. I'm not sure of the name of it, because TBRW isn't accessible at the moment. Of course, that could all change in the playoffs.

it's deffinatly dekanich for me... wow that kid was awesome... but I haven't seen lange...

If you told me that we'd be missing 3 of our top 5 defensemen at the beginning of the weekend, I'd say that 2 points would be a good result. Well...

Let's all stop worrying about the first-round bye. As has been established in other threads, we have a bye.

What I have to wonder is did Schafer just say, "Well, we need to get healthy. We have a bye. I'm resting my injured--whatever happens, happens." Would you rather have the meaningless regular-season championship or a healthy team for the quarters? I know my answer.

Here's hoping that O'Byrne, Polkulok, and Krantz are 100% on the 10th and 11th.

Of course, I'd also rather play 6/7/8 in the 2nd round than a #5 Harvard or SLU. No matter how poorly we've done against 6/7/8 at the moment. That can all be irrelvant by getting at least a single point on the weekend though

So what would need to happen so that Harvard gets a #5 seed and we end up with #4?

I was out of town for the harvard game a few weeks ago.....so is it selfish for me to wish that we're #4 and they're #5?

DeltaOne81
Of course, I'd also rather play 6/7/8 in the 2nd round than a #5 Harvard or SLU. No matter how poorly we've done against 6/7/8 at the moment.

That actually articulates why I feel the distribution of the top seeds doesn't matter that much this year. Yeah, it'd probably be good to avoid Harvard, but, the way things are going right now, any of those 5-8 teams could step up and make for a tough quarterfinal opponent. If we're actually 100%, though, I think we take 2 of 3 at home vs. any of those teams.

It'd be great to be #1, of course. In the unlikely case, I think, that one of the 9-12 teams beats a 5-8 team, it'd be a great advantage, but that's just it--I don't think it's going to happen. It's a tripartite 5-3-4 league this year with defined gaps. Upsets look unlikely.

But, yeah, let's hope for at least one point tomorrow...

Regardless of the fact that our team wasn't at full strength, just a frustrating game for Cornell. We were dominated during the first 10 minutes of the game (but didn't allow a goal), then had maybe 4-5 minutes of solid play, and then just tanked at the end of the period. Didn't really see either goal that well, but it just looked like two defensive lapses. The second period we played significantly better, but still didn't really put a lot of pressure on RPI. Third period, the defense really settled in, and we had the puck consistently in the RPI zone, but nothing worked. Plenty of chances towards the end, but no success.

It seemed like no one wanted to shoot the puck. Countless times, Bitz or Abbott or even Moulson would choose to pass to someone on the wings instead of shooting or penetrating closer to the net. Especially on the PP, it just seemed like no one wanted to step up and score. The few centering passes we did attempt sped past the crease...

The atmosphere at the game was completely bush-league. From the foghorns to the Thundersticks (isn't there some rule against those?) to the cheerleaders roaming the aisles, everything was an embarassment to RPI hockey. Kudos to those who blocked the flag-runners after the second RPI goal. It is obvious that if RPI had been losing, the fans would have been out of the game entirely. As it was, hundreds came in late and they showed a complete lack of attention to the game when they cheered uproariously after the puck when in the net for the third time, though it was clearly waved off.

I felt throughout the night that all the team needed was one goal to provide a spark and turn the game around. That never came. I sincerely hope someone decides to step up and lead this team tomorrow night.

I'm tired, but some quick reactions:

HOW did they get away with those stupid Thunderstix??? I was seated in the small Cornell contingent of a student section, and ended up moving and sneaking into that all-Cornell section behind the goal b/c I was getting a headache from those stupid things. Aren't noisemakers forbidden? How did they get around that? RIDICULOUS.

The game seemed very slow, particularly the first period. I don't mean how fast it went by, but in terms of how fast the guys were skating. Just didn't seem to be much spark there, on either team. As the game progressed, it got a bit better, but still nothing like most games this season.

It was a disappointing game, but overall it just seemed weak, and I couldn't pick out anything specific that Cornell did wrong. I suppose just not scoring 3 goals

RE noisemakers- the clai m was that they were not distributing noisemakers because they were only giving out ONE - even though the next guy in line gave you another. It was pretty annoying but otherwise harmless, I thought. Our band played great and a buddy I took to the game from Univ of Michigan thought they made RPI's band sound lame.

