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Brown Bears 2010 - 2011: Coming of the Second Dawn

Re: Brown Bears 2010 - 2011: Coming of the Second Dawn

This recent "where are they now" note in the Concord news worth sharing here

Thanks for the link! Nice to hear Tara is doing well. I still remember the excruciating moment when Ruggiero took her out with a busted knee in a home game against Harvard at Meehan. I nearly cried! Tara played again after rehab but IMO was never again quite as fearless and fast as before that terrible injury.
 
Re: Brown Bears 2010 - 2011: Coming of the Second Dawn

She was Harry Z before there was a Harry Z. I agree with your comments on Tara. I always thought she could have played for the Men's team when she was at Brown.

Who is Harry Z ?
 
Re: Brown Bears 2010 - 2011: Coming of the Second Dawn

HockeyDad, the answer to why some of these girls are benched remains elusive. It's been Digit's MO for a couple of seasons now but if you ask "why", you will surely never play again. That's one of the main problems over the past 2 seasons: too many good players are left out. We have a wealth of talent and spirit but they are not being allowed to maximize their potential. IMHO, this just adds to - or shall I say "detracts from" - the morale of the team as a whole. Last night's game personified that. We could have easily beaten Union yesterday but, instead, the powers-that-be chose to let them lose rather than shake up the bench. I'm not even going to use the word "coach" anymore because that word denotes leadership. I just don't see that. It's sad when you hear how excited the girls get when you remind them they only have 5 games left. Something wrong with this picture?

The team has been shut out 10 times this year. I don't see that as coaching. I see that as girls that aren't getting the job done either on offense or on defense. As soon as you start to say that "the good players" aren't dressing, it gives the girls an excuse to blame someone else rather than their poor play. I highly doubt that Digit is purposely not dressing players that could supposedly help her team. It is sad that the girls are happy that there are only a few games left to play but it's even more sad to pity a group of girls that aren't playing up to their potential.
 
Re: Brown Bears 2010 - 2011: Coming of the Second Dawn

The team has been shut out 10 times this year. I don't see that as coaching. I see that as girls that aren't getting the job done either on offense or on defense. As soon as you start to say that "the good players" aren't dressing, it gives the girls an excuse to blame someone else rather than their poor play. I highly doubt that Digit is purposely not dressing players that could supposedly help her team. It is sad that the girls are happy that there are only a few games left to play but it's even more sad to pity a group of girls that aren't playing up to their potential.

Just out of curiosity, how many games have you watched this year?

The players have actually been playing very well. Just because they can't coach themselves doesn't mean they're not playing up to their potential.
 
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Re: Brown Bears 2010 - 2011: Coming of the Second Dawn

Just out of curiosity, how many games have you watched this year?

The players have actually been playing very well. Just because they can't coach themselves doesn't mean they're not playing up to their potential.

I was going to say the exact same thing. In fact, most of the team critiques from the posters on the Brown forums have actually complimented the girls on their excellent performances. That leaves just one variable. Yup, the coaching! The team is there, now if they could just get a leader to pull it all together! Unfortunately, they've become the Ivy League equivalent to the Red Sox . . . you know... maybe next year!
 
Re: Brown Bears 2010 - 2011: Coming of the Second Dawn

I've had two conversations with different people recently that all help frame the problem. The first was with this woman in her mid-twenties who I met by chance at an airport sports bar where we were both waiting for connecting flights. She's a Brown alumna from Toronto who rowed crew. I shared with her a little of the current situation, and she made a couple of very interesting comments. First, she recalled that Brown seemed to always struggle to find top athletes partly due to their inability to compete with the other Ivies on financial aid, and also due to their rigid admission criteria. The latter isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if it's inconsistent at other schools, then you get what you get.

Her second comment had to do with Brown's relative place among other Ivies with regard to alumni networks. She said she's proud to hold a Brown sheepskin, but in her opinion, the Brown alumni network just isn't as strong or well connected as the other Ivies.

