Psu lions

[EastFan1]

Re: Psu lions

Lion Fan - you have 4 total posts and they're all directed negatively at PSU (specifically Coach Josh). It's obvious you have an issue with him and only posting when they are in a tough spot. You weren't posting when they beat BU earlier this year or when they had over 15 wins last year. I could be wrong but my best guess is your a former player (who was released) or parent who has an axe to grind. We get it you don't like him!! The CHA is a tough league. Any team can win on any night. Some of those programs have a ton of winning tradition over PSU. Have there been injuries? Bad breaks? To my knowledge recruiting is taking place 2 years in advance so.....maybe it takes 6 years to get a good read (with recruiting anyways)

Have their been some big injuries? One win in the past 14 games is pretty tough. Half the 4 wins came against Union. If it was the men's program I would bet some fans might be asking for a change so it's probably good its a lower profile sport if you want him to stay.

[ZedLeppelin]

Re: Psu lions

With Penn State's facilities, academics, and resources (both financial and otherwise), there is NO reason that Penn State cannot attract Olympians

I agree, for the same reasons - Brandwene should be able to attract that level of player to Penn State, but he hasn't, so the team doesn't play at that level. That's on Brandwene. We'll see how patient Penn State is going to be with him with this being their fourth year - I couldn't even begin to guess what kind of contract he got. I would think a school like Penn State has a definite timeline of expectations for a coach to meet, new program or not.

Not trying that hard during the regular season. Interesting strategy.

I wouldn't say "not trying hard" during the regular season, but everyone makes it to the conference tournament in the CHA, regardless of what they do in the regular season, so Brandwene's thinking seems to be "build up to conference time". I have no idea what his coaching strategy really is, but that seems to be close.

[KTDC]

Re: Psu lions

I have seen Penn State play 3 times the last 2 seasons, all against Minnesota. They never scored a goal so it's hard to praise them too much. But I thought they were a good skating team who played hard all the time, even at the end of a 8-0 game which not everybody does.

They are #12 in the country (#1 in the CHA) in goals against per game which is pretty good. Obviously, they need scoring. Losing Caitlyn Reilly after her freshman season was a huge loss, whether that was on Brandwene or homesickness I don't know. I agree Penn State should be able to get some good recruits. I can't tell if they are backsliding over the course of this season, but if not I would take them seriously in the CHA tournament.

BTW-If I remember correctly. the discussion criticizing Brandwene a while back was over whether he was too harsh in cutting a bunch of players after the first D1 season.

[ZedLeppelin]

Re: Psu lions

BTW-If I remember correctly. the discussion criticizing Brandwene a while back was over whether he was too harsh in cutting a bunch of players after the first D1 season.

That was the talk, but I don't see how making big cuts could be avoided, or he'd be looking at replacing an entire roster at the end of this fourth season. Some of those cut players seemed like a questionable call, but many of them really were first-season roster fillers anyway.

[ZedLeppelin]

Re: Psu lions

A couple of quotes from the latest USCHO Wednesday Women blog:

"Of course, given the struggles of all CHA teams right now, the goal has to be winning the CHA tournament, and anything can happen. I almost think the regular season doesn’t even matter much, except for home ice"

"I’d say that the (CHA) teams farther down the standings might be more inclined to focus more on preparing for the postseason than trying to gain a spot in the standings"

[truthbetold]

Re: Psu lions

Neither of ZedLeppelin's last posts makes any sense. First, any coach that gives away all of their scholarships in the first year, clearly doesn't know what they are doing. The men's coach did it right, giving out a few the first year , but playing out the club players and then building a little each year. The net result is that they are eyeing up a run at the national tournament. The women's coach had to cut a bunch of players and hope they would transfer so he could get their scholarships back. Only problem was, a lot of them stayed for a great education. Funny thing is, the women's record probably would have been the same the first year with the club players still on the roster. Maybe he was trying to cut HIS ties to club hockey, where he was mediocre at best.

Second, how do you coach to win a conference tournament when you can't beat those teams in the regular season? Explain what that looks like. And why would you? The bloggers are trying to get you to read their column, not provide a legitimate analysis. Maybe the focus should have been on player and team development from the beginning, instead of trying to cut your way to a win and/or try to roll the dice on a tournament championship that is clearly out of reach at this point. Any good coach would focus on player and team development and the wins will come. All the cutting and his treatment of players has had far reaching effects, and there are some parents here in Canada that won't even let their kids talk to PSU.

If they started his contract in that first year and he was there while it was still club (which seems likely), this is his fifth year. I doubt any team would give a contract longer than 5 years to a first year coach. And five years should be enough time to build a tournament team on the women's side, especially given the facilities and resources the PSU team has, which are essentially unrivaled at any women's program in the country. If the men's coach can do this in an even harder environment, why haven't the women? Renewing his contract at this point would definitely send the wrong message to other coaches at PSU if they are expecting their coaches to win.

