LSSU hockey 2013-14

[Bill]

Re: LSSU hockey 2013-14

What changes can be made to improve the Laker hockey experience this coming year?

Tough question. Aside from the Norris Center improvements (assuming they occur), I'm not sure what other "changes" can be made that will improve the hockey experience next season. The easy answer is win more games, but that's more of an issue of hope than an expectation of change.

There's not a lot of scoring coming back; mainly Radke, Ciotti and Perfetto. We can hope for continued improvement from those three guys. We can hope that some of the other returning players make significant improvements to their game, particularly on the scoreboard. We can hope that one or more of the incoming recruits make significant contributions to our scoring. We can hope that goaltending and defense will be better than this past season; those should be our strengths, as they should have been this past season although they weren't up to expectations. We can hope for more consistent play night in and night out. We can hope that the team gets stronger as the season progresses rather than go into another late season slump.

The new league may bring in more fans to see some different teams and possibly may be a positive change. Then again perhaps a lot of fans will stay away since UM and MSU will no longer be coming to town. Plus a lot of fans are losing interest because of the continuing failure to produce winning teams. You folks in the Soo probably have a better feel for what might happen to attendance next season. But the new league is definitely a big change, however it shakes out.

 

[Lakers2Glory]

Re: LSSU hockey 2013-14

Really? I've found their games to be more exciting than the majority of Laker games I went to this year....you can't beat the atmosphere at the Pullar and the hockey is fast paced and hard hitting....

Sure, over-all the collegiate level is far better than the NAHL but I've been to more stinkers at Laker games than at Eagles games....as for the Hounds and the OHL...you certainly can't be serious...the level of play there easily matches what the NCAA has to offer while having more future NHL prospects.

I've been to 3 Eagles games this year. All had about 300 people at it and def. didn't inspire me to go back. I will say the quality of hockey def. improved from the NOJHL years, but it was no where near as exciting as watching the Lakers. Just my opinion.

It has been an ongoing debate as to which is the better league: CHL vs NCAA. I'm not sure either is better than the other, but I can't disagree with you that they are extremely close. I'd go see the Hounds more if it didn't cost me an arm & a leg to go.

 

[Lakers2Glory]

Re: LSSU hockey 2013-14

Tough question. Aside from the Norris Center improvements (assuming they occur), I'm not sure what other "changes" can be made that will improve the hockey experience next season. The easy answer is win more games, but that's more of an issue of hope than an expectation of change.

There's not a lot of scoring coming back; mainly Radke, Ciotti and Perfetto. We can hope for continued improvement from those three guys. We can hope that some of the other returning players make significant improvements to their game, particularly on the scoreboard. We can hope that one or more of the incoming recruits make significant contributions to our scoring. We can hope that goaltending and defense will be better than this past season; those should be our strengths, as they should have been this past season although they weren't up to expectations. We can hope for more consistent play night in and night out. We can hope that the team gets stronger as the season progresses rather than go into another late season slump.

The new league may bring in more fans to see some different teams and possibly may be a positive change. Then again perhaps a lot of fans will stay away since UM and MSU will no longer be coming to town. Plus a lot of fans are losing interest because of the continuing failure to produce winning teams. You folks in the Soo probably have a better feel for what might happen to attendance next season. But the new league is definitely a big change, however it shakes out.

The Eagles def. have a leg up on LSSU in the marketing department, better food too. They seem to have special events for groups every home weekend. LSSU barely does any of that. They need to be a little more fan-friendly for the on-the-fence hockey fans, not just the die-hards.

 

[Lakerblue]

Re: LSSU hockey 2013-14

The Eagles def. have a leg up on LSSU in the marketing department, better food too. They seem to have special events for groups every home weekend. LSSU barely does any of that. They need to be a little more fan-friendly for the on-the-fence hockey fans, not just the die-hards.

I submit that is typical of a minor league operation. I dont mean that as an insult, but instead meant it literally: Minor league teams need to involve the fans with gimmicks and goodies and "crazy hat night."

