Episode Transcript
[00:00:03] Speaker A: The following program is brought to you.
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The Daily Gazette Company presents the parting Shots podcast. Now here's your host, Daily Gazette sports editor Ken Shot. Thank you, Scott Kesey, and welcome to the Parting Shots podcast, available wherever you get your podcast. Subscribe today. Thanks for joining me. The parting Shots podcast studio in Schenectady, New York. We have another great show for you. It's a lot of college hockey talk. The season opens for the Union Men this weekend, an exhibition game against Providence on Saturday at 01:00 followed by the regular season opener against Army West Point at 04:00 p.m. on Sunday, we're going to talk with the new leadership group of the Union men's team, captain Cullen Ferguson and alternates Kaden Villegas, Josh Nixon, John Prokop and Nick Young. We spoke with them at the media availability on Tuesday at Messerink.
Also have some interviews with the Union women's team. They split their season opening series last weekend against Robert Bars, losing on Friday and winning on Saturday.
The Garner Chargers will have their home opener this weekend. They'll take on Rita 06:00 on Friday and 04:00 on Saturday.
As we mentioned, Providence coming to town. That marks the return of Nate Lehman, the former union head coach from 2000 2003 to 2011, his first return to Mesa since leaving to go to Providence in 2011. So we'll, I talked with him last Friday and we'll have, it was a great interview. We'll have that for you. And also Brian Riley, the head coach of Army West Point. He's starting his final season at the helm of the Black Knights, and that will also end a 75 year reign of Riley's heading as the head coach at Army West Point. Zach McKelvey will be the new head coach next season. We talked, I talked to Brian earlier, earlier this week and another great conversation with him. So you'll hear that as well and some of the non college hockey talk. We'll talk college football with the Gazettes. Adam Schinder will review the losses for union and uality last weekend and look ahead to their games this weekend. So union opens up Liberty league play at St. Lawrence and UAlbany has a game, non conference game at Cornell. So coming up, we're going to hear from the union Hens hockey leadership group. So stick around. You're listening to the parting shots podcast.
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[00:03:30] Speaker E: What'S up everybody? This is Freddie Coleman from ESPN Radio's.
[00:03:33] Speaker A: Freddie and Harry Show. 03:00 p.m. to 07:00 p.m. eastern time Monday through Friday. You're listening to the party shots podcast.
[00:03:39] Speaker C: With my man Ken shot, the Daily Gazette sports editor.
[00:03:43] Speaker B: Welcome back to the podcast. We look ahead to the Union college men's hockey season. And on Monday, the team announced it's a leadership group for the 2024 25 season, and it consists of five players, senior defense and Cullen Ferguson was named the captain. The alternate captains are senior forwards Josh Nixon and Kaden Villegas and junior defensemen John Prokop and Nick Young.
Union College at Messer, Inc. A chance to talk with the five players. So here they are. Colin Ferguson, Kaden Villegas, Josh Nixon, John Prokop and Nick Young. Oh, guys, you are the leadership group of this team. Now, Colin will start you as a captain. How does it feel to be wearing a seat?
[00:04:27] Speaker D: Yeah, I mean, it's an absolute honor. Ever since I came in as a freshman, I just looked up to the guys who have been in the leadership group for the last four years.
It's just surreal to be in that position now. And just a tremendous honor.
[00:04:43] Speaker B: Kate, we'll start you wearing the eight. How's that feel?
[00:04:46] Speaker D: Obviously, it's a privilege. I'm excited to help lead. I got a good group of guys here that are going to help out a ton. So it should be a really fun year and I know we'll lead the guys in the right direction.
[00:04:56] Speaker B: Josh?
[00:04:57] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:04:58] Speaker D: Just to build off what Kaden said, I think that we all kind of.
[00:05:00] Speaker F: Bring something different to the table, and I think that that's all gonna help.
[00:05:04] Speaker D: I feel like Colin, being a captain, he's gonna. He's gonna lead us here, but he has four guys here that are gonna.
[00:05:11] Speaker F: Back him up all the way. And, yeah, we're definitely gonna. We're gonna have a good team here for sure.
[00:05:16] Speaker D: Yeah, I mean, all that also, like, we've been sort of the leadership group in the spring, so we've had experience, like, working with each other, like, building off each other, and, yeah, that's. I kinda asked for a better group to be part of.
[00:05:29] Speaker B: John.
[00:05:29] Speaker G: Yeah, it's going to be a fun group.
[00:05:32] Speaker C: You know, us five have been close throughout the years we've been here, and I think that we're not the only leaders on the team.
[00:05:40] Speaker G: We have a great group of guys.
[00:05:42] Speaker C: In the locker room this year, so.
[00:05:43] Speaker A: It'S going to be fun.
[00:05:46] Speaker B: Did the playoff, you got to the.
[00:05:47] Speaker C: Second round last year.
[00:05:48] Speaker B: Does that motivate you guys to try.
[00:05:50] Speaker C: And take an extra step or two.
[00:05:51] Speaker B: Now that you got a little taste of playoff success?
[00:05:53] Speaker D: Yeah, absolutely. We had a bit of playoff success my first year going to the second round, and we lost to Clarkson in two games, and it was just bittersweet. This year, the goal and the expectation is to go to Lake Placid, and we're not settling for anything less than that.
[00:06:10] Speaker B: So, Colin, do you feel any pressure following in Ben Tupker's footsteps?
[00:06:16] Speaker D: I mean, there's always pressure, but Ben Tupker is Ben Tupker, and I'm Colin Ferguson, so I'm just, you know, I'm gonna be myself.
I lived with Tupps last year, so he was a great role model for me. I looked up to him a lot, learned a lot from him, but at the end of the day, I'm my own person.
[00:06:32] Speaker B: So what did you learn from him?
[00:06:34] Speaker D: Just how he did everything.
He was so meticulous about everything. He was detailed. He was structured. He was hardworking. He was a good roommate, good teammate, good guy, and he just tried to do everything to the best of his abilities, and that's the biggest takeaway ahead.
[00:06:51] Speaker B: Josh, just curious. You look a lot of transfer player programs around the country that are affected by portal. You guys haven't really lost a lot of players. What does that do for continuity as you go in and try and build, like Cohen said, to get to Lake Placid?
[00:07:04] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:07:05] Speaker F: Obviously, the transfer portal is a big.
[00:07:07] Speaker D: Thing nowadays, the last few years, like.
[00:07:09] Speaker F: You can pretty much move whenever you want. So, yeah, we brought in only two.
[00:07:13] Speaker D: Guys this year, what, three of the year before?
[00:07:17] Speaker F: But I feel that we're bringing back guys that, like, 75% of our team.
[00:07:23] Speaker D: That played last year is going to play again this year. I feel like that's big for college hockey.
[00:07:27] Speaker F: There's a lot of turnaround in college hockey, so being able to bring back.
[00:07:30] Speaker D: A lot of players that actually produced.
[00:07:34] Speaker F: A lot of upperclassmen, guys. So that's definitely going to help us.
[00:07:37] Speaker D: This year for sure.
[00:07:38] Speaker B: Kenan, how excited you guys to get going this season? I know we got the exhibition game Saturday against Providence and then regular season opener Sunday against Army west point. Final home opener at Messen.
[00:07:50] Speaker D: Yeah. Obviously last year here at this rink, it means a lot to me and I know it does to these guys, too. We've been working hard in the preseason. We're ready to get after it. It should be fun.
[00:08:00] Speaker B: Colin, what are you guys looking for this weekend? I mean, obviously the exhibition game. You want to get some stuff worked out before you play the regular season game.
