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Northeastern Huskies 2014 Offseason: Resurrection's Over....Now What?

Re: Northeastern Huskies 2014 Offseason: Resurrection's Over....Now What?

I don't have an issue with the band except when they decide to start playing over chants, which seemed to get fixed as the year went on. I don't recall having anything against them once the calendar rolled to 2014. (Well besides the refusal to play after we scored goals in Game 3 in UNH, but that wasn't their fault, it was the conductor's.) The printing is a good idea, that probably should have been thought of before, it took me a while for pretty much the same chants as you.

The only thing is that I'm supposed to be going on co-op in fall, so I'm not sure what I'll be around for. But I don't plan on missing half of what will probably be our best season while I'm at the school, I'd rather skip a co-op and eventually graduate with two if I don't get one near Boston.
 
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Re: Northeastern Huskies 2014 Offseason: Resurrection's Over....Now What?

The problem with the band is that they play ALL THE TIME now. Every time there is a stoppage in play, on they play. If they are not on, they put a song on the PA. Its OK to let the game breathe and people talk to each other, and the kids chant.
 
Re: Northeastern Huskies 2014 Offseason: Resurrection's Over....Now What?

Before next season I am going to get in touch with the band director and various members of our pep band and try to coordinate things with them and the Doghouse. This past year there seemed like there were 2 separate sections up in the balcony- the "students" and the "Band". My goal is to unify these two again into one cohesive unit, for the benefit of both the people that sit in the Doghouse and for the team itself. There has been some bad blood between Doghouses past and the band, I want to dispel that next year. Maybe TheRevengeance can help me out- there is strength in numbers...

You're absolutely, positively 100% on-target. Anyone who has even seen a game at places like Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, or Notre Dame (to name just a few) can tell you that the band, cheerleaders, and student section are always in sync and it's a beautiful thing. Also, a Paws that can actually skate and even an even on-ice cheerleaders (common in the B1G) can add a lot of color and pageantry.

Great to see someone taking the initiative. Good luck with your effort to get something positive done over the summer.
 
Re: Northeastern Huskies 2014 Offseason: Resurrection's Over....Now What?

You're absolutely, positively 100% on-target. Anyone who has even seen a game at places like Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, or Notre Dame (to name just a few) can tell you that the band, cheerleaders, and student section are always in sync and it's a beautiful thing. Also, a Paws that can actually skate and even an even on-ice cheerleaders (common in the B1G) can add a lot of color and pageantry.

Great to see someone taking the initiative. Good luck with your effort to get something positive done over the summer.

Hey Guys - if you all have suggestions for the Pep Band I used to be the president and know the council and director well. I would recommend emailing your suggestions to nupepbandsecretary@gmail.com or directly to John Leonard jo.leonard@neu.edu who is the director. I also have no problem passing along information and have recommended to them that the current president try to get more input from the fans. We put out surveys a few years ago for suggestions from doghouse leaders and never got responses - it's hard to change when you don't get feedback! I think you'll find that the band and Mr. Leonard will be very receptive.

A lot of what you have listed so far is a lot of what the band has always wanted to do. I'm sure you are not a all aware it used to be a lot of work to get play time since we'd tend to be allowed to play even fewer than every third whistle. Now the PA announces the ads at the set times but the band plays almost always except when there hasn't been enough time to prepare for the next song or if there is confusion on the headset. In a game environment it gets very complicated. For those of us who are band members it's great because we're there to play as well but even band members get tired playing so mixing in cheers here and there would be a good thing (at least in my mind). I'm sure if the doghouse wanted to arrange more things in chanting it would not be a problem. Also the band isn't "deciding to play over chants" we get directed to play and so we do. The band has to work with the Athletics department to continue to grow so some of that is coming from that relationship.

A few years ago the chants were printed out with every game along with special facts for the opposing team for ideas on specific cheers for that opponent. Having those especially at the beginning of the year was a big help.

Obligatory disclaimer : My views are my own and are not those generated by the current version of the NU Pep Band
 
Re: Northeastern Huskies 2014 Offseason: Resurrection's Over....Now What?

however I do see him as a good recruiter and judge of talent, ability and formula and that may be as important, if not more so. ,

Really? You are aware the best players on this team were all recruited and signed to other schools before they landed with us.

The jury is still out on his ability to recruit and judge talent. It starts with guys I mentioned earlier, Hedges, Benning, Stevens. If he can turn them into players, I would agree he may be able to find "hidden gems". Not quite there yet though. He has way more misses then he has hits at this point.
 
Re: Northeastern Huskies 2014 Offseason: Resurrection's Over....Now What?

Really? You are aware the best players on this team were all recruited and signed to other schools before they landed with us.

The jury is still out on his ability to recruit and judge talent. It starts with guys I mentioned earlier, Hedges, Benning, Stevens. If he can turn them into players, I would agree he may be able to find "hidden gems". Not quite there yet though. He has way more misses then he has hits at this point.

I understand that saying something positive about JM would create an itchy rash on your privates that would require an ocean of Calamine Lotion, but we had the most productive freshman class in the HEA and possibly the nation last year. Finding four freshmen who were capable of playing center at the D1 level was a pretty neat coup. Also, give the ACs some credit, as they do most of the scouting prior to the HC's viewing of a prospective recruit.

As for recruits who were committed and/or signed to go to other schools: These arrangements are like marriages, which are entered into with the best of intentions, only to find that things simply don't work out. BC's history is similar. I seem to remember someone named Gaudreault. Their incoming freshman class has Sonny Milano, who had committed to Notre Dame and Jeremy Bracco, who was ticketed to Harvard. I wouldn't worry too much about who our players have danced with in the past - if they are here now and contributing.
 
