RPI-Union Regular Season Wrap-up [Archive] - Golden Knights Hockey Roundtable

knight3

02-24-2009, 08:48 AM

Hard to beilieve the end of the regular season is here! We started out strong against CC, lost our way mid-season, and hopefully will close out the regular season with the strongest showing yet against RPI//Union. The team finally seems to have chemistry on the ice - lines/pairings have certainly jelled in the last few weeks. Time to leave it all on the ice boys! We need this 4 point weekend! May the hockey gods smile on the Golden Knights this weekend. LGT!

daredevilcu

02-24-2009, 11:17 AM

Clarkson can still finish 5th if SLU gets swept, Harvard gets no more than 1 point this weekend, and Quinnipiac gets no more than 2 points this weekend. Naturally, Clarkson would have to complete the road sweep to end up tied with SLU for 5th, winning the eventual tiebreaker.

If we beat Union, nothing can drop us lower than 8th. If we lose to Union, we are basically screwed and will finish 9th, unless Quinnipiac gets swept and we beat RPI, in which case we still finish 8th. If we get swept by RPI/Union and Colgate sweeps Brown/Yale, we could still finish as low as 10th.

I think this covers most of the relevant possibilities that interest us. It's still possible to end up in 6th or 7th, but those don't matter much if you ask me. We'd face either Colgate or RPI in those positions (god forbid we face Colgate) but the most likely outcome is hosting Union or playing at Union in the first round, depending on the outcome of the last game of the year... at Union. Don't you just love it?

http://slack.net/~whelan/tbrw/2009/ecac.cgiframe.shtml

I'll say it again. We don't need to sweep. We need to get 2 points from Union, I don't care how. That's priority 1. Beating RPI and losing to Union means nothing.

Stemmer

02-24-2009, 01:22 PM

Winning BOTH games this weekend means a lot, apart from the points. Understanding the effort and committment needed to win needs to be reinforced and carried forward to the playoffs.

Four point weekend!!!

dave techer

02-24-2009, 01:57 PM

Got a homework question for one of the stats gurus. Clarkson finished 1st in the ECAC last year (regular season). Let's say we play below our potential this weekend and we finish in 8th or 9th place. Is that the largest drop in league standings for a Clarkson team from one year to the next? And what team holds the distinction (di-stink-ion) of the largest drop from finishing in 1st place one year to whatever the next year? Just curious.

Brett Gobe

02-24-2009, 02:11 PM

Year Place Delta
1962 3
1963 2 1
1964 8 -6
1965 3 5
1966 1 2
1967 6 -5
1968 2 4
1969 4 -2
1970 2 2
1971 2 0
1972 6 -4
1973 6 0
1974 9 -3
1975 8 1
1976 4 4
1977 1 3
1978 3 -2
1979 5 -2
1980 5 0
1981 1 4
1982 1 0
1983 5 -4
1984 5 0
1985 3 2
1986 5 -2
1987 5 0
1988 6 -1
1989 4 2
1990 4 0
1991 1 3
1992 3 -2
1993 3 0
1994 2 1
1995 1 1
1996 2 -1
1997 1 1
1998 2 -1
1999 1 1
2000 5 -4
2001 1 4
2002 2 -1
2003 7 -5
2004 9 -2
2005 9 0
2006 8 1
2007 2 6
2008 1 1

Looks like the biggest positive jump is 8th to 2nd from 2006 to 2007 and the biggest fall is 2nd to 8th from 1963 to 1964.

MikeR

02-26-2009, 11:09 AM

http://www.dailygazette.com/weblogs/schott/2009/feb/26/ahlfeld-visits-slap-schotts-this-morning/

Goldie Knight

02-26-2009, 04:01 PM

Thursday, February 26, 2009 3:35 PM

Rich.....you said it all in your last post....we need four points for many reasons.

