Vermont 2014 Offseason : Another Step Forward

[snwbrdr]

Re: Vermont 2014 Offseason : Another Step Forward

I guess the one thing you can take away is they won when they should win....

The bigger concern was WHERE WAS PHILLIPS? and why does Hamilton get ice time? He looked awful once again, just like last season. I don't get it.

Otherwise agree that the competition was not good so could not tell anything. Looking forward to the 17th for a real home game

[jcarter7669]

Re: Vermont 2014 Offseason : Another Step Forward

Otherwise agree that the competition was not good so could not tell anything. Looking forward to the 17th for a real home game

It could be worse, we could have been one of our fellow HE teams that LOST...

I was wondering where Phillips was as well, possibly minor injury that they didn't want to aggravate before we see NU.

For me it's a tad scary now, with the Cats coming off a big win and NU losing makes me thing the dogs are going to be hungry and the Cats maybe a tad too confident... Hope not, but it will be a good test for both teams.

[snwbrdr]

Re: Vermont 2014 Offseason : Another Step Forward

It could be worse, we could have been one of our fellow HE teams that LOST...

I was wondering where Phillips was as well, possibly minor injury that they didn't want to aggravate before we see NU.

For me it's a tad scary now, with the Cats coming off a big win and NU losing makes me thing the dogs are going to be hungry and the Cats maybe a tad too confident... Hope not, but it will be a good test for both teams.

I think that the players must recognize that MRC was bad enough that it was not comparable to a HE tilt..... I also wonder where Forgionne was. But Phillips is the big question, they need a good year out of him.

[Jayden_Stoff]

Re: Vermont 2014 Offseason : Another Step Forward

I think that the players must recognize that MRC was bad enough that it was not comparable to a HE tilt..... I also wonder where Forgionne was. But Phillips is the big question, they need a good year out of him.

I saw Forg and Philips in the stands before the game. Honestly, who knows. I didn't hear the post game interview.... was it asked? I'm guessing it wasn't. I would guess minor injury or maybe a disciplinary action, though I would hope not. Forg doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would screw up off the ice. Perhaps it's really just all about what the coach wanted to see. And I noticed at least two HE teams lost their exhibition game. Hard to read into anything.

I don't expect to see an over reliance on freshman next weekend against Northeastern. Probably a few of them on a couple different lines. The 1st goal scored was sick. I think Bradley and Shaw are ready to step their game up a notch. I was encouraged by what I saw. It certainly looks like the PP is revamped and I would guess they spent a fair amount of time practicing it. I would have liked to have seen it go more smoothly but I think part of that was the fact they were expecting to play against a better team. Playing a slower and lower skilled team than what you expect can throw off timing.

They guys we played against seemed cool enough. There was minimal BS but I'm really wondering, why take the risk? I'm skeptical the takeaways from the game are worth the potential risk....

[PuckVoice]

From Ted Ryan on the Free Press website :



Touted freshman defenseman Trey Phillips will miss the first 15 games of the University of Vermont men's hockey regular season due to an NCAA eligibility issue, coach Kevin Sneddon confirmed Tuesday.

Referring to a statement from the UVM compliance office, Sneddon said, "Per NCAA rules, Trey Phillips is sitting a year in residency due to delayed intercollegiate enrollment and is not able to participate in competition until the completion of fall semester."

According to Sneddon, Phillips will be eligible once final exams for the first semester are completed. The Catamounts play a home-and-home series with St. Lawrence on Dec. 12-13 the weekend following finals, the first games Phillips can play.

Phillips will be allowed to practice with the Catamounts but he cannot travel with the team or compete.

"It has nothing to do with poor grades or anything like that. It has to do with a delay in his enrollment," Sneddon said.

Phillips, who attended several high schools during his junior hockey days, was delayed in taking all courses necessary to become an NCAA qualifier. A student-athlete must be an NCAA qualifier to receive financial aid through an athletic scholarship.

Phillips' arrival is expected to enhance Vermont's offensive production from the defenseman corps and he is projected as a key component to injecting potency into UVM's lackluster power play.

The resident of Okotoks, Alberta, has a sensational season in the Alberta Junior Hockey League a year ago playing for the Canmore Eagles. He scored 25 goals and 65 points in 58 games. He was named the AJHL's most valuable player, a rarity for a defenseman, and he was named the Canadian Junior Hockey League's top defenseman nationally.

Phillips was one of two UVM players not to dress for Sunday's exhibition game against Royal Military College. Forward Tom Forgione missed the game with a back injury and is currently listed week-to-week.

Sneddon also confirmed Tuesday that forward Kyle Reynolds is in his final year of eligibility. Reynolds missed the entire season a year ago with a severe injury but because he entered Vermont as a 21-year-old who had played junior hockey after his 21st birthday, the "NCAA clock" of eligibility had started the year before he joined the Catamounts.