RE our missing defensemen- we frequently couldn't keep the puck in the offensive zone, making us reset and work to get our offense going again. We clearly missed Pokulok's big shot from the point on the power play.

But the big problem really is - WE DON'T HAVE ANY SHOOTERS. We put a ton of crappy shots on goal that are easy saves and only a few that make the goaltender sweat. We frequently miss open shots outrightly that hit the back wall or shoot too high. Our crease guys play too close to the net and therefore are easier for the goaltender to stop since they can't lift the puck over him. They should be posted up higher between the hashes which would also open up some shooting lanes. We dominated posession for two periods, and although Lang played very well, he didnt play THAT well to close down a good offense.

RPI cranked up the "Overrated" cheer, and after seeing a lot of streamed/televised games I suspected it is true. After seeing them live I know it's true.

I'm probably just pissed because I look forward to this weekend every year and I hate sitting listening to lower-half-of-the-league-balloon-slapping-tobacco-smelling-cocoa-swilling-geriatric-Troy-Townies getting off at my team's expense.

Worse, this same RPI team is likely to revert to form tomorrow night against Colgate. And the same goaltender will give up six goals. Watch.

That was rough.

Just got back from Albany. The only really obvious things wrong were the defensive lapses on the two goals: McKee couldn't be blamed for either of them.

Unfortunately, the real letdown is that our guys simply seemed unable to score. In any game, there is always the possibility of giving up one or two goals, no matter how well the goaltender and D are playing; given that, if you can't score any goals, you're simply not going to win, and will probably wind up losing.

Two observations resulting from this:

(1) Coach needs to do something about the terribly repetitive and completely ineffective power play: we honestly looked a lot better 5x5 late in the game than we did at any moment of any of the power plays. Teams have learned: shut down Moulson and Bitz, and Cornell can't score.

(2) We need to shoot the puck more. Looked at one way, we should stop looking for the perfect pass and try to get down low for some ugly goals; looked at another way, maybe we should try to GET SOMEONE ON THE FAR POST! I can't count how many times one of our forwards was looking for a cross-ice pass and no one was home.

Okay, enough ranting. See you tomorrow night at Union.

Kyle

FYI: Not sure about the ECAC, but in Hockey East we can only do the thundersticks if we have the other team's permission.

Jason L
So what would need to happen so that Harvard gets a #5 seed and we end up with #4?

I was out of town for the harvard game a few weeks ago.....so is it selfish for me to wish that we're #4 and they're #5?

Can't happen. St. Lawrence would have to knock both Cornell (currently #3) and Harvard (#4) down a spot. They're two points behind Cornell, and the Big Red have the tiebreaker edge. Harvard also has the tiebreaker over the Saints.

What a dominating offense Cornell showed Friday night at RPI. Seriously. We were all over them. It felt as if we outshot them 2-1 and that's what the box score showed. (34 saves Mathias Lange, 15 saves + 2 GA David McKee.) A couple times I looked over to see if McKee was still in goal, or if I'd missed a delayed penalty and we had a 6x5.

While there were defensive lapses, about a half dozen that led to three goals (one disallowed) and a penalty we had to take on a man short breakaway with 3 minutes left that kind of ended the game early, UNH-2003 style ... the offense looked so good and in control. We moved the puck around well even strength and on power play. Late in the second or early in the third (I forget ... but there weren't a lot of penalties), we controlled the puck on PP without stoppage for 90 seconds before it left the RPI end.

While it's true Cornell's PP seems repetitive, even if the other guy knows what's coming, he may not be able to defend against it ... and even strength as well as PP we really do have a number of different and textbook-caliber offensive plays. So the only thing wrong is that we can't bleeping score. We looked good in the many ways we were unable to score.

RPI generously left enogh tickets unsold that you could sit in the end Cornell attacked each period. Heartbreakers I saw (feel free to add others):

- Cam? Chris? I think Chris Abbott has a man short breakaway and missed just wide right in the third. He had an RPI defender right behind but from my vantage point it didn't affect the shot he got off.
- Kindret I believe it was had the puck come to his stick with a good angle on goal (what some people would call a wide open net), and it took a hop on bad ice just as it reached his stick and stood on edge so he couldn't get a shot off
- Moulson in the third had a clean shot and broke his stick
- Etcetera. We ran into another hot goalie.