Her conclusion was that coaching aside, any student who has the AI to gain admission might have an even better opportunity at the other Ivies, with a stronger post graduate experience to look forward to. Ergo, competition even for Ivy athletes is tougher, let alone competing against the increased number of scholarship schools.

The second conversation was with a very successful youth coach here in the area. The question I asked him was, what do you make of the critics of Digit's coaching abililty? His answer was that it's irrelevant. he said, maybe she can coach, maybe she can't, but as long as there's unhappy players and parents there, they'll struggle to turn things around. His thought is that Brown should make a change even just as a good faith move among the players and prospects that Brown is looking to try a new approach.

My thoughts..... I think both of these opinions are valid, although I wonder what kind of individual they would have to find who could not simply paint a facade of change for a year or two, but really find a way to improve the program given the recruiting challenges that seem very, very real.
 
Re: Brown Bears 2010 - 2011: Coming of the Second Dawn

I've had two conversations with different people recently that all help frame the problem. The first was with this woman in her mid-twenties who I met by chance at an airport sports bar where we were both waiting for connecting flights. She's a Brown alumna from Toronto who rowed crew. I shared with her a little of the current situation, and she made a couple of very interesting comments. First, she recalled that Brown seemed to always struggle to find top athletes partly due to their inability to compete with the other Ivies on financial aid, and also due to their rigid admission criteria. The latter isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if it's inconsistent at other schools, then you get what you get.

Her second comment had to do with Brown's relative place among other Ivies with regard to alumni networks. She said she's proud to hold a Brown sheepskin, but in her opinion, the Brown alumni network just isn't as strong or well connected as the other Ivies.

Her conclusion was that coaching aside, any student who has the AI to gain admission might have an even better opportunity at the other Ivies, with a stronger post graduate experience to look forward to. Ergo, competition even for Ivy athletes is tougher, let alone competing against the increased number of scholarship schools.

The second conversation was with a very successful youth coach here in the area. The question I asked him was, what do you make of the critics of Digit's coaching abililty? His answer was that it's irrelevant. he said, maybe she can coach, maybe she can't, but as long as there's unhappy players and parents there, they'll struggle to turn things around. His thought is that Brown should make a change even just as a good faith move among the players and prospects that Brown is looking to try a new approach.

My thoughts..... I think both of these opinions are valid, although I wonder what kind of individual they would have to find who could not simply paint a facade of change for a year or two, but really find a way to improve the program given the recruiting challenges that seem very, very real.

I don’t think this athlete, in any way, was saying that these are appropriate reasons for why any program at Brown should be unsuccessful.

I’m only saying this because you said she rowed crew. Historically, and even recently, the crew team has always been nasty. They won their 4th national title in 6 years in 2008, making them the winningest program in NCAA Championship history.

So to me, it sounds like this athlete was probably blaming recruiting restrictions for falling short of a national title (which is understandable) not for being the team in dead last.
 
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Re: Brown Bears 2010 - 2011: Coming of the Second Dawn

My thoughts..... I think both of these opinions are valid, although I wonder what kind of individual they would have to find who could not simply paint a facade of change for a year or two, but really find a way to improve the program given the recruiting challenges that seem very, very real.

I don’t mean to disagree with everything you say either.

There’s definitely truth behind all of those things that athlete said and all the points that people have made on this forum about recruiting.

But FA or AI’s aren’t going to change. The only option a program really has to change things is hiring a coach that players would want to come to the school and play for.

Brown’s salary might not be the highest among D1 coaches. But there are still a lot of alumni and a lot of younger Olympians who would take the job in a second. And a lot of them would actually attract players to the school instead of having Digit Murphy deter them.



Sidenote – Looking at new coaches within the past 10 years or so the coaches that were able to be successful within the first year or two, either maintained that success or were able to build on it and are now at the top of the rankings (i.e. Cornell, Quinnipiac, Dartmouth, BC, BU, Uconn, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota).


So I think any good coach wouldn't "simply paint a facade of change for a year or two, but really find a way to improve the program". Which seems like the only thing the current coach is doing.
 
