To be honest, I think the ticket cost is quite reasonable since you get two great games for $20! The concessions...are a tad pricey and that's something that gets addressed by not buying the beer, popcorn, etc. Since they allowed a readmission, I saw fans go to Broadway Joes or the place that replaced Pagliacci's for a beer or quick bite.
But there is no feel at the TUC. Cornell and its following did its best and congrats to 3 of the four teams that brought their bands (I loved the Princeton contingent in orange blazers and straw hats!). No arena music, just the bands! That was a major enhancement over previous years.
Thanks for all the great work that you do for college hockey in the Capital District. I look forward for next season and your commentary. And maybe I'll try and pick with you for the entire season next time! Enjoyed every minute of it!
I have SLU up by a goal with 1:30 to go...crazy bounce and it's tied! Then...a beautiful 2 on 1 for Yale's winner. man...snake bit!
Now I have Princeton..up by two with 3:00 to go with all-world goalie Zane Zalemba in net. So what happens? Cornell rallies to tie and win in double OT.
Man, Kenny, are you ever lucky!
Today:
Conso: SLU 3 - 1 over Princeton Champ: Yale 4-2 over Cornell
Almost had my Engineers sneak in but it took a meltdown by 'Fat Mike' to spark his team and the fans to a series win. What did I say about penalties???
OK, then was then and now is now. No tux for you! But that's ok, I just can't get that image into my mind at all, thank god! This weekend is ECAC heaven, well, maybe limbo. ECAC's in Lake Placid is HEAVEN! Ticket sales as of your show yeasterday were about 4,000. Gee, doesn't the Olympic rink handle 5500??? And the atmosphere of the olympics there? Gotta get the ECAC's back there...
Off the soap box and back to picking. We tied last week so tonight's games are critical!
Hate to 'gloat' since we still have tonight's games to play BUT I was 100% correct last night and with how things were to go: 1) Union would lose by a goal. 2) RPI would upset Cornell. 3) Brown would provide stiff resistance to Yale before Yale prevailed. 4) SLU would outslug Quinnipiac.
Tonight? Should be something else! Keep Hobey Baker in Princeton!
Hey, I love this stuff! It rocks! And the next two weekends are absolutely the best! If only the semis and finals were still in Placid! And this is tons better than the NCAA's regionals!
Behave yourself in Princeton otherwise the ghost of Hobey Baker may follow you back to Schenectady!
3) Union at Princeton: This has all the makings of a great series. Union has a different hero every game lately it seems. First it’s Mike Harr to gain home ice, then it’s Super Mario (MVT, yuck!) playing like a man among boys, and then Chris Potts and his shortie. Princeton’s final two weekends have been, well, quite ordinary. Princeton is DEEP and presents major issues if Union’s third and fourth lines get matched up with Princeton’s top line. And there is always the fear that Lee Jubenville will break out of his season slump in the playoffs…because if he doesn’t, Princeton becomes very beatable. The final Princeton advantage is goaltending. Zane Kalemba has played well all season and always gives his team a chance to win. Looking at Union, the top two lines need to score with occasional help for the rest. What the third line needs to do is break even since they’ll be seeing the Princeton top line more often than not as Gadowsky will take advantage of these match-ups. So, will Union be able to overcome all this? As much as I’d like to say YES, I think Princeton will win both nights by the slimmest of margins of a goal. 4-3, 3-2. The difference will be Kalemba. 4) Quinnipiac at St. Lawrence: Another close series with completely opposite team styles. St. Lawrence plays a ferocious and physical fore check, its defense is very offensive minded, and has arguably the hottest goalie in the ECAC over the past month in Alex Petizian. Quinnipiac is an offense ‘pedal to the metal’ and relies on its ability to out score its opponent to win instead of a more conservative playoff-style approach. Marshall, Leitch, et al are monsters that can take over a series in a moment’s notice. BUT the saints are playing inspired hockey with the home field advantage. The key to this series is just how much Matt Generous’ knee can hold up over the weekend. SLU’s defense can be too offensive-minded and Generous’ presence is a big factor for a SLU two-way game. But the deep SLU D corps will overcome it and the emotional lift Generous' presence brings, well it makes my prediction easy: SLU in a sweep, winning 5-3 and 4-2.