It's tradition to blame McKee for X of Cornell's goals against that he would have stopped last year. The first goal, which from the far end appeared to be a solo takeaway or pickup (defensive lapse), Oren Eizenman just skated left to right across the goal mouth and outwaited McKee. Seemed as if that one he could have had a chance on.

About the atmosphere:
- The thundersticks weren't that thunderous. RPI fans don't know how to blow them up with enough air pressure to make real noise. Or else the vinyl they use is noise-absorbing. Maybe mylar would add +3db-10db of sound.
- It wasn't that loud overall, either.
- The fans weren't bush so much as it seemed more of a family atmosphere. RPI has the walkway around the arena at rink level (separating the boards/glass from the first row of seats), whereas at Cornell it's at the top of the rink ... so it's possible to have cheerleaders and mascots running around and exhorting the fans. It felt like a really big high school game ... or something out of the 1950s.
- The brownish / blackish mascot thing -- a hockey puck? a burned marshmallow? an ottoman on legs? -- was pretty unsightly.
- RPI got into the "overrated" cheer but deservedly so on this night. At least Cornell shot back, "You're not rated." Their "Harvard rejects" cheer as to be expected, because what can we cheer back, "You're too scared to apply"? I think whem RPI does an R-P-I cheer, we should take it up too, point their way and cheer R-P-I, then point our way and cheer G-P-A. There's always next year.
- The Cornell pep band was about as far away as possible and still in the rink. Fifty years ago it was probably the section marked "Colored."
- Houston Arena always reminds me of what it is ... a multipurpose facility built so RPI can have graduation indoors in case it rains. Imagine a half-size Barton Hall with ice. At what would be Cornell's West End were this Lynah, there's a monster stage. If would be the perfect facility if some alum from Goodyear ever bequeathed them a blimp. [edit adding] (Actually, it was the other way around. RPI got a used derigible hangar from Quonset, RI, circa 1949, and made it into a hockey rink/field house.)


Mostly it was disappointing, even knowing half the defense was on sick leave. Should have been at worst a 2-2 tie.

OK, I guess I'm the only one who is not so pessimistic. I mean we are down 3 D's, 2 of which are probaby just being kept out so they can be healthy for the playoffs, Pegs and Bitz play some defense taking away from their offensive time (although I'd like to see the minutes Bitz played), we have no great point shot on the PP, and end up relying upon Davenport and Seminoff for quality minutes (yes I know Seminoff always plays, but really, do you want to have to depend upon him at crunch time?). So with all that we just outshoot them 2-1, completely dominate them for more than half the game, and lose because the D just wasn't there. After-all we did score a goal that should have counted. In fact it was one of our classic keep working at the net goals. What might have happenned if that goal did count? The problem with letting a blah team get the lead is that the longer they have it the more they believe they can win and the better they play. One goal makes a big difference in the psych.

Coach did say we were not going to be able to do all that we wanted today, I would have been ecstatic had we won, but am not despondent that we lost. Coach is obviously playing for the playoffs, so we should too.

Can we pleeeease stop taking solace in outshooting our opponents? Low quality shots are not gonna do it for us. "BLah teams" that have put it to us this year: RPI 2x, Union, Princeton, Clarkson, and oh yeah - BROWN took us to OT.

We are just not that good folks. And all this stuff is just whistling past the graveyard. I am not at all confident of seeing us in Albany this year. And until we can generate some serious offense, we will continue to hear the overated cheer.

TimV
We are just not that good folks. And all this stuff is just whistling past the graveyard. I am not at all confident of seeing us in Albany this year. And until we can generate some serious offense, we will continue to hear the overated cheer.

As much as it pains me, I am forced to agree with Tim. Given how inconsistent we are playing, I am not betting the company payroll on another Albany trip this year.

I think this may be one of those infamous "rebuilding" years, after last year's decent run. Hopefully we'll have some better offense next year and/or a new game plan, because this year's is just not cutting it.

Sorry to sound so down, but this is 2004 all over again.

Kyle

I nominate this last "offer" for the post of the century.

These posts are really offensive. As a slut, Madilldo myself, I don't appreciate the humor in poking fun at my race. There will be a rally on Ho Plaza about SLUT-Deprication on campus on Sunday @ 2 PM. Please come. Thanks.

