2009-2010 Official Vermont Season Thread : The Sequel

[jcarter7669]

Re: 2009-2010 Official Vermont Season Thread : The Sequel

Home and home - Pittsburgh one night and Oxford 2 nights later...long road trip for one game...each team.

Yes, I meant Vermont dropping from 9 to 10 after the weekend of games. On Friday, before the games, the top 12 teams looked like this:

Jan 8, 2010 Pairwise – prior to weekend games

Rk Team PCWs W-L-T Win % RPI
1 Miami 24 13-2-5 .7750 .6049
2 Denver 23 13-5-2 .7000 .5869
3 Ferris State 22 14-4-2 .7500 .5740*
4 Colorado College 21 12-5-3 .6750 .5693
5 Wisconsin 20 12-5-3 .6750 .5692
6t Bemidji State 18 14-4-2 .7500 .5672
6t Michigan State 18 14-6-2 .6818 .5645
8 Boston College 17 10-5-2 .6471 .5563*
9t Vermont 15 10-6-2 .6111 .5540*
9t St. Cloud State 15 10-7-3 .5750 .5505
11 Minnesota-Duluth 14 12-7-1 .6250 .5502
12t Yale 12 8-3-3 .6786 .5502
12t North Dakota 12 10-6-4 .6000 .5500
12t Massachusetts 12 11-7-0 .6111 .5384

Then as of Today (Monday) they look like this:

Jan 11, 2010 Pairwise – after weekend of games


Rk Team PCWs W-L-T Win % RPI
1 Denver 24 14-5-3 .7045 .5843
2t Miami 22 13-4-5 .7045 .5793
2t Ferris State 22 16-4-2 .7727 .5763*
4t Wisconsin 20 12-5-3 .6750 .5687
4t Bemidji State 20 14-4-2 .7500 .5636
4t Minnesota-Duluth 20 14-7-1 .6591 .5613
7 Michigan State 18 15-6-3 .6875 .5613
8 Colorado College 17 12-7-3 .6136 .5574
9 North Dakota 16 12-6-4 .6364 .5587
10t Vermont 14 10-6-2 .6111 .5492*
10t St. Cloud State 14 12-7-3 .6136 .5543
12 Yale 13 9-3-3 .7000 .5510*


What I find interesting is that Vermont dropped 1 place (and yes, I understand this is pre-mature to be following...but it is like fantasy football, if it were not for fantasy football, the NFL would not be much fun following).

Minnesota Duluth won 2 big games at home versus Colorado College, went from 11th to 6th; Denver split but went to #1 and Yale has 4 wins and 1 tie (including a 6-1 win over Ferris State) in their last 5 games, but pretty much stayed the same. Yet, Vermont, who has wins over all 3 of these teams, dropped a slot. Guess I was thinking as these teams climbed, Vermont would climb too with their wins over them. Perhaps the 3 game losing stretch Boston College is on is having more weight on Vermont than anything else?

Just curious...

I think what you will find if you look at the actual PW wins and losses individually is that a lot of those teams had not played the required 10 games against TUC, and now some of them are hitting that plateau so those points are kicking in and altering the PWR. As an example, if UMD had only played 9 games against a TUC then the PWR doesn't take into account TUC, after two games against CC, they now cross the threshold and the TUC record now counts giving them 5 more wins then previously.

[Cat lover]

Re: 2009-2010 Official Vermont Season Thread : The Sequel

Former Catamount and Stowe, Vt., native Graham Mink ‘01 will serve as team captain for PlanetUSA in the upcoming American Hockey League All-Star Classic Jan. 18-19 at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine. Mink has 10 goals and 20 points in 32 games this season playing for the Rochester Americans in the AHL. Rochester is an affiliate of the NHL’s Florida Panthers.

[observer85]

Re: 2009-2010 Official Vermont Season Thread : The Sequel

Does USCHO have any pictures of Miami that were not taken from the Gut last year?

This weekends games are on paper 2 of the easier ones left on the schedule and you would think 4 points is very possible. NE is coming off a wasted 4 goal rally versus UML, and the Cats are on a 4 game winning streak.

Golden opportunity or letdown alert?

Actually that USCHO picture was in Denver, not Miami. Ruegsegger did not score in game 1 but lit the lamp twice in game 2.

http://www.collegehockeystats.net/09...s/mdenver1.o09
http://www.collegehockeystats.net/09...s/mdenver1.o10



In answer to your question...I like to think of the Glass as being half full...I would say this is a "Golden opportunity". The boys should be healthy and should be focused with 2 weeks of practice time.