So, my attempt at humor was less than amusing to you...so, here comes the serious report as it WERE my day job!
And there will be an upset!
1) Brown at Yale: If you wanted to write a Disney movie sequel of “Mighty Ducks” (I know they already did and it sucked), then Brown running the table thru the ECAC’s to the NC$$, and losing in the championship game at the Frozen Four. I think the movie will end far short of that and we’ll just have to leave it to our collective imaginations that outcome. Yale will throw everything it has at freshman net minder Michael Clemente who was superman against Harvard last weekend. Yale has too many weapons and Brown’s season will be over by Sunday. I’d say the first game will be a nail biter…Yale 3-1 with an empty netter. Saturday, Yale scores early and often….5-1. Sweep for the Eli but bloodied in the process. 2) RPI at Cornell: The RPI contingent should know my feelings about the Engineers and as much as I’d love to see RPI at the TU Center for the ECAC final weekend, it doesn’t seem possible…but is it that far fetched to predict RPI advancing? Here’s what RPI must do if they want to have a chance at upsetting Cornell. First, avoid the silly penalties and keep Cornell’s power play unit off the ice as much of the time as possible. Penalties will happen but undisciplined play will kill any chance RPI has. Second, not to play to Cornell’s strength which is a close physical game won along the boards, especially in the RPI defensive zone. The breakout will be a key and to not spend that much time there. It’s kind of like football’s equivalent of the ‘red zone’. More time spent there…more opportunities to score. Third, use RPI’s superior team speed. Spread the ice, take the Cornell defenders one-on-one and try to have them catch you. If they can’t, they’ll have to play hold and hook hockey…excellent for drawing penalties and providing power plays. Fourth, get superior goaltending. Cornell’s Schrivens has had a great season but Alan York is just now hitting his best stride, living up to his pre-season hype. Honestly, if York stays hot…And fifth, get some bounces. If the gods of hockey look favorably on RPI and to the dismay of the Lynah faithful (get some new routines for chrissakes, the newspaper bit is so 80’s), maybe RPI can overcome a very talented Cornell squad. So, my heart says UPSET, my head says Lynah is too much to overcome, and my stomach says it’s hungry! So, my heart needs to be followed and I am predicting a 3 game series: RPI 4-2, Cornell 3-1, RPI 2-1.
If you were at the game last night, you would have seen this more as a TEAM victory. Two goals by the top line game directly after solid efforts by the 3rd and 4th lines which pinned in Clarkson in their own end while Union was able to make the line change to the #1 line. This, with timely scoring, will keep Union moving in the right direction. So, if everyone keeps working and their feet moving...so will the Dutchmen! And Mario was SUPER MARIO last night. The Clarkson 'D' couldn't keep up and could only watch him perform his magic in the corners and in the slot.
Clarkson at Union...Union 3-2, Clarkson 3-1, Union 5-2 RPI at Dartmouth...RPI 4-2, Dartmouth 5-2, Dartmouth 3-1 Colgate at Q-pac...Q-pac 6-2, Q-pac 4-2 Brown at Harvard...Harvard 3-1, Harvard 3-0
Posted on March 22 at 12:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
To be honest, I think the ticket cost is quite reasonable since you get two great games for $20! The concessions...are a tad pricey and that's something that gets addressed by not buying the beer, popcorn, etc. Since they allowed a readmission, I saw fans go to Broadway Joes or the place that replaced Pagliacci's for a beer or quick bite.
But there is no feel at the TUC. Cornell and its following did its best and congrats to 3 of the four teams that brought their bands (I loved the Princeton contingent in orange blazers and straw hats!). No arena music, just the bands! That was a major enhancement over previous years.
Major disappointment...shoot out in the conso!
On ECAC Hockey tournament notebook