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Does Brown care about women's hockey?

I

irishbridie49

New member
Another long weekend for the lady bears. The girls dropped 2 again this weekend but that's not what irks me. The headline on Brown's website read as follows (verbatim):

"Polenska Scores Third of Season, But Bears Fall 5-1 to Yale"

The problem is, they played Harvard, not Yale. This is getting ridiculous and I'm not confident that Brown's problems aren't manufactured by the AD or some other higher ups to sabotage the women's team. This isn't making any sense. You toss out good players, you don't name any captains, you can't even buy a win yet everyone's all good with that. SOMETHING IS WRONG and you don't need to be a Hockey Magnate to recognize that. I sure hope they're reading this forum because someone needs to step up before it's too late to stop the team's complete demise. This is a step backward for women's hockey and it's all being engineered against a team that fought so hard to be where it once was.
 
Re: Does Brown care about women's hockey?

What Brookyone said, and I wouldn't equate a typo by the SID office to an anti-hockey program conspiracy.
 
Re: Does Brown care about women's hockey?

irishbridie49 said:
Another long weekend for the lady bears. The girls dropped 2 again this weekend but that's not what irks me. The headline on Brown's website read as follows (verbatim):

"Polenska Scores Third of Season, But Bears Fall 5-1 to Yale"

The problem is, they played Harvard, not Yale. This is getting ridiculous and I'm not confident that Brown's problems aren't manufactured by the AD or some other higher ups to sabotage the women's team. This isn't making any sense. You toss out good players, you don't name any captains, you can't even buy a win yet everyone's all good with that. SOMETHING IS WRONG and you don't need to be a Hockey Magnate to recognize that. I sure hope they're reading this forum because someone needs to step up before it's too late to stop the team's complete demise. This is a step backward for women's hockey and it's all being engineered against a team that fought so hard to be where it once was.
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I suspect the headline error was an honest mistake by one the sports information staff writers as the men's team played Yale at home tonight and more than likely the same individual covered both games.

I did watch the game on the internet today and according to the on-air talent, Brown rotated only three defensive players in both games while rarely including Alexandra Piersiak in the rotation. That can't be right, right?

Also, junior Samantha Stortini, Defense and Skyer Siwak, D, Sophomore were not listed on the Brown stats sheet. Are they okay?
 
Re: Does Brown care about women's hockey?

BrownParent: Did Piersak get any playing time? I believe Coady's been in charge of defense. Digit apparently listens to him, though, because this is what he did last season too and it wasn't a successful strategy then either. The results this season show that Digit's not running the team, Coady is. Last season, he left 3 good defensemen on the bench, Cedorchuk, Winship and Small. He could've used them last year and he certainly needs them this year, but they're all gone!. Good call, Head Coach Coady! Excuse me, that was a typo. I meant Head Coach Murphy.
 
Re: Does Brown care about women's hockey?

BlackWidow said:
BrownParent: Did Piersak get any playing time? I believe Coady's been in charge of defense. Digit apparently listens to him, though, because this is what he did last season too and it wasn't a successful strategy then either. The results this season show that Digit's not running the team, Coady is. Last season, he left 3 good defensemen on the bench, Cedorchuk, Winship and Small. He could've used them last year and he certainly needs them this year, but they're all gone!. Good call, Head Coach Coady! Excuse me, that was a typo. I meant Head Coach Murphy.
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I believe I heard the announcers say that she did get some shifts as did Victoria Smith. The video quality wasn't very good and it was difficult for me to read the numbers on the jerseys so I had to rely on what the announcers said during the game.
 
Re: Does Brown care about women's hockey?

Brown Parent said:
I believe I heard the announcers say that she did get some shifts as did Victoria Smith. The video quality wasn't very good and it was difficult for me to read the numbers on the jerseys so I had to rely on what the announcers said during the game.
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Thanks! I can totally relate to the poor video quality.
 
Re: Does Brown care about women's hockey?

I am not a Brown person but I am also offended that Brown would confuse Harvard with Yale. My user name might provide a clue why. :D ;)

Seriously though, I have been following Ivy/ECAC women's hockey closely since 1987. At that time Brown seemed quite strong, at least from the point of view of a Harvard fan.

