Icers Overseas

by IcersGuy on Feb 18, 2009 12:28 PM EST Comment 5 comments

As I've mentioned a few times previously, a couple of our guys - Luke DeLorenzo and Jamie Zimmel - are we're selected to play for Team USA at the World University Games in Harbin, China. ACHA has a nice summary page of information. I'll try to give updates on the games as they are played.

In their warmup games, Team USA swept through Depaul (7-2), the Illinois Collegiate All-Stars (5-4), and Robert Morris College (10-0). Both DeLo and Zimmel had a few assists throughout the games, and the team overall looks ready to go.

The ACHA has been used in the WUG since 2001. 2001 and 2003 were adjustment years for the players and coaches, as it was a level of play many were not used to seeing. In 2005, Team USA posted a 3-3-0 record, falling just short of the medal rounds. 2007 saw a slight step backwards, going 1-5-0. However, it wasn't the best of draws - our group included Canada, Russia, Slovakia, and Korea. Canada and Russia finished 1/2.

Looking at the team and draw for this season, I'm fairly excited. We have basically the same group as last time, except the major switch of moving Canada out and Japan in. Russia will obviously be the biggest challenge, with their constant barrage of talent. Slovakia will be tough, but we only lost by a goal two years ago, so a win is not out of the question. Japan and Korea are more on our level in terms of talent, and in my estimation, easily beatable.

First game is Thursday against Korea at 3:30PM (2:30AM EST). Full schedule below:

02-19-09 GAME: vs Korea
02-22-09 GAME: vs Slovakia
02-23-09 GAME: vs Russia
02-25-09 GAME: vs Japan
02-26-09 GAME: vs TBD
02-27-09 GAME: vs TBD
02-28-09 GAME: vs TBD

Finally looks like they have the page for the WUG working - official site. Feel free to peruse around. I don't see any live feeds anywhere, so best we'll get is results only. If I find/hear any interesting news from the games, I'll try to update where possible.

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Love these updates

I’m not a hockey guy, but I find myself becoming a PSU hockey fan. Keep ’em coming.

Mike
Black Shoe Diaries

by BSD on Feb 18, 2009 12:39 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

First game in the books and...

Team USA pulls out a squeaker, 5-4 in OT – Offical Scoring.

Quick recap – USA scored first, but Korea responded with two of their own – Korea led 2-1 after one period. Teams would swap goals in the second, with Korea maintaining the lead (3-2). USA came out blazing in the 3rd, tying the game 42 seconds into the period. USA would score again, but Korea would tie it up with 8 minutes left. USA found the net in OT thanks to Illinois’ Johnny Liang.

As for the Icers, it’s about what I would expect first game. DeLo had an assist (USA’s second goal, scored by URI’s Devin Sheehan), and Zimmel’s only stat was a trip to the penalty box. So yeah – nothing too out of the ordinary.

Interesting note – game-winning goal in OT was an empty netter. Strange strategy by Korea to try to use the extra attacker instead of keeping the goalie in. I’ll add that I think USA’s offensive power is way too good to take that sort of chance – Johnny Liang ensured that.

First game is out of the way, and that’s a big one (even better that it was a win). Now the guys have a few days off before their next challenge – a talented Slovakia team. A win there goes a long way in getting us deeper in the tournament.

by IcersGuy on Feb 19, 2009 10:45 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

'strategy' might be too generous of a term

and I’m still a little confused. I see USA had a late penalty in the 3rd, but it looks like the OT goal was scored at even strength, which means going for a 6 on 4 (something I could at least get my head around) wasn’t the play.

Is there some context I’m missing here? Was Korea a major under-dog and just swinging for the fences or something?

And sense I’m asking so many questions, is it really just “Korea”, like a both of them? Maybe this is part of the explanation for the ‘strategy’?

BSD

by Kevin HD on Feb 20, 2009 7:22 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Looking through it again

I think the scoring is wrong somewhere. They labeled the goal as “EN”, which is somewhere between “ENG” for empty net goal and “EQ” for equal/even strength goal. Goal was scored 1:10 into OT, penalty ended at 0:47 into the period, so neither side was on the power play. Then looking at the plus/minus, USA has 5 skaters, while Korea has 4 skaters and their goalie, meaning that we were playing with the empty net. And that’s not completely unrealistic – deciding to play 4-on-4 for 0:47 seconds in OT instead of playing shorthanded, especially when you’ve more than doubled their shots. But I’ve never known coach Augustine (head coach at URI) to take that big of a risk in a game.

Also, this summary mentions nothing about an empty net goal, or us pulling the goalie – something that is rather dramatic enough to call for some note about it. So either something is wrong with the scoring, or someone decided we had to do everything to win this opener.

And I have no idea about whether nor not Korea is just one of the countries or a combination of the two. But I don’t think that would have come into play. I think they finished last in the tournament 2 years ago, so they might feel more desperate to take a big chance. But again, looking at everything, we might have been the team to take the chance.

I’d blame it all on it being in China (you know – the hockey capital of the world), but I’ve seen some of the stat sheets from other schools around the ACHA, and I’ve seen far worse mistakes.

by IcersGuy on Feb 20, 2009 9:28 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I honestly doubt North Korea is part of it at all

They barely have money to provide electricity and other basic needs to the vast majority of their populace, I highly doubt they have a hockey team that could compete on any level. Whenever I read “Korea”, unless it is talking about threatening to build a nuclear weapon, or launching missiles over the Pacific Ocean, I usually make the safe assumption that it is referencing South Korea.

by The JuggerNitt on Feb 20, 2009 12:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs