This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Good discussion here, by the way - I came into reading this expecting to have to lay someone out, and was pleasantly surprised. Well done everyone.
As others have mentioned, Battista-Brandwene is the connection, as the two have remained close since the latter's playing career ended in the early 90s. If anything, given his less-than-Gadowskian resume at the NCAA DI level, it was a concession by Pegula to a guy he trusts in Battista. Going a step further with it, the original plan at PSU was to only start an NCAA men's team right away, then bring the women along a few years later. A threatened Title IX suit changed that in a hurry. Still, some aspects of the women's team have screamed "keep costs as low as possible so they can be completely offset by the men" throughout, with the hire of Brandwene - which was roundly received with a "who?!?" outside of PSU and ACHA hockey circles - part of that.
My personal opinion... I think there's enough smoke for some serious questions to be asked by administration. I don't know the full truth, but I do know many who have played for Brandwene, and their stories pretty much mirror Katie Murphy's point by point - I heard from several as soon as that story went up with something along the lines of "it's about time someone said it." It's unfortunate that the players in the news weren't heavy contributors on the team (having seen them play, I happen to think at least a couple of them got a bad deal in that department... Madison Smiddy, for example, was absolutely one of the six best Ds on the roster), because that then becomes the discussion. But at the same time, those with something to lose are less likely to come forward. It's not valid to assume that outside of the Murphy 13 and the two transfers, everyone else on the team is perfectly fine with Brandwene. It's also worth reiterating that there were six people deemed to be contributing enough to still be on the team in the meeting with the associate AD. Now a strength coach with his name on the Stanley Cup has come forward to reinforce the story and even vouch for the playing abilities of the cuts. Sure, he has an axe to grind as well, but what's the saturation point for saying "geez, this is all well beyond typical hurt feelings?"
I also think Brandwene did a terrible job managing the numbers through the transition, essentially bringing in two huge classes (the last ACHA year and the first NCAA year) and holding his own personal Hunger Games, but that's almost a different conversation. At best, he seems to be a terrible communicator who enjoys playing head games waaay too much and is in over his head at this level. Maybe it becomes a moot point in a couple years unless he starts winning... we take more pride in women's sports at PSU than most places, and winning 5ish games per year won't be acceptable for much longer.
Good discussion here, by the way - I came into reading this expecting to have to lay someone out, and was pleasantly surprised. Well done everyone.
I was wondering if you were going to check in here. I've been reading this thread with a mix of bemusement and dismay.
As I said for years, going varsity was going to be a double-edged sword. As you wrote last summer, those words were prophetic. Now, it's getting crowded under the bus!
Or Mr. Stroemel. Speaking of being happier in the ACHA, it was nice to get out from under the bus in December and spend three weeks in Italy at the World University Games.