Once the clock starts, a player has five years in which to play his four years of eligibility. Often when a player misses at least 80 percent of a season, the player can receive a medical waiver — a medical 'red-shirt' — and regain a year of eligibility. UVM forward Chris McCarthy, who graduated last year, received such a waiver and played a fifth year.

Sneddon said it was unlikely that Reynolds would file an appeal, making this his final season.

[jcarter7669]

Re: Vermont 2014 Offseason : Another Step Forward

From Ted Ryan on the Free Press website :



Touted freshman defenseman Trey Phillips will miss the first 15 games of the University of Vermont men's hockey regular season due to an NCAA eligibility issue, coach Kevin Sneddon confirmed Tuesday.

Referring to a statement from the UVM compliance office, Sneddon said, "Per NCAA rules, Trey Phillips is sitting a year in residency due to delayed intercollegiate enrollment and is not able to participate in competition until the completion of fall semester."

According to Sneddon, Phillips will be eligible once final exams for the first semester are completed. The Catamounts play a home-and-home series with St. Lawrence on Dec. 12-13 the weekend following finals, the first games Phillips can play.

Phillips will be allowed to practice with the Catamounts but he cannot travel with the team or compete.

"It has nothing to do with poor grades or anything like that. It has to do with a delay in his enrollment," Sneddon said.

Phillips, who attended several high schools during his junior hockey days, was delayed in taking all courses necessary to become an NCAA qualifier. A student-athlete must be an NCAA qualifier to receive financial aid through an athletic scholarship.

Phillips' arrival is expected to enhance Vermont's offensive production from the defenseman corps and he is projected as a key component to injecting potency into UVM's lackluster power play.

The resident of Okotoks, Alberta, has a sensational season in the Alberta Junior Hockey League a year ago playing for the Canmore Eagles. He scored 25 goals and 65 points in 58 games. He was named the AJHL's most valuable player, a rarity for a defenseman, and he was named the Canadian Junior Hockey League's top defenseman nationally.

Phillips was one of two UVM players not to dress for Sunday's exhibition game against Royal Military College. Forward Tom Forgione missed the game with a back injury and is currently listed week-to-week.

Sneddon also confirmed Tuesday that forward Kyle Reynolds is in his final year of eligibility. Reynolds missed the entire season a year ago with a severe injury but because he entered Vermont as a 21-year-old who had played junior hockey after his 21st birthday, the "NCAA clock" of eligibility had started the year before he joined the Catamounts.

Once the clock starts, a player has five years in which to play his four years of eligibility. Often when a player misses at least 80 percent of a season, the player can receive a medical waiver — a medical 'red-shirt' — and regain a year of eligibility. UVM forward Chris McCarthy, who graduated last year, received such a waiver and played a fifth year.

Sneddon said it was unlikely that Reynolds would file an appeal, making this his final season.

Bad news all around... Reynolds gone after this season... Phillips missing the first half of the season....

I guess on a positive note the first half of the season is the weaker in terms of conference schedule so the team is probably better able to deal with the loss.

[Cat lover]

Re: Vermont 2014 Offseason : Another Step Forward

Well I don't know about everyone else but I'm ready to ditch these Canadian team games, please lets go back to the old green and gold scrimmage.
The last two years we first lost a key player to a goon who had no fear of getting in trouble or getting payback and this year we played a team that might
have trouble versus a good high school team. Not in my opinion the best way to test a team. Since number of games isn't an issue as they seem to have trouble
filling out the schedule why not try to get Middlebury, Norwich etc. for a game?

[jcarter7669]

Re: Vermont 2014 Offseason : Another Step Forward

Since number of games isn't an issue as they seem to have trouble
filling out the schedule why not try to get Middlebury, Norwich etc. for a game?

I believe the time when D-111 starts it's season prohibits this, although a matchup against either of these two teams would be much better, much more interesting and fun to watch, and would draw in more in attendance. What would really be nice would be say a interleague tourney with Middlebury, Norwich, St. Mikes or Plattsburg to come play at Gutterson. You'd draw lots of attendence, it would be a fun exhibition tourney to start the year and there are definitely years where the D-111 teams are going to win it.

The CIS games are not worth it.

[PuckVoice]

I believe the time when D-111 starts it's season prohibits this, although a matchup against either of these two teams would be much better, much more interesting and fun to watch, and would draw in more in attendance. What would really be nice would be say a interleague tourney with Middlebury, Norwich, St. Mikes or Plattsburg to come play at Gutterson. You'd draw lots of attendence, it would be a fun exhibition tourney to start the year and there are definitely years where the D-111 teams are going to win it.

The CIS games are not worth it.

Regarding Norwich or Middlebury you are correct. Norwich doesn't hit the ice for official practices this year until October 20th and the NCAA does not let them play games against outside U-S opponents until the weekend of the 31st/1st ... that rule was just changed last year. Previous to that the Cadets played a pre-season game at Dartmouth for a couple of years (played them pretty tough in fact)But even then it only worked because Dartmouth as an Ivy started a couple of weeks later than the Cats. When you start on the first weekend of October you are never going to matchup with a D-3.

