FB: Liberty League

[UfanBill]

The final D3.com poll is out and the Liberty League had one of its better seasons. Congratulations to RPI(13) and Ithaca (21) for top 25 rankings, as well as Hobart and Union for both collecting 8 votes each. The 2022 season should be another great one. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all D3 football fans!

MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY HOLIDAYS

It was worth the wait, right?...Following the 2020 Covid cancellation 2021 was a unique year in The Liberty League. RPI emerged as the LL champion and acquitted itself very admirably in the NCAA tournament but was RPI even the best team in the league? I'm going to ruffle some feathers here and say no...but they were the most motivated, poised and opportunistic. Probably because they had 25 5th year seniors.

Hey, It's FOOTball, right? ...Kicking turned out to be the deciding factor in RPI's early loss to Hobart when the Statesmen blocked a late RPI extra point to preserve a 10-9 win in a game Hobart dominated. A week later LL 1st team kicker Nick Bahamonde missed a potential game tying 35 yard FG to allow RPI to get away with a 14-11 squeaker over Ithaca in a game again dominated offensively by Ithaca. Then there was the Shoes game where Union led about 99% of the game only to see RPI steal it 19-17 with a controversial on-sides kick recovery and last play Field Goal by a kicker who wasn't on the team the week before. Don't forget RPI's 22-20 two OT win over St. Lawrence...Very fortunate season for the Engineers and a kick in the groin to the rest of the league....Add in one score finals, Ithaca 28-21 over Hobart, Union 27-20 over Hobart and the only real comfortable win Ithaca 26-7 over Union, and it's hard to differentiate just who was the best team.

Next season will see some players taking advantage of a 5th year with others eschewing that opportunity. Key games will swap home sites for the first time in 4 years. Who's going to be the best? Will their 5th years lead the way? I'm looking forward to it already.   

[Jonny Utah]

The final D3.com poll is out and the Liberty League had one of its better seasons. Congratulations to RPI(13) and Ithaca (21) for top 25 rankings, as well as Hobart and Union for both collecting 8 votes each. The 2022 season should be another great one. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all D3 football fans!

MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY HOLIDAYS

It was worth the wait, right?...Following the 2020 Covid cancellation 2021 was a unique year in The Liberty League. RPI emerged as the LL champion and acquitted itself very admirably in the NCAA tournament but was RPI even the best team in the league? I'm going to ruffle some feathers here and say no...but they were the most motivated, poised and opportunistic. Probably because they had 25 5th year seniors.

Hey, It's FOOTball, right? ...Kicking turned out to be the deciding factor in RPI's early loss to Hobart when the Statesmen blocked a late RPI extra point to preserve a 10-9 win in a game Hobart dominated. A week later LL 1st team kicker Nick Bahamonde missed a potential game tying 35 yard FG to allow RPI to get away with a 14-11 squeaker over Ithaca in a game again dominated offensively by Ithaca. Then there was the Shoes game where Union led about 99% of the game only to see RPI steal it 19-17 with a controversial on-sides kick recovery and last play Field Goal by a kicker who wasn't on the team the week before. Don't forget RPI's 22-20 two OT win over St. Lawrence...Very fortunate season for the Engineers and a kick in the groin to the rest of the league....Add in one score finals, Ithaca 28-21 over Hobart, Union 27-20 over Hobart and the only real comfortable win Ithaca 26-7 over Union, and it's hard to differentiate just who was the best team.

Next season will see some players taking advantage of a 5th year with others eschewing that opportunity. Key games will swap home sites for the first time in 4 years. Who's going to be the best? Will their 5th years lead the way? I'm looking forward to it already.

Ithaca also had a potential winning FG blocked with a minute left against Cortland......

[D O.C.]

I get a Kick out of this board.
MERRY CHRISTMAS !

[Ice Bear]

Ice Bear wishes all on the LLPP a wonderful Christmas/Holidays/New Years here as 2021 wraps the **** up. Ice is very proud of the LL's top four all finishing in the top 50 or so (with RPI and Ithaca in the top 25). Also, congrats to improved play from Rocha Cha Cha and SLU. Ice sends his condolences to Buffalo State for an abysmal season at best. Ice would love to see the Bengals improve next season.

Happy ****ing New Year

[Jonny Utah]

Not the board for this I know but I was randomly looking at Hobart's hockey roster.  I was expecting to see mostly local (Northeast) kids like the football team has.  Only one NY resident and zero Massachusetts kids. Mostly Canadians and random US players.

Don't know why but I found that odd.  Even D1 Union had three New Yorkers and three MA kids.

[Bartman]

Not the board for this I know but I was randomly looking at Hobart's hockey roster.  I was expecting to see mostly local (Northeast) kids like the football team has.  Only one NY resident and zero Massachusetts kids. Mostly Canadians and random US players.

Don't know why but I found that odd.  Even D1 Union had three New Yorkers and three MA kids.

Jonny U,
     Hobart hockey has a great coach in Mark Taylor who has been a very successful recruiter from anyplace he finds young men that fit the program. He is from Canton, NY and Elmira College, so I'm sure he would play a NY or Mass kid if they fit . His reputation is as a winner over 22 years and gives these young men one last bite of the puck before graduating from Hobart.He has been able to make his players look beyond the unimpressive "Cooler" rink and embrace it as home for this geographically diverse /close nit team . Following football season, I love to follow Coach Taylor's offensively minded boys that are looking good at #5 in the latest polls and have a good chance to get back to their 2019 Final Four appearance. Thanks for asking the question so I could write this puff piece.

[Ice Bear]

Not the board for this I know but I was randomly looking at Hobart's hockey roster.  I was expecting to see mostly local (Northeast) kids like the football team has.  Only one NY resident and zero Massachusetts kids. Mostly Canadians and random US players.