Re: Northeastern Huskies 2014 Offseason: Resurrection's Over....Now What?

Really? You are aware the best players on this team were all recruited and signed to other schools before they landed with us.

The jury is still out on his ability to recruit and judge talent. It starts with guys I mentioned earlier, Hedges, Benning, Stevens. If he can turn them into players, I would agree he may be able to find "hidden gems". Not quite there yet though. He has way more misses then he has hits at this point.

What does that matter if they were signed in other places? They left and came here? They didn't call NU and say its my dream to play at the last place Hockey East school.
 
Re: Northeastern Huskies 2014 Offseason: Resurrection's Over....Now What?

I understand that saying something positive about JM would create an itchy rash on your privates that would require an ocean of Calamine Lotion, but we had the most productive freshman class in the HEA and possibly the nation last year. Finding four freshmen who were capable of playing center at the D1 level was a pretty neat coup. Also, give the ACs some credit, as they do most of the scouting prior to the HC's viewing of a prospective recruit.

As for recruits who were committed and/or signed to go to other schools: These arrangements are like marriages, which are entered into with the best of intentions, only to find that things simply don't work out. BC's history is similar. I seem to remember someone named Gaudreault. Their incoming freshman class has Sonny Milano, who had committed to Notre Dame and Jeremy Bracco, who was ticketed to Harvard. I wouldn't worry too much about who our players have danced with in the past - if they are here now and contributing.

You can add Travis Wood to that list for BC
 
Re: Northeastern Huskies 2014 Offseason: Resurrection's Over....Now What?

You can add Travis Wood to that list for BC
Does anyone else have the feeling that BC doesn't give a rat's arse about verbal committments that have been made to other schools? That they view themselves as having a greater mission and are exempt from following the "gentlemen's agreement" that other schools respect?
 
Re: Northeastern Huskies 2014 Offseason: Resurrection's Over....Now What?

Does anyone else have the feeling that BC doesn't give a rat's arse about verbal committments that have been made to other schools? That they view themselves as having a greater mission and are exempt from following the "gentlemen's agreement" that other schools respect?

No.

It's the kids that don't care about the verbal commitments, and when they start poking around looking to upgrade to the best program in the country, they are no longer verbally committed and are back on the market and if BC has mutual interest, it's done.
 
Re: Northeastern Huskies 2014 Offseason: Resurrection's Over....Now What?

Does anyone know if there will be cuts coming up, or when the schedule will be released?
 
Re: Northeastern Huskies 2014 Offseason: Resurrection's Over....Now What?

I understand that saying something positive about JM would create an itchy rash on your privates that would require an ocean of Calamine Lotion, but we had the most productive freshman class in the HEA and possibly the nation last year. Finding four freshmen who were capable of playing center at the D1 level was a pretty neat coup. Also, give the ACs some credit, as they do most of the scouting prior to the HC's viewing of a prospective recruit.

If you are going to sell a guy with zero coaching experience as a HC because of his scouting ability and contacts, I would expect for him to find players. Now to be fair, he really only has two recruiting classes under his belt since he got hired late in the game his first year. But the 2nd years class would have stunk if not for guys decommitting, and same with last years class. No Szmatula, not that great of a freshmen class.

So far the guys who he recruited who have been NU commitments from Day 1 who are worth building around would be Hedges, Stevens, and Benning. Like I said earlier, the jury is still out on them after pretty rocky freshmen years.

As for finding four centers capable of playing center, capable is about as much a compliment I would give three of them. Outstanding for one of them.
 
Re: Northeastern Huskies 2014 Offseason: Resurrection's Over....Now What?

Does anyone know if there will be cuts coming up, or when the schedule will be released?

Well, if you've ever seen the BOZO on ESPN Outside the Lines, its pretty clear that cutting a player with a scholarship to make room for another more talented player to come is not going to happen. It's worth a watch.... you can really tell what a PC, cool-aid drinker this guy is.
 
Re: Northeastern Huskies 2014 Offseason: Resurrection's Over....Now What?

No.

It's the kids that don't care about the verbal commitments, and when they start poking around looking to upgrade to the best program in the country, they are no longer verbally committed and are back on the market and if BC has mutual interest, it's done.

I would also probably include "...and 'family advisors' " to that statement.
 
Re: Northeastern Huskies 2014 Offseason: Resurrection's Over....Now What?

Congratulations to anyone on this board who may have become an alumnus today. :) (Please remember to make your Alumni Fund checks payable to........)
 
Re: Northeastern Huskies 2014 Offseason: Resurrection's Over....Now What?

... UNH I think will fall the most ...

I sadly fear you are correct. As ominous as the offensive numbers quoted earlier are - highest lost percentage in the league - they got hit even harder on D. :(
 
Re: Northeastern Huskies 2014 Offseason: Resurrection's Over....Now What?

Well, if you've ever seen the BOZO on ESPN Outside the Lines, its pretty clear that cutting a player with a scholarship to make room for another more talented player to come is not going to happen. It's worth a watch.... you can really tell what a PC, cool-aid drinker this guy is.

I am fine with that. I dont want us cutting scholarship guys because things do not work out ON THE ICE. Off to me if fair game. But even a guy like DD or Murty, you can tell him he is not going to play anymore, and he can make a decision based on that. And most of the fringe guys dont have $$ anyway. Basically replacing one fringe guy with another.
 
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