[snwbrdr]

Re: 2009-2010 Official Vermont Season Thread : The Sequel

In a classic case of not knowing that I was talking about - I wrote last week of being excited about the incoming class next year because of Decenzo, Herrington, and Montagna but not knowing anything about Conner Brickley.

Then today we see Brickley being ranked #49 for the upcoming NHL draft in the current ranking posted on this website. That probably puts him at the top of the incoming class (and increases my enthusiasm even more). This should be one of the best forward classes ever for UVM with the St. Louis/Perrin class being the benchmark.

I worry a little about UVM coming out flat vs. NU with nearly two weeks off, but hopefully that will not be an issue. They NEED some points. It sure would be nice to have a home playoff series (hard to imagine only 8 home games left) but they have a LOT of work to do to get there.

They should pretend every HE game is an OOC game.

BC's current woes are not helping with the PWR situation but I expect they will get their act together soon - and hopefully against some of the teams the Cats are chasing in the standings.

[jcarter7669]

Re: 2009-2010 Official Vermont Season Thread : The Sequel

This weekends series should be interesting. On paper, yes, UVM should come away with 4 points, and considering it is at the Gutt, 4 points is necessary. The Cats are now 6-1-1 in their last 8 and look to have righted the ship to some degree. That said, wins against DC, SLU, UAH etc overinflate those numbers but hey a win is a win. That said, weekend sweeps have been rare in Hockey East this year, and a sweep this weekend would lead to a season sweep which makes it even more unlikely. On top of that, NU's Rawlings looks to be the kind of goalie that can steal games, giving up a single goal on 29 shots to UML and 34 saves against ME a few weeks back.

But it's hard to say. The Cats should win both games,however I wouldn't be surprised with a split.

[observer85]

Re: 2009-2010 Official Vermont Season Thread : The Sequel

This weekends series should be interesting. On paper, yes, UVM should come away with 4 points.....But it's hard to say. The Cats should win both games,however I wouldn't be surprised with a split.

or a win and a tie for 3 points...a tie would probably be considered by Northeastern as a "win" and by Vermont, a "loss". But it would give UVM 5 of the 6 available points. They need them...wins and points that is.

[grantfan]

Re: 2009-2010 Official Vermont Season Thread : The Sequel

I have done a great amount of soul-searching to try to determine why I seem to butt heads with my fellow UVM hockey fans. What better time to do such soul-searching, I thought, than as the last thread wound down and this new thread began? In that search of self, I welcome any suggestions from my fellow hockey fans who know me best, including from those of UM-Lowell, BC, Notre Dame, and any others.

There is something about ridiculous overstatement that continues to get me. With all due respect, the incoming recruits representing "one of the best classes ever" and invoking the names of St. Louis and Perrin is, well, enough for me to look at a bit more closely.

First off, such statement is to diminish the very freshman class we are enjoying this season - McCarthy, Roos, and Stalberg, to say nothing of Franzon. Despite being an early member of the UVM All-Decade Team for the 2010s, McCarthy does not yet look like a reincarnation of either St. Louis or Perrin.

Connor Brickley's performance - 27 points (13g) in 28 USHL games as a 6'2", 195 lb. 17 1/2year old - makes him an NHL prospect and a wonderful recruit.

With him comes the senior member of the recruting class, Anthony DeCenzo. Unlike snapdog (and coach Sneddon), who saw Anthony as a high school star, I see a 20 year old with 9g-12a in 32 games in this, his third (second full) USHL season. While he is close to being on pace to match last season's 44 points, he is, thankfully, not on pace to match his startling -44 rating of last season. I am not yet aware of anything that should prompt visions of St. Louis or Perrin, though I did not see him play as a high school star. Plus, was he as big a high school star as Matt Marshall or Josh Franklin?

Perhaps too big to remind of either St. Louis or Perrin will be Lance Herrington's 6'4", 205 lb. brother, Brooks. Now 19 years old, Brooks has crashed the net to the tune of 5g-13a in 22 games, 9th among forwards on an EJHL team that is 22-3-1 and the highest scoring team in the league.

Someone who theoretically could conceivably remind of St. Louis' or Perrin's passing abilities is Mike Montagna (1g-2a in 3 EJHL games). An assist machine (51 in 45 EJHL games) as a 16 year old, Montagna committed to UVM as a 16 year old and is scheduled to arrive in Burlington as an 18 year old in September, seemingly without the benefit of a second year of juniors (or any hockey for that matter). If he is what he seemed last season, he will fill a serious UVM void, a playmaking center!

