Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

[kdiff77]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

My review of the junior class is posted over at the blog!

http://brownhockeyblog.blogspot.com/

You should all feel free (nay, encouraged! ) to start commenting over there, by the way.

The overview of the seniors is now posted, as well.

 

[Humanoid]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

So a high school recruit from Boston was committed to UNH and decomitted to come to the ECAC and play for Union. Huge coup since the kid (Vecchione) played top line at my alma mater high school for a Super 8 Champion. He played on the same line with the Townie kid who is now going to BU and a kid who committed to BC. This line was THE high school hockey line and these kids are uber-talented.

In the wake of the Roy thing, and I'm not trying to belabor the point, it appears that the EZAC really isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be!

Im not sayin' I'm just sayin'

 

[LTsatch]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

So a high school recruit from Boston was committed to UNH and decomitted to come to the ECAC and play for Union. Huge coup since the kid (Vecchione) played top line at my alma mater high school for a Super 8 Champion. He played on the same line with the Townie kid who is now going to BU and a kid who committed to BC. This line was THE high school hockey line and these kids are uber-talented.

In the wake of the Roy thing, and I'm not trying to belabor the point, it appears that the EZAC really isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be!

Im not sayin' I'm just sayin'

As with the Roy's he probably figured he would have a better chance to make a name for himself at UC than UNH. It's not like you do not know who you might be playing with 2-3 years out, Heisenbergs list is easy enough to find and if the school
you committed to is lacking in recruits for the next couple of years, it only makes business sense to jump ship. All about the Benjamins when it comes to D-One players making the pros. Some of these hot players may want to be a big fish in the
third ranked pond as well.

 

[Euler18]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

The overview of the seniors is now posted, as well.

Let me add two quick comments:

1. Frank Drolet may not be a flashy but he plays a solid role on the team. There's a good reason why he was picked as one of the alternate captains. His attitude and dedication sets a postive example for the younger players.

2. In my opinion Richie Crowley is a much more effective defenseman than he's given credit for.

 

[ADK11]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

So a high school recruit from Boston was committed to UNH and decomitted to come to the ECAC and play for Union. Huge coup since the kid (Vecchione) played top line at my alma mater high school for a Super 8 Champion. He played on the same line with the Townie kid who is now going to BU and a kid who committed to BC. This line was THE high school hockey line and these kids are uber-talented.

In the wake of the Roy thing, and I'm not trying to belabor the point, it appears that the EZAC really isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be!

Im not sayin' I'm just sayin'

I wouldn't read that much into this. Sounds to me like UNH might have dropped the ball a bit on they handled Vecchione and that he still very much wanted a HE school. My take is that Union was in the right place at the right time (i.e. coming off a F4 appearance) and no other HE school had a good enough package to offer. This still doesn't negate that HE has a big advantage over ECAC in the recruiting wars these days by having won 4 of the last 5 NCs. Union lost a top foward recruit to Providence last season when Leaman left, Princeton lost a recruit last season (to Michigan) that many thought would be the best freshman in the league, and now the Roy situation. ECAC is still seen as a second fiddle mid-major by many recruits, especially when the pros draft them and HE, etc. come calling.

As for Brown, Whittet still has a very good class coming in the fall and the program as a whole is on the upswing. Roy is an unfortunate loss but one player is not going to make or break a program. Speed and skill level of the team continue to improve and when Bruno gets more depth in these areas, you'll see better and more consistent results.

 

[kdiff77]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

Let me add two quick comments:

1. Frank Drolet may not be a flashy but he plays a solid role on the team. There's a good reason why he was picked as one of the alternate captains. His attitude and dedication sets a postive example for the younger players.

2. In my opinion Richie Crowley is a much more effective defenseman than he's given credit for.

I agree on both accounts.

I would imagine that Drolet's locker room influence is positive, as he's always been a hard worker. He's shown flashes of being an effective forward, but has struggled to maintain any sort of consistency.

Crowley is top pair quality, but due to the great chemistry that Wahl and Robertson have had since day one, he's been relegated to the second pairing. It's no disservice to his quality that he hasn't been able to be one of our top guys. As I said in the post, I would trust him completely if either Wahl or Robertson was out for an extended period of time. He's developed really nicely over the past three seasons.