[00:08:08] Speaker D: Yeah, I mean, every time you put on that jersey, you're playing to win. So two wins and just hone in on our structure and our systems. I think, you know, we've been practicing and doing some inner squad games. We want to go out and execute it now, so just make sure that we're detailed in that and we're paying attention and we use Saturday as a learning experience that we can then take into Sunday and hopefully keep that rolling into the start of the season.
[00:08:36] Speaker B: Jon, any thoughts about this weekend?
[00:08:38] Speaker C: Yeah, it's really exciting.
[00:08:39] Speaker G: We've been waiting for it since, you.
[00:08:41] Speaker C: Know, we were knocked out of the playoffs and I think everybody's kind of been earning to get back after it and you can see it in practice every day, so starting with Providence will be a great test for us.
[00:08:51] Speaker G: And obviously we're all excited about the regular season starting on Sunday.
[00:08:57] Speaker A: What did Campbell the last weekend?
[00:09:00] Speaker B: August? Yeah.
[00:09:02] Speaker C: You guys ready to go, go hit.
[00:09:04] Speaker B: Another jersey instead of teammates and brats?
[00:09:06] Speaker D: Yeah, 100%. 100%. I think we're all especially, like, after the way last year ended in two games, like, whole summer, all of us talk and we're all thinking about, like, putting that jersey back on and it's finally here. And, like, I think boys are itching to get going and run through someone else's jersey this time.
[00:09:23] Speaker B: Guys, the last question for me here. Describe Cullen Ferguson as a Catholic. Chuck.
[00:09:29] Speaker A: I mean, like Colin said, he's Cullen.
[00:09:32] Speaker C: I think everyone respects him in the locker room.
[00:09:34] Speaker G: It's been that way since, you know.
[00:09:36] Speaker C: As a freshman, too, and you can.
[00:09:38] Speaker A: Kind of see it, like, building up.
[00:09:39] Speaker C: More and more each year. And, you know, he's someone I look up to, too, and I have the privilege to sit next to him in.
[00:09:44] Speaker A: The locker room, too.
[00:09:45] Speaker C: So it's going to be a fun year.
[00:09:47] Speaker D: I mean, he's extremely hardworking. One of the most hard working guys on the team always leads by example. And I think, like, he has the power to lift everybody up and, like, bring the best out of people. And I think that's something that's very unique to him and it's going to be beneficial in our locker room.
Like everyone's saying, like, Colin is who he is, and I feel like he.
[00:10:07] Speaker F: Doesn'T shade away from that.
[00:10:08] Speaker D: So I feel like just being someone that's very grounded and obviously a guy.
[00:10:12] Speaker F: That works hard and, like a guy you want to go out to dinner.
[00:10:15] Speaker D: With, you know, just a very good.
[00:10:17] Speaker F: Guy, I feel like that's a captain.
[00:10:19] Speaker D: Title right there, for sure.
[00:10:22] Speaker A: Ever since freshman year, Ferg has been.
[00:10:24] Speaker D: One of those guys that leads by example just the way he works.
[00:10:28] Speaker A: His work ethic is super high and.
[00:10:30] Speaker D: Everyone looks up to it. But on the personal side, he's one of the best humans I know. And he really stepped up in the leadership role in the spring last term. So the guys are pretty familiar with what he's going to bring.
He holds people to a high level or a high standard, so we're excited to have him as our captain.
[00:10:50] Speaker B: And now let's move over to the Union College women's hockey team. As I mentioned at the top of the broadcast, they split their weekend series at Robert Morris last weekend, losing on Friday by winning on Saturday, scoring three power play goals and a four two victory. Union will open its home portion of its schedule this weekend with a pair of game against RIT 06:00 Friday night and 04:00 on Saturday right after the men's game. So if you want to stick around, watch some Union women's hockey, you should do so. I had a chance to talk with the team on Tuesday at the media availability. Sean Skelly, the new assistant coach, was there to talk about the team in place of Tony Macy was on some other responsibilities. So here's what Sean Skelly had to say on Tuesday.
Well, Sean, first of all, welcome to union. We haven't had a chance to welcome you here, but how would you assess the play over the weekend against Robert Morris?
[00:11:49] Speaker F: Yeah, I thought it was awesome to finally get, get the girls on the ice against another opponent. And Robert Morris was a good test for us. Night one thought it was a little sloppy to start, which you could probably understand just finally getting into game action, but we settled down, started to get our chances, started to play our game, you know, obviously didn't get the result that we absolutely wanted, but, you know, I thought Friday night was something to build off of. And then I came back Saturday afternoon and really played more of a 60 minutes game for us and capitalized on some opportunities. Power play was clicking.
[00:12:32] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:12:33] Speaker F: And obviously got the split and that was the goal for the weekend, especially after Friday night's result. We wanted to make sure that we're coming back home to New York with, with a one one record.
[00:12:44] Speaker B: And speaking of the power play, three of goals in that game on Saturday, how important is it to get that going?
[00:12:50] Speaker F: Yeah, I think at the end of the day, power players, special teams in general is going to be absolute at the top of the list as far as things that we're going to need to have for success and to get some success with the power play immediately was fantastic.
Hopefully that's something that we can continue with that trend moving into this weekend as well.
[00:13:13] Speaker B: Yeah. Let's talk about this weekend. Playing rit in the home openers, last home openers from s rank for the women.
What are you expecting this weekend?
[00:13:22] Speaker F: Yeah, I think, you know, yesterday was first time back in the ice getting the girls going. After the weekend, we're excited. Obviously the last. It's a special Friday night game with it being the last one here.
You know, like, obviously you got rit coming off a successful weekend. They're going to feel good about themselves trying to. Trying to get on, you know, road victory and it's our job to take care of home ice really, anytime that we're playing here and that's going to be a staple for us moving forward, we want to make sure that we're, this rank is ours and make it hard for any team coming in the building. But super excited for the opportunity for our girls this weekend to, you know, play in front of the home fans.
[00:14:07] Speaker B: What will be the key this weekend?
[00:14:09] Speaker F: Yeah, I think playing to our structure, playing fast, getting opportunities offensively, obviously, like we just talked about, special teams are going to be huge and making it easy on our defense and our goaltender.
[00:14:21] Speaker B: How has life been used since you arrived at union?
[00:14:24] Speaker F: Yeah, this place is great. Everybody comes with open arms and the people here are fantastic. Super excited to be here and the opportunity excited, you know, just about developing our program into being juggernaut in the ECAC.
[00:14:46] Speaker B: Up next are three members of the team and two of them are the co captains, Emma Hebert and Marin Friday, both defensemen and an alternate captain, the goaltender, Sophie Matsukis.
Guys, I mean, how do you guys feel after the one on one start?
[00:15:06] Speaker G: I think, I think we are proud of just being able to get one off the split of the weekend and coming into our first weekend with a new coach. I think things went well and we were proud of how we played.
Yeah, I agree. I think there's a lot of change right now, but I think it's good and I think we're in the right direction. So it was exciting to see see kind of what we can do and how we can bounce back. I agree with them. I think that we handled the change very well and we didn't play like we wanted to the first game, but it's also our first game. So I think that we adjusted very well for Saturday and came out and got the win.
[00:15:41] Speaker B: So how excited you guys for the final mess of rank home opener this weekend with Rit?
[00:15:46] Speaker G: I'm glad that it's our last year. Obviously, it sucks that we can't get the new rank, but it's nice that we got to spend all four of our years here and it being a big celebration will be fun. Yeah, I guess that's a lot of emotion. I know it's kind of crazy to say so. I mean, that's exciting for us three and the other seniors for sure, but I'm excited for the team for their new chapter, too. So, yeah, I'll just say we're hoping to get a big turnout and have a lot of people come support us and, yeah, it's a little bittersweet for us being our last game, first home opener.
