Clarkson @ The UVM Holiday Tourny [Archive] - Golden Knights Hockey Roundtable

Brett Gobe

12-16-2005, 02:47 PM

Clarkson travels to Burlington to faceoff against Bemidji State and UVM/Dartmouth in what could be considered the best tournament in the country, team record wise. Bemidji is ranked #19 and is coming in with a 9-4-1 record that could be improving this weekend with 2 games at North Dakota. UVM is #3 in the nation with a 11-3-1 record and a game tomorrow agianst SLU. Dartmouth is the "worst" team coming in with a 4-7-0 record but with wins over Cornell, Clarkson, Brown and Yale. We've seen what Dartmouth can do on a good night.

I still stand by my statement that Clarkson can skate with anyone in the country 5x5 and 5x4. But like usual we need to stay out of the box against Bemidji who has a 18.2 powerplay conversion rate. Not great, but good enough to do damage given multiple chances. Bemidji takes about 21 penalty minutes a game compared to Clarkson's 24.1, so Clarkson needs to make the most of it when on the man advantage. Hopefully D'Alvise will be able to play, and we should see Guthrie this weekend. Goaltending I think the rotation stays in place with Leggio on Friday and McNulty on Saturday.

I think Bemidji is a good team and they will end up the CHA champions with 20+ wins. This will be a big game for Clarkson down the road as it will have some pretty major implications on the strength of schedule and the rating percentage index. I think Clarkson will win a tight game, 4-3. Hopefully I'm right as I will be in attendance for both games with fellow poster Ron Ayers. If anyone else is going to be there let us know, as we can meet up for a pre/post game beverage.

chuck

12-17-2005, 07:44 PM

Brett,
my wife and I are mulling a trip up... we'll see how the Christmas weekend goes. We'll let you know but with 4 kids we'll probably just say hi between periods.

It's funny how it goes. When I saw this tourny on the schedule last year I thought it was pretty weak, with 2 ECAC teams a very recent ECAC departure team and a CHA team. Now I'm thinking this is going to be a good one.

Does anyone know Burlington well? Are there any cheap hotels close to the Gut? Any hotels at all near the rink?

Let's Go Tech!

joecct

12-17-2005, 09:57 PM

Chuck

The Best Western is not bad and fairly reasonable about 5 minutes south of the Gut. I stay there when Walpole plays Green Mountain.

Joe

Ron

12-18-2005, 12:15 AM

Tournament looks even more interesting after this weekend.

Dartmouth pounds Harvard 4-1
Vermont falls to SLU 2-1
Bemidji Loses 2 to North Dakota 2-1, 5-1

koho

12-19-2005, 07:15 AM

I've stayed at the Hawthorne Suites (Inn?) in South Burlington. Fantastic accommodations at a very good price as I recall. It's only a couple of minutes from the rink. Great continental breakfast.

Brett Gobe

12-19-2005, 10:22 AM

Clarkson moves up to #12 in INCH's power rankings. UVM fell to #3. Bemidji dropped out.

http://www.insidecollegehockey.com/5Polls/0506/polls_0414.htm

Ron

12-19-2005, 12:56 PM

I do believe we've picked up the Holiday Inn. Somehow last time I went to Burlington we got the Wyndham through Hotwire for $79/night. A little ways from the arena, but spectacular accodomations.

HeatherP

12-20-2005, 01:18 PM

Both the Best Western & the Holiday Inn are good choices.
The Windjammer restaurant (in the Best Western) serves some great food & drinks. I've gone to a few work functions there.

We had tried to set up an alum function/post-game for after Friday's game; but the current numbers were too small to reserve an actual location. We'll have to try something on-the-fly. For those of you who would like to go out afterwards, I'll try to find you during the intermission.

Goldie Knight

12-22-2005, 11:36 AM

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Greetings from the South,

Just a note to let you know that we have sometimes stayed overknight at the Fairfield Inn by Marriott in Colchester, VT, only a few miles away from the Gutterson Field House. Although it is the least expensive of the Marriott chain of hotels, we have always found our room to be very clean, and there is a complimentary bite to eat in the morning too.