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Re: Brown Bears 2010 - 2011: Coming of the Second Dawn

I don’t mean to disagree with everything you say either.

There’s definitely truth behind all of those things that athlete said and all the points that people have made on this forum about recruiting.

But FA or AI’s aren’t going to change. The only option a program really has to change things is hiring a coach that players would want to come to the school and play for.

Brown’s salary might not be the highest among D1 coaches. But there are still a lot of alumni and a lot of younger Olympians who would take the job in a second. And a lot of them would actually attract players to the school instead of having Digit Murphy deter them.



Sidenote – Looking at new coaches within the past 10 years or so the coaches that were able to be successful within the first year or two, either maintained that success or were able to build on it and are now at the top of the rankings (i.e. Cornell, Quinnipiac, Dartmouth, BC, BU, Uconn, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota).


So I think any good coach wouldn't "simply paint a facade of change for a year or two, but really find a way to improve the program". Which seems like the only thing the current coach is doing.

I don't understand your last comment. Are you saying that the only thing that the current coach is doing is painting a facade of change for a year or two or really trying to find a way to improve the program?
 
Re: Brown Bears 2010 - 2011: Coming of the Second Dawn

I don't understand your last comment. Are you saying that the only thing that the current coach is doing is painting a facade of change for a year or two or really trying to find a way to improve the program?

I’m saying that it seems like the only thing that the current coach is doing is painting a facade of change for a year or two (which weren’t really my words).

The only changes that have been made lack logic. And the decisions just seem more like an act of desperation to not get fired than to actually improve how the team recruits, prepares, or how the team is generally run.
 
Re: Brown Bears 2010 - 2011: Coming of the Second Dawn

I’m saying that it seems like the only thing that the current coach is doing is painting a facade of change for a year or two (which weren’t really my words).

The only changes that have been made lack logic. And the decisions just seem more like an act of desperation to not get fired than to actually improve how the team recruits, prepares, or how the team is generally run.

Thank you for clarifying that.
 
Re: Brown Bears 2010 - 2011: Coming of the Second Dawn

Just out of curiosity, how many games have you watched this year?

The players have actually been playing very well. Just because they can't coach themselves doesn't mean they're not playing up to their potential.

I'm sure quotes like this are born out of years of frustration - or being too close to the program with a daughter or family friend playing. The girls may be 'playing very well' or 'giving it there all' every game - but the reality is that if your record is 2-22-3, you get shut out 10 times in one season, you lose a two game set to a D1 opponent 18-0.....it realistically means that overall you are just not good enough to compete.

You could drop Scotty Bowman or Jerry York behind the bench this year and things wouldn't change that dramatically if you can't even bounce one in off a D man's skate over 10 shutouts. Even being optimistic - maybe they improve the record by 50%! (4-17-6ish?).

That said - there are obviously a ton of components that go into running a successful college program that have been hashed/rehashed over here many times. I do agree that it seems like now is the time to try and recharge the program with the energy and enthusiasm that a new coach can bring to the program. The change on the men's side last year has certainly seemed to have done that for the players and alumni. Eventually, every coach outlasts their stay (look at the BU men's thread - they are calling for Parker to step down and he just won a national championship in '08!)
 
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Re: Brown Bears 2010 - 2011: Coming of the Second Dawn

I'm sure quotes like this are born out of years of frustration - or being too close to the program with a daughter or family friend playing. The girls may be 'playing very well' or 'giving it there all' every game - but the reality is that if your record is 2-22-3, you get shut out 10 times in one season, you lose a two game set to a D1 opponent 18-0.....it realistically means that overall you are just not good enough to compete.

You could drop Scotty Bowman or Jerry York behind the bench this year and things wouldn't change that dramatically if you can't even bounce one in off a D man's skate over 10 shutouts. Even being optimistic - maybe they improve the record by 50%! (4-17-6ish?).

