Seeing the other Laker hockey thread is about to be locked because of the 1,000 post limit, I might as well start a new one.
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LSSU Hockey 2012-2013
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LSSU Hockey 2012-2013
I see no need to change coaches just to change coaches. There's a lot more to say about having a stable program rather than a revolving door. However, if I could find a recruiting assistant with
experience and an established recruiting pipeline to say western Canada or the USHL, I might consider that change. Assistant Coaches like Ron Rolston,im Roque, and yes, even Scott Borek could
really recruit. Bo was a much more effective recruiter than a Head Coach. I think we can all agree with that.
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Re: LSSU Hockey 2012-2013
I agree that changing coaches is not in LSSU's best interest at this time.
The athletics department is in the middle of a facility improvement and fundraising campaign. They have a coach who is established and appears to work well with teh AD and her office. Roque is not a hockey genius. And his recruiting, while OK, rarely seems to uncover many hidden gems. But the school is trying to make expensive upgrades to the facilities and the Norris Center as a whole -- and Roque and his coaching staff are a key feature in the fundraising efforts. This is not to say a new coach can't get on board with the financial campaign -- but switching horses in mid-stream at this critical juncture in LSSU's hockey history would appear to be imprudent.
Is there a correlation between the recruiting woes of LSSU in the last 15 years and the program's facilities? And perhaps the expansion, and increase in funding, will improve the school's chances of landing a higher level of talent?
And is the team trending upwards, despite ending in the same position?
Last season, the Lakers were 13-17-9 (with five shootout "wins"). They scored 93 goals and allowed 115.
This season, the Lakers were 18-17-5 with four shootout "wins". They scored 102 goals and allowed 108.
They managed to finish off, in the win column, five more games. they scored 11 more goals and allowed 7 fewer.
To put this in perspective, the Lakers won 18 games for the first time since 2006-2007; and they won 18 games for only the third time since Jeff Jackson left in 1996.
Furthermore, the team is only losing two key seniors in Haines and Cassiani, (and Pobur, who was a marginal regular) and the Top Four scorers for this team are all expected back on campus next fall.
The goaltending looks solid -- and I am now wishing (although I didn't complain at the time) that KK was spelled by Murdoch a little more often, as KK appeared to tire and fade down the stretch. But then again, the whole team seemed to fade down the stretch.
Furthermore, LSSU has only one year left in the thankfully-dead CCHA. The upshot of the CCHA dying is that Lakers will find themselves in a conference wherein they will be more competative at the league level. LSSU will still have a small budget, but the budget will not seem so dramatically low when compared to NMU, Bemidji, Mankato, Alaska, Ferris, etc . . .
All in all, the Lakers still ended up where they finished last season -- which is a first round playoff win, followed by a second round playoff loss. But changing the coach is a waste of time if the program doesn't have $250,000 to toss out to lure a top-flight assistant or a "looking for a new challange" head coach to move to the Soo. (i.e., Pearson and Murray).
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Re: LSSU Hockey 2012-2013
Originally posted by FRICKER View PostI see no need to change coaches just to change coaches. There's a lot more to say about having a stable program rather than a revolving door. However, if I could find a recruiting assistant with
experience and an established recruiting pipeline to say western Canada or the USHL, I might consider that change. Assistant Coaches like Ron Rolston,im Roque, and yes, even Scott Borek could
really recruit. Bo was a much more effective recruiter than a Head Coach. I think we can all agree with that.
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Re: LSSU Hockey 2012-2013
Originally posted by Lakerblue View Post
Is there a correlation between the recruiting woes of LSSU in the last 15 years and the program's facilities? And perhaps the expansion, and increase in funding, will improve the school's chances of landing a higher level of talent?
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Re: LSSU Hockey 2012-2013
I don't have any idea how much former alumni donate to the program. From the glory days, only Weight and Rolston probably made any serious money in the NHL. Dowd obviously made a good living, but he never had any multi-million dollar deals. And Weight donated a very large amount of money to the tune of $200,000.00. And that money is still used today, as the program uses the interest to fund scholarships. I don't know about anyone else, but I don't have a couple hundred thousand dollars to give away. That is not to say the program is without funding. There are a good collection of very dedicated professionals and alumni who donate quite a bit of money every year. And the amount of donations coming into the Norris remodelling project are a very good indication of the dedication of the alumni towards athletics.
Bill is correct about LSSU footprint being very, very small in the USHL and Western Canada. There was a time when the NAJHL and the USHL were companion-leagues. This meant that there was penty of top-flight talent within an easy drive of the Soo. Once the USHL moved up to Junior A Tier I, most of the top American talent flooded to the that league. The NAJHL turned into a backwater, where it has sadly remained.
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Re: LSSU Hockey 2012-2013
I'm not sure I totally buy into the budget dollars reason for not recruiting western Canada or the USHL. I think it's as much not having the relationships to get the inside track on the blue-chippers.
The NAHL isn't what it once was and the gap between the NAHL talent and the USHL is widennng each season. There may be some D1 prospects that pass through the NAHL on their way to the USHL, but
that's about it. Changing the paradime doesn't seem in our future.........................
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Re: LSSU Hockey 2012-2013
Originally posted by LSSULaker889294 View PostAnyone here think Roque will be fired?
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Re: LSSU Hockey 2012-2013
At the risk of being seen as agreeing with a certain negative Nancy, the following consistent shortcomings of the Laker program persist from season to season:
1. Poor or weak performances in critical series at the end of the season
2. Poor and tentative performance at critical times at the end of games
3. Failure of players to improve during seasons and careers, with actual regression seen at times
4. Rare victories with the Lakers in underdog status
5. Frequent losses with the Lakers in favorite status
I truly enjoyed watching the team this year. I think this is the pinnacle of success we can anticipate without changes being made. I don't know if the current staff can address these and other issues repeatedly demonstrated over multiple seasons. I want to be clear; the LSSU Laker Hockey Team deserves, and can obtain good coaching. I don't like to read what sounds to me to an acceptance of mediocrity in the interest of stability or saving the budget. I want the current staff to be successful, but any excuse I've read on this board is easily refuted with demonstrated turnarounds by other teams. It's not about money or talent. It's about the culture of the program. I agree the data presented by Lakerblue could be seen to show progress, but does it truly feel that way? Who expects one of the best and most exciting players this year, a freshman forward, whose name I won't use, to show progress and improve each year? The Lakers can't afford the talent Michigan gets, or a $250,000 coach, but they can afford a team that doesn't mail it in the last game of a playoff series, or the final series of the season against a rival. Those who foresee success in the new WCHA due to a lower level of competition had better reconsider. Make no mistake about it, I am confident in the opinion that 5 of the current coaches of future WCHA teams do a better job getting more out of less than our program's leaders.
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