Let's hope the Golden Knights are well supported by a large contingency of their fans. Now that St. Lawrence has defeated UVM, that fact should provide some inspiration for Clarkson to realize the "NO CATS NO" team is beatable at home. I have felt for a long time that this year's Golden Knights believe in themselves and in their capabilities to win games.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO THE.....

GOLDEN KNIGHTS AND THEIR FAMILIES, THE COACHES AND THEIR FAMILIES, ALL ROUNDTABLE READERS, BOB, JOSH, AND GARY, AND TO ALL OTHERS ASSOCIATED WITH CLARKSON HOCKEY.

AND

A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO SCOTT COMSTOCK FOR PROVIDING US WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME EVEN MORE LOYAL GOLDEN KNIGHTS FANS.:)

vicb

12-22-2005, 03:36 PM

Well the transit strike in NYC is over so the wife and I will be heading there tomorrow and then to snowy Syracuse on Saturday.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good Knight.

Ron

12-22-2005, 05:24 PM

RSTuthill

12-22-2005, 10:22 PM

If you go east (south) on I-89 to the Williston exit, there is a Courtyard just to the right and across the street. Same driveway as the Residence Inn. There is also a Fairfield on the west (opposite) side of Brownell Road at that intersection.

Finding places to stay in that area should be the easiest of just about any place you could imagine. The place is overflowing with hotels.

joecct

12-26-2005, 11:27 PM

Not to be cynical or anything, but based on the fiasco over Thanksgiving, does anyone think we'll have a radio broadcast to listen to?

Ron

12-27-2005, 02:32 PM

Not to be cynical or anything, but based on the fiasco over Thanksgiving, does anyone think we'll have a radio broadcast to listen to?

Fiasco? Did they not turn the feed on? I'm sure UVM will be broadcasting it somehow.

Millsy

12-27-2005, 04:10 PM

Bemidji will have a feed for both their games at www.kkbjam.com. Brian Schultz is a pretty decent announcer, not too much of a homer as I have heard at some schools.

Wish I could make the trip, but the paycheck is having a little more pull right now. And I got to work the weekend and no one would trade with me with it being New Years and everything......

joecct

12-27-2005, 08:59 PM

Fiasco? Did they not turn the feed on? No. We got CNN radio all weekend. Nobody was there to flip the switch.

RSTuthill

12-27-2005, 10:51 PM

Personally, I think that it is pretty neat that this is an all green tournament.

Btw, when Bemidji came to Storrs for a couple of games Thanksgiving time last year or the year before, all the player parents showed up. If any fans made it there were very few. The parents were good folks, though. Fun to talk to.

RSTuthill

12-29-2005, 10:03 PM

Had a look at Bowling Green tonight at the Toyota UConn Hockey Classic. They are not too bad. Quite impressive that Clarkson came back on them to win 6-4 from being down 0-3.

Btw, BGSU beat UMass 3-2 despite being outshot rather badly. UMass' goaltending was kind of weak (Jon Quick from Hamden, CT, allowing 3 goals on 8 shots).

joecct

12-30-2005, 08:11 AM

Dick

Wasn't Jon Quick in goal for the BGSU goals?

If you're driving way North tonight, drive safe. In the words of Gerald Ford, "I'll see you tonight on the radio."

Joe

RSTuthill

12-30-2005, 09:57 AM

Joe, you are quite right. Jon Quick. I knew it was the local kid from Hamden and AOF, but I confused myself looking at the box. I will try not to do that in the future.

Point remains, however. That was a significant accomplishment by the Knights coming back for the win over BGSU after being three goals down.

I was also pretty impressed with Toot's UMA team. Understandable how the Knights might have dropped an early season contest to them. I suspect that UMA will crush Army this afternoon unless they were drowning their sorrows at one of the off campus watering holes in Storrs after the game.

LGT!!!!!

vicb

12-30-2005, 08:05 PM

WHOO WHOO.

Unfortunately I was out all day and missed the game.

The good

We got to the championship game

Nick Dodge What a performance. Gets the 2 goals in the 3rd to get us tied and then scores the only goal of the shootout.

