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LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

LSSULaker889294 said:
Bemidji State schedule shows we play the Beavers at Abel arena January 16-17.
Click to expand...

Has anybody been keeping track of what our aggregate schedule is thus far? Off the top of my head I know we open with Tech, we go to UAH the first half of the season, and the Chargers come to Taffy the second half of the year, now we know BSU is coming to the Soo on the above dates....I believe we play Notre Dame and aren't we in a holiday tournament with NoDak and others?

So far we have two league series with BSU and UAH that we know for sure will be in the Soo in the season's second half, normally I would prefer to have a home heavy schedule the second half of the season as the playoffs draw closer but this year with a young team and a new coach and systems to put in place I'm hoping for at least a balanced home and away first half, it will be a process getting everything to place as it is, so having a friendly environment often in the beginning of the season would be a plus.
 
AnchorsAway said:
Has anybody been keeping track of what our aggregate schedule is thus far? Off the top of my head I know we open with Tech, we go to UAH the first half of the season, and the Chargers come to Taffy the second half of the year, now we know BSU is coming to the Soo on the above dates....I believe we play Notre Dame and aren't we in a holiday tournament with NoDak and others?

So far we have two league series with BSU and UAH that we know for sure will be in the Soo in the season's second half, normally I would prefer to have a home heavy schedule the second half of the season as the playoffs draw closer but this year with a young team and a new coach and systems to put in place I'm hoping for at least a balanced home and away first half, it will be a process getting everything to place as it is, so having a friendly environment often in the beginning of the season would be a plus.
Click to expand...

The WCHA TEAMS you played once last year, you play twice this year.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

Dates confirmed with schedules released by other teams. Ferris State and North Dakota tentative schedules were leaked. The only WCHA schedules unknown besides ours is NMU, Bowling Green, and Minnesota State.

October 4-5 Michigan Tech
October 24-25 HOME (GLSW, should be a NC team)
October 31-Nov1 @ Alaska Anchorage
November 14-15 @ UAH
November 21-22 Alaska
December 5-6 @ North Dakota
December 12-13 @ Ferris State
December 28 Cornell @ Estero December 29 Notre Dame or Miami @ Estero
January 16-17 Bemidji State
February 6-7 @ Alaska
February 13-14 UAH
March 6-7 Ferris State

Series that should happen but not confirmed:
October 10-11 @ Robert Morris
October 17-18 @ NMU
November 7-8 Bye weekend from WCHA play. We could still play at Notre Dame
November 28-29 Data favors that we should play Minnesota State Mankato at home
January 30-31 Should be a bye weekend.
 
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Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

LSSULaker889294 said:
Dates confirmed with schedules released by other teams. Ferris State and North Dakota tentative schedules were leaked. The only WCHA schedules unknown besides ours is NMU, Bowling Green, and Minnesota State.

October 4-5 Michigan Tech
October 24-25 HOME (GLSW, should be a NC team)
October 31-Nov1 @ Alaska Anchorage
November 14-15 @ UAH
November 21-22 Alaska
December 5-6 @ North Dakota
December 12-13 @ Ferris State
December 28 Cornell @ Estero December 29 Notre Dame or Miami @ Estero
January 16-17 Bemidji State
February 6-7 @ Alaska
February 13-14 UAH
March 6-7 Ferris State

Series that should happen but not confirmed:
October 10-11 @ Robert Morris
October 17-18 @ NMU
November 7-8 Bye weekend from WCHA play. We could still play at Notre Dame
November 28-29 Data favors that we should play Minnesota State Mankato at home
January 30-31 Should be a bye weekend.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much, looks like we will be very familiar with the bus the first half of the season!
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

AnchorsAway said:
Thank you very much, looks like we will be very familiar with the bus the first half of the season!
Click to expand...

For sure! The 2nd half should definitely be easier on the travel. I sure hope the October series at NMU holds up. I'd like to visit Marquette to see the Lakers in the fall instead of the winter.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

I think LSSU did as well as they could with the coaching search. The process was very transparent while in keeping with privacy issues. They had some outstanding hockey people to weed through the applications and present the most qualified candidates to the AD and President. Whitten is a first class individual and hopefully he will be able to overcome some of the challenges that come with the position.