 

[Pierre LaRondelle]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

On August 15 I sat down with Kevin Roy at "La Bêtise," his family's mansion on the outskirts of Lac Beauport, PQ. Here are some excerpts from our conversation. For the full interview go to http://www.lesidiotsdebeauport.com


Pierre: You stated in a previous interview that you were looking for a university that would offer you "more stuff" than Brown. What's the stuff Northeastern provides?

Kevin: Let's start with Matthews Arena. It's a sparkling building with terrific sightlines. The mousetraps have been replaced and are all brand new. It now has semi-working toilets and tepid water in the showers. I'm proud to be a dog, I mean a husky -- whatever.


Pierre: Do you have any qualms about depriving your brother of a Brown education? He was reportedly in tears when he called Coach Whittet with your family's decision.

Kevin: In every chess game there are eight pawns but only one king.


Pierre: Northeastern is perceived as number 4 in the Boston area, both in terms of academics and hockey. Why did you pick Northeastern rather than BU, BC or Harvard?

Kevin: Northeastern hockey is outstanding. It has a great tradition of players who went on to excel in the East Coast Hockey League. So, I don't buy the argument that Northeastern hockey is number 4. Maybe 3.5, but definitely not 4. Academically, I don't care where it's ranked though I heard it cracked the top 500 nationally last year. Isn't that what Fortune magazine reported? Maybe I'm confused.


Pierre: How committed are you to helping bring a rare championship to Northeastern?

Kevin: I'm as committed as ever, except if a better opportunity comes up.


Pierre: Describe your relationship with the Northeastern coaching staff.

Kevin: Coaches Madigan and Keefe are class acts. Those questionable recruiting practices under Coach Cronin are history. The current coaching staff behaves in a thoroughly honorable, respectful and ethical manner towards their recruits and their fellow coaches at other institutions. Coach Keefe recruited me when he was the top assistant at Brown. He's been instrumental in making me realize how terrible Brown would have been for me since I'm allergic to ivy. He's pointed out all the stuff that Northeastern could offer me instead.


Pierre: What is this "stuff" that you keep talking about?

Kevin: It's just stuff. Northeastern offers great stuff.

☺

Born in Lachine, PQ,, Pierre LaRondelle lives in Montreal with his wife, Marie-Chandail, and their son, Jean-Echec. He specializes in interviews with hockey personalities and other hockey people who think they have a personality. His favorite writers are Petronius, Voltaire, Swift, Twain, and Orwell. He intends to keep on contributing to this thread as long as his posting privileges aren't revoked by a humorless forum administrator.

 

[SkinsFan09]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

I mean the effort was there but it wasn't funny...at all. Not offensive, just not funny. The sooner you move on from Roy the better like others have said. That's what we did with Gaudreau, it is what it is.

 

[Mike Hutter]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

Kdiff:

Good stuff on your blog. I have a feeling that Lorito is ready for a break-out season and may be the Volpatti, Harry Z Jack M the Coach has been able to put on the ice. Last year, his late start delayed his adjustment to college hockey. By the end of the year he was showing some really good hockey skills. The question will be who does Coach use as his linemates - Jacobson, one of the incoming frosh? I would also add that I would like to see Jimmy Siers be given more playing time, perhaps as a Dman. The few times I saw him I liked his hustle and vision. True, he makes mistakes and Coach yanks him immediately. But he brings some toughness and with confidence he could be that second or third line Dman.

 

[Humanoid]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

I mean the effort was there but it wasn't funny...at all. Not offensive, just not funny. The sooner you move on from Roy the better like others have said. That's what we did with Gaudreau, it is what it is.

Oh believe me, when the season starts, Brunonia will have moved on. But this is a major lull in the season, and as much as nobody wants to admit it, this is going to linger. Northeastern's Gaudreau situation was completely different because Cronin left at a time when they needed to replace a head coach and the program's immediate future was in question. He also left because BOSTON COLLEGE came calling, and last time I checked, Northeastern hadn't won 2 national championships (now 3) in the past 6 six years. And I don't care who you are, if BC calls, you usually answer.