I wish there was more investment by the students in going to the LSSU games, and entertaining themselves. The "town" side of most college hockey rinks is always more sedate. It is the student involvement which elevates College hockey above a Tier-II US Junior hockey/minor league atmosphere. As I have oft-mentioned, I have in-laws in North Dakota. I went to a few UND games in the past few years. The students take up a good 40 percent of the rink. They are jammed in like sardines. They sing, stomp, chant, and dance throughout the game. The "town" part of the rink is very good at North Dakota -- but the festive "event" atmosphere is created almost entirel by a lively and involved student section.

I agree with Bill -- winning fixes many problems. The Lakers used to have a rowdy student section. A home game was a must-attend event. As a student I recall lining up long before face-off just to get into the rink.

But there has to be some sort of student investment in attending these hockey games. The students need to find a way to have fun regardless of the lousy team. Places like Ferris and Western have long had a dedicated student fan base whether the team is lousy or not.

How does the school get the student's invested? And are there efforts being made? I recall Frank Anzalone, in his first years, going to the dorms, going to the townhouses, door to door, classroom to classroom, drumming up support. He was known as Crazy Frank for a reason -- but his passion was infectious in those early days. Te entire school got behind him and suddenly home hockey weekends were major event.

I am just asking open ended questions for which I have no answer: Is Dunar's Basketball background leading her to not emphasize hockey? Is she not emphasizing hockey enough? Is Coach Roque making a connection with the Student body? Why or why not? Is the school and the Athletics Department making a big push to get students to stay in the Soo over the weekend to see LSSU hockey? Has the colleges war against partying and alcohol killed the festive weekend atmosphere on campus?

 

[sm2pk]

Re: LSSU hockey 2013-14

No one may like what Truth Serum writes , but it is pretty much the situation .

 

[Laker Dude]

Re: LSSU hockey 2013-14

What changes can be made to improve the Laker hockey experience this coming year?

Seems like the Lakers have one of the quietest student sections. I think it is time to move the student section behind the visiting bench to try to get some sort of atmosphere in the building.

 

[LSSULaker889294]

Re: LSSU hockey 2013-14

Seems like the Lakers have one of the quietest student sections. I think it is time to move the student section behind the visiting bench to try to get some sort of atmosphere in the building.

I heard from someone that it needs to be Yost-ized. I'm not sure if that's a great idea though, especially having vulgar language.

 

[AnchorsAway]

Re: LSSU hockey 2013-14

I submit that is typical of a minor league operation. I dont mean that as an insult, but instead meant it literally: Minor league teams need to involve the fans with gimmicks and goodies and "crazy hat night."

I wish there was more investment by the students in going to the LSSU games, and entertaining themselves. The "town" side of most college hockey rinks is always more sedate. It is the student involvement which elevates College hockey above a Tier-II US Junior hockey/minor league atmosphere. As I have oft-mentioned, I have in-laws in North Dakota. I went to a few UND games in the past few years. The students take up a good 40 percent of the rink. They are jammed in like sardines. They sing, stomp, chant, and dance throughout the game. The "town" part of the rink is very good at North Dakota -- but the festive "event" atmosphere is created almost entirel by a lively and involved student section.

I agree with Bill -- winning fixes many problems. The Lakers used to have a rowdy student section. A home game was a must-attend event. As a student I recall lining up long before face-off just to get into the rink.

But there has to be some sort of student investment in attending these hockey games. The students need to find a way to have fun regardless of the lousy team. Places like Ferris and Western have long had a dedicated student fan base whether the team is lousy or not.

How does the school get the student's invested? And are there efforts being made? I recall Frank Anzalone, in his first years, going to the dorms, going to the townhouses, door to door, classroom to classroom, drumming up support. He was known as Crazy Frank for a reason -- but his passion was infectious in those early days. Te entire school got behind him and suddenly home hockey weekends were major event.