The very good news is that Paul Karpowich has finally recovered from his flu-like ailments, which kept him out of action last weekend. I believe Paul has been practicing all week.:) So, we can probably assume that Richie LeVeau will be the starting goaltender at RPI, with Paul in goal against Union. The only Golden Knight I don't expect to see in uniform is Ty Mason, who was in pain and on crutches last weekend.

Very encouraging is the fact that the Golden Knights have scored a minimum of three goals per game during the month of February....a total of 21 goals as a matter of fact. Having Chris D'Alvise, Shea Guthrie, and Matt Beca on one line has been almost like a miracle on ice this month. That is such a dominant scoring line, with excellent talent. I absolutely do not want to overlook the play of Bryan Rufenach...he leads the Golden Knights in scoring from the blueline with 15 points. Quite a few players had told me before Bryan actually began his freshman year last year, that he was an awesome player. We are definitely seeing a display of that talent from Bryan as this season progresses.

By the way, congratulations to Shea Guthrie for being named to the ECAC Honor Roll again this week! And, of course, congratulations again to both Shea Guthrie and Chris D'Alvise for earning entrance into the Clarkson 100 Point Club. Matt Beca now currently has 82 points in his three years at Clarkson. With only 18 more points needed, it won't be too long before Matt joins that prestigious group. The hard-working sophomore line of Scott Freeman, Brandon DeFazio, and Lauri Tuohimma is also very dangerous for opponents to deal with.

Our suitcases are packed, and I can hardly wait to be at RPI tomorrow evening. Both RPI and Union will have a difficult assignment to keep our leading scorers off the score sheet this weekend.

IF ALL THINGS ARE EQUAL, CLARKSON'S TALENT WILL WIN OUT!

ON TO TWO VICTORIES THIS WEEKEND, CLARKSON GOLDEN KNIGHTS.

Cap

02-27-2009, 12:14 PM

Preview for tonight:
http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20090227/BLOGS04/902279975/-1/BLOGS04

tomthewombat

02-27-2009, 09:50 PM

vicb

02-27-2009, 10:57 PM

WHOOOO WHOOOO

One down and the Big One tomorrow knight. Who'd of thunk it calling the Union game the Big One instead of the RPI game. And since Quiny lost, a win tomorrow guarantees 7th place. Since I am in NYC celebrating my daughters Birthday this weekend someone else is gonna have to do The Good and The Not So Good as I did not listen to the game. According to USCHO, Karpowich played the RPI game in the nets??? Wonder if the coaching staff has ended the rotation and is gonna play Karpo for the rest of the year??

tomthewombat

02-27-2009, 11:53 PM

Wonder if the coaching staff has ended the rotation and is gonna play Karpo for the rest of the year??

I think they are putting Union/RPI up against different tenders than the last game. I think that having 2 warm goalies will help in the next two weeks. When we face the same team two or three times in a weekend, they will have to face a completely different style of tending every night!

daredevilcu

02-28-2009, 12:08 AM

7th place = series vs. Colgate. NO FREAKIN THANK YOU

Chaz

02-28-2009, 08:51 AM

Nice win Knights.

Goldie Knight

02-28-2009, 09:08 AM

Saturday, February 28, 2009 9 AM

Accolades to the Golden Knights for their determination to destroy RPI. How sweet it is to win at the Houston Field House! A dominant defensive effort for most of the game gave Clarkson its eighth ECAC victory. RPI did begin a comeback in the last half of the third period. After scoring two goals, an RPI Rumdum crashed into Paul Karpowich, knocking him headfirst down onto the ice. Shortly thereafter, the RPI player was given a two-minute penalty, thereby ending any threat of another RPI score.

We are on our way out for breakfast, and I will post more information later today.

DUMBFOUND THE DUTCHMEN TOKNIGHT!

Tez

02-28-2009, 09:20 AM

Wow, surprised no one else contributed to "The Good and Not So Good" yet. It's a privilege to fill in for Vicb for one game. :p I was at the game and it seemed to be one of the smallest crowds I've seen at the Fieldhouse against Clarkson.

