UAH Hockey 2016-17

[GetOutDaKitchin]

Re: UAH Hockey 2016-17

I think that playing on the road a lot factors into it. It's harder to speculate on guys who haven't historically given you a solid two-game effort and slot them onto a road roster. The flip side of this is why you'll probably see Brandon Carlson on every road trip: as someone who can competently play F or D, he gives you flexibility.

Ahh, makes sense. It's just crazy to me that we're not getting more out of those two and others.

I mean look at a team like Air Force. Yes, they're playing in the less competitive AHA, but they seem to make more with less than we're able to. I think the past couple seasons we arguably had/have a more talented roster than theirs, yet we can't seem to consistently compete like they can. They're in every game they play just about, regardless of opponent. And a handfull of their kids, some of whom weren't highly recruited and/or didn't have stellar junior numbers, always seem to step in and put up points. Kestner is the only kid doing that for us this year and Saulnier was really the only one doing it last year. Not gonna cut it.

It's even more frustrating when kids like Houcher and Poulsen, who've shown an ability to put up points at high levels of junior hockey, come in and aren't even developing. I'm ready for us to turn the **** corner.

Rant over.

 

[UAHStatman]

Re: UAH Hockey 2016-17

Ahh, makes sense. It's just crazy to me that we're not getting more out of those two and others.

I mean look at a team like Air Force. Yes, they're playing in the less competitive AHA, but they seem to make more with less than we're able to. I think the past couple seasons we arguably had/have a more talented roster than theirs, yet we can't seem to consistently compete like they can. They're in every game they play just about, regardless of opponent. And a handfull of their kids, some of whom weren't highly recruited and/or didn't have stellar junior numbers, always seem to step in and put up points. Kestner is the only kid doing that for us this year and Saulnier was really the only one doing it last year. Not gonna cut it.

It's even more frustrating when kids like Houcher and Poulsen, who've shown an ability to put up points at high levels of junior hockey, come in and aren't even developing. I'm ready for us to turn the **** corner.

Rant over.

What timing: Poulsen and Houcher in the lineup tonight.
http://sidearm.sites.s3.amazonaws.c...cuments/2016/11/4/UAH_Line_Chart_UAA_11_4.pdf

Whether they stay in the lineup...

 

[Suze]

Carmine played 12 games over the age of 21 in his final season in the CCHL, so he's out for the first 12 games of this season. UAH was very up-front with the situation and was lucky to get the waiver. Thank God he didn't play in the WHL when he was 16.

GFM

How odd. Shouldn't he have sat out those games during his freshman year instead of his senior year?

 

[gfmorris]

Re: UAH Hockey 2016-17

How odd. Shouldn't he have sat out those games during his freshman year instead of his senior year?

I'm not sure that he intended to be here for four years, but yes, it should've been done then.

GFM

 

[Suze]

I'm not sure that he intended to be here for four years, but yes, it should've been done then.

GFM

What he intended to do is irrelevant. Can't believe the NCAA let that go.

 

[RapidsCity]

Carmine played 12 games over the age of 21 in his final season in the CCHL, so he's out for the first 12 games of this season. UAH was very up-front with the situation and was lucky to get the waiver. Thank God he didn't play in the WHL when he was 16.

GFM

Of course Gelsinger at Lake Superior State played 14 WHL games and doesn't have to sit a single game in the NCAA.

 

[RapidsCity]

What he intended to do is irrelevant. Can't believe the NCAA let that go.

If the waiver was not applied for when he came in, there would be no reason for the NCAA to let it slide.

 

[gfmorris]

Re: UAH Hockey 2016-17

What he intended to do is irrelevant. Can't believe the NCAA let that go.

As I understand it, a lot of the things like that do end up getting handled during the player's final season of eligibility, for whatever reason. (Apparently, the same thing goes for redshirts? Makes no sense.) Carmine would've missed six starts and relieving Larose in the season opener against Northeastern, and CJ Groh was there to take some of the blows, too. It could have been done. As we've seen with the Gelsinger situation, it certainly seems like the Clearinghouse is unaware of the fact that hockeydb and EliteProspects exist...

