ARM
Fan of chipmunk-like mascots.
Re: Maine Hockey
I feel for the Maine fans; I realize that you hoped for a far better season. At the time Miller started at UMD, the sport was growing so quickly that she could attract some world-class players with her reputation and quickly build a winner with her coaching ability. It's much slower now. When a program hires a very good coach, it quickly becomes apparent that other teams have great players and are well-coached as well. Gains are slow and difficult to sustain.
However, we can look at a program like Colgate to see what is possible. The Raiders certainly weren't world-beaters when Greg Fargo took over. I've never met your current coaches. I met Maria Lewis once and talked with her a couple of other times, and I was always very impressed. I think that she would have eventually built a consistent winner at Maine. Your current staff may as well, but it won't be easy, partly because location seems to be a bigger factor in the women's game than it is in the men's. I've never been to Orono. I expect that I'd like it, but that doesn't mean that it will be the first choice of the average ~ 20 yr old woman.
Good luck and thanks for supporting the sport and your team.
A previous poster thought little of the opinions offered by most of us who post here and referred to him/her self as a "high end hockey coach". My reference to former UMD coach Shannon Miller was offered in jest.Not sure what you mean. I bet you can explain in more detail so that the rest of us can follow.
I feel for the Maine fans; I realize that you hoped for a far better season. At the time Miller started at UMD, the sport was growing so quickly that she could attract some world-class players with her reputation and quickly build a winner with her coaching ability. It's much slower now. When a program hires a very good coach, it quickly becomes apparent that other teams have great players and are well-coached as well. Gains are slow and difficult to sustain.
However, we can look at a program like Colgate to see what is possible. The Raiders certainly weren't world-beaters when Greg Fargo took over. I've never met your current coaches. I met Maria Lewis once and talked with her a couple of other times, and I was always very impressed. I think that she would have eventually built a consistent winner at Maine. Your current staff may as well, but it won't be easy, partly because location seems to be a bigger factor in the women's game than it is in the men's. I've never been to Orono. I expect that I'd like it, but that doesn't mean that it will be the first choice of the average ~ 20 yr old woman.
Good luck and thanks for supporting the sport and your team.
