UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

[TovarishchLisa]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

We actually won a game!!!

[Play$Maker]

UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

Finally a win!!!! It took OT, but we won. I guess our ranking at 56th may be a little off, probably 54th. Statistically we blow them off the page - outshot, better on draws, more scoring chances. Where we lose is on the bench at the helm. Frustrating, but a win!

[gocats]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

Thought you weren't watching?

This team is hurting in a many areas. I do not subscribe that it is necessarily coaching. Blind, behind the back passes into the offensive slot with no one home - several times. Picking up the loose puck in our own slot and getting it stolen instead of clearing the zone - several times. Those are not things NCAA or peewee coaches overlook. Those are things players do when they are pressing and a stride behind the play.

In my opinion, we have maybe 3 top 6 forwards. We have 1 maybe 2 top 4 D. We have one legitimate top tier D1 goalie. There is a talent gap on this team. But, with so many young players in key positions, this team might actually improve as the season goes on rather than come back to the pack as in recent years. My heart certainly hopes so.

[TovarishchLisa]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

Thought you weren't watching?

Was following on Twitter. I was watching the women's game (tough loss for them, btw). Friend of mine said the game itself was a stinker though

[VTALUM]

We actually won a game!!!

Other than the winning goal...what an ugly win.

[NHLPA]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

One thing I have noticed after reviewing the history of this team since Sneddon has been coaching is the high number of kids who have left early - not for professional hockey. This is rumored to be due to cuts, over recruitment, and players purely not liking the coaching staff. I can honestly say after looking through this alone that there needs to be a change in the coaching staff for this team to be successful. Last year's senior class was one of the best classes the school has seen in recent years and easily could have made the Frozen Four, however due to a lack of recruitment and coaching this class was not able to do so. You have guys like Mario Puskarich and Brady Shaw leading that class and somehow couldn't make it to the Frozen Four? Let's also not forget about the fact that in the summer of his senior year Rob Hamilton was actually cut by Kevin Sneddon who was of the teams leading scorers of that same year and is now playing in the AHL. What was going through the minds of the staff when they even allowed this to happen?

[TovarishchLisa]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

One thing I have noticed after reviewing the history of this team since Sneddon has been coaching is the high number of kids who have left early - not for professional hockey. This is rumored to be due to cuts, over recruitment, and players purely not liking the coaching staff.

Since 2013-14, this is a list of players who left UVM early:

Caylen Walls (CeHL - league now defunct)
Rob Polesello (OHL)
Kyle Mountain (Omaha)
Mike Stenerson (U of British Columbia)
Brody Hoffman (NHL - now playing in some senior league I've never heard of)
Ori Abramson (seems to be pursuing a career outside hockey)
Mitch Ferguson (SUNY-Geneseo, D3)
Kevin Irwin (no clue what he's up to, although he is still at UVM)
Packy Munson (Michigan Tech)
Mike Lee (Sacred Heart)
Jake Kearley (UNLV - ACHA)
Tyler Gernhofer (went back to the NAHL, then seems to have retired, he's now an assistant coach)
Max Daigle (McGill - USports)
Cam Klein (NYU - ACHA)

This is in just five years...

[TovarishchLisa]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

Also, one thing I've noticed w/ KS is his aversion to using backup goalies. I remember at media day Sneddon basically admitted to overplaying Lekkas...and yet Stef has played every minute of every game, save for a third period in an already-lost game at UConn.

Last year basically started 50/50 until Santaguida got hurt and Lekkas caught fire. Even when Santa was fully healthy and Lekkas had fallen back to earth, it was still Lekkas every game - even on Santa and Feeley's senior night, despite him clearly looking fatigued. Santaguida and Feeley both graduate after the season.

2015-16 was Santaguida starting every game. Then he got hurt mid-game against BU. With neither backup G having played a regular season NCAA hockey game, Feeley comes in and BU grabs the tying & winning goals. Munson gets his first start the next game, catches fire and remains the starter for the rest of the season, then transfers out after the season.

2013-14 and 2014-15 seem to be the only years Sneddon trusted two goalies w/ Hoffman and Santaguida basically splitting 50/50. That ends when Hoffman goes pro before his senior year.

2012-13...Hoffman plays literally every single game. Backup Billy Faust, also a freshman, transfers to after the season.

At least Fallon and Madore (until his senior year) had the numbers to back it up, but Stef is not even in the top 30 nationally in save percentage, nor was he last year.

[pokecheckguy2]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

Since 2013-14, this is a list of players who left UVM early:

Caylen Walls (CeHL - league now defunct)
Rob Polesello (OHL)
Kyle Mountain (Omaha)
Mike Stenerson (U of British Columbia)
Brody Hoffman (NHL - now playing in some senior league I've never heard of)
Ori Abramson (seems to be pursuing a career outside hockey)
Mitch Ferguson (SUNY-Geneseo, D3)
Kevin Irwin (no clue what he's up to, although he is still at UVM)
Packy Munson (Michigan Tech)
Mike Lee (Sacred Heart)
Jake Kearley (UNLV - ACHA)
Tyler Gernhofer (went back to the NAHL, then seems to have retired, he's now an assistant coach)
Max Daigle (McGill - USports)
Cam Klein (NYU - ACHA)

This is in just five years...