Defensively, the incoming class has only Blake Doerring, an 18 year old D playing for the 22-9-1 Fargo Force in the USHL. In 23 of Fargo's 32 games, on the league's 2nd highest scoring team, Doerring has quietly put up 1g-3a while firing 10 shots on goal. His +4 is very good on his team, though he is not a tough guy (28 PIMs).

I guess there is something about ridiculous overstatement that continues to get me.

If anyone has any soul-searching ideas for me, please.

[jcarter7669]

Re: 2009-2010 Official Vermont Season Thread : The Sequel

I have done a great amount of soul-searching to try to determine why I seem to butt heads with my fellow UVM hockey fans. What better time to do such soul-searching, I thought, than as the last thread wound down and this new thread began? In that search of self, I welcome any suggestions from my fellow hockey fans who know me best, including from those of UM-Lowell, BC, Notre Dame, and any others.

There is something about ridiculous overstatement that continues to get me. With all due respect, the incoming recruits representing "one of the best classes ever" and invoking the names of St. Louis and Perrin is, well, enough for me to look at a bit more closely.

First off, such statement is to diminish the very freshman class we are enjoying this season - McCarthy, Roos, and Stalberg, to say nothing of Franzon. Despite being an early member of the UVM All-Decade Team for the 2010s, McCarthy does not yet look like a reincarnation of either St. Louis or Perrin.

Connor Brickley's performance - 27 points (13g) in 28 USHL games as a 6'2", 195 lb. 17 1/2year old - makes him an NHL prospect and a wonderful recruit.

With him comes the senior member of the recruting class, Anthony DeCenzo. Unlike snapdog (and coach Sneddon), who saw Anthony as a high school star, I see a 20 year old with 9g-12a in 32 games in this, his third (second full) USHL season. While he is close to being on pace to match last season's 44 points, he is, thankfully, not on pace to match his startling -44 rating of last season. I am not yet aware of anything that should prompt visions of St. Louis or Perrin, though I did not see him play as a high school star. Plus, was he as big a high school star as Matt Marshall or Josh Franklin?

Perhaps too big to remind of either St. Louis or Perrin will be Lance Herrington's 6'4", 205 lb. brother, Brooks. Now 19 years old, Brooks has crashed the net to the tune of 5g-13a in 22 games, 9th among forwards on an EJHL team that is 22-3-1 and the highest scoring team in the league.

Someone who theoretically could conceivably remind of St. Louis' or Perrin's passing abilities is Mike Montagna (1g-2a in 3 EJHL games). An assist machine (51 in 45 EJHL games) as a 16 year old, Montagna committed to UVM as a 16 year old and is scheduled to arrive in Burlington as an 18 year old in September, seemingly without the benefit of a second year of juniors (or any hockey for that matter). If he is what he seemed last season, he will fill a serious UVM void, a playmaking center!

Defensively, the incoming class has only Blake Doerring, an 18 year old D playing for the 22-9-1 Fargo Force in the USHL. In 23 of Fargo's 32 games, on the league's 2nd highest scoring team, Doerring has quietly put up 1g-3a while firing 10 shots on goal. His +4 is very good on his team, though he is not a tough guy (28 PIMs).

I guess there is something about ridiculous overstatement that continues to get me.

If anyone has any soul-searching ideas for me, please.

A very well thought out and well researched post. Keep that up and you can stop soul searching.

[snwbrdr]

Re: 2009-2010 Official Vermont Season Thread : The Sequel

No need to soul search Grantfan if you actually do the research before you type. Which you did in mocking me, and I did not do in giving you material to mock

Yup, I overstated the incoming classes value possibly or probably. But I did not say they were better than St. Louis and Perrin's class. Just that they might be ONE of the best classes ever and that St. Louis and Perrin are THE BENCHMARK.

I still think that Brickley and Montagna are probably special players and that is the start to a very good looking class.

On another more relevant topic. Coming into the weekend below .500 in HE I think the Cats NEED a minimum of 3 points this weekend. A split and continuing to be below .500 should not be an option that is acceptable.

Having said that, they need to get there by moving their feet and playing it one shift at a time. Can't get four points on any given shift or in any given period and 60 or 65 minutes twice is going to be critical.

[grantfan]

Re: 2009-2010 Official Vermont Season Thread : The Sequel

I am ready to get back to Gutterson for hockey! It seems like it's been a long time, but at least I've had the good taste of the Minnesota Duluth victory in my mouth.

My fellow fans have certainly convinced me that I want to see Rob Madore in net, but the team needs to play with the energy they had against Duluth. They need to jump on a decimated Northeastern team that is really having a tough go of things this season - giving up 6 goals to Lowell and just 13 shots on goal in a loss to Umass last weekend.

