Aug. 18, 2009
MIXED EMOTIONS
Fisher: great season, disappointing playoffs

Long Island Rough Riders coach Dan Fisher finished the Premier Development League season with mixed emotions.

He was quite happy with the way the Riders performed in the regular season, but was disappointment with the playoff result.

After reaching the playoffs for the first time in six years and finishing with a 12-3-2 record, the Riders were eliminated in the opening round by the Ocean City Barons, 2-0, at home.

"It didn't happen in the playoffs," Fisher said. "I was disappointed."

Disappointed because he realized the Riders were "a special group," Fisher said.

"We had four or five coaches on the field at the same time, which helped us tactically," he said.

But that wasn't enough.

"We underachieved in the playoffs," he said.

Fisher then became philosophical.

"It's a short season, but a long season," he said of the PDL season that runs from May through the beginning of August. "You play a lot of games over a short period of time."

Fisher said he liked the chemistry on the team between the current college players and the former professional players.

"For our expectations, it was a positive year for the organization," he said.

Fisher took the team's earlier than expected departure from the post-season quite personally.

"When I don't achieve a goal, I am disappointed," he said. "I feel that I underachieved."

That's how seriously he took the season.

"This is not a summer league," he said, referring to the fact players might want to take it easy.

"If you start something, you have to finish it on my terms," he added.