[00:16:18] Speaker B: You guys are the co captain.
How's it feel be wearing the sea?
[00:16:25] Speaker G: I think we're very excited to take on this leadership role and we have a great team supporting us, so I think it makes our roles easy and, yeah, I would just say we're excited and proud to be where we are.
[00:16:39] Speaker B: Emma?
[00:16:39] Speaker G: Yeah, I agree. I think Martin and I work pretty well together along with the rest of the leadership group. We all kind of see eye to eye. So I think I. It's exciting and it's very exciting to be in this role and to lead the team and I'm excited for the year.
[00:16:52] Speaker B: Sophie, you're wearing the a. How do you feel about that?
[00:16:55] Speaker G: I think same thing that everyone's been saying. I think just. It's fun to lead the team and just that we're all, again on the same page. We all flow together well, so I think it'll be good.
[00:17:05] Speaker B: Marion, you guys scored three power play goals in Saturday's victory. How important is to get that power play going?
I really can't recall last time you guys had three power play goals in a game.
[00:17:16] Speaker G: Yeah, I think our system and our game plan coming into it worked extremely well. And I think power play goals always provide us a lot of momentum, and so I think we were just excited to have something that we worked super hard on in practice. Pay off during a game, and you're.
[00:17:32] Speaker B: Now the all time professional league score. How's that feel?
[00:17:35] Speaker G: Very exciting. Very happy.
You know, I'm just happy that I have a team supporting me in this journey.
[00:17:43] Speaker B: Up next, my conversation with Providence head coach and former union head coach Nate Lehman. You're listening to the parting shots podcast.
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[00:18:47] Speaker A: Hi, this is Union College hockey alum Brock Matheson. You're listening to the parting shots podcast with Daily Gazette sports editor Ken Schotteh.
[00:18:55] Speaker B: Welcome back to the podcast and my next guest is Providence Friars head coach Nate Lehman. Nate was the head coach at union from 2003 to 2011, came over from Harvard where he was an assistant coach under Mark Mazzellini. And one of the things I'm most proud of in my journalism career, this is well before the Internet, and I mentioned this with Nate in the, in the conversation, Mark Masolini basically told me that Nate was getting the job and he had a lot of great things to say and had this, had the scoop on that. And like I said, this was before all the Internet and Twitter slash X and threads and Facebook. But Nate came along and at a time when the program was just, you know, had just finished 6th place in the EC hockey, lost RPI in the, in the first round and Kevin Sneddon, who was the head coach, left to go to Vermont. Nate came in and slowly built the program and, and became a, one of the best programs in ECAC hockey. They got to, they won a playoff series for the first time in 2009, got to the ECAC tournament championship round 2010 and won their first regular season title the following year. 20 1011 the union got to the NCAA that year. They got eliminated in the quarterfinals by Colgate in the UC hockey tournament, still made the NCAA tournament, lost to eventual national champion Minnesota Duluth in the first round of the east regional in Bridge, Connecticut. We staffed shortly after that that they took the job at Providence. Rick Bennett took over as the head coach, and Bennett led union to a pair of frozen Ford appearances, including the 2014 national championship. The following year, Nate won the national championship with Providence beating Boston University.
Nate said some offers to go to the NHL. We talked a little bit about that, and we talked about the reason why he left union in 2011. So here's my conversation with Nate Lehman.
So, Nate, it's been a while since you've been the Messer Inc. What's taken so long to finally get you back here?
[00:21:05] Speaker C: I don't know. That's a good question.
Probably part of it just scheduling.
You know, I haven't been back to the capital district region at all. And next year, not this coming year, but next year we go to RPI. So, looking forward to get back to the area, you know, obviously, some memories of both living in the area and, you know, coaching at Union College.
[00:21:31] Speaker B: Yeah, let's talk about that. I remember before the Internet exploded, and, I mean, your. Your former boss at Harvard, Mark Mazzellini, gave me the scoop that you were getting hired at union, and I broke the story then. And what do you remember about your time, you know, joining union? What did you see there that could potentially make this program with eventually winning a national championship?
[00:21:56] Speaker C: I don't know. You know, you didn't. I think the beauty of it is you never thought of it that way. You know, you're just always trying to get better every day, and, you know, and I think you remember this well. When I took the program over there, a lot of talk about going division three with that program and really had to educate administration and educate people around the program. And, you know, we got a strength program.
I was the strength coach, and, you know, we were able to lift. I thought that was a big step, but, you know, but, you know, I never really dreamed huge. I was always just trying to take one step of getting better. One step of getting better. And, you know, we.
[00:22:40] Speaker A: We got. We.
[00:22:41] Speaker C: Yeah, I remember when I took the job, I don't think there was anyone that had a winning season, and they never won a playoff game, and I remember winning playoff games, and we won playoff series, and then we win the league. So it just steps, you know, it was great, though.
[00:23:00] Speaker B: Yeah. How much do you, would sweeping Clarkson start that ball rolling to get the confidence for this team? Because you got to the ECA tournament championship game in 2010, and then the next year, the team won its first regular season title.
[00:23:13] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah. You know, and it was just baby step, I guess. I remember that, that Clarkson series very, very vividly, and we just gotten, we've just gotten good players. You know, we gotten to the point where we were pretty well respected when we recruited British Columbia and we recruited Ontario and, you know, we were able to get a lot of good players. And that's really what turned it. I thought the thing that turned it the most was Keith Kincaid, though, too, is because I can remember, you know, some, you know, we would have some good years and, you know, you'd win two, but then you'd lose one, you win two, lose one.
And then we got Keith. And I'll never forget that the blocker save he made when we were up at St. Lawrence early in the year and, you know, we all looked at each other on the bench and we all kind of said, he made that look so easy, like, this is our guy. You know, we got a difference maker. And I think Keith came in and really made a difference in the net and, and I think that that was huge for us also.
[00:24:23] Speaker B: Yeah. When they won the regular season title, how much pride, satisfaction did you get from that?
[00:24:30] Speaker C: I don't know. I have it for the kids. I mean, I got that. That's a group that I really, really loved, you know, Adam Persisnick, Andrew beat. I mean, there were just, there's some great, you know, people on that, on that team. So, yeah, I was proud for them. I was happy for them. I was happy, was really happy for the school. I remember, you know, I was happy for Jim McLaughlin, just happy for people that never thought that union could do stuff like that. And, and, you know, and I guess, I guess deep down, I knew we always could. So just, you know, just happy to make it happen.
[00:25:10] Speaker B: Did that make it tough, a tough decision for you to go to province knowing that this team was rising and could potentially, you got to NCAA tournament in 2011 that could potentially go even further. Was that, was that a tough decision back then?
[00:25:28] Speaker C: You know, it was a tough decision. It was. Part of the decision was we just had our first child that weighed very, very heavily into the decision was, you know, that the family part of it.
But it was a tough decision because we knew, I mean, I knew how good that team was going to be. I knew Shane Goth despair was coming. I knew how good Matt Bode was. I knew how good Jeremy Walsh was, Dan Carr and Josh jers. Like, I knew how good all those guys were. And so that, that made it really tough leaving the kids.
[00:25:59] Speaker B: Of course, they won in 2014. Did you have a sense of pride? I know, you know, the province, everybody. What did you feel happy for the program when they won in 2014?
[00:26:11] Speaker C: I was really happy for him. You know, I was. I was. I was really, really happy. So, you know, I mean, it was hard. I'm not going to lie to you, it was hard, especially when they beat us, you know? Yeah. You know, so that. That was very hard when they beat us, but I was. I was extremely happy for him. And, you know, and, you know, he's just happy for all those kids, you know, especially. I mean, they went to frozen four. They lost. They had to take the next step. And they kept taking steps, you know, they kept taking steps, which is great.
