2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

[Saetia22]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

Can we reframe the issue why Umile has recruited four defenseman on the team who couldn't play as freshmen (Knodel, Agosta, Chevrier, Randall), leaving aside the question why Umile concluded Joey Laleggia, the WCHA Rookie of the Year and 1st team all-star wasn't ready (who outscored every player on UNH this year).

This is a big issue (obviously)... this will be two years in a row that the freshmen defensemen didn't play a game. It's a disturbing trend. If Pesce isn't playing 20+ games next year, I'd consider it a waste
(unless there was a fear of him decommitting) .. my worry is he'll fall victim to this new trend. Why did we only dress 5 defensemen when Hardowa and Kipp were out?
As I mentioned a few months ago "Why recruit kids you won't even dress in dire circumstances".

I am anxious for next year. I really like what I saw out of Sorkin and Goumas, and it'll be nice to return our second best players as only Jrs. I have a strange feeling that someone will leave early.. I know there are no hints to this -- its just a feeling.

I was pleased with how our Seniors played down the stretch. They'll be missed.

[WIrinkrat]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

This is a big issue (obviously)... this will be two years in a row that the freshmen defensemen didn't play a game. It's a disturbing trend. If Pesce isn't playing 20+ games next year, I'd consider it a waste
(unless there was a fear of him decommitting) .. my worry is he'll fall victim to this new trend. Why did we only dress 5 defensemen when Hardowa and Kipp were out?
As I mentioned a few months ago "Why recruit kids you won't even dress in dire circumstances".

I am anxious for next year. I really like what I saw out of Sorkin and Goumas, and it'll be nice to return our second best players as only Jrs. I have a strange feeling that someone will leave early.. I know there are no hints to this -- its just a feeling.

I was pleased with how our Seniors played down the stretch. They'll be missed.

Agree with all but your gut feeling about someone leaving. Certainly hope you end up wrong about that one!

Also I actually thought by the end of the year (granted I did not see every game) UNH's best and most consistent all around players were in no particular order DeSmith, Sorkin, Goumas, Downing, Moses and Van Riemsdyk. Thought all of those guys were really of about equal value down the stretch and at times they all brought their games to very, very high levels. Will be nice to have (hopefully) two more years with five of those guys in the lineup where they can hopefully find the consistency to keep their games at an elevated level for an entire season. Also thought Burke played very, very well down the stretch. Hopefully he can get a whole year of good health in 12-13. Having big strong guys like him Thrush, and Sorkin is critical to UNH's ability to create opportunities off the cycle in the offensive zone...and it certainly helps that they can both skate and play the transition game too.

The good news is that on paper I think UNH should be a home ice team again next season (guess Watcher and I disagree about this). If Downing and TVR stick around for a full career (perhaps a big if, I know) I think they'll be the best 4 year guys at UNH at their respective positions since Haydar and Stafford. They've got a lot of talent returning (and more importantly, improving). Getting a healthy Speelman back will help, and hopefully Henrion can break out of his season long funk and turn into the real scoring threat he should have become this season.

Several of the other young guys should take another step forward next year too...I think Knodel took a pretty big step (no pun intended) from the start of the season to the end, and I think a guy like Thrush could be on a 20pt-30pt-40pt kind of trajectory over the next 3 seasons.

Certainly a lot of positives to take out of the last 6 weeks of the season, even though the consistency and the results weren't always there.

[GoUNH]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

****, couldn't have said any of this better myself. You can probably leave poor Goldie alone now though. It might even be Mr. Agosta himself.



Sleazy? LOL. Mr. Agosta introduced it to everyone around him and clearly wanted people to know. That ain't my problem. He is biased against Umile because his son didn't get any PT last year. He made it perfectly clear.

His son wasnt ready last year. He wasnt ready at the beginning of this season, thus adding to the beginning of the season defensive lapses. He has come along nicely and is solid at this point.

[JB]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

Finally, JB, how can your forget that the last first time NCAA winner was just this past year, UMD?

Crap! the point is still the same just a little less powerful when there are factual issues. It was 19 years (or is it 18)

The current issue is talent and the management of those who are coming to the team. The current program of attempting to stock pile talent is clearly not working. This requires a direction change and if Borek is not capable then that issue must be corrected. Unfortunately this need to be a several year process so it needs to start now. Based on the time line this actually could be the start of Umile's end. Can he survive 2+ years while the team finds the bottom?

[Nifty16]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

Agree with all but your gut feeling about someone leaving. Certainly hope you end up wrong about that one!

