Both the season and some facts, that is.
Colgate!
That pretty much sums up my reaction to the weekend’s results, as the Raiders made it clear that no matter what trials and travails they may endure this year, they are not last year’s team.
The story of the 2010-11 Colgate Raiders has been hashed over like so many Donner Party campfire tales, and while we’re barely 120 minutes into the ’11-12 campaign, the current squad is two games over .500… heights that no Hamilton club has achieved since the very last regular-season game of the 2009-10 season. There is some work to do – the power play was punchless in five opportunities, the team took 22 minutes in penalties and surrendered goals in two of nine shorthanded situations – but for now let the Gatorade flow, for the Colgate Raiders are 2-0-0.
The U hits heavy
Union has developed a taste for blood in its past two summers: last fall, the Dutchmen carpet-bombed their early-season opposition with 29 goals in their first four home games; this year the Dutch opened the bomb-bay doors and let fly in a season-opening 8-1 annihilation at hapless Army. Junior Wayne Simpson led the assault with a hat trick and four points, but six other Dutchmen tallied multiple points as well. Sophomore Troy Grosenick pulled through with 17 saves on 18 shots in a surprisingly clean contest that had only two penalty calls.
SLU: boxed in
The Saints aren’t quite where they want to be two games in, having dropped both tilts against visiting Ferris State this weekend by a 9-3 aggregate. At first blush, scoring would appear to be a concern, but a quick glance at the box score would suggest another problem that may have been at the root of the losses: penalties.
The Saints served 39 minutes of penance this weekend, in which time the FSU Bulldogs struck four times (in 12 power plays). The Saints, on the other hand, only drew 22 minutes in penalties and 10 power plays, on which they scored one goal. The hosts held a lead for all of 2:49 this weekend – late in the first period of Friday’s game – and couldn’t seem to keep it together enough to develop the whole-team, offensive flow for which the Saints have long been admired. They say you learn more from your mistakes than your victories; here’s hoping the Saints are as astute on the ice as they are in the classroom.