The Roy incident is a major issue because it highlights everything that's totally wrong with the way other schools treat the Ivies. The Ivies don't have LOIs, which means it's open recruitment season essentially all year until a freshman sets foot on campus. This could have reverberations in other recruitments for Brown, since they lost not one but two recruits this close tot he start of the school year. And it essentially tells a recruit, "Hey commit to an Ivy just to have it in you rback pocket, but when someone comes calling, you can always just leave."

It's not about Jerry Keefe, although he clearly was an instrument in this issue. He did what he had to do, and I can't fault him, even though it's clearly not what I would've done in the world of ethical recruitment. And when the season starts, we'll focus on what's happening with the current Brown Bears who are honoring their university by wearing their school proudly while studying (does that 1000 APR count for anything? I think it does since Brown was the only school to have it with BOTH men's and women's teams).

No. This is about something more. It's about Northeastern poaching someone from the little guy. It's about not honoring a commitment, and it's about a loophole in the rules that let all this happen. It's not the same as Gaudreau. Not even close. And NU clearly will get other recruits of a high caliber. This could've been a recruit that changed the game at Brown. Now they'll just have to do it differently.

Come October, you'll see a different attitude. But Brunonians are allowed to be hopping mad about what exactly happened and the fact that we'll probably never really know about the gladhanding and backroom politics of recruiting against the Ivy League.

 

[SkinsFan09]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

Oh believe me, when the season starts, Brunonia will have moved on. But this is a major lull in the season, and as much as nobody wants to admit it, this is going to linger. Northeastern's Gaudreau situation was completely different because Cronin left at a time when they needed to replace a head coach and the program's immediate future was in question. He also left because BOSTON COLLEGE came calling, and last time I checked, Northeastern hadn't won 2 national championships (now 3) in the past 6 six years. And I don't care who you are, if BC calls, you usually answer.

The Roy incident is a major issue because it highlights everything that's totally wrong with the way other schools treat the Ivies. The Ivies don't have LOIs, which means it's open recruitment season essentially all year until a freshman sets foot on campus. This could have reverberations in other recruitments for Brown, since they lost not one but two recruits this close tot he start of the school year. And it essentially tells a recruit, "Hey commit to an Ivy just to have it in you rback pocket, but when someone comes calling, you can always just leave."

It's not about Jerry Keefe, although he clearly was an instrument in this issue. He did what he had to do, and I can't fault him, even though it's clearly not what I would've done in the world of ethical recruitment. And when the season starts, we'll focus on what's happening with the current Brown Bears who are honoring their university by wearing their school proudly while studying (does that 1000 APR count for anything? I think it does since Brown was the only school to have it with BOTH men's and women's teams).

No. This is about something more. It's about Northeastern poaching someone from the little guy. It's about not honoring a commitment, and it's about a loophole in the rules that let all this happen. It's not the same as Gaudreau. Not even close. And NU clearly will get other recruits of a high caliber. This could've been a recruit that changed the game at Brown. Now they'll just have to do it differently.

Come October, you'll see a different attitude. But Brunonians are allowed to be hopping mad about what exactly happened and the fact that we'll probably never really know about the gladhanding and backroom politics of recruiting against the Ivy League.

I'm not saying they are the same situation but just that on principle, it's better to move on. And we are the little guy also. Not like NU is winning titles or even Beanpots or making the HE playoffs consistently. That said, as I said earlier, the date at which this was done was not noble to say the least. If this is what he really wanted to do he should've broke ties when Brown had more time to bring in replacements and prepare.

The Ivies have proven to be able to get good recruits. Kerfoot just picked Harvard over BC for example. Why does the Ivy League not use LOI's by the way?

 

[kdiff77]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

Kdiff:

Good stuff on your blog. I have a feeling that Lorito is ready for a break-out season and may be the Volpatti, Harry Z Jack M the Coach has been able to put on the ice. Last year, his late start delayed his adjustment to college hockey. By the end of the year he was showing some really good hockey skills. The question will be who does Coach use as his linemates - Jacobson, one of the incoming frosh? I would also add that I would like to see Jimmy Siers be given more playing time, perhaps as a Dman. The few times I saw him I liked his hustle and vision. True, he makes mistakes and Coach yanks him immediately. But he brings some toughness and with confidence he could be that second or third line Dman.