The Good
Bryan Rufenach & Louke Oakley with back to back powerplay goals (Rufenach's goal was on a 4x3 and Oakley on a 5x4)
Coach Roll having guys get in the slot for powerplays (ie - Oakley's goal)
Holding RPI to 4 shots in the first and 3 shots in the second (there was a stretch of over 20 minutes between the first and second that RPI had no shots on goal!)
Gift goal by York to pass the puck off the side of his net and Nick Tremblay to poke the puck into the gaping empty net
Forechecked like crazy in the first and second periods
Paul Karpowich looked good when he needed to be
RPI 0 for 6 on the powerplay

The Not So Good
Obstructed view seats (darn Fieldhouse)
Jake Morley's penalty with 2:30 left was utter crap. He dumps puck into the offensive zone and RPI guy reaches out and drags Morley down.
Blind passes in the defensive zone that led to a couple RPI opportunities

vicb

02-28-2009, 10:17 AM

Stemmer

02-28-2009, 10:30 AM

We enjoyed the game at the somewhat-renovated HFH. Actually they took away the end zone seats where we've been seated in prior years and replaced it with a reception area for RPI fans. Probably another revenue stream between periods. :)

A very solid first two periods by our guys. The back to back PP goals were great, a real boost for us and it set RPI back. I thought the two PPs were well executed, good puck movement and solid chances generated. Holding them to seven SOG through 2 periods was great.

Think we let up a bit in the 3rd with the four goal lead. I think Karpo probably wants their first goal back. It looked from my view that he was off his angle and a bit deep in the net.

Re: the late call on Morley, I believe the two guys pulled each other down. Ref could have called them both. In any case, I think Morley definitely pulled the RPI player down.

Nice post game gathering in Colonie althought the Malt River place which is now defunct was better and is missed. Nice of the coaches and team to stop by and hang with us for awhile.

Let's get Union toKnight and wrap up home ice!

Wish I could help you tonight Vic but we'll be celebrating the Mrs.'s birthday. Least I can do for being at the game last night, eh?

Cap

02-28-2009, 12:25 PM

Tonight's game:

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20090228/BLOGS04/902289995/-1/BLOGS04

Goldie Knight

02-28-2009, 03:25 PM

Saturday, February 28, 2009 3 PM

Well, we have returned to the Residence Inn after eating and doing some extensive shopping.

Rich...it was great to visit with you last knight, and we are glad you arrived home safely. It was a pleasant change to sit in an individual seat at the HFH, rather than in those hard metal, chained together ones the "guests" have occupied for years.

Vic...please wish your daughter a very Happy Birthday for us. Your evening will be perfect if that celebration is coincides with a Golden Victory at Messa Rink.

At RPI last knight, Clarkson silenced most of the Red and White fans after the 13th minute of Period 1. Here are those who helped to quiet them down.

1. Bryan Rufenach scored his ninth goal, with assists from Shea Guthrie and Chris D'Alvise.

2. One minute and one second later, while Clarkson fans were still buzzing about our 1 - 0 lead, Louke Oakley gave Clarkson fans even more to brag about by scoring his third goal of the year, and Nick Tremblay and Phil Paquet were credited with the assists.

3. In the second period, Nick Tremblay showed how hockey smart he is by taking the puck the freshman RPI goaltender passed away from the net, and burying the black bullet inside the RPI net...a really heads-up play by one of our talented freshmen. Nick's goal was unassisted, unless we would like to give the RPI goalie the assist on that play.:)

4. Also in the second period, Brandon DeFazio scored his seventh goal of the season, with assists from seniors Chris D'Alvise and Shea Guthrie.

Seeing his first action in two weeks, Paul Karpowich made 17 out of 19 saves, allowing both RPI goals in the third period. Enough was enough!

The Golden Knights began the third period with a very comfortable 4 - 0 lead. That lead was gradually cut in half, but the game ended with the Golden Knights earning TWO huge points and placing seventh in the ECAC standings.

