Bentley Falcons 2013-2014: No offseason. No excuses.

[Pk Specialist]

Re: Bentley Falcons 2013-2014: No offseason. No excuses.

If Murphy didn't get the Maine job than they missed out. I read they hired Guite and Leach--both pro guys with no knowledge of the players... Maine will fail and that is why...you simply cant win without players... Murphy is a hard worker and would have done a great job.

In regards to him at Maine---he was a 4th line guy. He is no legend up at Maine. That said--he is a legend at Cushing. In highschool he was a dominant player--but he peaked early---and now hes aged early too.

In regards to his goal--it WAS NOT the biggest goal in the history. There was an OT goal in a national title game in 99---that WAS a bigger goal than an OT goal in the hockey east final. There is no debate about it...No argument at all... the national title game is a bigger game than the hockey east final--plain and simple, no way around that one...

The last two posts are hilarious.. and true. Always nice to get some outside perspective on this thread.

[eXcSports]

Re: Bentley Falcons 2013-2014: No offseason. No excuses.

Thoughts on Murphy staying at Bentley -- http://wp.me/p1Of6y-II

Honestly, I think it's a bad sign that Gendron overlooked Murphy for two assistants who don't have much collegiate coaching experience. Guite willl come with the knowledge of what it'll take to get to the NHL, which is something that for the players will be important. But Maine's lost some recruting battles lately to UMass-Lowell and Providence, and those are schools they shouldn't be losing recruiting battles to. Maine should be able to recruit on the basis that they're Maine, but we're seeing a seismic shift in the college hockey landscape. Murphy having been a college coach gets them in touch with that.

Again, though, the knock is that Murphy really hasn't won anything at Bentley. Yes, they won 16 games 2 years ago, but last year was an unmitigated disaster. And as much as we talk about the amount of talent that's on the team, they clearly haven't shown it. And if we're going to put some of that on the coaching staff, then it has to fall onto Murphy too. Maybe he's a good recruiter but not that great in game? Maybe there are some things that Gendron saw in the style of the other two that he agrees with versus Murphy? We can't really speculate that it's a terrible move, as much as Murphy's name is on the hot iron right now. Both Murphy and Soderquist have come under consideration for higher-profile slots in the last two years. I think we'll see that more and more often, but I think the results speak for themselves.

Bentley, in the end, might have solid individuals, but there has to be a responsibility that they did lose 20 games last year in a year where the AHA wasn't particularly strong, and they were supposed to finish great. If Bentley wins 20 this year, which is possible and maybe even likely, they'll get more serious consideration.

[BlackI]

Re: Bentley Falcons 2013-2014: No offseason. No excuses.

Honestly, I think it's a bad sign that Gendron overlooked Murphy for two assistants who don't have much collegiate coaching experience. Guite willl come with the knowledge of what it'll take to get to the NHL, which is something that for the players will be important. But Maine's lost some recruting battles lately to UMass-Lowell and Providence, and those are schools they shouldn't be losing recruiting battles to. Maine should be able to recruit on the basis that they're Maine, but we're seeing a seismic shift in the college hockey landscape. Murphy having been a college coach gets them in touch with that.

I am not quite following, unless you know something that isn't obvious. In any case you will find a guy that everyone is saying is the new top assistant in this link on pg 20.8... under the section titled "1986–87 SEASON — A GREAT COACHING STAFF"...

http://umaine.edu/mclub/files/2011/0...Ice-Hockey.pdf

The other guy has been too busy being a pro, but is on page 20.2 under section labeled "1998–99 — NATIONAL CHAMPIONS AGAIN!!".

And for an added bonus the head coach is smack dab in the middle on page 20.1 under section labeled "1992–93 — A MAGICAL SEASON".

Having said all that, I have heard rumors, and talk of it being on radio and tv, but haven't seen it put in plain print yet. However, if this smoke turns into - well, where there is smoke...

[Snively65]

Re: Bentley Falcons 2013-2014: No offseason. No excuses.

Thoughts on Murphy staying at Bentley -- http://wp.me/p1Of6y-II
Bentley, in the end, might have solid individuals, but there has to be a responsibility that they did lose 20 games last year in a year where the AHA wasn't particularly strong, and they were supposed to finish great. If Bentley wins 20 this year, which is possible and maybe even likely, they'll get more serious consideration.