Don't know why but I found that odd.  Even D1 Union had three New Yorkers and three MA kids.

Ice Bear says hockey differs from many other sports as very few players, if any, are able to go directly from high school to college (with the exception of Minnesota State High School Hockey). Ice says there is almost zero recruiting of HS players that are juniors and/or seniors by college coaches. If a college coach stumbles upon a HS player they may like, they will suggest a path to juniors and/or prep school before they'd even be considered. In hockey, one must play juniors and/or prep school to be recruited. The level of play is just not there in high school. Ice Bear says that as a result of this college coaches very rarely, if ever, can look local for recruits. They must attend Junior games and prep school games to see kids from all over the place. With that there's just a mish mosh of players from all over.

[Bartman]

Ice Bear,
      It figures that Ice understands the college hockey scene.....Union, while dipping recently has a top D1 hockey, program having won the  2014 Natty ....but I think I remember some rumbling a few years back that this hockey move may have hurt the football resources....well ,I think Union has been able to walk and chew gum for both sports.
        And IB, our gridiron boys are focused on their off season training and psyched to turn the tables on the Dutchmen at the BOZ in 2022. 

[Jonny Utah]

Not the board for this I know but I was randomly looking at Hobart's hockey roster.  I was expecting to see mostly local (Northeast) kids like the football team has.  Only one NY resident and zero Massachusetts kids. Mostly Canadians and random US players.

Don't know why but I found that odd.  Even D1 Union had three New Yorkers and three MA kids.

Ice Bear says hockey differs from many other sports as very few players, if any, are able to go directly from high school to college (with the exception of Minnesota State High School Hockey). Ice says there is almost zero recruiting of HS players that are juniors and/or seniors by college coaches. If a college coach stumbles upon a HS player they may like, they will suggest a path to juniors and/or prep school before they'd even be considered. In hockey, one must play juniors and/or prep school to be recruited. The level of play is just not there in high school. Ice Bear says that as a result of this college coaches very rarely, if ever, can look local for recruits. They must attend Junior games and prep school games to see kids from all over the place. With that there's just a mish mosh of players from all over.

Yea it is odd though when the d1 teams have more local players than the d3 teams isn't it?  Random glance again at some Mass schools and MA players.  NU has 10, BU 8, BC 6.  Umass Boston doesn't even have dorms and they only have 7 Mass kids which is kind of strange.  Their coach must recruit like Hobart (UMB a solid d3 hockey program from what I see).  Babson also has 16 MA kids.

On the NY side Elmira has 9 NY kids, Geneseo has 11, Skidmore 6, Colgate 4, RPI 0, SLU 2, Clarkson 3 (2 from Massena).....

Looks like it comes down to coaching recruiting styles and connections.  I have zero clue how that works in hockey (I was a basketball guy myself).  I wonder what the costs look like for hockey players from when they start paying for these "club" teams up until these Junior teams which I assume they all pay for as well.  A 22 year old playing hockey at Hobart or Umass Boston from Canada? 

[UfanBill]

Ice Bear,
      It figures that Ice understands the college hockey scene.....Union, while dipping recently has a top D1 hockey, program having won the  2014 Natty ....but I think I remember some rumbling a few years back that this hockey move may have hurt the football resources....well ,I think Union has been able to walk and chew gum for both sports.
        And IB, our gridiron boys are focused on their off season training and psyched to turn the tables on the Dutchmen at the BOZ in 2022. 

There's little doubt the elevation of the DI hockey program at Union corresponded with the slide of the football program. Was it a fight for available Athletic Department resources that caused it or something else? Former football coach John Audino certainly blamed it on hockey. I witnessed it all. The three consecutive ECAC hockey championships culminating in the 2014 National Championship followed by the ineptitude of the football program by going 0-10 in 2015. Certainly highs and lows. The football team is back in the national limelight and the hockey team is struggling but very competitive, so Union fans, many of which are ardent supporters of both, are content if not quite satisfied.

[Ice Bear]

Ice Bear says it certainly is expensive to play junior hockey as he played in Boston and completely wasted Ice Bear Sr's money. Ice will make a very general statement that many hockey players come from very well off families. $ is often not an issue. Ice Bear says that there are certainly pockets of talent for hockey like Boston, Upstate NY (Massena/Canton), Western NY, the entire ****ing state of Minnesota, and many many others. Often interest comes before juniors and follows through. Often recruits are in contact with coaches and will play as long as they can in Juniors until they develop, improve, or get a firm commitment from a coach. Most Junior players (top leagues like the USHL) go into it with the goal of getting D1 interest. D3 hockey is REALLY good hockey and again, hardly anyone, anyone, is able to make the successful transition from HS to D3 hockey.

[unionpalooza]

Dan Swanstrom headed to UPenn - Wow.

Indeed.  Strange move - would not have thought going D3 HFC to FCS OC was a step up. 

[Pat Coleman]

He's returning to a former employer, so I would assume he knows what he is doing. D-III's loss, for sure.

[Caz Bombers]

I'm sure Penn OC pays considerably more than IC head coach. Plus if you want to go up the ladder, you gotta go...up the ladder.

Welch made the playoffs but struggled to win the Jug. Swanstrom won the Jug I think every year but this one, but zero playoff bids.

Thanks for not tanking the program, but Ithaca is capable of doing both. Maybe he wasn't.

[UfanBill]

I'm conjecturing that Swanstrom is positioning himself to become the Penn head coach when current coach Ray Priore becomes the next HC at Priore's alma mater UAlbany. Current Albany coach Greg Gattuso is on the hot seat and barely survived a very poor showing the last two seasons for the Great Danes. Look for Priore to sooner rather than later get the Albany job, opening up Swanstrom to become head man at Penn.