FYI...tickets at Union for regular season Clarkson games cost $12 each....for all other teams, the cost is $10 per ticket. It follows then that for Clarkson fans to truly get their money's worth, Clarkson should win the game this evening.:D

Does anyone know....do we need to just win toknight against Union....or will a one-point tie be sufficient for Clarkson to earn home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs next weekend?

KNOW NO LIMITS, CLARKSON GOLDEN KNIGHTS.....BEAT UNION TOKNIGHT

Tez

02-28-2009, 03:48 PM

Saturday, February 28, 2009 3 PM

Does anyone know....do we need to just win toknight against Union....or will a one-point tie be sufficient for Clarkson to earn home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs next weekend?

KNOW NO LIMITS, CLARKSON GOLDEN KNIGHTS.....BEAT UNION TOKNIGHT

Goldie Knight,

Yes a tie tonight against Union or a loss by Quinnipiac to Dartmouth would give Clarkson home ice for the first round. However, just need to take care of business and win, forget about what happens elsewhere.

LET'S GO TECH!!!

scottcomstock

02-28-2009, 04:51 PM

:( :( :(

I couldn't make it last night, at work I wound up on "London hours" the entire week (4am-12:30pm) and was well and truly out of my mind with fatigue when I got home.

To make things worse I can't make it tonight, either. :mad: I really wanted to catch up with some of you again...

(Maybe I can get work to cough up for the tickets)

Brett Gobe

02-28-2009, 09:28 PM

:mad::mad::mad:

I was looking forward to going up next weekend.

Todd '86

02-28-2009, 09:29 PM

Ninth place. :o And back to lovely Schenectady next weekend. :(

Does the sun get in your eyes in an uphill battle? Just wondering. :rolleyes:

tomthewombat

02-28-2009, 10:50 PM

Hopefully we get some of those refs again next weekend! That clean play may be worth losing home-ice advantage.

And why are the RPI and Union coaches all up in intermission saying that they usually get away with those things? I hope they aren't encouraging their players to put arms and fists into people faces!

Yikes.

endtoend

03-01-2009, 10:06 AM

The Loss to Union was definitely not for lack of effort. The Knights played their tails off for pretty much most of that game and as the re-occurring theme of this season (Missed oppurtunities/Chances) crept in, so did the Loss. Not capitalizing on those PP situations hurt the Knights immensely. Hopefully, they can get that solved this week as that could have put the game away early on for the Knights. Union appeared to utilize a lot of dirty play (I.E. sticks & cheap shots) and could have been "down a man" quite a bit more than they were if those refs were a little more attentive. I give credit to the knights as they could have retaliated in many situations but kept their cool, some discipline we have lacked in previous games. The only concern there is with multi-games in a row, 'bad blood' will surely surface. Karp was fairly strong in net. Stoning that "BS" 'Union' penalty shot was fanatastic. The 1st goal by Union could not have been any luckier as Karp just could not squeeze hard enough and the puck rolled behind him in slow motion into the net. The 2nd goal I am sure he would like to have had back as well. The Defensive corp played very well overall, and that combined with great backchecking from the forwards has really been one of the differences in 2nd half of the season turnaround. Some good stuff to work on this week in practice should bring good results next week.
to steal a little of Vic B's terms...
The good:
Union's Party at their barn will be short lived
The Sad (as I'll call it):
No more games at Cheel this year.....

mk5188

03-01-2009, 02:18 PM

just happened to find a video of the goal that Trombley had an assist from the RPI goalie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJr9hUArB20

vicb

03-01-2009, 02:47 PM

The Loss to Union was definitely not for lack of effort. The Knights played their tails off for pretty much most of that game and as the re-occurring theme of this season (Missed oppurtunities/Chances) crept in, so did the Loss. .......

The good:
Union's Party at their barn will be short lived
The Sad (as I'll call it):
No more games at Cheel this year.....

Well, if the recurring theme of this year continues, the Union party may continue . This sucks, to put it bluntly. Could a should a would a. An opportunity to get home ice and once again come up short. Well, on to the next thread.

