Coach Flip Naumburg's Journal

Monday, July 17, 2006

OBJECTS MAY BE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR

If one were looking at our CSU team coming up for 2007 they might get the wrong idea.  People seem to think we basically have the whole defense back, but the truth is that we lost 3 of the 4 starters on defense, including a three-year starter in the goal.  Then we also lose the Reiss (#10 LSM – 2006) grease, which made our path from our defensive side to offensive transition seamless and fast.  We are losing 4 top-notch defensive people.  That is fact

IS THAT A COPIER OR A PRINTER?

On paper, with our five or six top attack men returning and more on the way, it would seem that our aim might be to try to outscore the others in our way, but that will only be half of the plan.  The main frame of the plot will likely always be about minimizing holes in our defense and making that part of our game solid and interchangeable in terms of who is playing it for us.

To me, and after all the years and all the talk, the act of rebuilding is exactly the same as the famous 'reloading' process.  They are equal because the making of a team is never, can never be the same.  Why would I want it to be?

CAN'T GET USED TO LOSING YOU

One might also say that we 'only' lost a handful of players at CSU to graduation, six to be exact, but at closer inspection, every single one of them was a major contributor, and their specific roles were spread all over the position map.  Two were defensemen, two were middies, one was a long stick midfielder, one of perhaps a third, rarely seen kind, and then of course Goalie boy.

Having acknowledged loss, I am also excited about putting the new pieces in place and seeing how they mesh.  We start in less than a month after all. 

The goalie thing has travails and heartbreak pre-written in the script.  Several "understudies" are all ready to step in, and new ones are rumored to be coming.  There will be a less-than-100% happy ending rate on this particular major team sub-plot.  If I handle it right, however, someone will emerge, a goalie will stand above the rest when the evaluating is done.  I want the progress of the process to be frank, fair, and even somewhat fun.  I am not interested in loyalty or politics.  I am more focused on just having a solid goaltender for our team.  More than anything I want them each (all 5-8 of them) to know their own truth and not to feel cheated by circumstances.  My intention is to 'make hay' in the fall and to know more or less where we will be before the ball in Times Square drops. 

I'VE 'FALLEN' AND LAST YEAR I COULDN'T GET UP UNTIL FEBRUARY

I almost wish we could take two fall trips, but I fear that as an extravagant choice not to be made.  We will have tournament and opportunity to go back to in Vegas in early November it looks like.  If anyone else out there wants to play a game in tank tops with us (fall game) I hope they let us know.  Last fall was horrible.  My desire is to blaze a new trail, play a bunch of games, and not to revisit any part of 2005, including the autumn.

Next Entry | Previous Entry


Flip Started Blogging Before it was Cool, Read Over 400 of His Entries Since January 2001
Jump to a Period:
2006: Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov
2005: Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
2004: Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
2003: Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
2002: Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
2001: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Sept Oct Nov Dec