As to the Canadian teams ... get some better ones to play you. We've seen really good Canadian teams come into the Gutt in the past ... the quality of those has just really slipped the past couple of seasons.

Why not a pre-season with the U-S Under 18's instead?

[jcarter7669]

Re: Vermont 2014 Offseason : Another Step Forward

As to the Canadian teams ... get some better ones to play you. We've seen really good Canadian teams come into the Gutt in the past ... the quality of those has just really slipped the past couple of seasons.

We've seen more highly skilled teams in the past... better is up for debate. It's mostly pure thuggery from CIS teams that are out to try and prove something in an early preseason exhibition game. Last year was horrific... the Reynolds hit that ended his season was one of the more legal ones. Most of those teams should be employing the Hanson Brothers.

I'd rather not have an exhibition game if the CIS schools are what we are going to get.

[Jayden_Stoff]

Re: Vermont 2014 Offseason : Another Step Forward

We've seen more highly skilled teams in the past... better is up for debate. It's mostly pure thuggery from CIS teams that are out to try and prove something in an early preseason exhibition game. Last year was horrific... the Reynolds hit that ended his season was one of the more legal ones. Most of those teams should be employing the Hanson Brothers.

I'd rather not have an exhibition game if the CIS schools are what we are going to get.

I'm on-board. Ditch the exhibition game. It's turned into a joke. I'd rather watch them play the UVM club team. We have a number of traditional games with Clarkson, UMass at thanksgiving time, etc. Perhaps a home and away with Dartmouth to start the year...? I give credit to the guys we played last weekend for not losing their cool. Something like 65+ shots to 7 and Santa didn't have to make a single save.... That's when you might lose your cool and try to break someones face. And as a fan, it's great to see the guys back on the ice but an 8-0 blowout. Lame.

[all bear]

Re: Vermont 2014 Offseason : Another Step Forward

As to the Canadian teams ... get some better ones to play you. We've seen really good Canadian teams come into the Gutt in the past ... the quality of those has just really slipped the past couple of seasons.

University of New Brunswick has always been excellent imo. But they are always tied up heading to BC on friday then swinging into Maine on the way back home on Saturday.

[jcarter7669]

Re: Vermont 2014 Offseason : Another Step Forward

University of New Brunswick has always been excellent imo. But they are always tied up heading to BC on friday then swinging into Maine on the way back home on Saturday.

We've played them not to far in the distant past, they are a good team, but if my memory serves they were gooning it up pretty good. It's not worth risking a player's season in my opinion. These CIS teams have a chip on their shoulder when they walk in the rink (in general) and for us it's just some time to get some game legs.

I will hand it to the cadets that came through this year, much better in terms of sportsmanship especially considering the drubbing they too. I'm sure they were signed up for that reason too, Sneddon didn't want a repeat of last year.

[snwbrdr]

Re: Vermont 2014 Offseason : Another Step Forward

Too bad about Phillips eligibility but will be a nice pickup for the team in the 2nd half..... Meanwhile someone else gets some seasoning in case of injuries later on and we have to play a bit more defensive minded.... Too bad about Reynolds not redshirting but understandable. hope the cats bring the A game on Saturday, should be a good tilt. Considering going.....

[jcarter7669]

Re: Vermont 2014 Offseason : Another Step Forward

Threads have been pretty quiet for the opening weekend... I guess we are all waiting to see how the Cats do against real competition.

In the meantime I thought I'd give a quick run down of next years recruits.

O'NEIL, Conor (LW) 1g - 10a = 11p in 8g New Jersey Hitman
COLTON, Ross (LW) 1g - 1a = 2p in 3g Cedar Rapids Roughriders
BOWEN, Brian (RW) 0g - 0a = 0p in 2g Green Bay Gamblers
PUFFER, Craig (LW) 6g - 1a = 7p in 6g Chiliwack Cheifs
BEST, Drew (RW) 0g - 1a = 1p in 2g Green Bay Gamblers
EGLE, Haralds (RW) 0g - 1a = 1p in 3g Madison Capitals
PLITT, Dylan (C) 1g - 2a = 3p in 6g Jr Flyers
GERNHOFER T (RW) 2g - 0a = 2p in 3g Bloomington Thunder
LEE, Mike (LD) 0g - 4a = 4p in 7g Penicton Vees
LEKKAS, S (G) 1-0-0 in 1 game 0.932 sv% 3.00 GAA Souix Falls Stampede
O'DONNELL M (RD) No Data Available



It's pretty early in the season for most of these guys but I thought I'd put it out there and update it every so often since we don't have a recruit thread.


As for this weekend...

I'm going to predict:

Cats come away with a win against the Dogs... 3-2 UVM.
Hoffman starts in net
Shaw, Puskarich, and Reynolds score the goals


Anyone else want to take a stab?