I am just asking open ended questions for which I have no answer: Is Dunar's Basketball background leading her to not emphasize hockey? Is she not emphasizing hockey enough? Is Coach Roque making a connection with the Student body? Why or why not? Is the school and the Athletics Department making a big push to get students to stay in the Soo over the weekend to see LSSU hockey? Has the colleges war against partying and alcohol killed the festive weekend atmosphere on campus?

All of those open ended questions are valid, Dunbar has seemed to make basketball her main priority, JR makes ZERO connection with the student body, as a recent LSSU grad I would bet that if you showed 100 randomly polled students on LSSU's campus a picture of Jim Roque, the majority would not know who he was...I cannot recall a single non hockey related function that I saw him at during my 4 years at LSSU, which is too bad, because with such a small school, it wouldn't be that hard to raise your profile with a little effort. To their credit the school and athletic department does make some effort....not the best, but some, to get students out to the games, but the biggest deterrent to a raucous LSSU student section is the last one you mentioned, the school's hardline stance against alcohol and partying.

Not to get too sociological but LSSU is one of the smallest, most rural, "outdoorsy", small town atmosphere public universities that you'll likely ever come across, and as such an overwhelming majority of the student body comes from modest, rural backgrounds. These are not your prototypical flashy, loud, cheer-leading types of folks (however every rule has its exceptions). However by most accounts LSSU's student section was an awful lot more lively back in the era prior to LSSU tightening it's belt on alcohol use among students, with a similiar type of student body demographic...you do the math. As a result of this, we are left with a lull of a student section because there's no "fun" atmosphere at the games, I regularly had friends who are big time sports fans pass on going to games because they thought they were boring....now if you have a hard time getting the 18 to early 20 year old males who are already sports fans going to games how do you expect the students who aren't into sports at all to go to the games for the sake of school spirit and atmosphere??

 

[sm2pk]

Re: LSSU hockey 2013-14

Laker hockey game is like entering the death zone . More noise at a library .

 

[jnacc]

Re: LSSU hockey 2013-14

The Hounds and the OHL are equally as entertaining, if not often more-so, than NCAA hockey. And the location of the Soo stadium, downtown, bars, places to eat . . . a friday night out at a Hounds game is a really fun time. I miss the old sagging War Memorial . . . but you can't live in the past, and it was time for the old Warhorse to be retired.

I don't care for low-level Tier-II US Junior hockey. If I wanted to watch second-rate 17-year olds, I would much rather watch a scrappy high school team. I think its great there is a team filling the Pullar. And if it was the only game in town, I would not have a problem with Tier-II Juniors. But as I live in the Soo, and have options aplenty, I don't much care for the most recent incarnation of a long-running NAHL team in the Soo.

When you have the NCAA D-I, and the OHL, and a great HS program (some years) . . . why get all pumped up over the fourth-best option? I guess anyone can, and some do, get pumped up. I personally don't care. And as for my two cents, you will never see me missing a Laker game just to watch an NAHL game -- ever.

I am frustrated with he water-treading of the LSSU program. I am frustrated with the lack of atmosphere. I am frustrated that the AD and the Head Coach seem baffled as to how to fix these problems. And I am frustrated with losing at home to teams we should be, on paper, beating.

But that is no reason to lose all common sense, throw up your hands, and start watching basketball or, just as absurd, Tier-II US Junior hockey.

Interesting take on the NAHL...but I'm fed up with being frustrated and I'd rather watch a good tier II team than a NCAA team that simply can't put in the needed effort when it counts....that's just me though (well there's many more like me) and I can tell you that there was no contest (for me...and I'd say close to 900 other folks) between the last Eagles playoff game at the Pullar vs Port Huron than the absolute groaner of a game the Lakers put on during their Saturday night playoff game (fortunately for me, good sense or common sense as you'd call it, did not leave me and I decided not to go to Sunday's debacle of a playoff game for the Lakers). The Eagles displayed the hunger of a team that wanted to play to win rather than the lack luster effort of a team that looked completely disinterested.