FireKnight

03-01-2009, 05:00 PM

I just finally got home from Schenectady and what a disappointment. We had so many chances at open or partially open nets, but it seemed we would always manage to shoot at the U in the center of the goalie's chest or flip it over the net. However, it sure wasn't a lack of effort, the kids worked their tails off.

I really can't believe the dirty play that Union utilizes. The cheap shots, the hits after the whistle, the dirty stick work. No less than 4 times in the game did a Clarkson player come back to the bench hurt due to a Union stick infraction. The slash/hook on Tuttle was right in front of me and the only person in the arena who had a better view would have been John Murphy himself. I think they need to realize that a warning or two is ok about the hits after the whistle, but sooner or later you have to call something. Ernst was just useless. He called one penalty all knight and that was a technical rules violation (and every time Roll caught his ear he seemed to play dumb and point to Murphy hiding on the opposite side).

The calls that were made were generally just. The penalty shot was too far from me to see. I've got to give credit to Paquet for regaining his composure after the second period. He was out there looking to level someone at the end of the second and I was afraid he would take a dumb penalty in the third, but he came out playing hard and clean.

Great showing of Clarkson fans last knight too. We easily had 1/3 of the arena, probably closer to 1/2.

endtoend

03-01-2009, 07:27 PM

It definitely sucks going back to Schenectedy, and anything other than Cheel was not going to be good. That said, I don't know what will actually happen next weekend, but I feel the way the team is playing of late that they've got a heck of better chance than they did 2 months ago, at Cheel or in someone elses barn. Spoiling the party in their crummy Barn would be sweet, not as good as winning at home, but sweet none the less. Here's to next weekend and moving on!
Remember we'll have all off-season to complain and moan about this season...which may be sooner than we want, but hopefully not.

Drew

03-01-2009, 08:41 PM

We had plenty of chances to win this, we didn't get the bounces when we needed them. I agree with FK, Union was very chippy with plenty of extracurricular activity with the stick and hitting from behind after the play. I was shocked we did not retaliate, trust me these two games are going to be a war....and could get very ugly.
We need to keep our composure, Union will try to goad us into the retaliation penalty this weekend. We did a great job of this on Saturday, however our PP could not get setup.
We win the special teams, we will win the series.
Cheers!
Drew

PS
Schenectady...ugh....times are tough...maybe they should have given General Electric the tax benefits :rolleyes:

FireKnight

03-01-2009, 10:20 PM

There is no love lost between me and Mr. Ernst. I've never seen him call a decent game and last knight I thought he looked like a deer in the headlights. I didn't think Murphy was horrible last night, except missing the hook/slash on Tuttle and failing to control the extra activity.

The one question I am going to address to Paul Stewart ... there were exactly 2 games on Saturday knight that had an effect on Quinnipiac's standing. They were the QU game itself and our game with Union. Why on earth did he put a Quinnipiac graduate (Ernst) on the ice in that game? I'm not saying there was any impropriety because I pretty much think Ernst just stinks, but it definitely allows for the question to be asked. It could have been easily resolved as there was another game in Troy.

LoudGuy

03-01-2009, 11:38 PM

I hate that stupid rink and their stupid staff. Sounds like they gave the band a hard time AGAIN. Sorry we have spirit and your fans suck.

FireKnight

03-02-2009, 12:26 AM

I hate that stupid rink and their stupid staff. Sounds like they gave the band a hard time AGAIN. Sorry we have spirit and your fans suck.

They had such dumb rules for the band. They didn't allow them to play between periods so we got to listen to dead air. They also had some rule about not being allowed to play 30 seconds before the period begins, so they were allowed to play the opening Blues Bros. diddy for about 20 seconds. The band ended up singing the rest.

The Union band, on the other hand, was pretty much non-existent.

An unrelated note... the band also sang "O Canada" after the U.S. National Anthem. I know our Canadian players and Canadian parents greatly appreciate when they do that. Classy act by our band.

