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Merrimack College Warriors 2016-17

Re: Merrimack College Warriors 2016-17

I am an outsider here, but interested to hear what everyone thinks, that is if anyone is out there. I went to the game tonight at Matthews, and went to the MC-ND game last Friday. As someone who enjoys going to Hockey East games all over Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island, I have come to the conclusion that this Merrimack team has talent, speed and size. What they don't have is a system that promotes these skills nor the confidence anymore to succeed.

Northeastern cruised to tonight's win. MC had 4 minutes of PP early, did nothing with it. Then NU scored and scored again and that was it. MC simply cannot get to the net and finish their chances, albeit their chances are never from quality ice. Everytime I go to a Merrimack game over the last 3 years, I feel like i see the same thing.

So let's look at this further:
-Merrimack has struggled to score goals since 2012.
-It seems every year, someone says Merrimack has a great freshman class and that this team is young and talented. But the freshmen never develop. I remember Hennig, Seney and Tibbet dominating NU in the playoffs when they were frosh. Now Hennig and Tibbet are barely noticeable, and Seney hasn't improved. You could say the same about other Warriors I'm sure (Babcock? LeBlanc?), i just don't know the team the way you guys do.
-The PP stinks. Just awful. It's been awful for years. Same old system, no movement, no shots.
-Where are all the fans? This chat board is dead - basically non-existent. People still come to Lawler, but it seems MC fans are becoming harder to find. Why?
-It seems Dennehy has always gotten a pass not just from MC fans but from all hockey fans. WHY?? Is he the only one who can lead MC to a mediocre season every year? MC is getting good recruits. They redid Lawler, the locker room, added amenities like a weight room. I have never understood why no one ever talks about making a coaching change at Merrimack the way they did at UMass or Providence or Lowell or even Northeastern. Heck, I'd fire Madigan if the huskies are a bottom-4 team this year, but I guess he gets a pass after last season.

So tell me Warrior fans, what's the deal here? What's the end game? Hoping for a more competitive game tomorrow. I'll be in section 12.
 
Re: Merrimack College Warriors 2016-17

NUHusky1974 said:
It seems Dennehy has always gotten a pass not just from MC fans but from all hockey fans. WHY?? Is he the only one who can lead MC to a mediocre season every year? MC is getting good recruits. They redid Lawler, the locker room, added amenities like a weight room. I have never understood why no one ever talks about making a coaching change at Merrimack the way they did at UMass or Providence or Lowell or even Northeastern. Heck, I'd fire Madigan if the huskies are a bottom-4 team this year, but I guess he gets a pass after last season.
Click to expand...

Wow time flies. This is his 12th season at MC.
http://www.uscho.com/stats/coach/mid,600/mark-dennehy/
 
NUHusky1974 said:
I am an outsider here, but interested to hear what everyone thinks, that is if anyone is out there. I went to the game tonight at Matthews, and went to the MC-ND game last Friday. As someone who enjoys going to Hockey East games all over Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island, I have come to the conclusion that this Merrimack team has talent, speed and size. What they don't have is a system that promotes these skills nor the confidence anymore to succeed.

Northeastern cruised to tonight's win. MC had 4 minutes of PP early, did nothing with it. Then NU scored and scored again and that was it. MC simply cannot get to the net and finish their chances, albeit their chances are never from quality ice. Everytime I go to a Merrimack game over the last 3 years, I feel like i see the same thing.

So let's look at this further:
-Merrimack has struggled to score goals since 2012.
-It seems every year, someone says Merrimack has a great freshman class and that this team is young and talented. But the freshmen never develop. I remember Hennig, Seney and Tibbet dominating NU in the playoffs when they were frosh. Now Hennig and Tibbet are barely noticeable, and Seney hasn't improved. You could say the same about other Warriors I'm sure (Babcock? LeBlanc?), i just don't know the team the way you guys do.
-The PP stinks. Just awful. It's been awful for years. Same old system, no movement, no shots.
-Where are all the fans? This chat board is dead - basically non-existent. People still come to Lawler, but it seems MC fans are becoming harder to find. Why?
-It seems Dennehy has always gotten a pass not just from MC fans but from all hockey fans. WHY?? Is he the only one who can lead MC to a mediocre season every year? MC is getting good recruits. They redid Lawler, the locker room, added amenities like a weight room. I have never understood why no one ever talks about making a coaching change at Merrimack the way they did at UMass or Providence or Lowell or even Northeastern. Heck, I'd fire Madigan if the huskies are a bottom-4 team this year, but I guess he gets a pass after last season.

So tell me Warrior fans, what's the deal here? What's the end game? Hoping for a more competitive game tomorrow. I'll be in section 12.
Click to expand...

