This Week's Column Up

[calgARI '07]

http://www.elynah.com/?articles&id=53

[Dpperk29]

Great Job Ari.

my only question is about your reference to bitz tipping the puck witb a high stick. I know in USA hockey, if you touch the puck with a high stick, the other team has to gain control of the puck before it is nullified. and making a save is not consider control as far as I know. This is very similar to a delayed penalty, you can shoot, get a rebound, and shoot again because the other team has not controlled the puck. So, by my understanding, if bitz high sticked the puck, then play should have been whistled dead as soon as moulson touched the puck.

The NCAA rule may be different, but I doubt it. Please correct me if I am wrong

[canuck89]

I thought we fixed this before, but here goes.  For everyone out there (And yes, this does irk me but don't ask why), Dave "Hansen" is spelled as such, not "Hanson" like that awful pop group in the 90s.  :-P

[daredevilcu]

I didn't get a good look at the series winner, but I'm sure all you Cornellians felt you were owed one after having ... 4? goals waved off for the weekend (even though only one should've counted).  From a Clarkson perspective, I would've said the biggest problem for us was the Cornell presence in front of the crease.  The young defense was not effective in clearing the screeners, and at least in Game 1, it resulted in a couple goals.  Leggio did extremely well despite being screened for probably half the Cornell shots.  If I was going to give player of the weekend to a Cornell player, I would have to give it to Bitz.  He was just manhandling a smaller, young defense down low all night both nights.  Several times during each game I found myself saying "good, Bitz's shift is over" but never noticed Scott having that big of an impact.

[Drew]

I put pegoraro on my team any day.....the kid was a killer on all face offs....many times against Dodge whom I consider one of the best in the league.
Pegs was right there.... all night long.

edit: Saturday, that is....it was the only night I was there.

[calgARI '07]

It's weird, because I'm  sure I spelled it HansEn when I wrote it.

[Jim Hyla]

[quote calgARI '07][quote Dpperk29]Great Job Ari.

my only question is about your reference to bitz tipping the puck witb a high stick. I know in USA hockey, if you touch the puck with a high stick, the other team has to gain control of the puck before it is nullified. and making a save is not consider control as far as I know. This is very similar to a delayed penalty, you can shoot, get a rebound, and shoot again because the other team has not controlled the puck. So, by my understanding, if bitz high sticked the puck, then play should have been whistled dead as soon as moulson touched the puck.

The NCAA rule may be different, but I doubt it. Please correct me if I am wrong[/quote]

It's weird, because I'm  sure I spelled it HansEn when I wrote it.[/quote]But you also thought you quoted the HansEn post when you responded. ::laugh::

[DeltaOne81]

I watched the replay several times and for the life of me I couldn't pick out a high stick. The claim was it hit Bitz's stick high on the way through? I couldn't really see anyone in the line of fire between Seminoff and Moulson.

I just watched it again and Bitz looks to be quite a few week back from the line the puck travels when Seminoff shoots it. I tried to watch it a second time, but the video keeps freezing up at that point now and I need to get to bed. My honest opinion, I just don't see anyone near the shot.

[Rich S]

It definitely changed direction on its way goalward.  I noticed that seeing it live and it was right in front of me but...these old eyes didn't catch what it hit to alter the flight.  And I haven't seen the replay.  

A number of Clarkson fans around us immediately "called it" and the cornell fan sitting in front of me with whom we had a terrific running conversation all game, wondered aloud if the goal would count.  He finally said he thought they got away with a high stick.

I didn't notice the Clarkson coaches protesting on the way off, did anyone else?

[DeltaOne81]

[quote Rich S]It definitely changed direction on its way goalward.  I noticed that seeing it live and it was right in front of me but...these old eyes didn't catch what it hit to alter the flight.  And I haven't seen the replay.  

A number of Clarkson fans around us immediately "called it" and the cornell fan sitting in front of me with whom we had a terrific running conversation all game, wondered aloud if the goal would count.  He finally said he thought they got away with a high stick.[/quote]

Might it have been a Clarkson stick? Just watched it twice more - I can't see the puck so I absolutely believe you, but I can see the players. There are two Clarkson players between the Seminoff and Moulson. The one who wasn't guarding Moulson quite enough, and one who was in the way of the shot - essentialy guarding Seminoff but giving him ~4 feet.

The shot was taken from about 10 o'clock on the faceoff circle (defining 'noon' as  parallel to the side wall, pointing to center ice), maybe a foot inside of it. At the time the shot was taken, Bitz was at the top of the faceoff circle (~1 o'clock), with a man on him, not more than a foot inside it.

According to: http://www.sportsknowhow.com/hockey/dimensions/hockey-rink-dimensions.html

... which is for Olympic rinks, but I think the circles are the same, that circle is an 8 foot radius. Meaning Bitz was at least 6-8 feet from the path of the puck. Probably more.

Gee, why do I feel like I'm debunking the Grassy Knoll theory here .

Anyway, the only thing I can imagine is a Clarkson stick. That or the hand of the Lord. I'll take either

I didn't notice the Clarkson coaches protesting on the way off, did anyone else?

Nope, only Leggio and another player initially. But I wasn't there to see in person.

[Drew]

Nope.....that was a long way from Section H.

[CowbellGuy]

It's been fixed. And no, you didn't spell it with an "e" but I'd be happy if I can just get you to start spelling "Pokulok" right.

[andyw2100]

Anyone else think it was bad mojo that Ari listed Harvard first in the championship game, while showing all the other games in the more standard "winner first" format?

Semifinal 1: Harvard 4 -Dartmouth 3
Semifinal 2: Cornell 2 - Colgate 1
Consolation: Colgate 3 - Dartmouth 2
Championship: Harvard 1 - Cornell 3

Edit: Enjoyed the column, by the way. Good job, Ari.

[redhair34]

[quote andyw2100]Anyone else think it was bad mojo that Ari listed Harvard first in the championship game, while showing all the other games in the more standard "winner first" format?

Semifinal 1: Harvard 4 -Dartmouth 3
Semifinal 2: Cornell 2 - Colgate 1
Consolation: Colgate 3 - Dartmouth 2
Championship: Harvard 1 - Cornell 3[/quote]

No:-P.  It looks to me like away vs. home team format--"away"(or lesser seeded) first and "home" or (higher seeded) second.

[andyw2100]

OK, got it. Now I'm not worried any more.

Sorry for the false alarm.
                  Andy