With the preseason over and less than a week before our first game it's time to look ahead.
Umass is 5-2 with wins over Northern Michigan, Stonehill, Bentley (overtime) and Omaha and losses to Northeastern and Omaha.
Their leading scorer is Jack Musa, who we are familiar with from the last couple years. Second is freshman Vaclav Nestrasil, who is a 6 foot 6 beast from Czechia.
In goal is Michael Hrabal who is a fantastic player as well.
Should be a tough series and I would be very happy with a split. With so many freshmen and how we looked in the preseason I really have no clue what to expect though.
Friday skaters, my uninformed guesses:
F (12) Castagna, Walsh, Major, DeSantis, Kraft, Devlin, Wallace, DiGiulian, Pirtle, Ryan, Hiscock, Long
D (6) Stanley, Fisher, Fegaras, Ashton, Gorski, Veilleux
X (1) O'Brien
G (2) Keoppel, Cournoyer
My guess would be:
Lines:
Kraft-Walsh-Major
Long-Castagna-Desantis
Devlin-DiGiulian-Pirtle
Ryan-Catalano-Wallace
D pairs:
Veilleux-Stanley
Obrien-Fegaras
Ashton-Fisher
Extra skater: Gorski.
I would imagine Keopple gets the start in goal since he's the senior but I would fully expect them to give one to each goalie this weekend, barring a shutout or some superhuman performance on Friday.
The fact that Pirtle sat this week is a bit confusing but he seems like a good enough player to crack the lineup. Donaldson sitting is also strange, assuming it means he won't be playing. I've liked what I've seen from Arsenault but I would prefer we go D on the extra skater. Hiscock is big but hasn't looked great to me, but I still wouldn't be surprised if he's on the fourth line this weekend.
Overall I think we are going to need a lot of production from the top two lines and we're also going to need the defense to mature real quick.
I think this will be the first time that Hrabal actually faces Cornell. The previous recent games against UMass have always been during the world junior tournament when Hrabal is playing for Czechia, so it's always been some safety sieve in net
Quote from: chimpfood on October 26, 2025, 05:48:32 PMMy guess would be:
Lines:
Kraft-Walsh-Major
Long-Castagna-Desantis
Devlin-DiGiulian-Pirtle
Ryan-Catalano-Wallace
D pairs:
Veilleux-Stanley
Obrien-Fegaras
Ashton-Fisher
Extra skater: Gorski.
Swap Ryan and Devlin and use the fourth line as a checking line? Maybe you don't want 3 freshmen on a line, or 2 guys returning from injury on a line.
Anyway, yeah, I'd be happy with a split.
Results are welcome, but I want us to play well for 120 minutes and not wince when we have a man advantage.
Here (http://www.tbrw.info/index.html?/weekly_Updates/cornell_Color_All_Games.html) are our results by game by year. With so little D experience I think this season will be heavy black early, then, hopefully, heavy red late.
Quote from: chimpfood on October 26, 2025, 11:55:50 AMShould be a tough series and I would be very happy with a split. With so many freshmen and how we looked in the preseason I really have no clue what to expect though.
I fear with so little time and cream puff exhibitions (which is good!) Friday could spiral out of control. We have size but do we have toughness? We have skills but do we have speed? By Saturday maybe the jitters subside and we have a competitive game. I would not be shocked by a UMass sweep. The other team is trying, too.
I have wondered for all this time. Why "chimpfood"?
Quote from: Trotsky on October 27, 2025, 10:59:54 AMQuote from: chimpfood on October 26, 2025, 11:55:50 AMShould be a tough series and I would be very happy with a split. With so many freshmen and how we looked in the preseason I really have no clue what to expect though.
I fear with so little time and cream puff exhibitions (which is good!) Friday could spiral out of control. We have size but do we have toughness? We have skills but do we have speed? By Saturday maybe the jitters subside and we have a competitive game. I would not be shocked by a UMass sweep. The other team is trying, too.
I have wondered for all this time. Why "chimpfood"?
I don't really know. I didn't want to make it my name and I like chimps.
Why Trotsky?
Quote from: chimpfood on October 27, 2025, 11:19:00 AMQuote from: Trotsky on October 27, 2025, 10:59:54 AMQuote from: chimpfood on October 26, 2025, 11:55:50 AMShould be a tough series and I would be very happy with a split. With so many freshmen and how we looked in the preseason I really have no clue what to expect though.
I fear with so little time and cream puff exhibitions (which is good!) Friday could spiral out of control. We have size but do we have toughness? We have skills but do we have speed? By Saturday maybe the jitters subside and we have a competitive game. I would not be shocked by a UMass sweep. The other team is trying, too.
I have wondered for all this time. Why "chimpfood"?
I don't really know. I didn't want to make it my name and I like chimps.
Why Trotsky?
We had a red cat who was an overwrought trouble maker.
Quote from: Trotsky on October 27, 2025, 11:38:02 AMQuote from: chimpfood on October 27, 2025, 11:19:00 AMQuote from: Trotsky on October 27, 2025, 10:59:54 AMQuote from: chimpfood on October 26, 2025, 11:55:50 AMShould be a tough series and I would be very happy with a split. With so many freshmen and how we looked in the preseason I really have no clue what to expect though.
I fear with so little time and cream puff exhibitions (which is good!) Friday could spiral out of control. We have size but do we have toughness? We have skills but do we have speed? By Saturday maybe the jitters subside and we have a competitive game. I would not be shocked by a UMass sweep. The other team is trying, too.
I have wondered for all this time. Why "chimpfood"?
I don't really know. I didn't want to make it my name and I like chimps.
Why Trotsky?
We had a red cat who was an overwrought trouble maker.
That's not what I heard :P
Roll call: who from on here will be at the Mullins Center Friday & Saturday?
Planning to come out from Boston, lets get season started with two wins LGR!
I'll be there. Section H Row 7 Friday, Section G Row 24 Saturday