-Slutty VonSluttington

Wow, with a fan following like that, maybe one day Union can actually win a playoff series.

billhoward
- RPI got into the "overrated" cheer but deservedly so on this night. At least Cornell shot back, "You're not rated." Their "Harvard rejects" cheer as to be expected, because what can we cheer back, "You're too scared to apply"?

Nah, you might be better off replying "Clarkson rejects". LOL.

Well, only one team--you, Bruno--has nothing to play for Saturday night. Obviously, we're cheering for SLU, Clarkson, and RPI. Both Clarkson and RPI are cheering for us:

1) RPI, obviously, would like to pull ahead of Union.
2) Clarkson loses the three-way tie with RPI and Union but wins the two-way with Union no matter how the top 4 ends up.

So, come on, somewhat-Yellowish Knights! Claim the sweet road win at Bright that, good year or bad, seems your birthright! And you, Larries, have you thrown away with scorn that early-season form? Will Dartmouth toss you from the rink, heads hanging low for the fourth year in a row? And you, Puckmen of RPI (or whatever it is we call that little guy), will Colgate make you curse the date when you were born, or will you sound that blasted horn?

I say things break our way tomorrow night.
Let's go Red.

OUCH!

“I’m really disappointed in our hockey team,” said Cornell Head Coach Mike Schafer. “We’re down three of our best defenseman, but early on, we didn’t believe we could win without those three guys. I’m disappointed in that mentality, as opposed to coming out and taking control of the game and going after it the way we wanted to.”

I think that sums it up.

krose

TimV
We are just not that good folks. And all this stuff is just whistling past the graveyard. I am not at all confident of seeing us in Albany this year. And until we can generate some serious offense, we will continue to hear the overated cheer.

As much as it pains me, I am forced to agree with Tim. Given how inconsistent we are playing, I am not betting the company payroll on another Albany trip this year. Kyle

Well, if we're not a good team there must be a lot of bad teams out there. So 3/4 of the ECAC or NCAA must be bad. Yes, I know we are holding us up to a higher standard, but finishing as low as fourth in the ECAC doesn't make us "just not that good", unless we need to be the best to be considered good. A rebuilding year, maybe, but I'd take a top four finish, and what I consider a good chance of winning the ECAC tourney, any rebuilding year. So, let's keep up our cheering and think that once our D gets healthy we'll be able to beat anybody, or lose to anybody.

Rich S
Nah, you might be better off replying "Clarkson rejects". LOL.

I actually wanted to start either "Clarkson rejects" or "SUNY rejects", but didn't get the chance. Too bad.

Kyle

Jim Hyla
if we're not a good team there must be a lot of bad teams out there. So 3/4 of the ECAC

You know I am not the biggest ECACHL fan. I would easily put the bottom 2/3 of the ECACHL in the bottom half of the NCAA (with most of those teams piled in the 25th percentile), and the strongest team in the ECACHL (currently still us) somewhere in the 75th percentile, the PWR be damned. Even KRACH agrees with me: Cornell is now at #15, almost exactly the 75th percentile.

I suppose I would call that "good," but "good" isn't good enough. Any year in which Cornell isn't a serious contender for a national championship---which they are not this year, given the way they've been playing of late---is a rebuilding year, in my opinion.

Cornell does have the tradition of getting stronger come tourney time, but it's already the last weekend of the regular season: now's the time to put up!

Cheers,
Kyle

All losses are frustrating, some more than others. This was one was frustrating for many reasons, including the fact that we dominated play the last two periods, especially the third period, and had nothing to show for it, and had to hear that damn foghorn go off three times. And this was the same RPI team which gave up 4 goals in back-to-back games last weekend, including three in the third period to Quinnipiac, and we couldn't score even once!

Lange was solid, but we didn't force him to "stand on his head" as they like to say. I do remember Moulson having a clear shot on goal in the third period, only to break his stick. There was even a scary moment in the second period when McKee was without his stick for what seemed like an eternity until we could get the puck out of end.

Since both RPI goals were scored at the far end of the ice, it was hard from the Cornell section to get a good luck at them. But I saw them both on the TV news this morning. On the first goal, the Eizenman basically skated around and through three Cornell players and then slid the puck pasts McKee. The Albany newspaper called it "perhaps the most spectacular goal of the season for RPI." On the second goal, McKee had no chance. And McKee didn't get much action in the second period, but he did keep us in the game with several excellent saves.