Thanks! I've been astonished by the amount of hits it's been getting already. Most are from this thread, in fact (Blogger allows you to track the origin of your traffic). I can't wait to see what happens when it's actually hockey season!

I agree about Lorito, though he's definitely more like Jack Mac than he is like Harry or Volpatti, in that he isn't very physical or much of an instigator. But he's probably the best talent we have on the roster, so it'll be really fun to watch him grow. You're right, this could very well become HIS team for the next few years.

 

[Euler18]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

Why does the Ivy League not use LOI's by the way?

The National of Intent is an agreement about athletic scholarships. The text of the letter specifically states: "At the time I sign this NLI, I must receive a written offer of athletics financial aid." There's no such thing as "athletics financial aid" in the Ivy League.

Every student admitted to an Ivy League university must, however, return a card (this is done electronically nowadays) confirming that s/he accepts the offer of admission and, if applicable, financial aid, and will attend that university. Furthermore, students who are accepted to Brown under the Early Decision plan (which is allegedly the case with the Roys) must return a card stating that they're withdrawing any other college applications. At the end of the day it's a matter of what one's values are and of how much one's word is worth. We don't have to belabor these points regarding the Roys as we certainly know the answer.

Admissions officers and coaching staffs at every college and university in the United States are aware of these contracts, and if they pursue students, athletes or non-athletes, who have pledged to attend another institution, they know exactly what agreements are being violated.

 

[kdiff77]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

Correct me if I'm wrong, Euler (or anyone), but isn't Early Decision a binding contract? If you are accepted to the school, aren't you legally obligated to attend said school unless you can prove some sort of financial shortcoming? That is my understanding of Early Decision, though I admit I am not familiar with the specific language.

My point is, how are the Roys getting away with this? It should literally be illegal for them to not attend Brown. I actually don't want them on the team any more because they seem like brats (well, Kevin does, anyway), but if my comprehension of the rules is accurate, they shouldn't have even been able to think about attending a different school, since they were Early Decision.

 

[Humanoid]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

Thanks! I've been astonished by the amount of hits it's been getting already. Most are from this thread, in fact (Blogger allows you to track the origin of your traffic). I can't wait to see what happens when it's actually hockey season!

I agree about Lorito, though he's definitely more like Jack Mac than he is like Harry or Volpatti, in that he isn't very physical or much of an instigator. But he's probably the best talent we have on the roster, so it'll be really fun to watch him grow. You're right, this could very well become HIS team for the next few years.

Maybe it's me, but I don't think Lorito is the type of power forward like Volpatti. Volpatti used to get called for penalties because his hits sounded[ really bad. He'd miss a check, but the glass would rattle and it would echo very loudly. That would result in 2 minutes for roughing, even though he missed.

 

[bothman]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

Correct me if I'm wrong, Euler (or anyone), but isn't Early Decision a binding contract? If you are accepted to the school, aren't you legally obligated to attend said school unless you can prove some sort of financial shortcoming? That is my understanding of Early Decision, though I admit I am not familiar with the specific language.

My point is, how are the Roys getting away with this? It should literally be illegal for them to not attend Brown. I actually don't want them on the team any more because they seem like brats (well, Kevin does, anyway), but if my comprehension of the rules is accurate, they shouldn't have even been able to think about attending a different school, since they were Early Decision.

]

Guys, how about some perspective. This is a teenager we are talking about. Not some middle-aged 40 year old. Teenagers make short-sighted decisions, they change their minds, they do all sorts of things they would never do once they undergo the life experiences and the subsequent learnings that come with time and age.

This absolutely stinks for Brown. And if this happened to the school I follow, I'd be PO'd as well. But let's flip the switch here for a second. If Roy was your kid, and he had a change of heart about the next 4 years of his life, would your answer be "Tough break kid?"

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

]

Guys, how about some perspective. This is a teenager we are talking about. Not some middle-aged 40 year old. Teenagers make short-sighted decisions, they change their minds, they do all sorts of things they would never do once they undergo the life experiences and the subsequent learnings that come with time and age.