[00:26:48] Speaker B: And of course, the next year, you ended up winning the national championship with Providence.
Looking back on that, how happy were you? And just to be able to win that national championship in 2015, that was.
[00:27:02] Speaker C: A pretty good feeling.
[00:27:04] Speaker B: It comes a year after union went, sort of. Everything came together.
[00:27:09] Speaker C: Well, I mean, what I look back on after we won it that summer was just when we lost a union, I think, two, one and ₩3 in the regional final. And then union blew through the. And blew through the championship. You know, what I look back on was just that, man, we were. We were a lot closer at Providence, you know, than you really realize, you know, so that was. That was a pretty cool feeling, too, you know, just to. Just to know that, I mean, hurt. I heard, obviously losing that to union, but who else is going to score a big goal in a big game besides Matt Hatch, you know, he was great at those. You know, like, he was a very unheralded player there, you know, of course.
[00:27:51] Speaker B: That you got himself thrown out of the game in Boston College and that, but then up union end up killing that five minute major and scored it shortly after that. So. Yeah, yeah, they saved his bacon there. But, I mean, I know, I know there's been some times your names are mentioned in NHL circles. I think maybe one year the islanders were looking at you before they got Barry trots. I mean, do you have any NHL aspirations at this point? Are you happy with. With college?
[00:28:20] Speaker C: You know, I never say never. I've had some good. I've had some opportunities.
It hasn't been the right thing for the family.
You know, that's. That's always kind of come first with me is the family. I got three boys now.
[00:28:32] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:28:33] Speaker C: So all three of them, like, you know, I enjoy being part of their lives. I want to be part of their lives, you know, I want to be able to make their hockey games and, you know, and kind of be around him and take him to school and things like that. That stuff means a lot to me. So, you know, I would never say never, but it was, it would have to be a. It would have to be the right situation, I would say. And I'm very happy in college. I'm very happy, you know, at Providence.
[00:28:58] Speaker B: So your memories of living in the capital region, what, what stands out in this area?
[00:29:07] Speaker C: What stands out? That's a good question.
[00:29:10] Speaker B: Other than. Other than annoying, folks. Other than annoying was excellent.
[00:29:14] Speaker C: You know, that was a lot of fun. You know, the, you know, the winning was fun. The people, I mean, I guess that's the most. The people, Jim, you know, Jim McLaughlin, Dave Kopecky, Guido Loyola, you know, he's rest in peace, Lynn Harmon, like the people. Dalton Manhole, Chris Hancock. Like, I still stay in touch to this day. We talk at least two or three times a year, you know, hope to see each other once a year. I mean, you know, Tim Mayer, the people that. All the people that jumped on board to help the program, those are the guys that really, you know, really you missed because they were in the trenches with you. You know, like my assistants I always kind of talk to and will always kind of be around and I get to catch up Bill Riga and Ben Barr and, and Rick and things like that. But, you know, that, I guess the people that I miss or, you know, some of the season ticket holders and the Garnet blades, people that really helped.
[00:30:17] Speaker B: Build that program, are you happy that they're getting a new facility and they're implementing scholarships?
[00:30:24] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:30:26] Speaker C: Yeah, it's been a long time coming, you know, it's been a long time coming for that program, but it's just another baby step. You know, they got to keep taking baby steps and baby steps and, you know, to, to eventually be the program that they. That they want to be, you know, like, so hopefully win another national championship as long as it's not to, you know, that's all.
[00:30:50] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:30:50] Speaker C: So.
[00:30:53] Speaker B: Is there one specific memory of your time in Mesa that stands out?
[00:31:02] Speaker C: I think just when we. I'm not sure if it was my last year. My. I think, yeah, it was my last year.
We were trying to hunt down Yale and we were. We were really, you know, Yale was preseason pick to win the league.
You know, we had had. I think we had three or four losses in the first half, but we had a good team and, you know, basically we had Yale in the second half. And I think we ended up going like 13. I think we ended up going like 13 and something. And this is gonna happen maybe 13 two. But we had to be almost perfect to.
And we had Yale at home.
It was packed.
[00:31:54] Speaker E: And teams.
[00:31:56] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:31:56] Speaker C: Might even be Yale in that game. And in winning that game against Yale, I remember Andrew Beott faked a slapper, walked down the slot and scored. That was that. I always remember that game, that's for sure.
[00:32:12] Speaker B: Yeah.
We had some interesting times together, you know, interviewing. Sometimes I annoyed you. Me? What was. What was it like dealing with me.
[00:32:24] Speaker C: For the scoop? You know, I always know. That's good. Reporters do. They look for the scoop. You know, they always want to get ahead of the curve. And it's a competitive world. Like, it's. You know, it's a competitive world for reporters. It's competitive world for hockey coaches. So, you know, I guess another memory. I'll never forget the RPI. I'll never forget those games and what those meant, you know, to the area and what those meant. The season ticket holders. I'm very proud of our record against RPI, especially probably my last five years there. I'm very, very proud of it.
[00:33:02] Speaker B: Do you remember.
Do you remember the one game where they called RPI seem to score the tying goal late at Mesa, and they went to video review and said, there's going interference. And Seth comes down with his laptop and shows the video that there was no goalie interference. We had video game.
[00:33:19] Speaker C: Yeah, I remember that. Well, he got scolded by the league.
[00:33:24] Speaker B: They got suspended.
[00:33:26] Speaker C: I mean, it's like, you know, those games. I'll tell you. I'll tell you another memory.
So just had our first son, Ty, Alice and I, like, literally. Well, November 22, he was born, and then we're in RPI's Thanksgiving tournament, and we had some rules set up for the guy, and they. When they could so, you know, be social when they couldn't, well, I remember.
[00:33:56] Speaker A: You know.
[00:34:01] Speaker B: We'Re cutting off there.
[00:34:05] Speaker D: And.
[00:34:06] Speaker C: I was staying at the hospital with her, you know, and I came back and I remember leaving the house before that tournament and saying, we're gonna get killed in this thing. I'm without, you know, five players, and our team came together, and we won that tournament.
That was one of. That was. That was a cool, cool. That was a cool, cool experience also. So you know that I think Mario Chebruco might have had a. Had two goals or a hat trick in there, so he really, really stepped up.
[00:34:38] Speaker B: Yeah.
What do you think? It's going to be like sat next Saturday or on Saturday when you walk in to Mesa for the first time since 2011.
[00:34:56] Speaker C: You there?
[00:34:57] Speaker B: I'm there. Yeah. You've been cutting off Saturday when you.
[00:35:00] Speaker C: Walk in the message for the first time.
[00:35:02] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:35:05] Speaker C: Well, I mean, I think. I think that memory will be, you know, it'll be cool. I'll probably have goosebumps for sure.
You know, that that'll, that'll be part of it.
You know, I'm hoping it doesn't look the exact same that that I'm hoping. I'm hoping they've done some stuff with pictures and the lobby and it just dressed it up a little bit. So I'm hoping it doesn't look the exact same, but, you know, I'm sure, I'm sure there's going to be like a whole bunch of memories that come back and, you know, get goosebumps and be a big smile on my face for sure.
[00:35:44] Speaker B: How's Joe Bill doing with you, Joel?
[00:35:47] Speaker C: Bill is doing excellent.
[00:35:48] Speaker A: Yeah?
[00:35:49] Speaker C: Yep.
He never worked with fact check, but he works on the recruiting field, I can tell you there.