Also I actually thought by the end of the year (granted I did not see every game) UNH's best and most consistent all around players were in no particular order DeSmith, Sorkin, Goumas, Downing, Moses and Van Riemsdyk. Thought all of those guys were really of about equal value down the stretch and at times they all brought their games to very, very high levels. Will be nice to have (hopefully) two more years with five of those guys in the lineup where they can hopefully find the consistency to keep their games at an elevated level for an entire season. Also thought Burke played very, very well down the stretch. Hopefully he can get a whole year of good health in 12-13. Having big strong guys like him Thrush, and Sorkin is critical to UNH's ability to create opportunities off the cycle in the offensive zone...and it certainly helps that they can both skate and play the transition game too.

The good news is that on paper I think UNH should be a home ice team again next season (guess Watcher and I disagree about this). If Downing and TVR stick around for a full career (perhaps a big if, I know) I think they'll be the best 4 year guys at UNH at their respective positions since Haydar and Stafford. They've got a lot of talent returning (and more importantly, improving). Getting a healthy Speelman back will help, and hopefully Henrion can break out of his season long funk and turn into the real scoring threat he should have become this season.

Several of the other young guys should take another step forward next year too...I think Knodel took a pretty big step (no pun intended) from the start of the season to the end, and I think a guy like Thrush could be on a 20pt-30pt-40pt kind of trajectory over the next 3 seasons.

Certainly a lot of positives to take out of the last 6 weeks of the season, even though the consistency and the results weren't always there.

I agree with you 100%, I like what I see for next year and have to disagree with Watcher on this one. I like what I say in the growth in the defense, should be a great strength next year, not worried about the net either with DeSmith. I think next years will be won and lost in the Junior and Sophmore class, and hopefully forcing the Seniors to bring it up a notch. If Burke stays healthy he will be fine. Henrion needs to find his way and with a healthy Speelman will have some solid depth. So I am not looking at where the incoming freshman were in scoring in their leagues, I am looking for the way they improve once in Durham, and if they are like the last couple freshman classes they should improve over the season. Sure would be great to have all the guys we lost, but nothing can do about it now, and I am more focused on what we have then what we don't at this moment. I dont see next years team going to the bottom and fighting for home ice and an NCAA spot.

[JB]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

I agree with you 100%, I like what I see for next year and have to disagree with Watcher on this one. I like what I say in the growth in the defense, should be a great strength next year, not worried about the net either with DeSmith. I think next years will be won and lost in the Junior and Sophmore class, and hopefully forcing the Seniors to bring it up a notch. If Burke stays healthy he will be fine. Henrion needs to find his way and with a healthy Speelman will have some solid depth. So I am not looking at where the incoming freshman were in scoring in their leagues, I am looking for the way they improve once in Durham, and if they are like the last couple freshman classes they should improve over the season. Sure would be great to have all the guys we lost, but nothing can do about it now, and I am more focused on what we have then what we don't at this moment. I dont see next years team going to the bottom and fighting for home ice and an NCAA spot.

I appreciate the optimism, but who is going to put the puck in the net?

It is that skill that is missing from this team that concerns me.

I think the rest will be pretty good and I think the grit will carry over.

[Nifty16]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

I appreciate the optimism, but who is going to put the puck in the net?

It is that skill that is missing from this team that concerns me.

I think the rest will be pretty good and I think the grit will carry over.

First 2 I would say are Downing and Sorking, the Speelman and Burke, hopeing Henrion finds the scoring touch again. Then my surpsie guy to step it up next year will be Willows.

[JB]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

First 2 I would say are Downing and Sorking, the Speelman and Burke, hopeing Henrion finds the scoring touch again. Then my surpsie guy to step it up next year will be Willows.

Downing I could go with, the rest, well I hope you are right. Hopefully at least 1 or 2 of them shoot the 100+ pucks a day all summer to make there shots enough better to become goal scorers.

[WIrinkrat]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

I appreciate the optimism, but who is going to put the puck in the net?

It is that skill that is missing from this team that concerns me.

I think the rest will be pretty good and I think the grit will carry over.

Thompson had a whopping 10 goals in his first 2 years in Durham, including 4 in his sophomore season before netting 19 and 28 in his final 2 years.

Butler had 9-14-9 in his first 3 seasons before scoring 29 in his senior campaign.

Sislo had 3 goals as a freshman before scoring 19-14-15 in his final three seasons.

Fornataro and Radja had 12 and 17 points in their sophomore seasons respectively...Fornataro's total that season being 1 less than the Freshman total of vaunted offensive powerhouse Thomas Fortney.

Saviano had 1 point in his freshman season and only played about 15 games.

There are obviously several other examples as well.

Point being guys emerge at different points in time in their careers, and every single year there are guys that come into their own and carry a bigger load than they have in the past (in some cases...MUCH bigger)

I'd be concerned if all I saw were 3rd/4th line types...solid role players who are what they are and don't have a high offensive ceiling...but the reality is that there are several players on this team with very good offensive upside who took big steps this season and *should* continue to build upon that improvement next season. Sorkin for instance was +30 in the points department from Fr year to So year. You can attribute some of that to the fact that this wasn't a deep team and he got to play on the first line....you can also argue that in years past UNH had 2nd lines that were every bit as talented if not moreso than this year's top line. Regardless, I don't know when the last time this was done (maybe C. Hemingway?)...quickly going back 10 years or so the closest I saw was Winnik who was a +26.

