SLU - Cornell Post Game

[Townie]

[quote Dafatone]Honestly, I think St. Lawrence just played a fantastic game.  They're the fastest team I've seen this year, by far.  We played well, for the most part.  The PK was good, even if they let in the game winner.  The PP mostly sucked, but we did get some good chances.  Petizian played extremely well.[/quote]

Excellent big picture summary! Not for nothing, but I believe we played a very good game, consistent with the effort and heart displayed in the last two games.  Game control see-sawed between the teams, and the game could have gone either way.  Two very even teams, perhaps with Slut having the age/experience edge?

We also played a very inspired Slut team.  It was clear from the beginning they had no intention of losing this game.  They displayed a very aggressive forecheck (at times), which we handled well overall.  They really turned up the intensity at times and played like a true league leader.  You have to give them credit, and give Cornell credit for staying with them all the way.

We missed a couple of legitimate scoring opportunities, the Gallagher penalty shot being the biggest.  As for a turning point...I doubt it.  It might have meant the win (or tie), but I didn't see it as a momentum changer.  At the end, Slut turned it up when they needed to, a characteristic displayed by CU teams of the past several years.

Our defense was generally solid, although I can recall a couple of opportunities where Slut couldn't capitalize.  Holding the #2 scoring team in the league to 2 goals is pretty good.  Kudos to McLeod who played well.  I look forward to having Seminoff back.  Any word on him?

Scrivens played his best game so far.  Hopefully he's gaining altitude on the learning curve.

Greening played with a Hornby intensity.  He was everywhere, skating hard and hitting anyone in a red helmet!

Scott to all those wondering where Topher is, he too played a solid game.  Last I checked, he was still leading the team in points...

While the power play can't seem to score in a whorehouse with a fist full of $50's (or with a 2-man advantage), they did show improvement in puck control and generating shots.  I agree with the overall critique of familiarity in strategy.  One thing I noticed, our shooters seem to have their heads down on the slappers, allowing for a blocked shot.  Keep your head up move around the Pk'er as he goes sliding by you!!

At least the team is showing some spark again.  They skated head-to-head with a league leader, and the game could have gone either way - a vast improvement over early January!  This may or may not be our year, but it's clear the impact the frosh and sophomore class will have over the next couple of years.

ps:  they better sweep the doormats next weekend!

[Trotsky]

[quote Karlmoose]I actually didn't think they played terrible defense.[/quote]
Not overall, but there were way too many spectacular "oops" plays.  One SLU goal was the direct result of a blind clear, several of the bad powerplay sequences were due to giveaways on the breakout.

They played poorly in the D zone, tonight.  Up again, down again.  It is what it is.  I hope they get hot at just the right moment.

[marty]

[quote Townie][quote Dafatone]
ps:  they better sweep the doormats next weekend![/quote]

The Onion/RIP trip will be telling.  Is there real parity in the league or not?  These two teams will be fighting for their reputations after having no point weekends at Hanover and that other place out east.

[DFORD '94]

I find it telling that Cornell, without their best or at least 2nd best defensement, with a guy playing significant minutes who has never played defense and was cut from the team twice and with a freshmen goalie who was not supposed to be the #1 gave up 3 goals for the weekend.  I think that is a HUGE positive from the weekend.

The power play, nothing to be said that has not been already.

Scrivens is playing really well, as is most if not all of the new players.  

I keep coming back to the fact that the lineup from Wisconsin and the lineup from last night has 8 differenet skaters and a differnt goalie and they are 4th in the ECAC and 2nd in the Ivies with a game in hand.  In addition the players that are playing the best (with the exception of Carefoot) are all young.  That team out East would love to trade places with us...