One other note, Oct 24-25 NMU is at LSSU.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

davyd83 said:
I think LSSU did as well as they could with the coaching search. The process was very transparent while in keeping with privacy issues. They had some outstanding hockey people to weed through the applications and present the most qualified candidates to the AD and President. Whitten is a first class individual and hopefully he will be able to overcome some of the challenges that come with the position.

One other note, Oct 24-25 NMU is at LSSU.
Click to expand...

Do you want to make a trade? We'll let you pick which coach you want to send over.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

Bill said:
Looks like our verbal commits since the November signing period have now signed LOIs, so no one has backed out as a result of the coaching change.
Click to expand...
I guess that would mean at lest one of the assistants would be staying also.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

Yooper_by_choice said:
I guess that would mean at lest one of the assistants would be staying also.
Click to expand...

Why do you say that? I don't think that is necessarily the case. I can't speak for any of the new signees, but I know for a fact that many of the Lakers in recent years really one had one decent D1 offer, and that was from LSSU...Most in that situation would probably sign regardless of a coaching staff change, complete or not...I.E., as long as the offer is still on the table, they're taking it regardless of the person they're faxing it to is the person who originally recruited them or not.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

That's the same case as UAH, AA. Of course, UAH wasn't getting guys like Czuczman four years ago.

GFM
 
MaryMaxine said:
OK, Here goes. To answer some questions in reference to other applicants from 2m2sm and Bill, I have been in the hockey community both as a coach and scout for longer than I care to admit.

I know a few of the applicants that applied for the opening at LSSU. The 5 mentioned, I do not know personally, but the ones I do know have more credentials. (We already know the background of the 5 that were interviewed.)

I know this is the candidate I would have picked or at least interviewed. AFTER GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE, PLAYING D1 HOCKEY, 1 YEAR PLAYING PRO HOCKEY (GOT OUT OF HIS CONTRACT) WAS OFFERED A CHANCE TO BE AN ASSISTANT COACH AT A D1 COLLEGE AND STAYED THERE FOR 4 YEARS. THEN MOVED TO ANOTHER D1 COLLEGE AND WAS AN ASSISTANT COACH THERE FOR 5 YEARS. TOTALING 9 YEARS AT D1 COLLEGES AS AN ASSISTANT COACH.

IN ORDER TO ADVANCE TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF COACHING IN D1, HE WAS ADVISED TO BECOME THE HEAD COACH/GM AT THE JUNIOR LEVEL. AT THIS LEVEL, YOU ARE THE BOSS MAKING ALL DECISIONS, PLUS ANSWERING TO THE OWNERS (AD), THE FANS, LEARNING TO LIVE WITH YOUR DECISIONS GOOD AND BAD, THE COMMUNITY IN SALES, PROMOTIONS, TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS AND SPONSORSHIPS! (BASICALLY DOING THE JOB AS IF AN AD) THESE QUALITIES ARE VERY MUCH NEEDED, AT THIS MOMENT, TO BRING LSSU BACK TO RESPECTABILITY.

SO HE DID. HE IS CURRENTLY THE COACH AND GM IN THE NAHL WHERE HE HAS BEEN FOR THE LAST 9 YEARS. HIS RECORD AS A D1 ASSISTANT COACH, IN HIS FIRST 9 YEARS, INCLUDES 5 NCAA APPEARANCES WITH 1 LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP. HIS RECORD AT THE JUNIOR LEVEL, IN HIS LAST 9 YEARS, INCLUDES HIS TEAM PLAYING CONSISTENTLY ABOVE .700, GOING TO CHAMPIONSHIPS AND WINNING 2 OF THEM.

IN ADDITION, HE COACHED USA HOCKEY TEAMS BOTH IN EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES AND HAS SET UP AND HOSTED USA HOCKEY CLINICS FOR COACHES. DURING HIS D1 PLAYING DAYS, IN COLLEGE, HIS RECORD SHOWS 3 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS AND 1 RUNNER UP.

Now, you tell me if the coach selected was a forgone conclusion from the start.

Also, I do not know if the applicant I've been referencing would have taken the job, but an opportunity to interview was certainly warranted. We will never know as the opportunity to interview did not present itself.

In closing, I do think the LSSU school administration, the players and the fans should have been given the chance to hear what this coach has to offer. The process of the coach search committee could have been better at the start. It's over and here's hoping LSSU gets back on track.
Click to expand...

Ben Barr was first choice, but he walked.
 
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