[00:35:56] Speaker B: I know, I know. It's amazing to me how he's really done well, the coaching after he left union. I know sometimes you guys didn't see eye to eye there, but how much has he grown with you in the coaching ranks?
[00:36:11] Speaker C: I just remember he was so, he was done with college. He was working as an engineer, but he was coaching a midget team in town, and he asked me to speak to the midget team. This is when I was still at union and I was like, sure, Bieler, what do you want me to say? Well, they got to come back hard. You got to talk to them about how they got to come back hard.
I was like, this is the funniest thing, but things in life, they go full circle. And Joel's a very good coach. He's a very good recruiter. He's going to be a head coach. There's no doubt in my mind about that, you know, so it's, it's a lot of fun working with him. We share a lot of old stories all the time, you know, about him and Jordan Webb.
[00:36:51] Speaker B: Yeah. My last question for you, how's Kyle chockey changed in the era of the NLI?
[00:36:58] Speaker C: It's, it's, it's not what. It's. It's definitely not why. Why you get into it. You know, it's, it's, it's, it's tough right now with the transfer portal.
It's tough with the nil stuff. And it's really, I mean, it really making it tough for schools like unity, you know, I think Josh is doing a great job. He's keeping them, he's keeping them in it all the time. But it's, you know, with all the new rules that are, that are coming in, they're all just set up for the big schools. They really are, you know, so it's making it much more challenging for, for all of us little guys.
[00:37:39] Speaker B: Yep. Well, Nate, appreciate a few minutes. I'll see you soon and can't wait to catch up with you.
[00:37:46] Speaker C: All right, thanks, Ken.
[00:37:47] Speaker B: Thanks a. Take care.
[00:37:48] Speaker C: Bye bye.
[00:37:51] Speaker B: Our college hockey talk continues. We'll talk with Army West Point head coach Brian Riley as he begins his final season as the head man down in west points. You're listening to the parting Shots podcast.
Hey pro football fans, it's time again to match wits with other pro football fans and win a prize by playing the Daily Gazette's u pick em football contest. To play, go to dailygazetteprofootball. You pick up and make your picks before the first game kicks off each week. If you have the most weekly points, you win a $100 Hannaford gift card. Play the Daily Gazettes. You pick a football contest today.
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Welcome back to the podcast. We continue our college hockey previews. Union will open up the regular season on Sunday after their exhibition game against Providence. On Saturday, the union will take on Army West Point, and it's an interesting time for Army West Point for the first recently.
The Army west point obviously been coaching by the Riley family for 75 years. And earlier this summer, Brian Riley announced that this coming season will be his last after 21 years at the helm. And joining us now to talk about that is Brian Riley. Brian, appreciate a few minutes talking about that. And how are things going?
[00:39:45] Speaker A: Great, Ken, I appreciate you having me. It's always good to talk to somebody like yourself that does so much to promote college hockey. So exciting time of the year as we get started up here.
[00:40:00] Speaker B: Well, I appreciate your sentiments, Brian. I appreciate you've done a fine job in your years at army. Talk about what it went into this decision to call it a career after this year.
[00:40:11] Speaker A: Yeah. So this is almost like 40 years for me, 33 at West Point as head and assistant.
Just started thinking about it during the summer. And honestly, once I knew that Zach McKelvey was going to be the person that was going to take my spot, I thought to myself, okay, I can do this.
Bittersweet, you know, for sure. But again, knowing that Zach is the guy makes it a little bit easier.
75 seemed like a good year to end it on, you know, between my dad, my brother Rob and myself. But the good news is that there'll still be O'Reilly on the bench. You know, Jack's on our staff here.
I'm sure he'll be with Zach, so.
But you know what? I think I just knew it was time. You've seen college hockey, how it's changed, or college sports in general, how it's changed so much over the last couple years. And, yeah, I think it's time for, for Zach and his staff to take it and run with it. And I know Zach will do an amazing job, and this program is in great hands, but really grateful for all that West Point has not only given me, but the Riley family.
I mean, I'll never be able to repay West Point for all it's done for me and my family. So, yeah, this is interesting. Every time I do something, it's like, this is the last time. This will be the last opening game. It just, I'm constantly reminded, I have a feeling that this year is going to go by real quick.
[00:42:15] Speaker B: Not only the last year, for your last visit to union, because Messer inco be no more after this year of a new facility. So it's, it's, yeah. And so it's kind of crazy, but, yeah.
[00:42:26] Speaker A: Well, then guess who's going to open up the new ring.
[00:42:28] Speaker B: Oh, you are.
[00:42:30] Speaker F: Yeah.
[00:42:30] Speaker A: There you go.
[00:42:31] Speaker B: Oh, wow.
[00:42:33] Speaker A: So that's it. That's an inside tip there. Right. But, but, you know, I just love the opportunity. You know, union is so close. I, I got to serve on the division one championship committee with Jim McLaughlin, who's obviously the ad, a wonderful person. And I got to know Josh as a result of, you know, this series and a really, really great young coach.
So for us, it's, it's a no brainer to kind of keep this, keep this series going.
[00:43:12] Speaker B: Yeah.
Between you, your dad and your brother, you've combined for 1041 wins during your span, over 83% of the program's victory. What does that mean to you?
[00:43:25] Speaker A: Well, first of all, my dad has a big chunk of those. I'm probably bottom on the totem pole here, but, no, I mean, like I said, west point, you know, my dad came here, and when he took the job from coach Blake, Earl Red Blake, who was a great football coach here, he was ad at the time, and my dad was a great player at Dartmouth, was his two brothers, and coach Blake had been up at Dartmouth, so he convinced my dad to come down and meet with him. And my dad said, all right, I'll take it for one year. And he stayed for 36. And, you know, during that time, he was coach of the 60 Olympic team that won the gold medal. And people would come over to my house, and they'd see the pictures down the basement of my dad's teams and then the Olympic team, and they'd always ask, does he have a gold medal? I'm like, yeah, you want to see it? And I would go upstairs to my mom and dad's room, open my dad's top drawer, lift up his t shirts, and pull out the gold medal from underneath his t shirts. And so I bring it down to show everyone. But it would always hit me then, like, why does dad stay at West Point? Like, you know, he's a Boston guy. He was played in the Olympics, coached the national team, coached the Olympic team. And I never understood until I kind of sat where he sat. And now I know why he stayed. Like, the opportunity to be around the cadets, young men and women that. That I get to be around every day makes this the most rewarding and humbling. I can't even call it a job like opportunity in all of college sports. And to know that you helped to shape and develop young men to lead this nation, our nation's sons and daughters. My gosh, like, this has just been. Honestly, Ken, I still pinch myself that people say, hey, you're the head coach at army. And I'm like, wow.
So it means a lot being here. I know it meant a lot to my dad to have Rob following his footsteps, and then he was able to see me following in Rob's footsteps, because West Point just means so much to the family. So really, really grateful to have been raised here and then to have had the opportunity to raise our children here.
[00:45:51] Speaker B: Yeah, I've been down there numerous times with union, and just the minute you go through the gates, it just. It's a different. It's unlike any college campus. It's just. You feel something different. I mean, almost patriotic, because, you know, what's in store for these cadets once they leave? They're going to be serving our country. And it just. There's this. Like I said, I mean, you feel something different on that campus that you feel at a regular college campus?