I think that it will take more than one 20-win season for Soderquist and Murphy to get serious consideration ["to move up"]. Moreover, the team needs to show that they are worthy for Bentley to consider building a rink on campus. The past couple of seasons, Bentley students have come out in force to support the team, not only when playing in their dump of a home rink in Watertown, but also outnumbering by at least three to one the Harvard fans for their game in Cambridge. And, yet this past season, the team disappeared during the second half. There will be a huge amount of pressure on the Bentley seniors and juniors to step up this coming season; I really hope that they are working hard on their game this summer, both on physical and mental conditioning. The title of this thread says it all, "no excuses."

[Humanoid]

Re: Bentley Falcons 2013-2014: No offseason. No excuses.

I think that it will take more than one 20-win season for Soderquist and Murphy to get serious consideration ["to move up"]. Moreover, the team needs to show that they are worthy for Bentley to consider building a rink on campus. The past couple of seasons, Bentley students have come out in force to support the team, not only when playing in their dump of a home rink in Watertown, but also outnumbering by at least three to one the Harvard fans for their game in Cambridge. And, yet this past season, the team disappeared during the second half. There will be a huge amount of pressure on the Bentley seniors and juniors to step up this coming season; I really hope that they are working hard on their game this summer, both on physical and mental conditioning. The title of this thread says it all, "no excuses."

I agree with all of this except for one point - the school is already designing and is closer to having an on campus rink than they do to not having one. Students on student council talked about how there's talk of a Multi-Purpose event center ready for design, and I was at an alumni dinner where Don Sweeney spoke and actually made mention of a need to have an on campus facility. He said the JAR was "unacceptable" as a facility, and he specifically mentioned when he was there scouting some guys and doing his diligence being on the Bruins scouting staff.

So I don't think they're worthy for the school to consider the on campus rink because the school is in the process of getting there. It comes up at every board meeting from what I understand. They're well beyond worthy.

That said, I know I'm a huge Soderquist apologist and I love him as a head coach. I believe that he is the heartbeat of Bentley hockey in a way that nobody else is. He's the only person who's been there since the beginning of the D1 era, and I think what he's built the program into today is something that wouldn't have happened without anyone else. Given the atmosphere and his availability, I've had the chance to have conversations with people about the program. I've emailed with people close to the athletic department for other sports, and given his status as a Bentley guy, you'd be hard pressed to find someone who could've done for this school what he did. He's had the vision and he's had the dedication to the school to do it. A lot of other people would've jumped ship a long time before, and I really think he and Murphy are dedicated to the kids and the team.

But I think there is pressure because they've created that atmosphere. This isn't 2010 anymore where you can talk about Bobby Preece and Jamie Nudy and Ryan Kayfes and those guys. Back then, you had players who loved the coach, and they were a tight-knit group who didn't play very great hockey. They'd win some games here and there, but they had a larger purpose to be college graduates. While I think that holds true, the recruits who are coming to Bentley are being sold to us on putting the athlete into student-athlete, much more than the guys of the past. Therefore, the pressure is there that if these guys are going to be the hockey players to take the program to the next level, then there has to be a sustained move to the top. I'm not saying Bentley has to compete for first place every year, but if these guys are who they're selling us that they are, then they need to do it this year. After all, all the statements in the press pointed to this year anyways as THE YEAR.

[lmg6841]

Re: Bentley Falcons 2013-2014: No offseason. No excuses.

I'm not sure what you're getting at here... any player should pick UVM over an AHA team if they want to play hockey. Playing for a perennial 9th place team in Hockey East is far more of an accomplishment than winning the AHA title. I don't know much about academics at Bently, but even if he was looking from an educational perspective UVM is a bigger name. I guess what I'm trying to say here is that... well until us AHA teams prove ourselves consistently on the big stage, these types of situations shouldn't seem appalling to us.

Brady Shaw has committed to Vermont. Glad he talked about academics as a priority when he committed to Bentley. I'd rather he just have been honest and said it was a straight up hockey decision. Saw this last year with Roy decommitting from Brown to go to Northeastern. Talked about academics as a mitigating factor, like leaving the Ivy League for NU is a step up.