Now perhaps you just don't mind being frustrated and can swallow the constant end of the year let-downs but many of us are just too dammed tired to wait for better days that just don't seem to come.....now I still may catch the occasional Laker game but I've gone from being a true fan to just a casual fan and yes, the type of fan who will watch a NAHL game over a Laker game and will probably do so until the Laker program can show a paying fan like me that it deserves my attention, time and hard earned money....I am no longer just going to hand it over to them because they are D-1 hockey.

 

[FRICKER]

Re: LSSU hockey 2013-14

It is tough to adequately romote your only D1 team with a basketball focused AD and Milk-toast HC who hasn't connected with the student body. It should be a given that the AD shold focus on hockey as the Lakers flagship program, but that no longer is happening. At my alma mater, Clarkson, the university's sports year revolves around the Golden Knights hockey team. I think that Bill has said it bes, that winning solves many problems. IMO, it all boils down to having effective assistants that can lure blue chip talent to the Soo. The Soo, like Potsdam, NY, isn't exactly the "garden spot" location of D1 hockey. Unfortunately, whatever recruiting momentum that the Lakers had after our run of National Championships is long gone, and also whatever academic advantage we had pre-NCAA Clearinghouse is also gone. It's
most definitely an uphill battle, but out-recruiting other schools and identifying late bloomers holds the key to winning. I have always said that the Head Coach oftentimes isn't the key player in the recruiting process, but it certainly can't hurt. One super-strong recruiting assistant, one solid assistant who mostly stays home and tends to X's & O's and player academice are the ingredients to a well rounded coaching staff. Does the Laker's staff meet theserequirements? I don't know them well enough to even have an opinion (surprised, eh?). Anyone want to comment?

Lakerblue........Thanks for the compliment acknowledging your resect for me as a hockey person - the respect is mutual. Regarding Borek, I disagree with your choice of words (incompetent). I would prefer "stubborn". He refused to take the personnel JJ left him and tailor his system to that talent rather than trying to "force fit" the talent into JJ's style of play. I agree with you that when Borek arrived, he had quite a bit of talent ot work with. If I implied that JJ left him less than D1 quality players, that's not what i meant to say. I based my comments that the last two years JJ brought in players who were different than the previous years that lead to the Championships, that comment was based soley on comments that Ron Rolston made to me while scouting the Compuware Junior "A" team at Oak Park Arena when I was their Director of Player Development. That was HIS opinion, NOT mine. We had a number of fowards who came to Lake State with gaudy scoring stats, pure goal scorers, who thrived in puck control systems, and they spent four years as Lakers doing "dump and dig". We NEVER carried the puck over the offensive blue line. Our defensemen NEVER were encouraged to rush the puck. It turned a creative D-man like Matt into an "off the glass robot" and ruined whatever NHL potential he had. Again, the comment i made was 100% based on the comment Ronny R made to me. OK? I think we've beat SB enough already................

 

[FRICKER]

Re: LSSU hockey 2013-14

oooooops............should be promote, not romote - sorry

 

[AnchorsAway]

Re: LSSU hockey 2013-14

It is tough to adequately romote your only D1 team with a basketball focused AD and Milk-toast HC who hasn't connected with the student body. It should be a given that the AD shold focus on hockey as the Lakers flagship program, but that no longer is happening. At my alma mater, Clarkson, the university's sports year revolves around the Golden Knights hockey team. I think that Bill has said it bes, that winning solves many problems. IMO, it all boils down to having effective assistants that can lure blue chip talent to the Soo. The Soo, like Potsdam, NY, isn't exactly the "garden spot" location of D1 hockey. Unfortunately, whatever recruiting momentum that the Lakers had after our run of National Championships is long gone, and also whatever academic advantage we had pre-NCAA Clearinghouse is also gone. It's
most definitely an uphill battle, but out-recruiting other schools and identifying late bloomers holds the key to winning. I have always said that the Head Coach oftentimes isn't the key player in the recruiting process, but it certainly can't hurt. One super-strong recruiting assistant, one solid assistant who mostly stays home and tends to X's & O's and player academice are the ingredients to a well rounded coaching staff. Does the Laker's staff meet theserequirements? I don't know them well enough to even have an opinion (surprised, eh?). Anyone want to comment?

