On Oct 9, 11:06, John T. Whelan wrote:
>        I just noticed the bottom of the ECAC preseason Coaches poll,
>and was amazed to realize that Union is picked to finish 11th.  This
>is a team that has last year's ECAC Coach of the Year (Stan Moore) and
>Dryden Award winner (Trevor Koenig).  Have they really lost so much
>everywhere else that they're not even expected to make the playoffs?
 
Yes, Union has the reigning ECAC Coach of the Year in Moore.  (Don't get me
started on Coach of the Year.  Just... don't)
 
Yes, the Dutchmen are returning Trevor Koenig, voted the best goaltender in the
league with good reason.
 
But Koenig played last year behind 13 seniors, and this year's Union team will
be, to say the least, young.  The defense, in particular, will have no senior
players this year, though most of the departees were forwards.  They remind me
a bit of the 1992-93 Cornell squad, which lost eleven players from a
fifth-place team the year before and plunged to an 11th-place finish.  This
year's Dutchmen do have the advantage of returning a proven goaltender in
Koenig (Cornell started the 92-93 season with a goaltender [Bandurski] who had
seen a game and a half of action), and he'll help keep Union in games that an
inexperienced squad would usually have no chance to win.
 
To be honest, picking Union 11th is probably a bit harsh... but if the ECAC
still had a preliminary round, I suspect the Dutchmen would be hard-pressed to
earn home ice for it.  (i.e. they'll be lower than eighth)
 
--
Disclaimer -- Unless otherwise noted, all opinions expressed above are
              strictly those of:
 
Bill Fenwick
Cornell '86 and '95
LET'S GO RED!!                                                  DJF  5/27/94
"What if there were no hypothetical situations?"
-- John Mendoza
 
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