Goldie Knight

03-02-2009, 12:41 PM

Dpperk29

03-02-2009, 02:04 PM

I would caution anyone about writing Paul Stewart before writing him criticizing the officiating. First, it will fall on def ears and IF stewart replies, it will be to the effect that you should send him your resume and apply for a position with ECACH officiating or shut up. (I have read two replies from him to the same effect posted on the internet).

Also, I don't feel that the officiating at Union caused Clarkson to lose, missed opportunities are why Clarkson lost. The refs sucked equally for both teams, and called a fair game.

From day one as an official you are taught that your job is to provide a safe and fair environment for play. Those two objectives are stated in that order for a reason. The refs at Union provided a fair playing environment that was not always safe. They did not call enough of the extracurricular activities and stick work in the beginning, which quickly lead to dangerous situations such as the tuttle hit (though one could make the argument that the hit on tuttle would have hit an average height player in the chest/shoulders).

FireKnight

03-02-2009, 03:23 PM

Actually, I put in my letter to Mr. Hagwell and Mr. Stewart that I was in no position to criticize the quality of the officiating from the stands. As a fan, I'll do my whining and complaining, but would never submit anything official. What I was questioning was the assignment of a particular official to the game.

I thought I had good standing in that regard, because I know for a fact that my umpire assigner will not give me games that involve my high school, HVCC, or Clarkson, nor will he give me games late in the season that may change any of my school's playoff standing. I did get a reply from Mr. Hagwell, basically stating that questioning his assignment to the game impugns his integrity (which was the answer a good commissioner should give).

Goldie Knight

03-02-2009, 10:37 PM

:)Monday, March 2, 2009 10 PM

I would like to add my comments to those already made concerning the Union ~ Clarkson game. We sat among all Union fans, who were regular attendees at all home games. Throughout the game, they continued to be ashtonished by how well Union played. In fact, they only complained once when one penalty was called against Union....that in itself tells the tale of the officiating. I absolutely hate it when Golden Knights are mistreated and abused by their opponents and few or no calls are made. When I saw Mark Borowieski skate to the bench holding his arm, I was furious that no call was made against his Union attacker. Also when Phil Paquet skated back to the bench in a rage, and hit the glass behind the Clarkson bench (rather than one of the Union goons), again I was incensed. I have never seen such filthy and degrading play by any team this season.

I was very impressed by the fact the Golden Knights kept their composure and most generally did not retaliate against their transgressors from Union....John Murphy called his usual inattentive and ineffective game. His helpers were just as worthless. Shea Guthrie's hand was not in the crease when he attempted to cover the puck, but a penalty shot was called against Clarkson anyway. I was delighted that Paul Karpowich made such an awesome save on the penalty shot.

As our misfortune would have it, Union's second goal was scored by a senior who had previously scored one goal in four years and 123 games.

When Clarkson finally scored in the fifth minute of Period 3, it was a sight to see. Shea Guthrie shot the puck on a turn around from near the blue line; Shea's shot was redirected by Matt Beca who was given credit for the goal.

Let's hope that Union coach Nate Leaman will be able to teach his team to play clean and decent games of hockey this weekend. The Union coach announced that next weekend's games against Clarkson will be a war.

As the Commissioner and the Director of Referees are both in the Albany area, why wouldn't they attend these games in Schenectady this weekend? No other ECAC playoff games are closer to Albany than these. They will definitely be invited to be there.:)

Clarkson Golden Knights...practice and practice your power play all week. As Vic says, we need to score more than one goal to win games.

MAROON IS MONOTONOUS!

Cap

03-03-2009, 12:19 AM

:)Monday, March 2, 2009 10 PM

.As the Commissioner and the Director of Referees are both in the Albany area, why wouldn't they attend these games in Schenectady this weekend? No other ECAC playoff games are closer to Albany than these. They will definitely be invited to be there.:)

MAROON IS MONOTONOUS!