Lakerblue........Thanks for the compliment acknowledging your resect for me as a hockey person - the respect is mutual. Regarding Borek, I disagree with your choice of words (incompetent). I would prefer "stubborn". He refused to take the personnel JJ left him and tailor his system to that talent rather than trying to "force fit" the talent into JJ's style of play. I agree with you that when Borek arrived, he had quite a bit of talent ot work with. If I implied that JJ left him less than D1 quality players, that's not what i meant to say. I based my comments that the last two years JJ brought in players who were different than the previous years that lead to the Championships, that comment was based soley on comments that Ron Rolston made to me while scouting the Compuware Junior "A" team at Oak Park Arena when I was their Director of Player Development. That was HIS opinion, NOT mine. We had a number of fowards who came to Lake State with gaudy scoring stats, pure goal scorers, who thrived in puck control systems, and they spent four years as Lakers doing "dump and dig". We NEVER carried the puck over the offensive blue line. Our defensemen NEVER were encouraged to rush the puck. It turned a creative D-man like Matt into an "off the glass robot" and ruined whatever NHL potential he had. Again, the comment i made was 100% based on the comment Ronny R made to me. OK? I think we've beat SB enough already................

I would say that recruiting isn't nearly our most pressing issue at the present time, I'd say it is undeniable that Lakers top level players now are much improved from their top level players 5 years ago....we are starting to bring in more players from the better leagues of North America and more are getting the opportunity to play professionally...The bigger issue as it stands with personnel is what we are doing with it, or the lack thereof. Roque is producing similar results with more high caliber players as he was with the talent-deprived rosters he had at the beginning of his tenure, which is one of my biggest problems with JR. If the past few teams had been more successful would it have enticed some of these players that left early to stay around longer as opposed to the current feeling that every year will inevitably result is a record within a few wins or losses of .500 and an early playoff exit? Who knows, but it is certainly possible. This is not to say that I wouldn't welcome even more talent than we have had the past few years but as of now I will hold off on complaining about recruiting until I think the LSSU coaching staff is getting everything possible out of the current stable of players.

 

[MeridianStreet]

Re: LSSU hockey 2013-14

Laker hockey game is like entering the death zone . More noise at a library .

Evidently you've never attended a game at Munn Arena LOL... Gotta love your negativity. It's persistent and consistent

 

[sm2pk]

Re: LSSU hockey 2013-14

Evidently you've never attended a game at Munn Arena LOL... Gotta love your negativity. It's persistent and consistent

I think what you really love is the fact you are kidding yourself about hockey at Lake State . That is great about Munn and I have been there a few times. If Munn can be dead,so can we..LOL

 

[Truth Squad]

Re: LSSU hockey 2013-14

Gotta love your negativity. It's persistent and consistent

You people up there and on here call it negativity when a few people on a chat board, are even slightly critical of Jim Roque and the 8 years he has been coach. I guess intimidation may work up at that little college and village of yours, but it doesn't reach all channels now does it??? Your reactions are persistent and consistent, and downright laughable, much like 8 years of bottom of the standings finishes, second half collapses, playoff embarrassments, attendance and interest declining, playoff crowds in the hundreds, the constant list of excuses on why it went so wrong again. Persistent and consistent you uppers apologists are.

The Truth Is Out There....
TBA

 

[Lakerblue]

Re: LSSU hockey 2013-14

The way the last three seasons ended has many Laker fans very frustrated. Many of us can see the talent on the ice. We can see the quality players. We can see the game-plan. We see good passing and smart hockey play. And we also see those October-December periods where the Lakers LOOK as though, with a little push, they might become a real-live-honest-to-goodness top-half of the league team, and a ranked program.

Then comes February, and the tem falls into a tailspin.

That tailspin culminates with a dreadful playoff exit.

This year I had the most hope I've had in a decade -- and the last three games against BGSU were the worst Laker hockey games I have seen since Frank's second term.