The Duluth game made me think the Cats can score goals, which will allow the team some breathing room in games. With no less than 19 games and up to 26 games remaining, it'll be interesting to see who scores in the second half.

Brayden Irwin had 4 goals in a 5 game stretch in the first month of the season but only 3 more since November 8 (12 games), though 2 PPGs (and 2 assists) in the last 3 games.

Justin Milo has 6 goals in just 12 games and is on a 6-game point scoring streak (2g-7a).

Jack Downing has 4 goals (7 points) in the 9 games since Thanksgiving.

Colin Vock, like Milo, has a 6-game (2g-7a) point scoring streak.

Brian Roloff has accumulated 3g-5a in the last 9 games.

Wahs Stacey, in and out of the lineup and inconsistent, LIKE THE TEAM, after a fast start (3g-3a in the first 5 games), LIKE THE TEAM, collected 3 points in the 2 Catamount Cup games, including a big PPG against his alma mater, Minnesota Duluth.

David Pacan, the only freshman to play in all 18 games, has collected all of his 5g-4a in the 9 games since Thanksgiving.

That's some pretty good production from a good number of players over a period of time that coincides closely with the team's 8-3-2 record since November.

If Tobias Roos and Sebastien Stalberg combine with Pacan on a freshman line that starts producing like it did against Minnesota Duluth, that will give the team 3 lines that really can score.

If the Catamounts play consistently like they did against good and dangerous Minnesota Duluth - confident goaltending, productive offense, limited defensive breakdowns, I think they can have an excellent second half stretch run and post-season run. I look for the offense to stay in gear and for Madore to play very well and better, and I hope the defense, expected to be the strength but exposed as a weakness, does not give away what the offense produces, as happened against Alabama-Huntsville.

I am optimistic and looking forward to the normalcy of 2-game weekends for the remainder of the season. I do believe the team suffered in its consistency for the highly inconsistent scheduling in the first half. Now, at least the schedule will be consistent.

If the team plays like it did against Minnesota Duluth this weekend, they really should have a successful weekend against a Northeastern team that is ripe to be sent reeling.

I am ready to get back to Gutterson for hockey!

[observer85]

Re: 2009-2010 Official Vermont Season Thread : The Sequel

Observer85 wrote:

Senior (5) forwards : Anctil, Higgins, Irwin, Roloff and Vock. Incoming forwards with a 2010 arrival date (4) : Herrington, Brickley, Decenzo, Montagna

Senior (1) defenseman : Cullity. Defenseman with 2010 arrival date (1) : Doerring

Senior (1) goalie : Spillane. Incoming goalie : ??? Could be Vazzano but appears maybe not as he has 2011 incoming date also.

So this opens the door for discussion...

Other forwards that might not return (3) : Milo - leave for baseball? Academically he is a senior so unless he is interested in graduate work, probably is gone. Atkinson - where is he? Franklin - he has already left the team.

So the coaches have 5 for sure players to replace, potentially 8.

And a 6th forward - Perhaps - has been located. This from the Western College Hockey Blog (http://www.westerncollegehockeyblog....mmit-list-gets)

"Also, I'll admit to not knowing exactly what was going on with former UND recruit Matt White, so maybe this is old news. Before the year started, White decided to go back home to Pittsburgh and considered giving up hockey altogether rather than playing with the Lincoln Stars. I guess he refound his love for the game of hockey, because Chris Heisenberg lists him as committing to Vermont for either next year or the following year. It's an interesting twist because if he had stayed in Lincoln, White likely would have been in a position to get drafted in the NHL Draft this summer, but fell off the map when he left for home. If he's back to being serious about hockey again, the NHL might take another look at him."

The writer indicated that White played in Lincoln but according to the USHL stats sight (Pointstreak), he played in Des Moines.

Kind of scary though, White was a -35 in 2008/2009 season and fellow recruit DeCenzo was a -41. And they are coming to a team whose coach prides himself in teaching and playing strong defensive hockey...

I wonder how much scholarship money goes to a player like this?

White : http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/...&seasonid=3192

DeCenzo : http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/...&seasonid=3192

[kdaddy]

Re: 2009-2010 Official Vermont Season Thread : The Sequel

This weekends series should be interesting. On paper, yes, UVM should come away with 4 points, and considering it is at the Gutt, 4 points is necessary. The Cats are now 6-1-1 in their last 8 and look to have righted the ship to some degree. That said, wins against DC, SLU, UAH etc overinflate those numbers but hey a win is a win. That said, weekend sweeps have been rare in Hockey East this year, and a sweep this weekend would lead to a season sweep which makes it even more unlikely. On top of that, NU's Rawlings looks to be the kind of goalie that can steal games, giving up a single goal on 29 shots to UML and 34 saves against ME a few weeks back.