Polesello ended up going back to college - U of Western Ontario not like many 5-7 guys were gonna make it out of OHL to me stuff like that says a lot kid knew he wasn't going to make much of a pro and left college anyway! Isn't the only one! Not only did Sneddon have kids who left once they showed but so many never showed! Connor Anthonie they got committed when was 14 - ended up at Geneseo that Anthony de Luca kid just went to QMJHL after he didn't want to spend a year in USHL on UVM insistantce which I know is hard to control with major junior but he would have been a great college player scored 91 points in a season and 43 points in 1 year at Concordia now playing overseas - point is that UVM recruiting is just signiing up as many guys as possible and then eeither telling the ones they don't want to take a hike before showing up or dicking around with their arrival date or bring them in a year then look for new shiney toys next year, it is not sustainable! Even with good classes because they develop nothing under it they max out the potential and it is all on coaching at that point from ID to development and why fresh blood is needed!

Also Faust might not have played but he left due to a very embarassing off ice situation that wasn't entirely his fault but resulted in a UVM employee getting fired! Sadly lots of that going around the program these days!!

PS just so people don't think I'm a full hater I was happy to get a W the other night big series coming up!

[TovarishchLisa]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

point is that UVM recruiting is just signiing up as many guys as possible and then eeither telling the ones they don't want to take a hike before showing up or dicking around with their arrival date or bring them in a year then look for new shiney toys next year, it is not sustainable! Even with good classes because they develop nothing under it they max out the potential and it is all on coaching at that point from ID to development and why fresh blood is needed!

Yeah that's one thing that even non-UVM fans give our staff grief over.

Re: the good classes, couldn't agree more, just look at the class that just graduated.

Brady Shaw 19 goals as a sophomore (with Puskarich out the second half of the year)...only manages 19 *points* as a senior and 11 as a junior.

Puskarich was basically a PPG player his fresh year w/ 36 points...never cracks 30 again.

Bradley hits 21 points as a frosh and 24 as a soph...only hits 20 in each of his last two seasons.

Santaguida basically misses his last two years with injuries, not his fault or Sneddon's....well, maybe junior year was on Sneddon because he rode Santa for like 15 games in a row before he got hurt, leaving him with two backups with zero NCAA exp.

[TovarishchLisa]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

Polesello ended up going back to college - U of Western Ontario not like many 5-7 guys were gonna make it out of OHL to me stuff like that says a lot kid knew he wasn't going to make much of a pro and left college anyway! Isn't the only one! Not only did Sneddon have kids who left once they showed but so many never showed! Connor Anthonie they got committed when was 14 - ended up at Geneseo that Anthony de Luca kid just went to QMJHL after he didn't want to spend a year in USHL on UVM insistantce which I know is hard to control with major junior but he would have been a great college player scored 91 points in a season and 43 points in 1 year at Concordia now playing overseas - point is that UVM recruiting is just signiing up as many guys as possible and then eeither telling the ones they don't want to take a hike before showing up or dicking around with their arrival date or bring them in a year then look for new shiney toys next year, it is not sustainable! Even with good classes because they develop nothing under it they max out the potential and it is all on coaching at that point from ID to development and why fresh blood is needed!

Also Faust might not have played but he left due to a very embarassing off ice situation that wasn't entirely his fault but resulted in a UVM employee getting fired! Sadly lots of that going around the program these days!!

PS just so people don't think I'm a full hater I was happy to get a W the other night big series coming up!

Also re overrecruitment...UVM has had like 3 guys commit this week

[pokecheckguy2]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

Also re overrecruitment...UVM has had like 3 guys commit this week

I know! I see it online and read about each one but its like they are spending more time getting new kids they think will fix the mess they are in over solving it! If getting the most commitments counted in the standings UVM would win every year but it does not! Not sure how many guys they are telling to come in this year but with we all already know it will mean more additions to your list of people who don't return!

[catmandoo]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

Since 2013-14, this is a list of players who left UVM early:

Caylen Walls (CeHL - league now defunct)
Rob Polesello (OHL)
Kyle Mountain (Omaha)
Mike Stenerson (U of British Columbia)
Brody Hoffman (NHL - now playing in some senior league I've never heard of)
Ori Abramson (seems to be pursuing a career outside hockey)
Mitch Ferguson (SUNY-Geneseo, D3)
Kevin Irwin (no clue what he's up to, although he is still at UVM)
Packy Munson (Michigan Tech)
Mike Lee (Sacred Heart)
Jake Kearley (UNLV - ACHA)
Tyler Gernhofer (went back to the NAHL, then seems to have retired, he's now an assistant coach)
Max Daigle (McGill - USports)
Cam Klein (NYU - ACHA)

This is in just five years...

There are way more than that. Its up near 30 since Sneddon got here. There is not other program anywhere close and just wait until next year....

[TovarishchLisa]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

There are way more than that. Its up near 30 since Sneddon got here. There is not other program anywhere close and just wait until next year....

I didn't include recruits who never got here such as Jacob Kamps, but that's mostly because I can't track that as easily.

[VTALUM]

I didn't include recruits who never got here such as Jacob Kamps, but that's mostly because I can't track that as easily.

I honestly don’t see the lack of success as a talent issue. It’s guidance, systems, line cohesion, etc. However they’re doing it, we are landing some great recruits. It’s the on-ice development once they’re here which is falling short.