I'd guess the commissioner will be in Boston for the women's championship weekend.

ursaminor

03-03-2009, 01:33 AM

Monday, March 2, 2009 12:30 PM

I will have more to write later, but the entertainment for the evening at RPI began early when an announcement was made there would be two national anthems played by some recording.

1. The Russian National Anthem...to honor one of the RPI players

2. The United States National Anthem

Obviously, both Clarkson and RPI had Canadian parents in attendance...one can only imagine how that unimagineable decision was received.

FireKnight....we will also be communicating with the Referee in Chief, Paul Stewart, about the pathethic excuses that displayed themselves on the ice, dressed as referees in Schenectady....utterly disgusting.

RPI played the Russian National Anthem on Friday and the Austrian National Anthem on Saturday, in honor of Andreas Uryadov and Mathias Lange, two graduating seniors, respectively. I am pretty sure this is the first time either has been played in their four years at RPI. I think that it was a good idea. Otherwise the Canadian National Anthem is played along with the US one. I would be surprised if the RPI players and parents didn't approve of this one-time change in procedure.

Stemmer

03-03-2009, 10:29 AM

Also, I don't feel that the officiating at Union caused Clarkson to lose, missed opportunities are why Clarkson lost. The refs sucked equally for both teams, and called a fair game.

Devin,

With all due respect, a ref that sucks equally for both teams is not doing an acceptable job. If he misses or blows that many calls, it's difficult to determine that they evened out and just as importantly, it lowers the level of play and the quality of the game. Who wants that?

As a high school coach, I hated it when anyone commented in that fashion, especially when a ref said, "If I was bad, I was bad for both teams." That excuse is as weak as it gets.

On another point, if Mr. Stewart, (whom I met when he played at Penn in '73-'74) can't respond professionally to fans' questions and comments in a professional manner, one has to question why he's in that job.

I don't think he'll be in attendance at this weekend's games. He may be afraid to face the wrath of us irate Tech fans. ;)

Dpperk29

03-03-2009, 12:04 PM

Rich,

I wasn't trying to say that the reffing was acceptable.

but if I have to choose between an official who calls randomly and/or in favor of one team and an official who calls a consistent game but lets a lot of things go I will always choose the second one.

It comes back to the fair playing environment thing, if you let a questionable hook go against clarkson then when Union throws an equally questionable hook you have to let it go. As a referee you never want to put yourself in a position where you "owe" a team a penalty because you called something questionable against them that you didn't call against the other team.

At every referee seminar I have been to, the biggest thing taught is to be consistent. If you want to call a super tight game, fine, just don't relax the standard as the game goes on. If you want to call a looser game, fine, just be consistent. They also harp on that no matter how you are calling a game (tight v. loose) it is always a priority to keep everyone safe.

I know it was mentioned earlier in the thread that calling matching minors earlier in a game can lead to less after the whistle stuff, but I have never bought into that. I much prefer to call the minor on the person who initiates the extracurriculars (assuming the retaliation is much less offensive than the initiation, if not you have to call both).

I also cannot understand why each conference has it's own officiating supervisor, there are at most 30-35 college hockey games a night (29 on nights with no exhibition games) seems like a small enough number that one person could handle all the officials. it would also lead to more consistency across the leagues.

daredevilcu

03-03-2009, 12:45 PM

The best way to call a game, in my experience as a soccer ref, is to start tight and slightly relax the calls toward the end of the game. You don't want to take the game out of the players' hands, but you also want to establish early what the boundaries are and a few good early calls will save you a lot of hassle later in the game trying to "keep things under control." For the most part, I think that's what fans like to see. A not-too-tight, not-too-loose game that doesn't endanger the players, cause them to get frustrated, or cause the game to be taken out of their hands.

Safety is priority 1, 2 and 3. Consistency in the calls is the same as fairness. Fairness is NOT calling the same number of penalties on each team just because you think you're giving a team an unfair advantage. If a team is playing dirtier, they are earning the calls you're giving them, and that's fair.