Andrew Brecher writes:
 
>I have watched about a dozen Brown games in the past year, and I can whole
>heartedly confirm that Princeton is by far the most clutchy-and-grabby
>team that I have seen. (snip)
 
>As for Brown taking c+g to an artform, all I can say is that your
>information is outdated, at the least.  The graduation of Traggio and
>Thompson last year practically cut the grabbing in half.  And your
>association of c+g with penalties is frivolous- ECAC refs rarely call
>those kinds of penalties, compared with other more physical or
>stick-related activities.
 
My better judgment tells me to stay out, but I just can't :-). Just
wondering - - how come Martin Small (and others) thought Traggio and
Thompson were so innocent last March? Anyway, I'm not one who puts
any creedance in 'c+g' claims, whether they are aimed at Princeton,
Brown, Yale, Union or anyone else. EVERY team uses picks, screens,
holding the stick, etc. to impede the progress of the opponent --
a less skilled team may make it more obvious because it is on
the defensive for a disproportionate amount of time. But if you watch
John Emmons on Yale, you'll notice that he is treated just as rudely as the
'more skilled' opponents claim the Eli treat them.
 
As the refereees call it, interference of various forms is part of hockey -
and a good coach (more importantly, a good team) will overcome it. Tight
man-to-man defense, of the type employed by Maine, Lake Superior, Brown,
etc., is within the rules, last I checked. It may LOOK like someone is being
'held,' but the rules (as enforced) don't prevent you from making body
contact. As longas the defender keeps his feet moving, it isn't going to be
called. After watching the World Jr. championships, I can tell you that
Canada and Finland made liberal use of body contact away from the puck. They
also enjoyed great success in the tournament and were a joy to watch.
 
I'd also like to point out that there really isn't a correlation between
penalty minutes and the amount of interference employed by a team, largely
because referees don't call it (as Andrew noted). Princeton doesn't
take many penalties because it is a young, small (up front) and not
particularly physical team. Brown tends to take more penalties because of
its aggressive style.
 
Geoff Howell
Drop the Puck Magazine
 
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