Re: RIT Tigers 2017 / 2018. Is time to go out and capture some prey!
I think when it comes to the AHA you have to understand that you are not going to get the top players from the USHL. There also are a lot of good leagues with a lot of good talent in it. Look at Air Force, especially when they had their little dynasty they were pulling a lot of great players from the NAHL. Also keep in mind the Norrish twins came out of the SJHL. There is a ton of talent out there. One thing that I think is really hurting the Women's program is that there is a big gap in the talent pool of potential women college hockey players. The talent pool gap in the men's game is much narrower so there is plenty of talent out there. But as Herb Brooks said "You win with people, not with talent." So it's about finding the right pieces. I also look at to see if the recruit has been drafted by any Major Jrs teams and where. That tells you what the other leagues think of him...
So I don't always just look at the league the players are coming from I am looking at what they have done in that league and what other impressive marks they have on their hockey resume. Let's take a look as I think it will dispel some myths.
I'm going to start with Liam Kerns, unfortunately he is having a very tough year, but he was arguable came in as RIT best recruit in his class and had backed it up on the ice for awhile. He was an OJHL First Team All-Star scoring 79 goals and added 83 helpers. I don't want to sound like I am picking on any player, but he is a good example of a player who was on fire in Juniors and played well when he first got here. As they said previous success doesn't always follow you to next level. You want more proof go see the University of Michigan, they routinely have some of the best recruits and recruiting classes in the nation and they have still not won a NCAA title since 1998.
Highlights from the rest of that class:
Abbott Girduckis 2012 EBJCHL Rookie of the Year
Erik Brown 2015 CCHL Third All-Star Team
Austin Wright GOJHL (Golden Horseshoe) Best Goal Scorer 14/15
Gabriel Valenzuela 2015 OJHL Most Improved Player & 2nd Team All Star
That class also had Gordie Ballhorn, AJHL All-Rookie Team 14/15, he unexpectedly got an offer from Kelowna of the WHL, he's been a solid player for them now in his 3rd year with the team and serving as their assist captain.
2016 Highlights
Jordan Peacock - 2nd in OJHL in playoff scoring
Adam Brubacher- 2012 SOJHL (McConnell) Rookie of the Year, 2016 BCHL Most Goals by Defenseman & Second Team All-Star
Ryan Kruper - 2016 AJHL All-Star Team, third in the league in scoring and lead league in Shorthanded Goals
Brody Valette - Last Season team record for most goals in a season by a defenseman and tied for team lead on PP Goals
Shawn Cameron- 2016 CJHL MVP, Most Goals & Points, First Team All Star - nominated for Canadian Junior Hockey League Player of the Year
Darren Brady- 2016 NAHL All-East Division Team. Team MVP & Captain
2017 Highlights
Regan Seiferling- Two-time Defenseman of the Year with Yorkton/2016 World Junior A Challenge for Team Canada
Daniel Willett- USHL Futures Drafted #18 overall (2nd Rd), OHL Drafted #155 overall (8th Rd), Plymouth Whalers, 266 USHL career games league record
Jacob Hamacher- 2016 USHL Entry Draft #69 (rd 5) by Dubuque.
Logan Drackett- Team Canada West 2016 World Jr A Challenge 2015 AJHL All-Rookie and All Star, Best Save Percentage, 2017 AJHL Viterra South Division All-League Team, 2017 AJHL Best Goaltender
Alden Dupuis- 2017 Assitant Captain, Team Leading Scorer, lead AJHL in shorthanded goals
Nick Bruce- NSMMHL Second All-Star Team, 2014 NSMMHL First All-Star Team, 2017 NAHL All-East Division Team
Anyone who expects every recruit to be a big impact player or thinks that these players are average/below average players really has no sense of reality. You want better recruits go bother Dr. Munson and get him to get all programs to DI so we can offer scholarships. That would be much more helpful than downplaying the amazing job that our assistant coaches have done bringing in talented recruits.
Originally posted by Downstate_RIT_Fan
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So I don't always just look at the league the players are coming from I am looking at what they have done in that league and what other impressive marks they have on their hockey resume. Let's take a look as I think it will dispel some myths.
I'm going to start with Liam Kerns, unfortunately he is having a very tough year, but he was arguable came in as RIT best recruit in his class and had backed it up on the ice for awhile. He was an OJHL First Team All-Star scoring 79 goals and added 83 helpers. I don't want to sound like I am picking on any player, but he is a good example of a player who was on fire in Juniors and played well when he first got here. As they said previous success doesn't always follow you to next level. You want more proof go see the University of Michigan, they routinely have some of the best recruits and recruiting classes in the nation and they have still not won a NCAA title since 1998.
Highlights from the rest of that class:
Abbott Girduckis 2012 EBJCHL Rookie of the Year
Erik Brown 2015 CCHL Third All-Star Team
Austin Wright GOJHL (Golden Horseshoe) Best Goal Scorer 14/15
Gabriel Valenzuela 2015 OJHL Most Improved Player & 2nd Team All Star
That class also had Gordie Ballhorn, AJHL All-Rookie Team 14/15, he unexpectedly got an offer from Kelowna of the WHL, he's been a solid player for them now in his 3rd year with the team and serving as their assist captain.
2016 Highlights
Jordan Peacock - 2nd in OJHL in playoff scoring
Adam Brubacher- 2012 SOJHL (McConnell) Rookie of the Year, 2016 BCHL Most Goals by Defenseman & Second Team All-Star
Ryan Kruper - 2016 AJHL All-Star Team, third in the league in scoring and lead league in Shorthanded Goals
Brody Valette - Last Season team record for most goals in a season by a defenseman and tied for team lead on PP Goals
Shawn Cameron- 2016 CJHL MVP, Most Goals & Points, First Team All Star - nominated for Canadian Junior Hockey League Player of the Year
Darren Brady- 2016 NAHL All-East Division Team. Team MVP & Captain
2017 Highlights
Regan Seiferling- Two-time Defenseman of the Year with Yorkton/2016 World Junior A Challenge for Team Canada
Daniel Willett- USHL Futures Drafted #18 overall (2nd Rd), OHL Drafted #155 overall (8th Rd), Plymouth Whalers, 266 USHL career games league record
Jacob Hamacher- 2016 USHL Entry Draft #69 (rd 5) by Dubuque.
Logan Drackett- Team Canada West 2016 World Jr A Challenge 2015 AJHL All-Rookie and All Star, Best Save Percentage, 2017 AJHL Viterra South Division All-League Team, 2017 AJHL Best Goaltender
Alden Dupuis- 2017 Assitant Captain, Team Leading Scorer, lead AJHL in shorthanded goals
Nick Bruce- NSMMHL Second All-Star Team, 2014 NSMMHL First All-Star Team, 2017 NAHL All-East Division Team
Anyone who expects every recruit to be a big impact player or thinks that these players are average/below average players really has no sense of reality. You want better recruits go bother Dr. Munson and get him to get all programs to DI so we can offer scholarships. That would be much more helpful than downplaying the amazing job that our assistant coaches have done bringing in talented recruits.
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