I was very disappointed though with Brown in the early 2000's. A neighbor and close friend of my son went to Brown. She is one of the most athletic kids I know, great hockey player and captain of both soccer and hockey at her prep school. She was really looking forward to college hockey at Brown. When she got to Brown she was faced with severe bullying from older players and the coach was no help. She actually thought the coach was encouraging the bullying for reasons she did not understand. She made the very sensible decision to bail out from hockey and concentrate on her studies. I was sorry to see a nice kid and enthusiastic athlete do this but agreed with her it was the right decision. If a coach cannot keep talented kids in the program it does not speak well for the coach or the program (in my humble opinion)
 
Re: Does Brown care about women's hockey?

Veritas said:
I am not a Brown person but I am also offended that Brown would confuse Harvard with Yale. My user name might provide a clue why. :D ;)

Seriously though, I have been following Ivy/ECAC women's hockey closely since 1987. At that time Brown seemed quite strong, at least from the point of view of a Harvard fan.

I was very disappointed though with Brown in the early 2000's. A neighbor and close friend of my son went to Brown. She is one of the most athletic kids I know, great hockey player and captain of both soccer and hockey at her prep school. She was really looking forward to college hockey at Brown. When she got to Brown she was faced with severe bullying from older players and the coach was no help. She actually thought the coach was encouraging the bullying for reasons she did not understand. She made the very sensible decision to bail out from hockey and concentrate on her studies. I was sorry to see a nice kid and enthusiastic athlete do this but agreed with her it was the right decision. If a coach cannot keep talented kids in the program it does not speak well for the coach or the program (in my humble opinion)
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Veritas: You should be offended as the Harvard Girls played well and deserve the appropriate headline. That "innocent mistake" epitomizes what the girls on the home team have been going through this season. Morale is low/absent (no, not because of this forum). The locker room is described as "agonizing" by some of the kids and the coaching staff doesn't appear to be undergoing a renaissance. I'd be shocked if this team is intact at season's end without some serious shakeups from the top on down.

Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! You, too, Hux.
 
Re: Does Brown care about women's hockey?

"Friends and former teammates of my both of my D's play at Brown. It saddens me to see all this negativity. You should help build the team rather than break it down and tear it appart" From an anonymous messenger

I'd like to respond in the nicest possible way. I want this team to be built up so badly for the sake of my own D and all her friends and teammates who are having a miserable season. No, losing a hockey game - or all of them for that matter - isn't the driving force behind the negativity. It's the fact that the kids know that there are internal problems but if they speak up, they'll be exiled - just ask the kids who are gone. I have concerns for both the kids who are there and the kids who SHOULD be there so, anonymous poster, I AM trying to build up the team - the whole team. Why would that matter to me, you might ask? When my D tried out, she was lured by the talented team members that were there and whom the head coach bragged about. Suddenly, D is on the team and those stars are gone.
 
Re: Does Brown care about women's hockey?

College hockey should be a 'once in a lifetime' experience....four years in a row. Clearly that is not happening for this group of student/athletes. Just as clearly, it is not because of bloggers. Those who rose to the defense of Brown's administration earlier in this thread may want to think about using that obvious passion to fix the actual cause of this unfortunate situation.
 
Re: Does Brown care about women's hockey?

ccookie79 said:
"Friends and former teammates of my both of my D's play at Brown. It saddens me to see all this negativity. You should help build the team rather than break it down and tear it appart" From an anonymous messenger

I'd like to respond in the nicest possible way. I want this team to be built up so badly for the sake of my own D and all her friends and teammates who are having a miserable season. No, losing a hockey game - or all of them for that matter - isn't the driving force behind the negativity. It's the fact that the kids know that there are internal problems but if they speak up, they'll be exiled - just ask the kids who are gone. I have concerns for both the kids who are there and the kids who SHOULD be there so, anonymous poster, I AM trying to build up the team - the whole team. Why would that matter to me, you might ask? When my D tried out, she was lured by the talented team members that were there and whom the head coach bragged about. Suddenly, D is on the team and those stars are gone.
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ccookie79, thankfully some common sense. Everyone knows that all those kids can't be wrong. Is it Digit? Is it Coady? Are those two a tag team to dismantle Brown Women's Hockey? That's a rhetorical question, of course, but the results are very real. The team is hurting and could use a serious dose of intervention. Clearly the AD and those above and below him don't want to get involved but what will it take to save this team? Or can it be saved? I hope so. For these girls (including the ones that are now watching from the stands) this could be a premature end to their careers. That's the sad reality and nobody cares.
 
