Robin writes:
[poll deleted]
>Points are apparently from a 12,11,...,1 scoring system from each of the
>12 coaches lists. I wonder who picked Clarkson for 3rd?
 
It wouldn't surprise me if it were Coach Morris himself.  Once again, Clark-
son has more talent than anyone else in the ECAC, but, as has been mentioned
here in the past, they need to play together as a team.  Maybe Morris might
use this to get under the skin of some of his players and give them some of
the motivation they seemed to be a little short of during the second half of
last season.
 
Greg writes:
>> 3. RPI            116
>
>RPI had an *outstanding* post-season run, coming within a late
>third-period collapse of the ECAC title game, and they featured
>several strong freshmen, but ranking them third is excessive.
 
Perhaps, but when you consider the teams ranked behind them, the Engineers
have a good shot at quarterfinal home ice, at least.  The ECAC isn't
terribly strong once you get past the top three teams, as most of the rest
of them have had some significant player losses.  St. Lawrence has lost
Martin Lacroix, the brothers Lappin, and ECAC Player of the Year Daniel
Laperriere, all of whom played a big role in the Saints' offense last
season.  Brown had a tough time between the pipes last season (giving up an
average of almost five goals a game), and that was WITH All-American Mike
Brewer on defense.  Colgate is still suffering from the after-effects of
losing nine players from their NCAA runner-up team of 1989-90, and although
Vermont returns most of their offense, center/playmaker Jim Larkin will be
missing.  And we all know about Cornell.  I suspect that if RPI isn't hit
with a rash of injuries, all they'll need is one solid month in the middle
of the season and they'll be in home-ice contention.
 
>> 7. Vermont         73
>
>I think this is about the lowest UVM will finish, assuming Soucy isn't
>injured. Anybody feels lucky to get out of Burlington with a win.
 
While it's true that the Cats were all but impossible to beat at home last
year (they lost only one game at Gutterson during the regular season), the
flip side is that they have been AWFUL on the road.  Last year, they went
2-8-1 in the eleven other ECAC arenas.  A good home record combined with a
bad road record generally makes you about .500 over all -- which would put
you about seventh, maybe eighth, in the ECAC.
 
>> 9. Cornell         62
>
>Again, about the lowest they will finish, which isn't to say it's all
>that improbable. After being criticized for never finishing first in
>a three-year period with arguably the best team in the ECAC
>(89-91), do you think McCutcheon will be praised for finishing
>anywhere but last with arguably the least-talented and, inarguably,
>the least-experienced team in the ECAC?
 
Ha.  Most of the Lynah "Faithful" have come to expect (or demand) a quarter-
final home-ice berth, no matter what the team looks like.  If the Big Red
hadn't made it to the ECAC championship game last season, McCutcheon would
be hanging by a badly frayed thread right now.  Home ice for the prelim-
inary round is a more reachable goal (this is the only place I would dis-
agree with the coaches' poll; I would put Cornell eighth and Colgate ninth).
I'm quite sure that the Big Red is the only team in Division I that has lost
more letter-winners (11) than are returning this season (10).  If Cornell's
freshman-dominated squad manages to avoid having to play in the preliminary
round, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to put McCutcheon's name forward
for ECAC coach of the year honors.
 
>And how many other hockey teams at any level in the past 50 years
>carried exactly 1 (one) goalie?!
 
Cornell is actually carrying two goalies -- but if you're talking about
varsity-caliber goalies, then the Big Red does have exactly one.  Try as he
might, backup Geoff Raynak just is not varsity material.
 
Actually, back in the 1986-87 season, the Big Red had three or four guys who
together added up to about one goalie...
 
Ross writes:
>Why a Dalmatian anyway?  Something to do with fires?  ???
 
Oh, no -- not this story again :-)
--
Bill Fenwick
Cornell '86 and probably '94
LET'S GO RED!!
"I am never forget the day I first meet the great Lobachevsky.
 In one word, he tells me the secret to success in mathematics -- plagiarize.
 Plagiarize!  Let no one else's work evade your eyes!
 That's why the good Lord made your eyes, so don't shade your eyes.
 Plagiarize, plagiarize, plagiarize!  Only be sure to call it, please,
 'Research.'"
-- Tom Lehrer, "Nicolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky"