Maine Off Season 2011

[acs64]

Re: Maine Off Season 2011

you beat bc & und at home, the walsh maine teams could beat anyone anywhere some of the time, but not always! As far as recruiting vs mc, a lot of kids would just as soon play away from the rat races of metropolitan area. Furthermore, i wouldn't say dennehy has exactly built a dynasty over at mc, more like one good year with lots of upper classmen, with a likely big drop off coming next year - happens quite a bit with the uml's & uvm's of the world.

fyp

[amherstblackbear]

Re: Maine Off Season 2011

I see what you're saying but... Maine finished 5th in a 10 team league and with their sweep of North Dakota sat on the NCAA bubble through the season into this weekend. That is not acceptable middle ground. You guys want home ice and the NCAAs. I understand that. But is home ice, a semi loss in the Garden and a 1 and done in the NCAAs much better? And if not, then really what's being asked for is HE titles and FFs. No?

Not really. Again, I don't care about the HEA tournament. I really don't. I mean . . . if you have a respectable season, you're probably going to end up at home in the quarters, and playing at home, you're going to get to the semis with reasonable success, but that's not really what it's about.

As for the NCAAs, I have to dispute the premise. The great thing about the NCAAs is that it really is wide open. If you draw one of Jerry York's recent teams, then yeah, it's safe to assume an NCAA appearance would be one and done. But thankfully BC only plays one first round game.

Some years that will happen, and the NCAA run will be over quickly. But some years you don't get the draw of death, and you get a chance for an enjoyable run - like the year when Maine was eliminated in the FF by Michigan State.

eta: You're being a bit melodramatic about absurdly terrible regionals. The Maine team that made it through that absurdly terrible regional lost to MSU by one goal less than BC did. The reality is that there are a few teams that you absolutely don't want to see in the first round. Some years you do, some you don't (unless you *are* that team, but we both agree that those days are over for Maine). But outside of those, the NCAA tournament is usually pretty open.

[Onion Man]

Re: Maine Off Season 2011

I started losing faith when one of the best "in-state" recruits to come along in ten years chose a MASSACHUSETTS rival over Orono. If Walsh was still with us and behind the bench, I can guarantee that Dumoulin would've come to Maine along with many other top-notch guys. I can't blame him for wanting to play for Jerry York over Whitehead.

I'm not so sure about that. Walsh was never won who really looked at in-state kids

[carltonbarrett]

Re: Maine Off Season 2011

fyp

Not suggesting that everyone wants to live in a concrete jungle like BU or NU, but a lot of recruits have stated that part of the allure of BC is the area in general. Lets face it, there's a million and one things to do in Boston, whether it's sporting events, concerts, museums, fine dining, shopping, Harvard Square, the North End, various conventions, etc, etc and even for a school like UNH, Boston is an easy day trip away. Been to Orono/Bangor many times, and unless you are an outdoorsman type, just not a lot going on off campus up that way.

[acs64]

Re: Maine Off Season 2011

The ultimate point here is that under the given conditions, Maine hawkey wont improve and its not where the fans want it to be. Might be okay for a UML or a PC right now, but not okay for the state of Maine. The only answer is a change at the top...not a continued long drawn out drag through the mud as we're witnessing. If change happens quick enough, its a blip in the road when viewed in a mirror 10 years from now. If not, if anyone is left here in 10 years, its the same discussion over and over and over and over and over again.

[carltonbarrett]

Re: Maine Off Season 2011

I'm not so sure about that. Walsh was never won who really looked at in-state kids

By far, his bread and butter players were Canadian, with the occasional MA or NY kid thrown in there as well.

[acs64]

Re: Maine Off Season 2011

Not suggesting that everyone wants to live in a concrete jungle like BU or NU or within a fenced in barrier like BC, but a lot of recruits have stated that part of the allure of Boston is the area in general, although thats not for everyone, for sure. Lets face it, there are more city type things to do in Boston, whether it's going to the opera, overpriced sporting events, concerts (which you can see anywhere), museums (yawn), fine expensive dining, shopping (hooorah), Harvard Square, the North End once is enough), various pyscho conventions, etc, etc and even for a school like UNH, Boston is an easy day trip away. Been to Orono/Bangor many times, and unless you are an outdoorsman type, just not a lot going on off campus up that way, but given that hawkey is essentially a canadian bred sport where the great outdoors is part of their culture, its no wonder why so many like the stress free life and uncongested proximity to the coast.

fyp again

[amherstblackbear]

Re: Maine Off Season 2011

By far, his bread and butter players were Canadian, with the occasional MA or NY kid thrown in there as well.

Right. And how many teams are recruiting the BCHL these days?

Whatever the future of Maine hockey is, it's best to leave Walsh out of the discussion. The 80s aren't coming back. The question is whether it's reasonable even to aspire to more than what Maine has right now (given that program shakeups don't come with guarantees).

I kind of think it's at least worth a shot. What's the worst that could happen? Maine could keep missing the NCAAs, occasionally miss the HEA tournament, or flame out like this year? I think you see my point.

[acs64]

Re: Maine Off Season 2011

I'm not so sure about that. Walsh was never won who really looked at in-state kids

Hmmm, musta been Walshys twin brother then who made it a point to ask me about a defensemen who wuz playing for Winslow High School at the time who had "near D1" potential.....seemed unusal to me at the time that he would even know about this kid, and even moreso that he would ask my opinion about him.

[walrus]

Re: Maine Off Season 2011

The worst thing that can happen is things stay the same, either Tim has to go or assts have to go. The status quo continues the skid toward the bottom. I see nothing changing and thats a shame

[Onion Man]

Re: Maine Off Season 2011

Hmmm, musta been Walshys twin brother then who made it a point to ask me about a defensemen who wuz playing for Winslow High School at the time who had "near D1" potential.....seemed unusal to me at the time that he would even know about this kid, and even moreso that he would ask my opinion about him.

I've heard from many people from the Walsh era that Shawn simply did not like kids from Maine.

[amherstblackbear]

Re: Maine Off Season 2011

Hmmm, musta been Walshys twin brother then who made it a point to ask me about a defensemen who wuz playing for Winslow High School at the time who had "near D1" potential.....seemed unusal to me at the time that he would even know about this kid, and even moreso that he would ask my opinion about him.

That's another thing that's changed since then - the complete acceptance of mediocrity by the Maine Principals Assoc. with respect to H.S. hockey. Now everybody is in class a, and they've watered down the competition by dividing the strong programs into different divisions. Remember when the better teams could schedule exhibitions against out-of-state teams and not get run out of the building? Yeah, those days are over, too.

[walrus]

Re: Maine Off Season 2011

I've heard from many people from the Walsh era that Shawn simply did not like kids from Maine.

He didn't seem to like Barry Clukey

[acs64]

Re: Maine Off Season 2011

I've heard from many people from the Walsh era that Shawn simply did not like kids from Maine.

Not true. Though Weino was a special talent from NYA, you couldnt stop him from lavishing praise on this kid. The thing about Maine kids in general is that given the lower level of competition in the state compared to Mass and fewer kids to pick from, they werent as developed skill wise as out of state players. Thats just to be expected. Walshy wouldnt lower the level of skill on his teams simply to allow local kids to play their state university. Nothing wrong with that.

[acs64]

Re: Maine Off Season 2011

He didn't seem to like Barry Clukey

My kid grewup playing against Clukey. He was a complete and utter head case with some talent. An absolute ticking time bomb on the ice. I had heard wierd family.