Second- to echo some of the comments, I LOVE our freshmen (especially TH as many of you know) but they are "pass first" type of players. Maybe we put some of them on the line with Ornelas who is a true scorer in my book we can turn those passes into assists.
Coach Appert seems to share the same opinions as many of us in his recent quotes on USCHO:
Rensselaer head coach Seth Appert is asking his team for more shots, more shots, more shots.
“We’re being too selective at times,” Appert continued. “We need to crash and drive the net … and create rebounds,” he said.
The Engineers put only 94 shots on net in their last four games combined, including last weekend’s back-to-back overtime contests against Yale and Brown (both ties).
“The confidence starts to slip [when you’re not scoring] ,” explained the coach, leading to fewer drives toward the net, and more cutesy peripheral passing. Despite holding a 2-0-2 record over those previous four, RPI only totaled eight goals.
Either way, this weekend is a true test for the lads as we see what they are made of on a roadtrip through the ECAC. While I would like them to go 2-0, I think I have to agree with Brian Sullivan's assessment for the weekend. Harvard always seems to have a good program and I am just not sold that RPI's speed can solve them. Let me know your thoughts in the comments and go RPI!
Rensselaer @ Harvard
Harvard took a win from St. Lawrence in the North Country, after losing 2-1 at Clarkson. RPI struggled against Brown and Union. It's Harvard's home opener, too ... what, you haven't seen all the commercials? 5-3 Crimson.
Rensselaer @ Dartmouth
The 'Tute could sneak up on you this year. Especially early, before Ken Schott and I write a whole lot more about them. 4-2 RPI.
1 comment:
Starting with our strength, our D-men and keepers will face a team that has had our number recently (swept us last season). They are
1-9 on the PP (although they did have a top ten PP squad last year)and have a couple guys stepping up early. Namely, look for Rogers, a sophmore forward, to keep rolling. He's their season points leader and had a solid frosh season.
And now the clouds gather. What will happen offensively for the Engineers? Let's take this one as the Engineers will see them going down the ice. They have been dressing 6 D of their own. Of them note their two big boys,
MacDonald Sr. 6-4 235
Christian So. 6-2 230
P.S. Christian played 30+ games last season and has put two between the pipes thus far (against the folks of up-upstate NY last weekend)
Keeping the puck out of the net for Harvard, although I don't think we need any help with that, is Richter, a soph. who split the time last season with a .903 on the year. He has a .954 so far (only two games) but you have to give him credit for limiting Clarkson to 2 goals and keeping SLU out of the net 40+ times.
Defense needs to play as they do and Lange needs to be solid as is becoming the norm this year. Offensively, I just want to see more than 24 shots on net. I don't want to see no look passes. I want to see hard shots and net crashing.
Nice page BlackCap.
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