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Norwich Hockey - Time to Regroup

F

FloridaHomey

New member
These last couple of weeks prove that hockey, and a majority of their other sports teams) at Norwich as we’ve known it is no more.

After several years of poor leadership (2018 - Current), the University needs to regroup and rethink what they’re doing. The school can’t recruit, can’t offer competitive financial aid, and they can’t attract top level talent. Sad story in Northfield currently.
 
FloridaHomey said:
These last couple of weeks prove that hockey, and a majority of their other sports teams) at Norwich as we’ve known it is no more.

After several years of poor leadership (2018 - Current), the University needs to regroup and rethink what they’re doing. The school can’t recruit, can’t offer competitive financial aid, and they can’t attract top level talent. Sad story in Northfield currently.
Click to expand...

From what I understand the University is just trying to correct the massive debt it incurred during and right out of COVID.

For the right now, it really really stinks for athletics. My gut says the University has been around for over 200 years and it will course correct.

Although football went 0-10, they had a lot more competitive games this season. If they are still struggling at the end of Coach Russell’s third full year when its majority his team and his culture, it might be more of a indictment of the times.

I don’t have the answers on hockey. I’m pretty much completely out of the loop now. At the end of the day, no matter who is behind the bench, if you can’t get the players to the school, the product on the ice will struggle.

Im more curious of the long term effects on the program from the disbanding of the NEHC to going to the Little East. Certainly an okay conference, but no where near the fire power and prestige.of the NEHC. Will recruits want that? Everyone wants to be part of a winner, so I guess if Norwich is winning close to or 20 game a year again, that will help. Time will well.

Someone said it 2-3 years ago on here, Hobart is the new Norwich. And right now it looks like they couldn’t have been more right.
 
PrezdeJohnson09 said:
From what I understand the University is just trying to correct the massive debt it incurred during and right out of COVID.

For the right now, it really really stinks for athletics. My gut says the University has been around for over 200 years and it will course correct.

Although football went 0-10, they had a lot more competitive games this season. If they are still struggling at the end of Coach Russell’s third full year when its majority his team and his culture, it might be more of a indictment of the times.

I don’t have the answers on hockey. I’m pretty much completely out of the loop now. At the end of the day, no matter who is behind the bench, if you can’t get the players to the school, the product on the ice will struggle.

Im more curious of the long term effects on the program from the disbanding of the NEHC to going to the Little East. Certainly an okay conference, but no where near the fire power and prestige.of the NEHC. Will recruits want that? Everyone wants to be part of a winner, so I guess if Norwich is winning close to or 20 game a year again, that will help. Time will well.

Someone said it 2-3 years ago on here, Hobart is the new Norwich. And right now it looks like they couldn’t have been more right.
Click to expand...

Does that mean Norwich is the new Middlebury?
 
FloridaHomey said:
Great call on the “Is NU the new Middlebury?”
Dead On! Same situation and same outcome
Click to expand...
Great points by both! Norwich Hockey is a shell of itself and Norwich Football now reflects years of laziness by the coach (Murniyack) and a lack of financial support (recruiting $$, financial aid $$).

I believe strongly in Bill Russell’s approach with football and the guy is a workhorse, so the team should improve if they can get some skilled players.

However, on the hockey side, Mike McShane isn’t walking through the rink doors any time soon, and the financial aid situation there is a nightmare, so it’s going to be difficult for several years. Plus, the community is not supporting the hockey program like it once was, based upon the number of empty seats at home games… it’s the sum of a boring team, uninterested coach, and a town and region that simply can’t afford the cost of the ticket prices. As a proud fan of Norwich athletics for many years, this is as bad as it’s been for many years… we’re talking as bad as the Mariano years in the 80s!
 
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Listening to the town hall last night and it sounds like the men's job has had 20 applications and the women's job has had 12 so at least quantity wise the interest is still there. Really curious to learn about who gets in the mix for these. I'd be really surprised if a few alums on both sides haven't at least applied.

IIRC the last time the men's position was open, there was around 20 applicants, maybe slightly more, but it wasn't anything crazy like 30, 40, 50 or something like that.
 
I refuse to accept that the right person can't build relationships with the town/students again and recruit players to play in a packed arena. There's a lot of good players and only so many schools and money ain't everything.
 
Accept what you want to accept.

Norwich did not give ANY international aid last year (the best price for a Canadian was 38k per year), which forced the coaches to recruit Americans. The top American recruit for the men's team last year was accepted as a Mechanical Engineering major. He wanted to come to Norwich. He was asked to pay DOUBLE what the other schools packages were. There was an appeal for reconsideration from Norwich; it was unsuccessful. He took the most affordable option.

He recorded 18 points on 10 goals and 8 assists this season as a freshman.

That's one of many stories I've heard over the last 18 months.
 
It looks like Norwich is losing its goalie, Sami Molu to the transfer portal. Do you think he will go D1 or D3? Is there an heir apparent on the roster or will it be an incoming student? It looks like Sami got most of the ice time last year.
 
If Walcarius is good to go next season, I think he is totally up to the task of replacing Sami. He came on very strong in relief of Molu during the 2023-24 season.
 
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