BTW, Merrimack to a recruit probably is better than PC...much better fan support, amenities are top notch and the education is similar.
 
The Zlax45 said:
BTW, Merrimack to a recruit probably is better than PC...much better fan support, amenities are top notch and the education is similar.
Click to expand...

That was partially my point. The general feeling is that Merrimack doesn't have the tools to recruit against Hockey East schools. But I disagree. They have better or comparable recruiting advantages to Maine, Northeastern, Vermont, Providence and even UNH.
 
Re: Merrimack College Warriors 2016-17

The Zlax45 said:
BTW, Merrimack to a recruit probably is better than PC...much better fan support, amenities are top notch and the education is similar.
Click to expand...
Please tell me you're saying this with your tongue firmly planted in your cheek. You seriously think that Merrimack has recruiting advantages over PC? You DO remember that your Friars were National Champs just 2 years ago?
Merrimack had a couple of very strong years when an unknown recruit from France feel through everyone's radar (Stephane Da Costa) and Joe Canatta decided he'd rather start than be a backup at some other school. They reached the HE Finals against BC, and made the NCAA's, but unfortunately, that seems to be an aberration.
NUHusky raised some very valid points. I agree there have been too many players that have started strong as Freshman, but plateaued quickly or even regressed. Of recent vintage, Bates (who either left or was dismissed, not sure which), Bly, Gould, Singleton. Now you're seeing it with Tibbetts and Hennig. I still think Seney is their best offensive threat, but when he gets paired with a center who has 1 point in 14 games, you're certainly not giving him any help.
LeBlanc has been a bust. He was a big fish in a very small pond (Winthrop High to D1? Seriously?). Shows you what a crap shoot the NHL Draft is.
Their Powerplay is abysmal. I think that is partly system and in big part NO finishers.
They're NOT going to be in the Top 4, but 6-7-8th is not being unrealistic.
So maybe it is time to consider the coaching. 12 years is a LONG time, and maybe things are getting stale. By all accounts, Mark is a top notch guy, but this isn't an "everybody get a trophy" level. Results matter.
 
Re: Merrimack College Warriors 2016-17

A "Too Many Men on the Ice" penalty and you give up your THIRD PP goal of the game? What an embarrassment. And can someone tell me if Delia is hurt? There is no other reason that Vogler should be starting both games this weekend. He makes Ruck look like Ken Dryden.
 
RENCEB said:
A "Too Many Men on the Ice" penalty and you give up your THIRD PP goal of the game? What an embarrassment. And can someone tell me if Delia is hurt? There is no other reason that Vogler should be starting both games this weekend. He makes Ruck look like Ken Dryden.
Click to expand...

McMahon reported that Delia was sick and was a late scratch during practice.

For the record the NU poster above has some excellent points that have been bandied about here and there..

Recruiting advantages for MC - probable playing time, nice facilities, nice campus, a coaching staff that doesn't mind if you want to be an A student, the big fish/small pond effect

But if you're a blue chip you probably want to play in the beanpot or in front of the scouts who are going to consistently be at some of the bigger schools..
 
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Yuppie Scum said:
Recruiting advantages for MC - probable playing time, nice facilities, nice campus, a coaching staff that doesn't mind if you want to be an A student, the big fish/small pond effect

But if you're a blue chip you probably want to play in the beanpot or in front of the scouts who are going to consistently be at some of the bigger schools..
Click to expand...

I didn't compare merrimack to a BU or BC. But many other hockey east schools seem like they could be fair game in recruiting.

I saw much of the same tonight at Lawler. Northeastern knows how to score. Merrimack doesn't. Merrimack has better skaters and probably better players but something's missing. And the crowd at Lawler is way better than Matthews. Good luck the rest of the season.
 
Re: Merrimack College Warriors 2016-17

On to BU.. Warriors always play them tough but there's obviously a major talent gap between these two teams. Looking forward to seeing some future Bruins out there.
 
Re: Merrimack College Warriors 2016-17

Yuppie Scum said:
McMahon reported that Delia was sick and was a late scratch during practice.


Recruiting advantages for MC - probable playing time, nice facilities, nice campus, a coaching staff that doesn't mind if you want to be an A student, the big fish/small pond effect

But if you're a blue chip you probably want to play in the beanpot or in front of the scouts who are going to consistently be at some of the bigger schools..
Click to expand...