As for the game, that was refreshing, although I'm sure that you didn't enjoy it, Suze!

GFM

 

[davyd83]

As I understand it, a lot of the things like that do end up getting handled during the player's final season of eligibility, for whatever reason. (Apparently, the same thing goes for redshirts? Makes no sense.) Carmine would've missed six starts and relieving Larose in the season opener against Northeastern, and CJ Groh was there to take some of the blows, too. It could have been done. As we've seen with the Gelsinger situation, it certainly seems like the Clearinghouse is unaware of the fact that hockeydb and EliteProspects exist...

As for the game, that was refreshing, although I'm sure that you didn't enjoy it, Suze!

GFM

I would imagine there are a number of coaches hoping to use the "Gelsinger Exception" in the future.

 

[PerkyforPrez]

I would imagine there are a number of coaches hoping to use the "Gelsinger Exception" in the future.

And I hope that they are successful.

 

[davyd83]

And I hope that they are successful.

It would be very good for college hockey and for those kids

 

[Stratus]

Re: UAH Hockey 2016-17

If anyone had told me in September that by election Day, UAH would have as many wins as Ferris and BG combined, I wouldn't have believed it.

 

[gfmorris]

Re: UAH Hockey 2016-17

It would be very good for college hockey and for those kids

I'm not convinced that it's the best thing for college hockey, though. That said, major junior may change radically now that the Canadian federal government is getting into their books vis-a-vis child labor laws.

If anyone had told me in September that by election Day, UAH would have as many wins as Ferris and BG combined, I wouldn't have believed it.

I'm not sure that I would have, either. That said, the Chargers haven't really had any convincing wins —*Ferris State seems to be off their game, and Alaska-Anchorage is really struggling to score this season. UAH needs a sweep at home against Alaska this weekend to keep it rolling, and the Nanooks look beatable.

Yes, I know that I'm casting doubts on a team that's struggled for a decade is currently third in its league. Hopefully the boys keep winning the games that they should and win a few that they might not be expected to win.

GFM

 

[manurespreader]

Re: UAH Hockey 2016-17

I'm not convinced that it's the best thing for college hockey, though. That said, major junior may change radically now that the Canadian federal government is getting into their books vis-a-vis child labor laws.


Yes, I know that I'm casting doubts on a team that's struggled for a decade is currently third in its league. Hopefully the boys keep winning the games that they should and win a few that they might not be expected to win.

GFM

The CHL is in trouble and will have to pay the players real money.
And do you realize what you just said, you are on third place, and complaining.?
I hope you can get a big crowd in the arena next weekend.

 

[PerkyforPrez]

It would be very good for college hockey and for those kids

I agree with you Davyd it would benefit the kids the most.

 

[UAHStatman]

Re: UAH Hockey 2016-17

As I understand it, a lot of the things like that do end up getting handled during the player's final season of eligibility, for whatever reason. (Apparently, the same thing goes for redshirts? Makes no sense.) Carmine would've missed six starts and relieving Larose in the season opener against Northeastern, and CJ Groh was there to take some of the blows, too. It could have been done. As we've seen with the Gelsinger situation, it certainly seems like the Clearinghouse is unaware of the fact that hockeydb and EliteProspects exist...

As for the game, that was refreshing, although I'm sure that you didn't enjoy it, Suze!

GFM

The only reasoning I can think of is age considerations -- that the NCAA would prefer teams not take too much of advantage of extra age and experience. It's all hindsight, of course, but I would have preferred he sit out those games as a 21-year-old freshman than an experienced 24-year-old senior (who turns 25 in February), but I guess the NCAA would rather penalize the 24/25-year-old if it came to it.