So I am willing to stick my neck out a little bit and say that the players Coach Roque and his staff have brought to the team are pretty good players. And that is not based merely upon recent NHL defections. These are good players.

So I am not sure recruiting, or more to the point the recruiting budget, is hurting LSSU.

At this point, I am inclined to blame the game day coaching. I can't really pin-point what else to blame.


On another topic: I appreciate the views of the students of recently ex-students. I am aware that the campus Gestapo has spent the past five years in an all-out-war against Beer and music on campus. Not to sound like too-old of a crank, but in my day the saying was "The Fun Begins Where I-75 Ends." Not so anymore. And this has a direct impact on the atmosphere of the games.

 

[Lakers2Glory]

Re: LSSU hockey 2013-14

jnacc - Your money is your money. If you feel it is better spent at the Eagles then the Lakers, I can't fault you for that. My hope is that the Lakers will give you a renewed vigor!

Roque isn't Frank in the sense that he goes door to door and asks students to come to games. He does attend some student events, though. He has given more than a few bucks to clubs such as the pep band to the investment club. It isn't the coaches job to get fans in the stands, it is to coach (Yes, I know we have been debating the coaching aspect). The AD and Administration need to step up and take responsibility for that. Since the Admin govern the entire school, I place most of that blame on them. Whether it be strict alcohol policies or preventing students from banging loud noisemakers, their policies need to change.

On a side note, what is with the huge negativity? It sounds worse in here than the Alaska Anchorage thread and they have no coach, little hope of finding a good one, and they won 4 games last year. WE WON 17 GAMES! I know its not championship caliber hockey, but it's not that bad either. I'm surprised most of you are still alive after the Frank2 years. Based on your rhetoric, I surprised you guys didn't jump off the International Bridge. It's not that bad.

 

[Lakers2Glory]

Re: LSSU hockey 2013-14

You people up there and on here call it negativity when a few people on a chat board, are even slightly critical of Jim Roque and the 8 years he has been coach. I guess intimidation may work up at that little college and village of yours, but it doesn't reach all channels now does it??? Your reactions are persistent and consistent, and downright laughable, much like 8 years of bottom of the standings finishes, second half collapses, playoff embarrassments, attendance and interest declining, playoff crowds in the hundreds, the constant list of excuses on why it went so wrong again. Persistent and consistent you uppers apologists are.

The Truth Is Out There....
TBA

Buy a dictionary.

 

[Bill]

Re: LSSU hockey 2013-14

On a side note, what is with the huge negativity? It sounds worse in here than the Alaska Anchorage thread and they have no coach, little hope of finding a good one, and they won 4 games last year. WE WON 17 GAMES! I know its not championship caliber hockey, but it's not that bad either. I'm surprised most of you are still alive after the Frank2 years. Based on your rhetoric, I surprised you guys didn't jump off the International Bridge. It's not that bad.

But it's not good either. I have no illusions about the program getting back to the glory days of the mid 80s to mid 90s and staying at that level. The game has changed considerably since then and it would be extremely difficult (maybe impossible, although I hesitate to use that word) for any (public) small school team to achieve that high level of play again for that length of time. Sure, the small schools still have a shot at the Frozen Four, witness Ferris last year and Bemidji a few years back, but to be a year in and year out NCAA tournament qualifier will be very tough for them.

In the case of the Lakers, the bar is probably set higher than many of the other smaller schools, especially those that have seldom made the NCAA tournament. That is to be expected given the past success of the program. I think Laker fan expectations should be that the team make at least occasional NCAA tournament appearances, finish in the top half of league standings more often than not, and even challenge for league titles at times. None of that is happening. Many Laker fans have become disenchanted. Why wouldn't we be. The Lakers have only made it to the Joe for the CCHA finals once in the last 15 or so years, the year Jakaitis was hot in net down the stretch. The talent level is increasing, but the level of play measured by on ice results hasn't matched that. The team is struggling to reach the .500 level even during their better seasons. Sorry, but that's just not good enough.