Leggio stops all 5 shots in the shootout

The not so good

FIVE FREAKIN IDIOTS SUSPENDED FOR THE GAME Enough said. :mad:

Millsy

12-30-2005, 08:32 PM

Good Luck to Clarkson.... I guess the only consolation the Beavers can take from the game is that it is officially a tie, and a tie against the #15 team in the country isn't a bad thing.

RSTuthill

12-30-2005, 09:20 PM

The not so good

FIVE FREAKIN IDIOTS SUSPENDED FOR THE GAME Enough said. :mad:
Actions have consequences. Undoubtedly this collective action cost the Knights in the PWR. Yeah, the Knights advanced, yeah they pulled it out. But that was a game that should have been won and the guys who weren't there were definitely missed and caused it to be way closer than it should have been. I hope that point is not lost.

Boy, Nick Dodge is THE MAN toknight. What a performance. That could easily have been a loss.

On to face the pussies tomorrow. Hot team. Hope the Knights can cool them off.

Oh, yeah, and Millsey. You guys continue to impress. How you are only number 2 in the CHA is beyond me, unless it is a schedule anomaly thing.

Millsy

12-30-2005, 09:41 PM

It is a schedule thing. Niagara has played two more league games than Bemidji. With a six team league and only 20 league games, the standings don't really start to make a lot of sense until the latter part of January. But with Niagara THUMPING New Hampshire tonight 6-2, they deserve the number one, especially with BSU 0-3-2 in their last five games.

joecct

12-30-2005, 10:28 PM

Final
Dartmouth 0
Vermont 1

Should be very interesting tomorrow especially with the five guys back.

Any word on Zalewski? He went down hard early in the game.

Goldie Knight

12-30-2005, 10:30 PM

Friday, December 30, 2005 10 PM

I was unable to listen to Bob and Gary's post-game recap, but I have been very worried about Steve Zalewski's condition. Steve crashed into the boards in the second period and was a long time in getting up. He never returned to the game. During the game, neither Bob nor Gary had any additional information about Steve. Steve's absence was a great loss for the Golden Knights, as was the loss of some of those freshmen for disciplinary reasons. Thank goodness it was only a one-game punishment, but in my opinion, it definitely hurt Clarkson's chances of winning toknight. Does anyone know what happened with those freshmen? And if anyone has heard anything more about Steve Zalewski's injury, I would appreciate any information on that.

Congratulations to Mike Sullivan, Nick Dodge, Nick Dodge, and Nick Dodge again for scoring Clarkson's four goals. Although Clarkson only gets credit for a tie against a tough Bimidji State team, the shootout permits them to play in the championship game tomorrow knight.

ARE KNIGHTS ARE AWESOME.:)

Goldie Knight

12-30-2005, 10:41 PM

Friday, December 30, 2005 10:30 PM

Well, folks, our opponent tomorrow knight at the Gutterson Field House will be the University of Vermont....that is not a surprise.

What is a surprise is the score of that game toknight was UVM 1 and Dartmouth 0.....the only goal was scored by former Clarkson Golden Knight Matt Syroczynski.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE AND TO ALL A HAPPY, HEALTHY 2006.:)

joecct

12-31-2005, 12:11 AM

Meanwhile, out at the Mile High City:

Princeton 4 (eng)
Denver 1

So it will be BC - PU for the championship and Ferris vs. DU in the 3rd place game.

CUKnight

12-31-2005, 12:22 AM

Wow, the ECAC is putting the hurt on some big name teams this year. Good to see. Fluke, or is the conference actually back?

vicb

12-31-2005, 12:47 AM

Wow, the ECAC is putting the hurt on some big name teams this year. Good to see. Fluke, or is the conference actually back?

Well Denver was missing 2 players at the World Juniors but take nothing away from Princeton. They WERE NOT outplayed toknight. I watched the game and was impressed by their play. They deserved to win this game.

As for the ECAC being back. When we can consistantly get teams into the Frozen Four and even win a National Championship every once and a while I will say the league is back. The league appears on a whole to be much improved but still has a way to go (Just ask RPI and Union :rolleyes: ) .