This absolutely stinks for Brown. And if this happened to the school I follow, I'd be PO'd as well. But let's flip the switch here for a second. If Roy was your kid, and he had a change of heart about the next 4 years of his life, would your answer be "Tough break kid?"

Good take Bothman. Last time I checked, this was still America, where people have the right to change their mind. Does his decision suck for Bruno? Sure does. Should he be trashed for doing so? Nope.

 

[LynahFan]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

The Roy incident is a major issue because it highlights everything that's totally wrong with the way other schools treat the Ivies. The Ivies don't have LOIs, which means it's open recruitment season essentially all year until a freshman sets foot on campus. This could have reverberations in other recruitments for Brown, since they lost not one but two recruits this close tot he start of the school year. And it essentially tells a recruit, "Hey commit to an Ivy just to have it in you rback pocket, but when someone comes calling, you can always just leave."

This has been the case ever since LOIs came into use in 1964. If this is happening more frequently than is has been in the past (is it?) then what has changed? If this were happening frequently at Cornell, one thing I would definitely question is whether the coaching staff were targeting the wrong recruits. Since before Ned Harkness and Bill Cleary, it has been part of an Ivy coach's job to identify kids that can not only play hockey but also appreciate the opportunity for an Ivy education. Other schools can attempt to poach all they like, but it is ultimately the recruit's decision, so Ivy coaches need to figure out how to weed those guys out during the recruiting process. I'm not saying this is what went on in this case, but if an Ivy ever got "greedy" in trying to recruit better players who are less interested in the education, then part of the fault would lie with them.

Correct me if I'm wrong, Euler (or anyone), but isn't Early Decision a binding contract? If you are accepted to the school, aren't you legally obligated to attend said school unless you can prove some sort of financial shortcoming? That is my understanding of Early Decision, though I admit I am not familiar with the specific language.

I've been curious about this in the past, so I've done a little digging. As I recall, there's really no binding "contract" (in the legal sense) involved in Early Decision. The only way that theory would ever be tested, of course, is if a school actually did try to sue a student who declined to attend, so that a judge would rule whether the student owed the school any damages for breaking a contract. This will pretty clearly never happen, as no school would ever want to get the reputation as the school who sues high schoolers. If you choose not to go to a school that accepted you Early Decision, you definitely will not owe them a year's tuition. Where Early Decision gets its teeth is in enforcement by other schools. There have been cases where a student was accepted Early Decision at school A, but did not withdraw his application from school B. He was accepted to B and told them that he would like to enroll. Well, School B found out about School A, B informed A, and both schools rescinded their acceptances, so the kid suddenly had no college to attend at all. So it basically comes down to a gentlemen's agreement between the schools to respect each other's Early Decision programs. Again, if a school gets a reputation for not respecting other schools' programs, then everyone else would stop respecting THEIRS, so they all hold each other in check.

 

[Onion Man]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

Saw Brown was a finalist for NH star JD Dudek (who committed to Boston College recently). I know it doesn't mean much but I guess its comforting to see Brown in the list of schools these top kids are considering now.

 

[Euler18]

Re: Brown Hockey 2012-2013:Climbing the ECAC Ladder

Correct me if I'm wrong, Euler (or anyone), but isn't Early Decision a binding contract? If you are accepted to the school, aren't you legally obligated to attend said school unless you can prove some sort of financial shortcoming? That is my understanding of Early Decision, though I admit I am not familiar with the specific language.

My point is, how are the Roys getting away with this? It should literally be illegal for them to not attend Brown. I actually don't want them on the team any more because they seem like brats (well, Kevin does, anyway), but if my comprehension of the rules is accurate, they shouldn't have even been able to think about attending a different school, since they were Early Decision.

Brown turns down more than 25,000 qualified applicants every year, including hundreds of valedictorians. This year the yield (the percentage of admitted students who commit to Brown) was much higher than the admissions office expected. Therefore, I'm sure Brown is happy to have a few students go elsewhere. And if by going elsewhere, they free up some financial aid funds, it's even better!