First post in this forum, after its existence was mentioned in the Mack report. As a former athlete at MC I've been fortunate enough to see the renovations and changes the department has made over the last few years. Make no mistake about it - the hockey facilities are top notch. The new locker room is absolutely beautiful and the weightroom/athletic training facility has been one of the best in new england for a few years now. Here's a video tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-nPAxGH4qs

The days of our facilities being sub-par are over.. and thats not an excuse for recruiting anymore. Some people say that Lawler is too small/not good enough to compete with other HEA venues, but I disagree. Merrimack has been bad now for a number of years, yet every game is nearly sold out. And when they're playing well, its an extremely difficult place to play. while playing in big arenas is great, Lawler is a unique venue and has a ton of character. For me, this should be a recruiting strength and not a weakness.

We're a small school, and of course its tough to recruit against BC, BU, ect. but how long does that narrative continue? Dennehy has done a great job over 12 years, in my opinion, but I have to question whether his heart is still really in Andover. Its no secret he wanted the UMASS job. Perhaps its time for change. I'll always appreciate Dennehy for taking us to the top from 2011-2013 and building the program to what it is now, but it seems like we've fallen off track. Hopefully we finish the last stretch of the season strong and I eat my words.

Collegiate athletics is really all about recruiting and motivating and in the end... that comes down to the coaches. I'm interested in seeing how we respond after getting thoroughly beaten by Northeastern last week.
 
Re: Merrimack College Warriors 2016-17

Merrimack can no longer use its size/facilities as an excuse for recruiting. The new locker room is incredible, and the weightroom/athletic training facilities have been some of the best in new england for a few years now. Here's a tour of everything: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-nPAxGH4qs

While Lawler certainly isn't up to the same standard as other HEA venues, its a great place to play. We've been bad for a number of years now, yet still every game is pretty much sold out... and when we're playing well, it can be one of the toughest places to play in the country. So for people who see the Lawler/the campus/the facilities as a recruiting crutch, I actually see the opposite. I was at both Northeastern games last weekend and quite honestly, what does Northeastern have that Merrimack can't compete with? I'm sick of the narrative that we don't have the resources because its not true anymore. Those days are gone.

Collegiate athletics come down to 2 things; recruiting and motivation... and those ultimately fall on the coaching staff. While I genuinely appreciate Dennehy for taking us to the top from 2011-2013, I have to question whether his heart is still here. Its no secret that he wanted the UMass job..and if we continue the way we are, i'd say his chances of a new contract in 2018 are slim. I'll be interested to see how we come back against BU after getting beaten in all facets by Northeastern. We've actually played really well at times this season, so hopefully we can sneak our way into that 8th spot and get a home playoff series.. but not going to count on it.
 
Re: Merrimack College Warriors 2016-17

Am I the only one kinda ****ed MC couldn't play at that level week in and week out? We more or less controlled play all game. Friday should be fun.
 
Re: Merrimack College Warriors 2016-17

Yuppie Scum said:
Am I the only one kinda ****ed MC couldn't play at that level week in and week out? We more or less controlled play all game. Friday should be fun.
Click to expand...
Lots of teams are like that. They bring their AAA game to play BC or BU, then flop when they play others. Have been in the stands for many many BC games over the last 20 years and it has always amazed me how good a 3-15 team is when they play the Eagles, and then left wondering how this team that made BC scratch and claw for any points is only 3-15? :confused:

A week later, that team goes out and gets scorched by a high school team. :confused: :confused:

None the less... great win for Mac last night. :D
 
Re: Merrimack College Warriors 2016-17

Well done to the players and staff. Heart and determination go a long way..hopefully we can find that consistency.

We've beaten #1 BU, #13 Notre Dame, #15 Providence, #14 Cornell, Wisconsin (away), and tied #8 BC. Regardless of the standings..very proud of this team.

Looking forward to Friday night.
 
FiveHole12 said:
Lots of teams are like that. They bring their AAA game to play BC or BU, then flop when they play others. Have been in the stands for many many BC games over the last 20 years and it has always amazed me how good a 3-15 team is when they play the Eagles, and then left wondering how this team that made BC scratch and claw for any points is only 3-15? :confused:

A week later, that team goes out and gets scorched by a high school team. :confused: :confused:

None the less... great win for Mac last night. :D
Click to expand...
Exactly. No fluke last night. MC dominated in all phases all night. No way they lose another game if they always play like that.
 
Re: Merrimack College Warriors 2016-17

MC Alumni said:
Well done to the players and staff. Heart and determination go a long way..hopefully we can find that consistency.

We've beaten #1 BU, #13 Notre Dame, #15 Providence, #14 Cornell, Wisconsin (away), and tied #8 BC. Regardless of the standings..very proud of this team.

Looking forward to Friday night.
Click to expand...

Delia has shown flashes of brilliance this year when he has played. Hopefully he can stay on the ice and play at a high level for us in the home stretch. Home ice is not completely out of the question at this point.
 
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