But it's hard to say. The Cats should win both games,however I wouldn't be surprised with a split.

Leave the playing on paper to UML, in their stratomatic league they already won HE

[jcarter7669]

Re: 2009-2010 Official Vermont Season Thread : The Sequel

http://uvmsports.wordpress.com/

New Ted Ryan Blog may answer some of the questions Grantfan has about healthy scratches.


As for White, he moved back home and played hockey for his HS, now I know its High School Hockey but 19 G and 35 points in 22 games seems like a nice addition.

Those huge minus numbers are a concern but maybe Sneddon is looking for really strong offensive kids that he can teach to be defensive, as opposed to a defensive player that he hopes develops into an offensive player.

[grantfan]

Re: 2009-2010 Official Vermont Season Thread : The Sequel

I seem unable to refrain from butting heads with my fellow UVM Hockey fans.

To those of us fans who are excited about the reported commitment of forward Matt White, I suggest this may be a spectacular example of why Vermont under Kevin Sneddon will continue to be a perpetual second tier program in Hockey East and the country.

A former NCAA and current professional coach once told me that every year there came a time when players who had been stars on previous teams at lower levels realized, and this was his quote, "Maybe I'm not very good."

There used to be a reason players used to be recruited not from their bantam or midget teams but after proving themselves in the junior ranks.

So here comes this "high scoring forward" whose high school coach (in Pittsburgh) points out has "spectacular size" (6'2", 195) and that he has "all the skills you could ever want." This player must be having a ball, the time of his life, playing for 2 teams, not just 1, and scoring 19 goals and 34 points in 14 high school games and then going to his other team, a midget team, and scoring 17 goals and 35 points (averaging 6 shots on goal/game!) in 22 games. This player must be loving hockey, don't you think?

Apparently, this player wasn't loving hockey when he quit the USHL and his opportunity to be scouted for the NHL draft and decommitted from North Dakota after 2 full USHL seasons that could have left a player thinking, "Maybe I'm not very good."

In his second full USHL season, he averaged 1 shot on goal/game and scored 10g-9a in 53 games, with a team-BEST -35. Maybe Sneddon is recruiting really strong offensive players he can teach defense, jcarter wonders, wishfully. Hey, with all those points in midgets, he is just a +2! Maybe this player's junior coach misused or mishandled him. Looking at a -35, maybe his coach played him TOO MUCH, after all, you can't ring up award-winning minuses if the coach won't let you go on the ice. The maybe that comes to my mind is, maybe I'm not very good. Maybe North Dakota thought that.

So he goes home and, as one of the older players in high school and midget hockey, he starts thinking, wow, I'm really good at hockey and I really love it. Again. One of my favorite UVM players was Ryan Gunderson, a product of Pennsylvania high school/midget hockey and a great, in my opinion, college player. But did Ryan ever have 2 lousy seasons that coincided with questioning whether or not he loved playing hockey?

This is a joke. And the joke is on UVM Hockey. This kid could be showing up in Burlington in September, straight from tearing up PA high school hockey and midgets. Neither of fellow Pennsylvanians Rob Madore or Chris McCarthy came to Burlington straight from that high school; I wonder if either of them played high school hockey? Maybe as 7th graders. This player has nothing to prove before being offered a Division I opportunity? By the way, is PA passing Connecticut as a producer of college hockey players?

It's good for the kid, everybody who plays hockey should love it. But what the heck is Sneddon doing recruiting him from midget hockey? Why hasn't North Dakota re-seen what they thought they once saw in this player? Why is Vermont so lucky to snare him from the high school and midget ranks?

If UVM wants to compete with BC and BU and UNH in Hockley East and North Dakota and Denver and Michigan on the national scene, they better ALWAYS have a Tim Thomas or a Joe Fallon or a Rob Madore at the top of their game because recruiting like this is a joke. It may not turn out to be funny, though.

[GuttCheck]

Re: 2009-2010 Official Vermont Season Thread : The Sequel

Grantfan, you are clearly a glass is half empty type of guy.

I like the players Sneddon has brought in and continues to bring in. I trust his judgment. Anyone can speculate and say the kid is going to be great or the kid is going to be terrible (you), but the reality is we won't really know until the kid skates at Gutterson. I like our roster, I think the program is moving forward under Sneddon's plan, I like everything the guy has done since he has been here. You can b*tch all you want about the recruits, but I like the direction this program is moving, so I will continue to trust Sneddon's recruiting judgment.