Finally, I felt bad for the band being stuck as far away from the Cornell fans as possible while still being in the same rink. Even so, they definitely came across as louder and better than RPI's excuse for a pep band.

Let's hope we can at least salvage a point from the weekend at Union tonight. There's no doubt we miss Sasha, O'Bourne and Krantz. If we can get them all back healthy for the first round of the playoffs, it will make this recent stretch of poor play more palpable.

dbilmes
more palpable.

I "feel" we've had enough losses, thank you.

Kyle

Rich S

billhoward
- RPI got into the "overrated" cheer but deservedly so on this night. At least Cornell shot back, "You're not rated." Their "Harvard rejects" cheer as to be expected, because what can we cheer back, "You're too scared to apply"?

Nah, you might be better off replying "Clarkson rejects". LOL.

well, we did, after replying cornell rejects

some things about the game I noticed...
1. sloppy play in the first. passes behind your target, not being able to do a simple dump in off the boards on the powerplay or pass off the boards, NOT passing crisply, NOT using the defensemen as a release when carrying the puck on break out, not getting good wood on most shots, especially in the first... the team just looked off. they were not cohesive.
2. RPI played solid defense. they allowed shots, but for the most parts not quality shots. we had quality shots, but most were from wide angles or out far.
3. lange played very well. positioning is 90% of goaltending and he had it last night. he made a few very nice saves as well
4. both no goal calls were the correct call considering when the whistle was blown.
5. officiating was horrible both ways. cornell got away with blatant hooks/trips, as did RPI. what happened with the whistle blowing when cornell had the puck on a delayed penalty and were in the offensive zone? that was so odd.
6. #2 for RPI played a solid defensive game...
7. considering cornell was missing three defensemen it was not a bad effort except that the first period was the worst period I have seen in a while. mainly for what is said in #1

here is looking to a win 2nite at onion with the cornell fans being most of the fans at senior night. then some rest for the team and healing.

Just want to toss out a few things...

Not sure if everyone knew but they were selling tickets to the game for $4 all day Friday.

We looked slow and our shots seemed to be aimed five hole, or at the chest. It was disappointing. Don't give Lange too much credit! Sitting just off of the his shoulder for the first and third, I saw plenty of open net to be had.

That first RPI goal killed the air of superiority--after realizing that they could win the game and silent the spectacle of our fans, the RPI fans finally decided to make some noise.

Dell is such a horrible ref. He was regularly out of position and seems so lackadaisical. How many calls were made by the linesmen? I noticed Dell watching girls walking around the rink. RPI girls. Seriously.

I believe the goal judge in front of Section 1 gave us two goals. One did go in the net on the Bitz trickle after Dell whistled the play dead, the other was on the missed breakaway.

I thought the team dominated the second half of the first period and the third period. The guys had opportunities, they just couldn't finish: the shorthanded breakaway, the Bitz trickle, the Sawada deflection, etc. I think Bitz played D for the first two periods. He was so much better in the third when they put him back at center.

Surprisingly, the second period was disastrous. I was expecting (hoping?) that coach would get the guys up for the second period but we displayed very little energy coming out of the locker room. We had one good chance on the remainder of the PP that started the period. We may have significantly outshot them during the second period, but I don't remember a bag full of serious chances.

The Seminoff penalty on the breakaway was tough. Our D was pinching so you have to expect some odd man rushes the other way. Know the situation! At that point in the game, you harrass but McKee has got to make the save without a penalty. Oh well, the team needed a goal long before then and Cam almost scored shorthanded. I missed the too many men on the ice penalty but that finished us off.

Favorite RPI cheers: "De-fense!" and "Cor-nell Su-ucks!"

I honestly think the key to getting the offense going is whover plays opposite Moulson on the first line. If anyone can step into that spot and be a finisher they have a TON of chances because, obviously, every team is successfully smothering Moulson this year and he is clearly frustrated. If there were only somone who could step up on that off wing and make the opposing teams pay-we could cash in until they react, then free up the breathing Moulson desperately needs. In his 3 previous years Matt has had 2 linemates that create a lot of space for him...now he has one. If Hynes were only still here we would be laughing...there wasn't a team that could match that first line last year, nor is there one this year...we need to try and replicate it. Let's bring back Ray on the first line and tell him Job # 1 score, Job 2 responsible defense, job #3 is hit. If he can't get done drop a young guy in there and drop Ray back on the hitting line.