Re: NMU 2009-2010 Season
I think the offense will be just fine. Might take some time finding the right combos with new and returning players. Cheriwhican and Gron can fill the scoring gap left by Olver, Florek went from 18 points his freshman year to 35 this season. Hanson is clearly the offensive leader for this club going into next season, and I wouldnt be surprised if he got the C on his jersey.
The biggest question marks, and they are rather large...is the defense and goaltending.
Reid is a good goalie and an intelligent kid. He came in here knowing this was Stewie's team for two-three seasons. Its now his turn going into his junior season. Coreau is coming in as the 15th rated goalie in the NHL Central Scouting Rankings, so it will be interesting to see how much time both goalies see next season.
The Defense is going to suffer with the loss of Gussy, Miller and Doritch. Miller, in my mind, was the most valuable defenseman on the team. He gave 100% every second of every shift and Ive never seen a man block more shots in his career than Miller did in his four seasons. In turn, that helped Stewie out a lot. Follmer, Spady, Fernandez, and McCauley are the holdovers left on Defense. I'll be honest and say that scares me a little bit.
So where does this team finish next season? I know its early and two players jumped ship only a half a day ago but looking at what is coming in- I think this team is a top 6 CCHA club next season. A few games that may swing to Ws and we are looking at a top 4 team again, and NCAA chances for next season. Next season, I believe the most important thing is to avoid the slow start. Get some big wins under your belt, get the seniors rolling, and show the Freshman what Wildcat hockey is about. We dont want to the players slipping into the "woe is us" fan syndrome that crops up every Oct/Nov on these boards.
I think the offense will be just fine. Might take some time finding the right combos with new and returning players. Cheriwhican and Gron can fill the scoring gap left by Olver, Florek went from 18 points his freshman year to 35 this season. Hanson is clearly the offensive leader for this club going into next season, and I wouldnt be surprised if he got the C on his jersey.
The biggest question marks, and they are rather large...is the defense and goaltending.
Reid is a good goalie and an intelligent kid. He came in here knowing this was Stewie's team for two-three seasons. Its now his turn going into his junior season. Coreau is coming in as the 15th rated goalie in the NHL Central Scouting Rankings, so it will be interesting to see how much time both goalies see next season.
The Defense is going to suffer with the loss of Gussy, Miller and Doritch. Miller, in my mind, was the most valuable defenseman on the team. He gave 100% every second of every shift and Ive never seen a man block more shots in his career than Miller did in his four seasons. In turn, that helped Stewie out a lot. Follmer, Spady, Fernandez, and McCauley are the holdovers left on Defense. I'll be honest and say that scares me a little bit.
So where does this team finish next season? I know its early and two players jumped ship only a half a day ago but looking at what is coming in- I think this team is a top 6 CCHA club next season. A few games that may swing to Ws and we are looking at a top 4 team again, and NCAA chances for next season. Next season, I believe the most important thing is to avoid the slow start. Get some big wins under your belt, get the seniors rolling, and show the Freshman what Wildcat hockey is about. We dont want to the players slipping into the "woe is us" fan syndrome that crops up every Oct/Nov on these boards.
so I waited until today. 