Re: Does Brown care about women's hockey?

Another message from the poster who's afraid to use his/her name: "Nobody ever built a team by tearing down the coach. You are an idiot."

No, I am not an idiot and I am also not blinded by the false deity that some of you choose to canonize. The coach IS the problem obviously. I am not tearing down the coach. I don't have to do that; she and he are both doing a great job all by themselves. I am supporting the people who make the team a success - THE PLAYERS, all of them! And yes I include the ones who should be on the team but now sit on the sidelines and watch their team disintegrate because coaches don't want kids on the team who are smarter than they are. Nuff said?
 
Re: Does Brown care about women's hockey?

Pops Ryan said:
College hockey should be a 'once in a lifetime' experience....four years in a row. Clearly that is not happening for this group of student/athletes. Just as clearly, it is not because of bloggers. Those who rose to the defense of Brown's administration earlier in this thread may want to think about using that obvious passion to fix the actual cause of this unfortunate situation.
Click to expand...

You are so right. This should be a "once in a lifetime experience". It should never be about the coaches. Hopefully, the current team is able to salvage the final years of their hockey careers - here or elsewhere - but it should always be about the players.
 
Re: Does Brown care about women's hockey?

Ron Tommassoni had the same problem at Harvard with the men's team. Near the end of his tenure, players left the team and others who really loved hockey chose to play JV rather than quit altogether. He actually called team captain Craig Adams before the '99 season to tell him that if any player on the team questioned his authority or went behind his back, that player would be kicked off the team. Nice way to start a season.

Needless to say, Tommasoni soon left and was replaced by Mark Mazzoleni. What got the administration's attention was a concerted effort by alums, former players and fans who wrote to the AD and detailed all of the problems rather than making it an emotional issue. I think that if parents, former players, and alums got together and identified the issues and problems without making it emotional, the administration might listen and do something.

No student athlete should be subjected to a negative situation either in the classroom or on the athletic field. If the coaches are creating this meltdown, something should be done immediately to prevent a complete breakdown of the program.

Has anyone thought to contact Tara Mounsey, Kim Insalaco and other former players to get their input? Perhaps they can help assist the administration in resolving this situation.
 
Re: Does Brown care about women's hockey?

Let me ask you guys a question: When all the pro teams have 2 or 3 bad years, do they ever get rid of the players? Nope! The coach is shown the door. If I can keep some of these kids on the team that deserve to be there, then I'll take all the red this board has to offer. Someone needs to give a voice to the voiceless.
 
Re: Does Brown care about women's hockey?

Skate79 said:
Ron Tommassoni had the same problem at Harvard with the men's team. Near the end of his tenure, players left the team and others who really loved hockey chose to play JV rather than quit altogether. He actually called team captain Craig Adams before the '99 season to tell him that if any player on the team questioned his authority or went behind his back, that player would be kicked off the team. Nice way to start a season.

Needless to say, Tommasoni soon left and was replaced by Mark Mazzoleni. What got the administration's attention was a concerted effort by alums, former players and fans who wrote to the AD and detailed all of the problems rather than making it an emotional issue. I think that if parents, former players, and alums got together and identified the issues and problems without making it emotional, the administration might listen and do something.

No student athlete should be subjected to a negative situation either in the classroom or on the athletic field. If the coaches are creating this meltdown, something should be done immediately to prevent a complete breakdown of the program.

Has anyone thought to contact Tara Mounsey, Kim Insalaco and other former players to get their input? Perhaps they can help assist the administration in resolving this situation.
Click to expand...

Skate79: Your suggestion is worthy of a follow up. I did learn that during the alumni game last year, hardly any alums showed up. I'm not sure if geography or apathy played a part in that but it'd be nice to see if this thing can be turned around. Women who make it this far in hockey have made huge sacrifices to get where they are. It'd be a shame for any of them to be forced into an unceremonious exit this late in their careers.
 
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