Is it a guarantee? Of course not...but you have to admit it's encouraging that for once UNH was playing better hockey at the end of the year than for the first 3/4 of the season...and that is in large part to the growth of many young players on this team who, outside of Moses, really carried the team at the end of the year.

[JB]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

Is it a guarantee? Of course not...but you have to admit it's encouraging that for once UNH was playing better hockey at the end of the year than for the first 3/4 of the season...and that is in large part to the growth of many young players on this team who, outside of Moses, really carried the team at the end of the year.

Completely agree. The grit and better play late is very encouraging.

The concern is goal scoring. In past years the field was deeper and the secondary scoring was more obvious. Currently the guys on the team don't have the track record for high offensive output. Puck in the net is the only major hole I see, and it is a big one, can't win games 0-0.

[WIrinkrat]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

again...when all of the best players on your team outside of one senior are in their first or second season, the track record generally shows a few of those guys will have big seasons in the near future as they become upper-classmen. this is not different than in years past except that in the past UNH always had better upper-classmen than they had this year and could wait a little more patiently for some of those young guys to come along. The Jr and Sr classes on this years team as a whole were abysmal. we have been spoiled in the past. unfortunately not every freshman or sophomore can come in and score 30 or 40 points right away...but fortunately a lot of them have as a Jr or Sr over the last 10 or 20 years.

[goblue]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

J.D.ope Did Mr. Agosta ask you to speak for him??? Didn't think so. Keep your opinions to your self. None of your business.

I have 3 problems with your post, newbie:

1. Skip the puerile name-calling (as in "J.D.ope",) OK? Doing it in an online forum is like keying somebody's car. It doesn't take courage or brains -- in fact it reveals the opposite of both.
2. If not for the sharing of opinions -- as well as observations, which J.D. did in the 1st clause of his 2nd sentence -- these boards wouldn't exist.
3. His opinions and observations are his business, no matter what you or others may think of them. Your telling him it's none of his business is, in truth, none of your business.

[goblue]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

****, couldn't have said any of this better myself. You can probably leave poor Goldie alone now though. It might even be Mr. Agosta himself...Sleazy? LOL. Mr. Agosta introduced it to everyone around him and clearly wanted people to know. That ain't my problem. He is biased against Umile because his son didn't get any PT last year. He made it perfectly clear.

Well, was he shining a green laser in Umile's eyes or something? (for those who don't understand, check last week's installment of "another crazy hockey parent" in Mass.) Hey, I don't have a problem with what you said. Does it reflect badly on Agosta senior? Meh. Agosta junior? Hardly. Will Umile play Agosta less next year as a direct result? Highly unlikely.

No harm, no foul, in my opinion.

[J.D.]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

To add context, mr. Agosta asked the guys behind him what they/the other fans think of Umile. They introduced how umile is too reliant on his seniors and that's all mr. Agosta needed.

Anyway, the biggest issue with UNH is clearly talent. Do you guys think Umile can still recruit the talent necessary and/or develop that talent?

I would say you all have to be pretty encouraged with how your team played this weekend. I'm rooting for UNH to be one of the flagship schools in Hockey East, but is the talent on the horizon?

One thing I noticed Sunday was poor dump ins by UNH. They were way too hard most of the time, resulting in easy retrievals and transition for BU. Add in not enough speed to get after the poor dump ins and I think that was a major factor in BU coming back and winning.

Finally, almost every single line change in the OTs was a mad scramble for UNH. Just no continuity in making the proper play at center ice so they could have time to make a good solid change.

[goblue]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

Hey, I'm just a fan, and one with more years than I'd like to admit rooting for UNH. I'm quicker to admit I know little about on-ice talent -- comparing Player X vs Player Y in terms of potential, agility and skating ability, who has the better hands, who staying in position or who strays, etc., as I have no hockey background other than being a longtime fan. I leave that to other posters on these boards who have a deeper level of insight into the game.

Anyway, I don't feel bad about this year, and feel good about next year. Sure, the drop in power was steep and largely unforeseen. Those late-game collapses (and OT losses) against several teams were painful to experience. But I like the fact that several freshmen played a lot of minutes this year, and will (or should) continue to get better. DeSmith has emerged as one of Hockey East's best goalies. TVR was steady all season. I always liked to see Downing and/or Thrush on the ice. Goumas and Sorkin are hard workers who can score, Knodel looks solid (and is big,) I expect Burke to have a better year; I think we missed Speelman this season, and hope he is a terrific senior next year.

If the hard work and determination that eventually developed this year carries into the next, I think UNH will be entertaining and competitive. And that's why I'm a fan.