Goldie Knight

12-31-2005, 08:37 AM

Saturday, December 31, 2005 8:30 AM

A local northern New York newspaper reports this morning that Steve Zalewski suffered a concussion in the second period last knight. Steve required fifteen stitches, but the doctor expected him to be okay. We are familiar with the medical center in Burlington, and it is an excellent one. Our best wishes to Steve for as quick a recovery as possible.

Coach Roll gave a lot of credit to Nick Dodge for his outstanding and amazing performance, scoring two goals during the regular game and then scoring the only goal in the shootout to advance the Golden Knights to play in the championship game against UVM toknight. An interesting statistic.....this is the first time since 1995 that Clarkson has participated in a tournament championship game. Also a lot of credit was given to David Leggio for stopping all five of Bemidji State's attempts in the shootout.

VICTIMIZE VERMONT TOKNIGHT.:)

CUKnight

12-31-2005, 09:17 AM

Big wins in ECAC this season:

Harvard (BC, UNH, North Dakota)
Colgate (Western Michigan)
SLU (Wisconsin, UMass, Providence, Lowell, UVM)
Clarkson (Providence, Bowling Green)
Cornell (Michigan State, Northeastern)
RIP (Northeastern, BU, Michigan Tech, Providence)
Princeton (Notre Dame, Denver)
Yale (Mercyhurst, only throwing them in because they are 10-2)

This doesnt include any ties, or games which an ECAC team played well and lost (RPI and Ckn vs. Miami for instance).

We have 6 wins against the top 4 teams in the Hockey East. A win over the 2 time reining national champion, the always powerful north dakota, and several mid-level schools in big divisions that we (usually) choke against. I for one am very happy to see this.

berbs91

12-31-2005, 11:25 AM

Theres a lot of parity..

weak losses by the ECAC

Colgate (7-1 to Providence).. i know providence is good at home this year, but 7-1? .. if RPI can beat them, Colgate should be able to keep it close.

SLU (RIT, Bowling Green) RIT game had a stellar goaltending performance, but BG is not that good.

Clarkson (UMASS) - UMASS is weak this year

Cornell (Union) - I know Union is an ECAC team, but for Cornell to only get 1 point at home against RPI/UNION is pathetic... guess every team takes a weekend off here and there.

Dartmouth (UMass-Lowell) - Dartmouth scares me, they are 5-8 but have played tough games and have the pieces there.

RPI (UMass-Lowell, Alaska Ankorage, Merrimack, Holy Cross x2, Sacred Heart, gave up 7 goals to RIT) How did Clarkson not beat them?? Lowell is 6-11-0, AA is 5-13-1, Merrimack 4-11-2.. Im sure all 3 are glad they had RPI on their schedule this year.

RSTuthill

12-31-2005, 11:47 AM

Theres a lot of parity ... weak losses by the ECAC

SLU (RIT, Bowling Green) RIT game had a stellar goaltending performance, but BG is not that good.

Clarkson (UMASS) - UMASS is weak this year

I beg to differ on the weak teams. I have seen Clarkson, BGSU, and UMass this year. Don't go by records alone. Both BGSU and UMA are good enough that on any given night they can beat very good teams.

Look at what Niagara did to UNH last night. Spanked 'em. I agree with the parity point.

CU on the ice

12-31-2005, 01:13 PM

berbs91

12-31-2005, 01:56 PM

This is the first time I have seen Clarkson play this year and I am impressed by their character and depth. While missing some of their clutch players, they came from behind scoring the tieing goal in the last ~2 min...unbelievable. Perhaps I am too optimistic, but its good to know that without those players they can pull off a tie. Hats off to Nick Doge, MVP of the game, who scored three goals in one night even though not all in regular play and Ledgendary Leggio who is 5 for 5 against Bemidji (and won us the championship game.)

So far this year Clarkson has been slow out of the gate... the opposing team has scored first 11 of the 17 games they have played.

But they have also been a extremely good third period team, not giving up and outscoring their opponents 28-13 after the second intermission.

