Freshman crop...

[James 08\']

What can i say but wow, this group (some of them) have come out of nowhere to really help out this team. It sure helps and makes a big difference.

[Townie]

For sure.  Pokulok really stands out in my mind.  He has a very mature hockey sense, especially for someone only 18, and rarely looks awkward.  His puck handling skills are solid; a crisp and accurate passer.  He really fits in with Schafer's system and  I'm glad coach gives him a lot of ice time because I love to watch this kid play.  Wait 'til he grows up!

[Greg Berge]

Scott, Sawada, and Pokulok were all amazing, all weekend long.  Krantz made a couple of "grab your throat" errors, like a clearing pass right through McKee's crease, but he did poised things too, like dropping back when Cook would pinch, and protecting against cherry-picking.

This has the potential to be a high impact freshman class od the same order as the Juniors.  Schafer's becoming a blue chip magnet.  Life is good.

[billhoward]

Always amazes me that we think of freshmen / rookies with poise and skill as being genetic freaks. Same thing goes for all the comments by NFL/NBA commenators about rookie mistakes first year in the pros. Rookie drops a pass just as he's hammered by a 280-pound linebacker, that's a rookie mistake; Jerry Rice drops it, Madden blames it on timing of the hit and draws a chalkboard X on Jerry's shoulder pads during the replay to emphasize the point.

For college freshmen, the year before, they guy had been playing his sport for what, 11 years, and now he's been playing it 12 years.

If there are "rookie mistakes," aren't some of them the issues of dealing with a different coach, teammates, officials, and style of play? You get traded from a defense-minded team to an agility team within the same league, there's an adjustment period, too.

Never saw much wrong with the play at 18 of Carmelo Anthony, Bobby Orr, Moses Malone, or Wayne Gretzky.  Or are they the exceptions that prove the rule?

[KeithK]

[q]For college freshmen, the year before, they guy had been playing his sport for what, 11 years, and now he's been playing it 12 years.[/q]A freshman may have been playing hockey for a long time, but presumably the competition is up a notch in college.  If you are really talented in high school you can probably get away with some stupid moves because talent will carry you through against lesser opponents.

Aside from the matter of poise, there's also a question with freshmen of adjusting to the pace and skill level of the college game.  This can take a while for some guys.  Not to mention getting strong enough to handle the physical play against 23 year olds.

[ugarte]

[Q]KeithK Wrote:

 [Q2]For college freshmen, the year before, they guy had been playing his sport for what, 11 years, and now he's been playing it 12 years.[/Q]
A freshman may have been playing hockey for a long time, but presumably the competition is up a notch in college.[/q] It isn't all physical, though a freshman stepping onto the rink will usually still have some physical maturation coming (less so if already 20, I guess). The hits will be harder from bigger, stronger opponents.

The biggest change, though, may be the mental part of the game. One would expect that the coaching is better in college, and if not strictly better, certainly the game plans can be more complex. A coach can ask more of a team of 18-23 year olds than he will of U18's. Not all freshmen respond well to the increased expectations, even if they are physically gifted.

When a group of freshmen demonstrates the poise and skill that this crew apparently has, we should be pleasantly surprised.

[Pukkkk]

Where do you think Pokulok will go in the draft this year, if their is one

[calgARI '07]

[Q]Pukkkk Wrote:

 Where do you think Pokulok will go in the draft this year, if their is one [/q]

Based on how similar players from college have gone in recent drafts, A.J. Thelen and Ryan Whitney, it is not unrealistic to think he could go top 15.  Based on how much NHL scouts love size, I think he will definitely go in the first two rounds.

[dss28]

[Q]KeithK Wrote:

 [Q2]For college freshmen, the year before, they guy had been playing his sport for what, 11 years, and now he's been playing it 12 years.[/Q]
A freshman may have been playing hockey for a long time, but presumably the competition is up a notch in college.  If you are really talented in high school you can probably get away with some stupid moves because talent will carry you through against lesser opponents.

Aside from the matter of poise, there's also a question with freshmen of adjusting to the pace and skill level of the college game.  This can take a while for some guys.  Not to mention getting strong enough to handle the physical play against 23 year olds.
[/q]

I remember there being an article about Murray on the Barons website where he said something to this effect -- that hockey in the AHL was "completely different" than college.  I imagine that any time you shift levels -- high school to college, AHL to NHL (and even NHL back to AHL; I heard an interview in which the coach mentioned that those NHLers who are using their AHL eligibility are forced to adjust to a quicker, more chaotic game) some adjustment is necessary.  

Maybe concentrating on adjusting to a "new game" shifts your focus for a while and makes you more prone to reverting to old habits, or simple "rookie" mistakes that you otherwise wouldn't make.  Or maybe the level of play is truly different than what you're used to and like Keith said, you simply can't get away with some of the same stuff anymore.  

[KenP]

If you think of all Cornellians as "mental" athletes, we were by in large top performers in high school, and all of the sudden were "rookies" in the Ivy League.  Personally I know there was an adjustment to the new environment, higher expectations and tougher competition.  Hell, my daughter is facing challenges transitioning from the 1-year-old class to the 2-year-old class at daycare.

I think it's fair to extend my metaphor to any rookie.  Some handle it better or worse, faster or slower, than others.

[ugarte]

[Q]KenP Wrote:  Hell, my daughter is facing challenges transitioning from the 1-year-old class to the 2-year-old class at daycare.[/q]
I've heard that she is showing great potential, however, and the teachers have decided to keep her in the lineup to speed along the adjustment.

[KenP]

Yeah, just watch out for the forecheck from an energetic toddler whose head is at crotch level... ::worry::

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

However, if she continues to make those rookie mistakes, the teacher might have to bench her during playtime.

[Mitchell]

i think that freshman playing well have a significant impact on the team, as we can see this year.....

[Burnsey<]

Will all this hype last long ?