[00:46:20] Speaker A: No, for sure. Like. Like we always tell young men when we're trying to recruit them, and once we get them out here for a visit, it's. It's. It's a game changer. Like, I. I always say to them, kind of like what you just alluded to, like, when. When you get here, you will feel the history and tradition of the place, you know, when you're down in the main area and you're looking at statues of Grant, MacArthur, Patton. Like. Like, all people that we learned about history growing up were all people that were taught here at West Point. So, um. Really, like, I lived here my whole life. I. You know, I still. When I'm. I used to run, but now when I go out for a walk, you know, I. I still stop and pause and. And think of all the people, you know, starting back from George Washington who have kind of walked these grounds, and, yeah, it's an amazing place, but really, Ken, it's the people that make the place. Beautiful campus. But really, the people are, to me, what are amazing here at West Point.
[00:47:28] Speaker B: Yeah. And I love tay ring. Great sight lines. And that's the one thing I don't have, a mess where I have to sit in the end zone press box and try to see what's going on the other way. But I always love going to tay rig. That's a nice facility.
[00:47:41] Speaker A: Yeah, awesome facility. I think you can judge a school's commitment to academics and athletics by their facilities. Right. And when you come to West Point, whether it's the library or the weight room, like, everything is going to be first class. So the rank, it's hard to believe it's almost 40 years old, but you're right. I think it's a great place to watch a game. You're right on top of the players, and there isn't a bad seat in the house.
[00:48:14] Speaker B: Yeah, you mentioned recruiting, and obviously, in a way, your hands are tied. Recruiting. You cannot recruit canadian players.
You can't have. I don't think you can have student athletes transfer into army, but they can transfer out. So how is recruiting? What has that been like for you?
[00:48:34] Speaker A: So, yeah, I think, like, any place. Well, you're right. Like, we can't recruit Canadians or international students. So our pool is definitely smaller than all of the other d one hockey programs.
But you know what, Ken? We have the opportunity to sit down with with young men and try to explain to them or sell them West Point, man, that's a pretty, I guess, good thing to try to sell to a young person because there's so many positives about West Point. But in today's world, with the transfers and the fifth years, we just can't get out of this young cycle right now because every, everybody, almost everybody is going out. Instead of having, you know, nine or ten freshmen, they may have four freshmen and five fifth year guys who are coming in with experience. And I think that's hurt us the last couple of years. I'm hopeful when the COVID year goes away, it'll balance things, but now I'm hearing they might give everybody a fifth year anyway because for us, like, we lost three players to the transfer portal last year, that all would have been key players for us, but they didn't come and tell me till two days before the transfer portal opened, which, if you remember, was on Easter Sunday this year and our application deadline is over.
So you know what? We lost those three players and we weren't able to replace them with anybody.
So we just need to figure out, and I know Zach will do a great job with this, figure out a way to kind of navigate that. And maybe it's hopefully the administration here says, hey, we will keep two slots for you every year. So if you do wind up losing two or three players, that will have an opportunity to go out and try to find somebody. It won't be a transfer, it'll be somebody. It'll be somebody coming in as a freshman or a plebe. That obviously is going to have to have taken the act or the SAT. It's going to have to have done well in school. So it's still not going to be easy, but at least it would give us a chance.
We just haven't been able to get old, and I thought this year we would make a step because we had a good freshman class last year.
Now they're sophomores. I think we have a pretty good freshman class this year. But we lost.
We lost a couple guys that. That would have given us experience, which. Which makes it tough.
[00:51:26] Speaker B: What was Zach McKelvey like as a player for you?
[00:51:29] Speaker A: Oh, man, I'll tell you what. You talk about somebody who could skate, you know, he was from Minnesota. Usually most Minnesota kids can skate. Like, he was a phenomenal skater, but he just had this competitive fire that as a coach, you know, you don't get many of those guys, so when you have them, you really enjoy it. And I was when his four years were up, it was a. It was a sad time for me, but. But then I had the opportunity to bring him back here, and he and I have been together for ten years.
I'm telling you, Ken, like, he is, he's one of the bright young minds in all of college hockey. And honestly, that was one of the reasons. Like I said, for me once I knew it was z, but I didn't want to hold him back anymore.
And honestly, if I would have stayed around for a few more years, that's what I would have been doing, and that wouldn't have been fair to the program, and it wouldn't have been fair to Zach. So I, like, I'm really excited. I can't wait till next year when I can come in here on a Friday night and sit in the stands, and I'm going to sit across from Zach and Jack and just, you know, I'm going to enjoy watching. This is what I said anyway. I'm going to enjoy watching the game. No pressure. I'll probably still be yelling at the rest, but, yeah, I'm gonna try to just enjoy myself.
I hope. I hope. You know, when my dad was still alive, we were playing against kinesis, and I thought I heard this voice that I recognize, and I looked, and I'm like, oh, my God. My dad was on the bench. And so I had to tell one of my brothers. I said, hey, jay, you're the oldest brother. Like, you gotta tell dad, you can't come on the bench now. Like he's retired.
[00:53:28] Speaker C: Or.
[00:53:28] Speaker A: So Jay said, all right, I'll tell him. And so he went to tell my dad, and my dad said, jay, what are you talking about? I was never on the bench. So. So I hope I'm not going to be that guy. I plan to be sitting on the other side, as far away from the.
[00:53:43] Speaker B: Bench as possible, because the union headed out.
When army left the ECAC, union ended up taking their spots. I mean, there's a lot of connection there. Of course, also the connection with Jack Adams, as you know, shortly after his brother passed away, tragically. I mean, just the whole connection between Union and army. What's that been like?
[00:54:06] Speaker A: Yeah, so it goes way back. Like, you were probably covering it. Like, I remember watching army play union in the playoffs up there when it was. They were d. My dad was coaching. I think coach harkness was coaching union, and that was my first time in Achilles rank. But it, you know, whether it was Nate Lehman or.
[00:54:45] Speaker B: Kevin Sneddon. Kevin Sneddon?
[00:54:48] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:54:49] Speaker B: Bruce Delventhal and stan Moore.
[00:54:51] Speaker A: Bruce. Bruce, like, all those guys.
I like. I like coaching against guys that you have a lot of respect for. Right. And it's just, again, where we're 2 hours apart, you know? So it's so easy and to me, such a. Such a no brainer for us to play each other and both high academic schools.
So there's. I think there's a lot in common between Union and army. So for me, it's natural for us to be playing each other. I just hope. I mean, last year, they kicked our butt. Holy smokes. So hopefully it'll be a little different this year.
[00:55:40] Speaker B: Yeah. I hate to say this, but I was not living in this area during the Ned Hardings. I always grew up, grew up in Philadelphia. I was sitting in the spectrum watching my flyers destroy teams.
[00:55:49] Speaker C: All right, well, you missed.
[00:55:52] Speaker A: You missed some good times with when coach Harkness was there, and then I was an assistant at Plattsburgh when Bruce was there.
And I'm forgetting all these names, but we came down there and union hosted, and I think we lost, like, in triple overtime to union. We had a breakaway in the third overtime. I had one leg over the board, but I forget who was in Goldford Union. He made a save.
But just for me, a lot of great memories, whether I was an assistant at Plattsburgh, whether I was a fan of my dad's team or a coach, a lot of great memories with. With great games against union.
[00:56:43] Speaker B: What will you miss about coaching?
[00:56:46] Speaker A: What I will miss about coaching, number one, is being on a team. Like, I've been on a team since as far back as I can remember. Right. And definitely going to miss that.
Gonna miss the moments, I guess, of the game. Like, there's nothing like that adrenaline rush when you win a game, you honestly don't sleep because you're worried if you'll ever win again, you know, and then the lows of losing, but knowing that you can come back and, you know, figure out a way to get it done and win that next game. But. But probably aside from being on a team, it's the relationships. Gosh. Like, I mean, I'm not just talking about the players that I've coached and the coaches that I've coached with and the staff members, but players on other teams, coaches on other teams, people like yourself who, you know, promote college hockey, like, so I'm really, really grateful for all the relationships that I've been able to establish as a result of college hockey. And, yeah, I'm definitely gonna. Gonna miss that. So that's why I'm gonna enjoy, enjoy this year the best that I can.