Knock on wood, but I dont think they have lost a game where they led in the third period.

chuck

12-31-2005, 04:43 PM

this is the first time since 1995 that Clarkson has participated in a tournament championship game.

My wife and I were having a discussion about this just today. The ECAC tournament in 1999 was a tournament that they won. But other than post season play I was wondering when the last time they were in a championship game and when was the last time they won a tournament? I didn't want to post this question until tomorrow so as not to jinx them, but I guess I won't worry about that.

Brett Gobe

12-31-2005, 10:17 PM

Hey everyone, just got back to the hotel from the Gut. Here's my take on the weekend.

Clarkson came out on their heels Friday against Bemidji. Nick Dodge earned his player of the game and was clearly the best player on the ice all night. Clarkson stole that tie. Dodge's shootout goal was a great deke and a wonderful shot. The goals Leggio let in where a screened shot, a goal in which the Bemidji attacker was all alone in front of the net. He made a good attempt but the puck just trickled in. The third goal was on the other end, but after that he locked down and made some nice stops including the shootout.

Tonight we just got beat. Plain and simple. Vermont is a very good team and Fallon was unbeatable. UVM's 2 goals where two goals that anyone would have trouble stopping. Arcieri's shot was a perfect snap shot from the top of the circle that picked the corner. And Mitchel's goal was absoultly amazing. He faked out 2 of our defenders and left McNulty had no chance. It was truly a highlght reel goal. UVM played solid D after that, and Clarkson really was stumped in the third. After tonight I believe in UVM's #5 ranking, they deserve it.

Well, that pretty much sums it up. Here's to a fast start in 2006.

Happy New Year everyone.

vicb

01-01-2006, 08:53 AM

Disappointed we got beat. More disappointed that we were shut out for the 2nd time this year :( . Oh well, on to next week. LGT

Oh yes, HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL :) .

RSTuthill

01-01-2006, 09:31 AM

No disgrace getting beaten by a better team or one that could've been beaten had the breaks gone the other way.

Question is, what can be learned from the experience to beat UVM down the road?

In the deep dark distant past, Clarkson very soundly beat Michigan State, in Lansing, in the regular season. Michigan State then learned from that experience and went on to beat Clarkson in the NC$$ championship game at the end of the season. Can be done.

Happy New Year, folks!!!!

Goldie Knight

01-01-2006, 10:35 AM

Sunday, January 1, 2006 10 AM

Vermont's goal tender, Joe Fallon, having shut out both Dartmouth and Clarkson, was selected as the most valuable player in the Catamount Cup Tournament. My assumption is that if Clarkson had defeated UVM and if Nick Dodge had gotten even a single point, then Nick would have replaced Joe Fallon for that honor. Nonetheless, Nick was named to the all-tournament team, along with former Clarkson Golden Knight, Matt Syroczynski. and others.

Coach Roll felt that his team had some good quality scoring chances, but UVM was tough defensively, and there were very few rebounds. George mentioned several opportunities that Clarkson had with two on ones and point-blank shots against Fallon, but the UVM goaltender made key saves.

Overall, I agree with Vic, that it is disappointing to lose...any game in fact; but when I reflect upon last season's record, I feel optimistic about where the Golden Knights will be after the last regular season game on February 25, 2006. I simply can't imagine this team ending the season in ninth place (or lower) where we finished the past two years.

A lot of people here in Florida celebrate the New Year with fireworks displays, similiar to those the rest of us experience on the 4th of July....a very noisy knight here in Florida. Unfortunately, we did not have much to celebrate last evening.;)

We are looking forward to attending Clarkson's first home game of 2006 against RIT at Cheel Friday, January 6, and then its off to the Corel Centre in Ottawa for the first of three January games against SLU. I think probably most of the traveling partners play each other in back-to-back weekend games, but the weekend of January 27 and 28, with two consecutive games against SLU, should be mind-boggling for the teams as well as for their fans...the rivalry is so intense between Clarkson and SLU. This two-game weekend series will be the start of something new for the Golden Knights.

OUR KNIGHTS WILL BE AWESOME.:)