[ZedLeppelin]

Re: Psu lions

Neither of ZedLeppelin's last posts makes any sense. First, any coach that gives away all of their scholarships in the first year, clearly doesn't know what they are doing.

I don't have the first clue about how scholarships work - I've never been a hockey parent. All I have is what things look like from the stands.

If they started his contract in that first year and he was there while it was still club (which seems likely), this is his fifth year. I doubt any team would give a contract longer than 5 years to a first year coach.

Yes, he did coach the final year of club hockey at Penn State.

Second, how do you coach to win a conference tournament when you can't beat those teams in the regular season? Explain what that looks like.

Beats me - that just looks like what he's doing. I can't think of any other reason why a coach would spend the regular season shuffling players around, instead of letting them build some chemistry on their lines. RIT struggles through the regular season, too, and always manages to shine at tournament time, for some reason. I'm not saying I agree with it, I'm just saying that it looks like what he's doing.

Maybe the focus should have been on player and team development from the beginning, instead of trying to cut your way to a win and/or try to roll the dice on a tournament championship that is clearly out of reach at this point. Any good coach would focus on player and team development and the wins will come. All the cutting and his treatment of players has had far reaching effects, and there are some parents here in Canada that won't even let their kids talk to PSU.

I agree completely on what the coaching philosophy should have been all along. As for how he treats his players, I wouldn't know.

And five years should be enough time to build a tournament team on the women's side, especially given the facilities and resources the PSU team has, which are essentially unrivaled at any women's program in the country.

Five years should be enough time to build a conference tournament team, I agree, especially in the CHA. Why he can't entice some top-tier players to come to Penn State, given its facilities/resources/educational opportunities, has been surprising.

If the men's coach can do this in an even harder environment, why haven't the women?

That's the million dollar question, and probably being asked by the Penn State admin by now. I don't know what Brandwene's coaching philosophy is, I don't know how he recruits, I don't know how he treats his players, and I don't know anything about scholarships - all I know is what games look like from a seat in the stands.

[ARM]

Re: Psu lions

Second, how do you coach to win a conference tournament when you can't beat those teams in the regular season? Explain what that looks like.

RIT struggles through the regular season, too, and always manages to shine at tournament time, for some reason. I'm not saying I agree with it, I'm just saying that it looks like what he's doing.

Last season RIT lost all four games to Mercyhurst, never coming closer than three goals. In the tournament, the Tigers won by three over the Lakers. I doubt it is something we are likely to see again any time soon, but it is definitely possible.

[Call It]

Re: Psu lions

This is a pretty serious claim.

This accusation is from an anonymous person named drdangles. That name would suggest a 4th or 5th line bender with an ax to grind.

[ZedLeppelin]

Re: Psu lions

This is a pretty serious claim.

This "drdangles" sounds like the frustrated parent of a player who never dresses for games. "To my knowledge, nothing has actually happened yet so there's nothing we can do about it". Except to air it on a public forum like USCHO, right?

[KTDC]

Re: Psu lions

We owe someone a 'thank you' for taking out the garbage.

Happy New Year

[ZedLeppelin]

Re: Psu lions

If this is the last year of Brandwene's contract (and that's likely, being his fifth year), and Penn State decides not to renew, who might be available?

[Rightnut]

Re: Psu lions

If this is the last year of Brandwene's contract (and that's likely, being his fifth year), and Penn State decides not to renew, who might be available?

I would think this would be a highly attractive position that a successful coach at another smaller program would be interested in. Great facilities, great support, campus atmosphere, school sells itself, future B1G team probably at some point. Not much downside. I would think there would be a big pool of candidates and probably some surprising lateral names.

[HockeyEast33]

Re: Psu lions

I would think this would be a highly attractive position that a successful coach at another smaller program would be interested in. Great facilities, great support, campus atmosphere, school sells itself, future B1G team probably at some point. Not much downside. I would think there would be a big pool of candidates and probably some surprising lateral names.

You would think Sisto from Mercyhurst would be all in on this one since he applied to Ohio State last year.

[ZedLeppelin]

Re: Psu lions

Penn State gets shut out by last-place RIT, 3-0. They couldn't score on a 5 on 5, 5 on 4, 5 on 3, and couldn't score on a 6 on 4. Penn State owned the first period, and then played the rest of the game like that was good enough for a night. Hard to believe this is the same team that beat Boston University at the start of the season, but Brandwene will be proud of "their resilience and sticking to the game plan" (whatever it was).