Shaw said, " I went down there and checked it out, and it's everything I was looking for in a school and a hockey team, so I decided that I didn't need to see any other schools."

Not for nothing, but if Vermont is what you really want in a hockey team, then you must really enjoy 9th and 10th place finishes in Hockey East. I'm not saying Bentley is the next front runner for Hockey East expansion, but c'mon man, you gotta be better than that.

And get a haircut.


http://surreyeaglesinsider.blogspot....atamounts.html

[schiegs]

I don't know much about academics at Bently, but even if he was looking from an educational perspective UVM is a bigger name. I guess what I'm trying to say here is that... well until us AHA teams prove ourselves consistently on the big stage, these types of situations shouldn't seem appalling to us.

Bentley is a bigger academic name than UVM in the business world, which is their area of concentration. Not even close. Perhaps Forrestry Science or Modern Feminist Studies are better at UVM, but I digress. We won't even get into any academic comparisons of the service academies vs. UVM.

My point: If academics are a concern for a prospective athlete, then there are several AHA schools where they could do better than UVM.

[Snively65]

Bentley is a bigger academic name than UVM in the business world, which is their area of concentration. Not even close. Perhaps Forrestry Science or Modern Feminist Studies are better at UVM, but I digress. We won't even get into any academic comparisons of the service academies vs. UVM.

My point: If academics are a concern for a prospective athlete, then there are several AHA schools where they could do better than UVM.

Exactly. But, UVM is still a fine academic institution, and, like UNH, a public university in name only, tuition driven with very little support from the state. But, for a Div 1 college hockey player without a driving interest in a business degree, going to UVM over Bentley is a no brainer, with 4000 screaming fans in the Gutt for every home game and living in one of the finest small party cities in America.

[hawkhockey]

Re: Bentley Falcons 2013-2014: No offseason. No excuses.

Bentley is a bigger academic name than UVM in the business world, which is their area of concentration. Not even close. Perhaps Forrestry Science or Modern Feminist Studies are better at UVM, but I digress. We won't even get into any academic comparisons of the service academies vs. UVM.

My point: If academics are a concern for a prospective athlete, then there are several AHA schools where they could do better than UVM.

Could you name a few that have a better academic reputation than UVM, and for the time being leave out Army and Air Force, ?

[lmg6841]

Re: Bentley Falcons 2013-2014: No offseason. No excuses.

Well if you want an engineering or technology degree....

Could you name a few that have a better academic reputation than UVM, and for the time being leave out Army and Air Force, ?

[schiegs]

Could you name a few that have a better academic reputation than UVM, and for the time being leave out Army and Air Force, ?

Holy Cross
RIT (engineering)
Bentley (business)

With the aforementioned service academies, that makes five. More than a few.

[hawkhockey]

Holy Cross
RIT (engineering)
Bentley (business)

With the aforementioned service academies, that makes five. More than a few.

You are talking about majors and not overall quality of the college.
HC , I agree, RIt maybe, Bentley no way

[schiegs]

You are talking about majors and not overall quality of the college.
HC , I agree, RIt maybe, Bentley no way

Considering both RIT and Bentley are specialty schools that focus on specific majors, those specific majors are quite relevant.

How selective are they?

Acceptance rates:
Holy Cross: 33%
Bentley: 43%*
RIT: 59%*
UVM: 75%

*Specialty schools like these are actually hurt in these rankings since students not interested in their specialties are less likely to submit an application. In a broader context, their acceptance rates would likely be even lower.

Just one series of numbers, of many. Numbers don't tell the whole story, but they tell a story. I've researched them quite a bit, as a former hiring manager. I can tell you both quantitatively (the data repeatedly points to the same conclusions; SAT scores, average starting salary, high school class rank, etc.) and qualitatively (having interviewed countless recent grads for various positions, personally), the academic reputation of those four institutions is very apparent in the professional world.

[Snively65]

Re: Bentley Falcons 2013-2014: No offseason. No excuses.

Equating Bentley and UVM academically or in hockey is just plain silly.

[schiegs]

Equating Bentley and UVM academically or in hockey is just plain silly.

Agreed.