UHB's response to Without A Peer

First off I want to say that Without A Peer is an awesome blog, and that I've learned a lot about blogging and important widgets just from viewing the blog. Also, thanks for the link on your page! I just think it's cool that anybody reads the blog and cares a little about what a mere college student thinks.

So, since Union and RPI have rivalry why can't UHB and WAP have a friendly rivalry? Super fans of rival teams are going to disagree on a lot of things, which is what we have today.

Yesterday it was announced that RPI stud Jerry D'Amigo will be signing a contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs and leaving Troy just after one season. On the UHB Twitter page I proclaimed this move as "great news for Union fans." Today, WAP responded to this remark saying:

"Our friends at Union Hockey Blog are somehow spinning a D'Amigo departure as a win for Union, a touch confusing because the Dutchmen only play RPI three times
a season, but the heated rivalry aspect might be playing a role in the more perverse joy in Schenectady. But honestly, worrying about players who may or may not leave early is a good problem for a team to have. Riley Nash and
Louis Leblanc being gone from Cornell and Harvard may make it easier to play those two teams, but I wouldn't necessarily describe those events as "good news"
for RPI fans. Their signings represent recruitment victories for both programs. Their departure, along with D'Amigo's if it happens, does make the ECAC as a conference worse for the wear. But such is the reality in the current professional hockey atmosphere with the current collective bargaining agreement..."

Well, obviously I don't agree with everything said here.

First, WAP says "the Dutchmen only play RPI three times a season." In college hockey playing the same team only three times in a season is a lot. The only other team RPI plays three times this season is Alabama-Huntsville, who is the only independent team left in Division I. The only team Union plays more than twice is RPI. The Union-RPI games have become some of the most important games of the season because of how good both teams have been lately and for rivalry purposes.

Last season the Dutchmen and Engineers faced-off four times and all of the games were nail-bitters. Two of the games went to overtime, one was another one-goal game, and the final match-up was a 3-1 Union victory with the final goal being an empty netter with one minute left in regulation. All four of the games could have gone either way. If RPI won one or both of the games that counted in the ECAC standings who knows what would've happened, but maybe RPI wouldn't have had to face Brown in the first round where they got upset and Union wouldn't have received a first round bye. The teams are so neck-and-neck that every game matters more than usual. Yes, rivalry is playing a big role but this is our version of Yankees-Red Sox. No matter what place one team is in or if the game doesn't count towards the standings, both teams want to beat each other all the time.

Also, the three games this season are played early in the season with the Halloween Faceoff taking place on October 30th and the ECAC games being played just two weeks later. The winner of these games will carry a ton of momentum into the ECAC regular season schedule. I know that winning the RPI Tournament in Troy last November was a huge confidence booster for the Dutchmen as they beat the Engineers without some of their top players and went on to go unbeaten in nine of their next ten games including a comeback victory over RPI in Troy.

Second, I along with the rest of the ECAC community are very proud of players like D'Amigo, Nash, and Leblanc. Everyone hopes they go on to have huge NHL careers and represents the ECAC well. I hope some day a Union player can go on to sign a contract with an NHL team and have a solid NHL career. I do agree that having one of your players go to the NHL is a good thing for recruitment purposes, but it does not bode well for your current team. Yes, you might be able to recruit some better players in the future, but the odds of getting a freshman that will help you win championships (that's the point of playing right?) is very, very slim. The only example I can think of is Paul Kariya, who scored 100 points as a freshman in 1992-1993 and led the Black Bears to a national championship. Kariya might be the greatest college hockey player of all time. So, on the recruitment standpoint I agree that you might get better recruits but disagree at the same time since your team won't likely win as much.

Also, I'm sure if before last season Union superstars Mario Valery-Trabucco or Jason Walters said they were leaving Union for the NHL that RPI fans would've been jumping for joy since they wouldn't have to play them (and would be excited about the possibility of having an ECAC player in the NHL as well). We have seen over and over again how one player can change a game by themselves, and in a league like the ECAC every game and every point matters. Last season we saw 'Super' Mario lead the comeback against RPI with a hat trick on December 9th in Troy that led to a 5-4 Union win, and witnessed Wally lead a short-handed Union team (linemates Presizniuk and Valery-Trabucco were suspended) past the Engineers in the RPI Tournament as he tallied four points and scored the game-winning goal in overtime. This just proves how big of an impact star players can have on a game, and important one's at that. Without Mario or Wally who knows if Union would've won either of those games. I'm sure guys like Adam Presizniuk, Chase Polacek, and Brandon Pirri will play a major role in all three Union-RPI games and will play a major role in deciding where each team finishes in the standings.

I know RPI fans are very proud of D'Amigo, but deep down inside they are sad to see him go and would've rather seen him wear Cherry and White this season. I mean wouldn't you rather see RPI win an ECAC or National championship than see D'Amigo and the Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup? Sure you're going to follow the RPI alumni in the NHL, but you are going to care a bit more about the current group of guys wearing the RPI sweaters. I know there haven't been as many Union alumni in the NHL as RPI alumni, but that's the way I felt when Dan Hinote left Army in the mid-90's (I went to pretty much every Army home game for 10 years). Hinote was a stud for Army his freshman year, but then left to join the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs won the cup shortly after and Hinote was on the team which was pretty cool, but I think I would've much rather seen Army make it to the NCAA tournament. I just feel as a fan you have more of a personal attachment to your team than one of the players, especially in college athletics since the longest a player stays is five years.

It is a fact that not playing Jerry D'Amigo this season is a good thing for Union and for all the other teams RPI plays this season. D'Amigo was already an ECAC superstar in just one season, and was on his way to becoming the best player in the league. And as I said in a previous post the combination of Polacek, Pirri, and D'Amigo would have been one of the most dynamic lines in all of college hockey. When your team doesn't have to play one of the most dangerous players in the game it gives your team a better chance of winning... and that is the point of playing the game.

Bottom line, I am excited that the Dutchmen get to play a Leblanc-less Harvard team, a Nash-less Cornell team, and a D'Amigo-less RPI team because it gives Union a better chance of beating these teams (and I'm sure other teams and their fans are excited too). I just want to see my team win. But, I am very proud of D'Amigo and am excited to see what he can do in the NHL. Even without D'Amigo I think RPI can make a major run for the ECAC title, but it will be tougher without him.

Also, I have a lot of respect for WAP and look forward to more back-and-forth's this season.