Cornell-Bemidji NCAA regionals postgame

[RichH]

[quote jtwcornell91][quote RichH][quote Josh '99][quote DeltaOne81]
That was the Colgate game, right? I thought it was in.[/quote]It was in because Lenny was interfered with.[/quote]

Meh.  A regular season game that by March was completely meaningless.  It didn't cost us 1st seed in the ECAC tournament, the ECAC Championship, or the #1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament.[/quote]

But it cost those of us who were watching the Colgate video feed the extreme annoyance of listening to their homer student announcers celebrating. ::flipd::[/quote]

Meaning the "Do you believe in miracles??" rip-off? (and then barking like wild dogs?) yeah, I'm pretty sure they lost all credibility for their lives as human beings at that point.

[Josh '99]

[quote RichH][quote Josh '99][quote DeltaOne81][quote Josh '99][quote Trotsky]

Code Select Expand


2002-03

Scoring/Shots (Overall|Conference)  | 1st 2nd 3rd OT  TOT | 1st  2nd  3rd  OT  SOG | 1st 2nd 3rd OT  TOT | 1st  2nd  3rd  OT  SOG
Cornell                             |  46  47  37  3  133 | 350  374  323  21 1068 |  30  37  22  0   89 | 230  247  209   8  694
Opponents                           |  15  16  17  [b][color=red]1[/color][/b]   49 | 246  248  243  16  753 |   8  10  10  1   29 | 144  156  142   3  445
Difference                          | +31 +31 +20 +2  +84 |+104 +126  +80  +5 +315 | +22 +27 +12 -1  +60 | +86  +91  +67  +5 +249
[/quote]That goal shouldn't have counted.  ::cuss::[/quote]

That was the Colgate game, right? I thought it was in.[/quote]It was in because Lenny was interfered with.[/quote]

Meh.  A regular season game that by March was completely meaningless.  It didn't cost us 1st seed in the ECAC tournament, the ECAC Championship, or the #1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament.  You want to get mad at a call, get mad at the high stick call in Buffalo.

Dammit, why'd you make me drag that up?  Now I have to think about it.  ::cry::[/quote]I didn't MAKE you drag it up, I was only talking about the stupid Colgate game.  :-}

[Tom Lento]

[quote abmarks]

1) You do realize they adjusted the officiating to call more obstruction and all that good stuff right?  I'm not sure what would happen if you planted the 03 team into this year's season.  THey'd be better than this year's team, true, but I wonder how much better.

2)  Many have commented in many places that the rest of the ECAC at the least has adjusted over the years to our style of play.  It's not just us... the other teams evolve too.  Yale went from a bunch of hacks to a high-skill team.  

3) It is a speed-skill game now.  look at your final 4: 3 are speed skill teams (maybe 4 depending on what bucket Miami falls into)[/quote]

1 and 3 are the same comment, and the answer I'm going to give you is the same one I gave people in 2003 who claimed Cornell only won because they played clutch and grab hockey: Cornell did not win with obstruction in 2002-2003. The change in rules would not have hurt that team. At all.

The 2002-2003 team (and, to a lesser extent, the 04-05 and 05-06 teams) won with superb positioning in all three zones. They did not obstruct, or clutch and grab, any more than the average team (and when they were really good they did that crap a lot less than the average team). Most, if not all, of the players on those teams moved their feet exceptionally well, anticipated the play, and put themselves in the right place to disrupt the other team's system. In the offensive zone they cycled the puck relentlessly until the opposition had a breakdown, and then they would try to exploit that advantage. The 2002-2003 team was better than most at exploiting those opportunities, and I'd certainly like to see Cornell open things up in terms of forcing the issue off the cycle a bit more.

The other thing those teams had, which this team seemed to be lacking in the NCAAs, was a top-notch open-ice hitter. Murray was not fast, but he laid out speedy puck-carrying forwards in the neutral zone with astonishing regularity. The guy just had a knack for it. Still does, which is why he's been so successful in the NHL. Hornby was another one.

This team is not as successful because it isn't as good. It has nothing to do with the system. Someone pointed out the lack of production from the 4th line - well, the 2002-2003 team could beat you with all four lines. That makes a difference.

Cornell's system is, and was, built on footwork, positioning, and physical play. This year's team did not have the footwork and positioning of the great (and, yes, those were great teams - they just weren't the best in the nation) teams from earlier in the decade. It also lacked the depth - although I'm sure the injuries had a lot to do with it.

I'd love to see Cornell recruit a couple of guys who could put the puck in the net at will, but those guys have to be able and willing to play within the system, otherwise the team will score more but win less.

If there's one thing I would change about the system, I'd adjust the power play and breakout strategies to match the talent on the team, rather than stuffing the talent on the team into the umbrella (or that breakout play they've been running since 2001) and hoping for the best.



As for Yale, it's too early to say anything for sure but I think their recent success is a testament to their coach. Yale was generally a reasonably classy team under Tim Taylor, but apart from one year in the late 90s they were also pretty bad. I know Taylor is highly regarded, and I know he coached an Olympic team, and I'm sure he's a nice man and a good mentor, but let's face it - the guy was a below-average college hockey coach, and he coached below-average Yale teams for *decades*.

[Jim Hyla]

[quote Tom Lento]As for Yale, it's too early to say anything for sure but I think their recent success is a testament to their coach. Yale was generally a reasonably classy team under Tim Taylor, but apart from one year in the late 90s they were also pretty bad. I know Taylor is highly regarded, and I know he coached an Olympic team, and I'm sure he's a nice man and a good mentor, but let's face it - the guy was a below-average college hockey coach, and he coached below-average Yale teams for *decades*.[/quote]Which is why I get pissed ::pissed::every time I think about him winning Coach of the Year 3 times.And then they have the nerve to name the trophy after him!::stupid::

[marty]

[quote jtwcornell91][quote RichH][quote Josh '99][quote DeltaOne81]
That was the Colgate game, right? I thought it was in.[/quote]It was in because Lenny was interfered with.[/quote]

Meh.  A regular season game that by March was completely meaningless.  It didn't cost us 1st seed in the ECAC tournament, the ECAC Championship, or the #1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament.[/quote]

But it cost those of us who were watching the Colgate video feed the extreme annoyance of listening to their homer student announcers celebrating. ::flipd::[/quote]

In retrospect, I kind of like the Gilbert Gottfried quality that the one guy had.  If it had been a satire it would have been worthy of the old SNL.

[amerks127]

Apparently Bemidji State is Miracle on Ice, Rocky Balboa, and the George Mason University basketball team all wrapped into one delicious taco.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/What-s-Bemidji-State-NCAA-hockey-s-amazing-Cind?urn=nhl,151851

[Rita]

[quote amerks127]Apparently Bemidji State is Miracle on Ice, Rocky Balboa, and the George Mason University basketball team all wrapped into once delicious taco.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/What-s-Bemidji-State-NCAA-hockey-s-amazing-Cind?urn=nhl,151851[/quote]

I was going to ask why Cinderella got left out, then I saw the title of the article.

Did they forget to mention any other underdog persona?

[Josh '99]

[quote amerks127]Apparently Bemidji State is Miracle on Ice, Rocky Balboa, and the George Mason University basketball team all wrapped into once delicious taco.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/What-s-Bemidji-State-NCAA-hockey-s-amazing-Cind?urn=nhl,151851[/quote]

Mmmm...  delicious taco...