[00:58:18] Speaker B: Well, Brian, I appreciate it. Few minutes. Looking forward to seeing on Sunday. Let's make sure we say hello and definitely talk to you postgame.
[00:58:26] Speaker A: Absolutely, Ken. Like I said at the start, like people like yourself who do so much for college hockey, you can feel the passion that you have for the sport and the sports in a great place because of people like you. So thank you for, for what you do for this great sport.
[00:58:43] Speaker B: Well, thank you for saying that, Brian. Much appreciated. Appreciate it and good luck this season. We'll talk Sunday.
[00:58:49] Speaker A: Awesome. Thank you.
[00:58:50] Speaker B: That's Brian Riley. Coming up, we're going to talk area college football with Adam Schindler of the Gazette. You're listening to the parting Shots podcast.
[00:59:17] Speaker C: If you really want to know what's going on in your community, you have.
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[00:59:47] Speaker C: Hi, this is Daily Gazette sports reporter will Springstead. You're listening to the parting shots podcast with Daily Gazette sports editor Ken Schott.
[00:59:56] Speaker B: Welcome back to the podcast. And now we get off the ice and get on the gridiron to talk some college football. Area college college football, in fact, with Adam Schindler. Adam, not a good week for u albany and union last weekend, and you were at the U Albany game. Let's start with that one. They lost the Maine 3420. A rough second half.
[01:00:13] Speaker E: Yeah, this, it was, it was honestly, it was a rough game overall that they kind of pulled a couple of good drives together late in the first half, and Maine had some trouble finishing drives in the first half that they got to halftime up 14 to ten, but just could not get out of their own way for most of the second half. And even with that, they have the ball with a chance to tie the game in the last two minutes on the main side of the field to start a possession, and just a bad bounce. Interception goes the other way for a pick six. But this is a team. And Miles Burkett, the quarterback said after the game that this absolutely needs to be a wake up call for this team because now they're one and three. Lost their CAA opener, they go back out of the CAA speaker two, I.
[01:00:55] Speaker B: Should say coastal athletic saying colonial because I was used to that, but it's.
[01:01:00] Speaker E: A recent rebrand but lost their CAA opener. They go back out of conference this week to play Cornell. But it's a team that needs to really find its way quickly. And they have not found consistency through four games yet this season.
[01:01:16] Speaker B: I mean, is everything just inconsistent? Offense, defense, special teams, what's the main thing they gotta work on?
[01:01:22] Speaker E: Yeah, the two main things they have to work on. First off, it's defense. They've really struggled defensively, much like they did two years ago. Two years ago it was giving up big plays. This year it's getting off the field. They are not winning on first down. So they're putting teams in relatively easy second and third down positions. I mean, basically every drive Maine had within four plays, they were, they were over midfield and all of a sudden you're playing from behind the red zone. Defense has been pretty good at points especially, and wasn't in a lot of the main game.
[01:01:57] Speaker B: Maine had 27 1st downs in that game. Out gained you Albany 337 to 260.
That's looking at that. Just those numbers. That's, that's a problem.
[01:02:07] Speaker E: Yeah, it is a problem. And then, and then offensively, it's. It's really a point where it is consistency. The past game has been very much a boomer bust. They're able to, to generate some big plays, but they're not always there. So it's an offense that's hovering in the 50 55% completion percentage. And the run game has not been there pretty much at all this season. There were some nice moments out of Griffin Waddell. Probably his best game since the opener against Maine. But they have not established the run early in games. And that might be the old point of contention between Greg Gattuso and his offensive coordinator, Jared Ambrose. Where, where Gattuso is a old school. If he can, he'd run the ball 40, 45 times in a game. Ambrose is a little bit more open in the offense and it's worked for them, but they've not played complimentary football on offense so far.
[01:03:00] Speaker B: Well, you mentioned about getting off the field. I'm just looking at the stats here. Main punted once.
[01:03:04] Speaker E: Yeah, main punted once and it was in the fourth quarter.
[01:03:08] Speaker B: Yeah, that's it. Tells you right there. As you mentioned, they go to Cornell, last non conference game of the year. How important is this game is before they get back to CAA play?
[01:03:17] Speaker E: This is just, it's a get right game. You have to absolutely get back to what you are and just continue to kind of grow on what they're becoming. This is a team that still, they were placing eleven defensive starters. They got a lot of young guys on that defense. So it is a game to continue to gel. But five games in now they really have to start showing more of a finished product.
[01:03:41] Speaker B: Well, speaking of looking to be a finished product, the Union football team has suffered another loss on the road at Montclair State, 1715 in the rain last Saturday. And that's one in three. Not what I think we expected out of this team.
[01:03:56] Speaker E: Yeah. Literally just walked back in the door from, from Union's practice on the grass this week since they're going up to, up to St. Lawrence, the lone grass field they'll play on all season. But that's been the thing that the whole Union team has said is we have not put a game together for 60 minutes and been consistent in all three phases of the game yet this season. And this game against Montclair State was absolutely that. The defense probably played its best overall game of the season, especially coming off a game where they really struggled to stop that Springfield run game. But the offense did nothing. I mean, this was a game where Patch Flanagan threw the ball 39 times, only completed 13 of them. They left some plays out. They left a lot of plays out there. They only averaged a little more than three yards of carry in the run game. And neither of those are good enough.
[01:04:48] Speaker B: Only 210 yards of total offense compared to 311 for Montclair State. Did they talk about the weather being a factor down there?
[01:04:56] Speaker E: They didn't chalk that up as being too much of a factor, which really, when you look at the season as a whole, this game very much flowed and was of a piece of the other ways they've struggled, which is they've struggled to be efficient in the passing game and they've struggled to consistently run the ball. This was a team with 2000 yard running backs last season and neither guy has really gotten his wheels rolling yet this season. Either Michael Fiore or Jonathan Anderson for.
[01:05:25] Speaker B: League play begins Saturday at the Liberty League at St. Lawrence. As you mentioned, playing on the grass field up there.
Considering how this team has started, me, how big is this game of going up to St. Lawrence and trying to get back on track?
[01:05:38] Speaker E: I mean, this, every game from now on is absolutely crucial. The good thing for union is everybody's zero and zero in the Liberty League. They are in a position where if they win their next six games, exactly nothing that they did in September matters. This one's important because it's the fourth road game in five games to start the season. 5th, 5th straight game with a bye week coming up. So they can really kind of go all out, you know, not hold anything back, get a breather before they come back home in a couple of weeks to take on Buffalo State.
And really this is the game where we have to show who we are when we, when we put it all together. And there are, there have been signs. They've had good drives offensively in pretty much every game. They've had stints defensively. They've had moments on special teams. So they've had some struggles. They did use a different kicker in for their second extra point, for the extra point after their second touchdown. But Hayden hall, the punter, has actually been pretty good and been used quite a lot. So they just need to put a three phase game together where they then can get out of their own way with turnovers and penalties. They're one and three. They've had a couple of close games. They haven't played a clean game yet. So there's encouragement that if they play a clean game, there's enough talent on that roster to turn things around.
[01:07:00] Speaker B: Yeah, it's been a different level. You lost by 15, the opener won by three, lost by 17, lost by two. So it's been the point differentials kind of up and down.
[01:07:11] Speaker E: Oh, yeah, they've gone kind of close now. The Springfield game was, was the only one that was truly a blowout. That Utica game. They were within a touchdown and then Utica kind of sealed it late.
