Cornell 1 Princeton 1 Etobicoke 1 (final--overtime)

[Towerroad]

Forgive me for living on the West Coast and having to work on a Saturday, Al. Will the Lynah Faithful please forgive me for missing part of a November game? THE HORROR!

Thanks for adding nothing to this conversation besides condescension and generalities. Guess what - Iles is a freshman! Freshmen are prone to mistakes. He's not even the full-time starting goalie at this point. Let's compare the coming out party for several goalies:

1. Tretiak - nearly upsetting an incredible Team Canada at the 1972 Summit Series
2. Scrivens - 45 save shutout, 0-0 tie vs. a #11 UMass team at Lynah; the game Greening hit the crossbar in OT
3. Iles - 2-1 OT loss against Princeton where he made 36 saves but gave up a questionable goal in OT

If you use your head for something other than banging it against the wall, you can see that one of these is unlike the other two. You're attacking me for saying he has room to grow when you're saying the exact same thing. I have confidence in him eventually becoming a "real deal" goaltender (what exactly does this mean - starter, All-American, Hobey winner?). I don't think he will put up Jeff Lerg-like freshman stats or lead his team to an NCAA championship this year. You're basing your love affair with Iles on three games, why don't you let a larger sample size develop before judging him? At least wait until Iles steals a game for Cornell before you crown him. He is what most of us think he is - a freshman with great potential going who's going to have growing pains.

Or you can keep acting like a pompous ass with Jim. Knowing you, you'll choose the later.

You really are off the wall, I regret to say.  Get a grip, man.

1.  No one ever said he was the "best goalie in the NCAA," or that he'd lead Cornell to an NCAA championship as a freshman.  Where did you come up with that nonsense?  Is that required for someone to be a "real deal" NCAA goaltender?  Really?  If the latter is your criterion, I guess Cornell has never had a "real deal" goaltender.  You expect him to be Tretiak after three college games?  That's your standard for a "real deal?"  There have been maybe three college goaltenders in my lifetime who could claim to fit that category

2.  No one ever said he doesn't have "room to grow."  He's a freshman.  He stopped 97% of the shots against him in regulation, and that, and only that, caused an OT.  He's shown the ability to follow in the footsteps of Scrivens and his other recent predecessors.  They were the "real deal."  Too many freshmen come with that reputation but aren't able to live up to it.  No need to name names.

3.  If you didn't see 80% of the game, perhaps you shouldn't be so quick to judge.

4.  Lastly, you don't "know me."  See number 3 above.

From my seat Iles stood tall. We took a number of bad penalties particularly in the 3rd. Iles and to a lesser extent the D kept us in the game. Both of you are right he is a work in progress but has not disappointed us yet. There were a number of heart attack moments when he strayed from the goal to field the puck with a Princeton player too near. If we were able to move the puck and generate offense the OT would not have been necessary, Iles did his part.

Princeton is the kind of quick puck handling team that has given us fits at both ends of the ice and the middle too for the last few years.

[Jim Hyla]

I remember Scrivens as a freshman and he was far from a "real deal" goaltender. He had to mature; just like Iles needs to. Iles has potential, but he's not currently the best goalie in the NCAA like you and Al think. You two should wait more than three regular season games to declare Iles the Messiah. It's just incredible how people will overreact to a simple comment saying the OT goal shouldn't have gone in. Grow up.

Excuse me, where did you ever see me post that? I think the hyperbole is on your side not mine. It seems like every year we have someone come here and try to stir things up. Go for it.

[Robb]

I remember Scrivens as a freshman and he was far from a "real deal" goaltender. He had to mature; just like Iles needs to. Iles has potential, but he's not currently the best goalie in the NCAA like you and Al think. You two should wait more than three regular season games to declare Iles the Messiah. It's just incredible how people will overreact to a simple comment saying the OT goal shouldn't have gone in. Grow up.

Excuse me, where did you ever see me post that? I think the hyperbole is on your side not mine. It seems like every year we have someone come here and try to stir things up. Go for it.

Seriously.  Al's initial comment was that Iles "looks like" the real deal, so Al wasn't even saying that he definitely is the real deal - just that the early signs are encouraging.  Anybody who reads more than that into the post has an agenda of some sort.

[Towerroad]

We seem to have Cornell disease, a constant and unremitting focus on what happens in front of our own net. The reality is that the game was lost at the other end of the ice.

[Trotsky]

I came here for an argument.

Oh, sorry.  This is abuse.

[CowbellGuy]

There were a number of heart attack moments when he strayed from the goal to field the puck with a Princeton player too near.

Get used to it. Iles handles the puck a lot, and well. This is another thing people around here seem to freak out over unnecessarily. If a goalie handles the puck well and is confident, there's no reason he shouldn't be doing it. It's like adding another player to the breakout.

[Towerroad]

You may well be right, we need all the help we can get moving the puck.

[Josh '99]

There were a number of heart attack moments when he strayed from the goal to field the puck with a Princeton player too near.

Get used to it. Iles handles the puck a lot, and well. This is another thing people around here seem to freak out over unnecessarily. If a goalie handles the puck well and is confident, there's no reason he shouldn't be doing it. It's like adding another player to the breakout.

It bothers me mainly because goalies who handle the puck a lot remind me of Marty Brodeur and Rick DiPietro, and I hate those guys.

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

I came here for an argument.

Oh, sorry.  This is abuse.

Stupid git.

[Cactus12]

I agree in principle-  a goalie who plays the puck well can help clearing the zone, starting the breakout etc. But this is way too familiar (at all levels): goalie misplays puck behind net/ plays puck with to much forecheck pressure, turnover before defense can get positioned, opposing team scores. I think knowing when (and more importantly, when not) to handle the puck is an experience thing. Even with stick-handling proficiency, I'm not sure the benefits of an inexperienced goalie playing the puck outweigh the defensive liability. I'd prefer he work on his positioning. There's plenty of time for additional development.

[ithacat]

Let's compare the coming out party for several goalies:

2. Scrivens - 45 save shutout, 0-0 tie vs. a #11 UMass team at Lynah; the game Greening hit the crossbar in OT
3. Iles - 2-1 OT loss against Princeton where he made 36 saves but gave up a questionable goal in OT

That was an amazing game against UMass. I really enjoyed watching Scrivens grow and mature over his four years in Ithaca. I'm not sure, however, why you're comparing a game a third-semester 21-year old sophomore (playing his 20th game for Cornell) had vs a first-semester 18-year freshman (playing his 4th). As talented as Iles is, he's still a teenager. Maybe we should at least let him get through his initial semester before giving him a final grade.

Oddly enough the first time Scrivens played Princeton at Lynah he also lost 2-1. He was a junior and gave up 2 goals in the last 35 seconds of the game...man, that still makes me feel sick to my stomach.

[Trotsky]

Oddly enough the first time Scrivens played Princeton at Lynah he also lost 2-1. He was a junior and gave up 2 goals in the last 35 seconds of the game...man, that still makes me feel sick to my stomach.

Oh God.  I had completely forgotten that.  Thanks. ::flipa::

[andyw2100]

Oddly enough the first time Scrivens played Princeton at Lynah he also lost 2-1. He was a junior and gave up 2 goals in the last 35 seconds of the game...man, that still makes me feel sick to my stomach.

Yeah, but we fixed it in Albany a few weeks later.