That said - there are obviously a ton of components that go into running a successful college program that have been hashed/rehashed over here many times. I do agree that it seems like now is the time to try and recharge the program with the energy and enthusiasm that a new coach can bring to the program. The change on the men's side last year has certainly seemed to have done that for the players and alumni. Eventually, every coach outlasts their stay (look at the BU men's thread - they are calling for Parker to step down and he just won a national championship in '08!)

No, I agree with you. I don’t think all they need is a new coach and they’ll be a top team again. I was just giving a response to the comment that said,

“It is sad that the girls are happy that there are only a few games left to play but it's even more sad to pity a group of girls that aren't playing up to their potential.”

I just think it’s unfair to say that the players aren’t playing up to their potential. Individually they can make plays but from a team standpoint their power play and breakouts struggle. And it’s not that the players are making bad decisions with the puck, it’s more that no one is doing the right things off the puck to create anything.

So I blame coaching because it’s not a skill or a work ethic issue, it’s an issue of there being zero systematic play in place or direction being taught. Their games at times have almost kind of a high school vibe of take the puck and try to do things your self rather than incorporating everyone on the ice. Which if you’re not getting the best recruits, this probably isn’t most appropriate game plan for a coach.

I think ability wise they’re a very similar team to Yale, they even out shot them both games this year. And Yale is 8-16-3 and on the verge of making playoffs. (Not saying Brown would have those results with a new coach, but it would be a realistic possibility).
 
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Re: Brown Bears 2010 - 2011: Coming of the Second Dawn

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To all the digits haters!!!!! You win!!!! I can't take it anymore!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Re: Brown Bears 2010 - 2011: Coming of the Second Dawn

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To all the digits haters!!!!! You win!!!! I can't take it anymore!!!!!!!!!!!

First, UConn, get off your high horse. You and your ilk have used the term "haters" to detract from the real issue, which is the ineptitude of a coach who has clearly lost her ability to put together a cohesive, winning unit. There are no "winners" unless you're happy that the Brown women have lost the best years of their hockey careers trying trying to appease an autocratic coach who thinks she's an emperor. When you stop listening to reason, you become unreasonable. In a nutshell, that's what happened to Digit. All the respect is gone. You don't keep a coach who can't deliver results. It's not a good sell to prospective students and it reflects poorly on the administration. Let's see how they handle it.

Secondly, you've raised a red flag because you've finally had your epiphany. You, too, know what's wrong with the team. Just admit it and skip the dramatics.
 
Re: Brown Bears 2010 - 2011: Coming of the Second Dawn

A quick shout out to all the seniors, you played a great game today--especially Andover Alumnae Joy Joung! Best of luck to all the seniors that have represented Brown Hockey with grace and character.
 
Re: Brown Bears 2010 - 2011: Coming of the Second Dawn

A quick shout out to all the seniors, you played a great game today--especially Andover Alumnae Joy Joung! Best of luck to all the seniors that have represented Brown Hockey with grace and character.

The Bears should be very proud of their effort today - it was great to watch. Congratulations to Joy on an amazing game. Good luck to all the seniors.
 
Re: Brown Bears 2010 - 2011: Coming of the Second Dawn

The Bears should be very proud of their effort today - it was great to watch. Congratulations to Joy on an amazing game. Good luck to all the seniors.

Like to second your comments.

It was great to see the Brown squad play inspired hockey this weekend, in front of their fans during "Pink Day" on Friday and "Senior Day" on Saturday. Great crowds on hand for this weekend.

After a slow start against Princeton, they played a great and spirited brand of hockey in the second half of the game against Princeton and for the whole game against Quinnipiac. The players showed a lot of heart, determination and team camaraderie. A few bounces here or there and this weekend could have been two W's.

The team played with a lot of heart and emotion in front of their tender yesterday. The most poignant part was the ref turning the team away from an impromptu celebration at the end of the first period. While I understand he has to follow protocol, he clearly did not get it.

Most importantly, like to recognize all four seniors for their contributions to the Brown team over their four years. Congratulations to Jenna Dancewicz, Joy Joung, Erica Kromm and Samantha Stortini. You are all winners in my books. Good luck to all four in your future endeavors.

NBB.
 
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