They just haven't found consistency yet. And they absolutely need to.
[01:07:27] Speaker B: How important will be for the schedule next year not to have your first five games on the road?
[01:07:31] Speaker E: Yeah, they want to, probably want it for their first five games on the road. They are. Thanks to some stuff between, between the, between the Liberty League and some other leagues. The schedule is actually going to get more difficult in the non conference next year. I believe SUNY Cortlandt is on their schedule. The defending 2023 national championship.
[01:07:49] Speaker B: Wow, that's going to be interesting game. So let's talk Eagles quickly because they stink. Yeah, it was. Makes that stink game look like it was just a fluke.
[01:08:01] Speaker E: That was bad. I was sad. I'm very glad that there is a bye week this week.
[01:08:07] Speaker B: They might lose it by. Well, Jalen Furze is going to fumble.
[01:08:11] Speaker E: I can focus on playoff baseball for a week and not worry about what's going on.
My hope is, hey, you played that game without your 2000 yard wide receivers and your right tackle, that you essentially never win a game where he doesn't start in Lane Johnson. So hopefully the Cleveland game on the 13th is a better indication.
[01:08:36] Speaker B: They just did not look like they were prepared to play. I mean, it was just, and guys were going down, cramping up and it's like you knew it was going to be hot down there. What? I mean, it's just like everything is ill prepared.
[01:08:46] Speaker E: Yeah. This chalked up as a not, not necessarily. I don't know if it was ill prepared, but they went in knowing the injuries they had expecting to lose the game and played like a team that was expecting to lose.
[01:08:56] Speaker B: Yeah. Well, well, we'll talk about the Phillies. Hopefully we'll see who their fellow face in the NLDS. Well, speaking of Phillies and of course the baseball Pete Rose passed away on Monday.
You and I grew up Philadelphia.
I was 1980 with the World Series, for the finally winning World Series. He helped get that team over the hump.
Great career, but ruined by gambling, betting on baseball. And he never seemed to get out of his way.
Now, does he go into hall of Fame now that he's passed?
[01:09:32] Speaker E: Yeah, it's very interesting because he obviously received a lifetime ban, which theoretically would end with the end of his lifetime.
I've always been, and I'll make it clear that I was after Pete Rose's time as a player. I was born in 1985, so I never saw Pete Rose play. I never really saw Pete Rose manage unless I, unless two year old me was watching some Phillies Reds games on my crib.
I've always been of the mind that he should have been banned from baseball and allowed in the hall of Fame because you can't tell the story of baseball without Pete Rose. He is fundamental to the history of baseball. He has more hits than any player in the history of Major League Baseball.
It's why I've, and I've been consistent on this. I've always believed that the fact that Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens and Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa and Alex Rodriguez are not in the hall of Fame is a travesty as well. If you want to mention steroid suspicions or mention Pete Rose's gambling event for baseball in their hall of Fame flakhe, go ahead.
But baseball and the Baseball hall of Fame has always done itself a disservice by not acknowledging the history of the game. Ty Cobb was a legitimately awful human being and he's remaining the hall of Fame.
[01:11:02] Speaker B: Yeah, that's true. So. Well, Adam, appreciate we'll do this again next week.
[01:11:06] Speaker E: Absolutely.
[01:11:07] Speaker B: It's Adam Schindler. We're back to wrap up the podcast and have the latest winners in the Daily Gazettes. You pick them football and auto racing concert in just a moment.
[01:11:30] Speaker A: Hi, I'm Rick Marshall from the Daily.
[01:11:32] Speaker B: Gazette's martial arts podcast.
[01:11:34] Speaker E: In each episode, I interview artists from.
[01:11:36] Speaker B: Around the region to musicians and comedians, to dancers, sculptors, video game designers.
[01:11:40] Speaker E: After you finish the latest episode of the Parting Shots podcast, I hope you'll.
[01:11:44] Speaker B: Give martial arts a try.
[01:11:45] Speaker A: Hi, this is four time Stanley cup.
[01:11:48] Speaker F: Champion and New York State Hockey hall.
[01:11:50] Speaker A: Of Famer John Tennelli. You're listening to the parting shots podcast with Daily Gazette sports editor Ken Schott.
[01:11:59] Speaker B: Back to wrap up the podcast. The week four winner in the Daily Gazette's you pick a football contest was Ken Kelly with a 14 and two record. Kent wins a $100 Hannaford gift card. Congratulations, Kent. The vip winner was my buddy John Keller of Katie O'Burns with an eleven five record. I went nine and seven to improve the 37 and 27. Adam Schindler was eight and eight. He's 36 and 28. I'll announce the you pickup football contest winner's name and that winner's name will appear in Thursday's Daily Gazette. To play, go to dailygazette.com and click on the you pick them football banner.
The week 30 winner Daily Gazettes auto racing contest was Lynn Dobriko with 35 points. Lynn wins a $50 gift card. Congratulations, Lynn. The vip winner is Dick Platell, grand premier tire with 35 points. I'll announce the auto racing contest winner's name and that winner's name will appear in Saturday's Daily Gazette. To play, go to dailygazette.com and click on the auto racing contest banner.
Just because Covid-19 mandates are easing, that does not mean you should relax. Be vigilant. If you have not gotten vaccinated or received a booster shot, please do so. Do it for yourself, do it for your family, and do it for your friends. Don't forget to download the Daily Gazettes app and sign up for our e edition so you never miss a headline. Subscribe today at www.dailygazette.com. we have a lot of great specials going on when credibility matters. Trust the Daily Gazette. That wraps up another edition of the parting Shots podcast. I want to thank members of the Union College men's and women's hockey teams, Nate Lehman, Brian Riley and Adam Schinder for being a part of the show. If you have questions or comments about the podcast email to me at shot. That's sch o t tailygazette.com. follow me on x and threads at Slap Shots the views expressed on the parting shots podcast are not necessarily those of the Daily Gazette Company. The Parting Shots podcast is a production of the Daily Gazette Company. I'm Daily Gazette sports editor Ken Schott. Thanks for listening, and I'll catch you next time from the Parting Shots podcast studio in Schenectady, New York. Good day, good sports, and we honor singer, songwriter and actor Chris Christofferson, who died last Saturday at the age of 88. He was a prolific songwriter, and you'll hear that when I play me and Bobby McGee, which was a hit posthumously for Janet Shoplin. Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose rest in peace, Chris.
[01:14:31] Speaker F: If it sounds country, man, that's what it is.
[01:14:34] Speaker C: It's a country song.
Yeah. Okay, where 1234-1234 busted flat and battened rouge hidden for the trains feeling nearly.
[01:14:54] Speaker F: Faded as my jeans Bobby thumbed a.
[01:15:01] Speaker C: Diesel down just before it rained took us all away to New Orleans.
[01:15:13] Speaker F: I.
[01:15:14] Speaker C: Took my harpoon out of my dirty.
[01:15:18] Speaker F: Red bandana and was blowing sad while Bobby sang the blues.
[01:15:27] Speaker A: With them when.
[01:15:28] Speaker F: She wiped her slapping time and Bobby clapping hands we finally sang fail the song that driver knew Freedom's just another.
[01:15:45] Speaker C: Word fun nothing left to lose nothing.
[01:15:50] Speaker F: Ain'T worth nothing but it's free feeling good wise easy lobby sangdan the blues feeling good was good enough for me.
[01:16:11] Speaker C: Good enough for me and Bobby McGee.
[01:16:21] Speaker F: From the coal mines of Kentucky to the California son Bobby shared the secrets.
[01:16:31] Speaker C: Of my soul standing right beside me long to everything I've done every night.
[01:16:44] Speaker B: She kept me from the coldest.
