Since everyone seems to be hesitant to move away from the "Maybe Dick" 2014 postseason thread, I'll step up and get this one started. I don't think there's any question the upcoming UNH Men's Hockey season promises to be quite a different experience for long-time fans of the program. It's been awhile since we've seen such an exodus of players from one season to the next - to the point where there is not a single senior projecting to get any playing time on the blue line, and likely only one returning defenseman who will even be a junior, while plans for a returning 3 year starter between the pipes seem to have had a (likely permanent) setback. Freshman defensemen will need to fill as many as 3 of the 6 slots on the blueline (possibly more), and the projected goalies for this season not currently out on bail have played less than a period at the D-1 level.
To get a sense of what's missing ... the three departing defensemen (Knodel, TvR and Agosta) were not only the defensive stalwarts of last year's team, but they were also the team's 4th thru 6th highest scorers.
Up front, with top two scorers Goumas and Sorkin having moved on, the remainder of the returning forwards not named Willows or Downing combined for a total of twenty (20) goals between them, with Kelleher tops in that group at 5 goals. It's not even like last year's team was a scoring dynamo - certainly not in comparison to the high-scoring UNH teams from early in Coach Umile's tenure. But he is going to have to rely on several of the incoming freshmen to step up with significant first-year contributions for UNH to even hope to tread water with their offensive output. And in a season where many on the backline (AND all of the goalies) are going to be learning by the seat of their pants in the deep end of the pool (holy mixed metaphors Batman! ), this projects to be a team that's going to NEED to score a lot to cover for some of the unavoidable and to-be-expected growing pains.
Throw in a daunting early season NC schedule, and I'm not optimistic about the team getting off to a quick start (no more "Defending Champions of November" I fear ), with the more realistic outlook seeming to be that *maybe* the team will gradually progress and begin to make some forward progress by the time they hit the meat of the Hockey East schedule in early 2015. In some ways, I almost like the idea that there will be zero expectations and zero pressure on this year's team, and whatever they might accomplish will be a happy bonus for us all. And then we can get on board early and embrace the "Wait "Til Next Year!" concept.
From the standpoint of Coach Umile ... it might not be a bad opportunity to "reboot" and look at adopting some new approaches to things with a very young and still-moldable crew of underclassmen who he will be depending upon heavily to resurrect the program to the top tier of Hockey East and (hopefully) nationally in what has to be considered the final few seasons of his tenure at UNH. Bringing Coach Stewart on board may have been an important first step to changing things up a little bit. Certainly Coach Umile has a great chance to remind everyone that he's a pretty darned good coach, and by pushing a young team like this one towards the top earlier than others might expect, he could nab another Coach of the Year award. But I'm sure our very own "Captain Ahab" would give them all up for another shot at that elusive white whale. Time is not on his side, but he's gotta be coaching at this point for a reason, and I for one hope against hope he eventually gets what has been so elusive for so long now. Good luck 'Cats on what promises to be a compelling season!!
To get a sense of what's missing ... the three departing defensemen (Knodel, TvR and Agosta) were not only the defensive stalwarts of last year's team, but they were also the team's 4th thru 6th highest scorers.
Up front, with top two scorers Goumas and Sorkin having moved on, the remainder of the returning forwards not named Willows or Downing combined for a total of twenty (20) goals between them, with Kelleher tops in that group at 5 goals. It's not even like last year's team was a scoring dynamo - certainly not in comparison to the high-scoring UNH teams from early in Coach Umile's tenure. But he is going to have to rely on several of the incoming freshmen to step up with significant first-year contributions for UNH to even hope to tread water with their offensive output. And in a season where many on the backline (AND all of the goalies) are going to be learning by the seat of their pants in the deep end of the pool (holy mixed metaphors Batman! ), this projects to be a team that's going to NEED to score a lot to cover for some of the unavoidable and to-be-expected growing pains.
Throw in a daunting early season NC schedule, and I'm not optimistic about the team getting off to a quick start (no more "Defending Champions of November" I fear ), with the more realistic outlook seeming to be that *maybe* the team will gradually progress and begin to make some forward progress by the time they hit the meat of the Hockey East schedule in early 2015. In some ways, I almost like the idea that there will be zero expectations and zero pressure on this year's team, and whatever they might accomplish will be a happy bonus for us all. And then we can get on board early and embrace the "Wait "Til Next Year!" concept.
From the standpoint of Coach Umile ... it might not be a bad opportunity to "reboot" and look at adopting some new approaches to things with a very young and still-moldable crew of underclassmen who he will be depending upon heavily to resurrect the program to the top tier of Hockey East and (hopefully) nationally in what has to be considered the final few seasons of his tenure at UNH. Bringing Coach Stewart on board may have been an important first step to changing things up a little bit. Certainly Coach Umile has a great chance to remind everyone that he's a pretty darned good coach, and by pushing a young team like this one towards the top earlier than others might expect, he could nab another Coach of the Year award. But I'm sure our very own "Captain Ahab" would give them all up for another shot at that elusive white whale. Time is not on his side, but he's gotta be coaching at this point for a reason, and I for one hope against hope he eventually gets what has been so elusive for so long now. Good luck 'Cats on what promises to be a compelling season!!
Comment