 

[gfmorris]

Re: UAH Hockey 2016-17

And do you realize what you just said, you are on third place, and complaining.?
I hope you can get a big crowd in the arena next weekend.

I know, I know, I know! Teams behind us have games in hand, and our wins are over weaker teams. Until we start winning decisively at home, the crowds aren't going to return. :/

The only reasoning I can think of is age considerations -- that the NCAA would prefer teams not take too much of advantage of extra age and experience. It's all hindsight, of course, but I would have preferred he sit out those games as a 21-year-old freshman than an experienced 24-year-old senior (who turns 25 in February), but I guess the NCAA would rather penalize the 24/25-year-old if it came to it.

I had a discussion with a WCHA assistant coach about this once. His argument is that, without penalties, kids would try the major junior route and see college as a fallback position. That would hurt the late-bloomers that do very well in college, and it would de-emphasize a focus on staying the course for college hockey from an earlier date.

I think that you're far more likely to see the CHL fold its tent than you are to see the NCAA routinely accept players who played for Erie or London.

GFM

 

[GetOutDaKitchin]

Re: UAH Hockey 2016-17

One thing that I don't think a lot of people in Huntsville understand is that NCAA D1 hockey is, by and large, superior to the SPHL. Most teams that we play have a number of guys who will play in the AHL or ECHL. And there's always the occasional NHL prospect, too.

Yes, the SPHL has fighting, but it simply lacks the higher end talent of the NCAA teams that UAH plays. If more people in Huntsville would realize that, MAYBE we'd see some more fans in the seats.

BTW, great weekend for the boys. Now getting Carmine back will hopefully stabilize the backend. We have to take at least one from Fairbanks at home.

 

[gfmorris]

Re: UAH Hockey 2016-17

One thing that I don't think a lot of people in Huntsville understand is that NCAA D1 hockey is, by and large, superior to the SPHL. Most teams that we play have a number of guys who will play in the AHL or ECHL. And there's always the occasional NHL prospect, too.

Yes, the SPHL has fighting, but it simply lacks the higher end talent of the NCAA teams that UAH plays. If more people in Huntsville would realize that, MAYBE we'd see some more fans in the seats.

BTW, great weekend for the boys. Now getting Carmine back will hopefully stabilize the backend. We have to take at least one from Fairbanks at home.

I think that the people that know hockey in Huntsville know that the SPHL is terrible, because they see UAH alumni who don't put up numbers in NCAA D-I go to the SPHL and light it up: e.g. is Doug Reid, who led Knoxville in scoring last season after going 5-12—17 in four years here. [That's not a knock on Doug, who wasn't asked to carry an offensive role at UAH. #BulldogLine]

I think that the team just needs to win at home to get fans.

2006-07: 5-5-2 (first NCAA tournament team)
2007-08: 3-9-2
2008-09: 3-5-2
2009-10: 3-8-1 (even with Cam Talbot being lights out; UAH was 9-10-2 away/neutral, including the postseason)
2010-11: 2-8-0
2011-12: 0-9-1
2012-13: 2-2-1 (but this counts wins against club teams, so ... nope)
2013-14: 0-13-1
2014-15: 5-9-0
2015-16: 4-10-4
2016-17: 0-2-0 to date.

That's 27 home wins (if you count beating club teams, which I don't) in 10+ seasons. That is so hard to sustain when a fan-base is used to:

2005-06: 11-1-0 (all hail Scott Munroe)
2004-05: 7-4-1
2003-04: 7-6-1
2002-03: 10-1-1
2001-02: 12-4-0
2000-01: 13-4-1
1999-00: 10-3-3 (first year with a full D-I schedule)

Asking a fan based to get used to going from 10 home wins a year to 2.5 is a very, very, very hard request to expect acceptance. Add into it that UAH lost Bemidji as a traditional rival for three years and that Army and Air Force won't come here (easy draws in an Army/aerospace/defense town) to make it a hard turn for UAH. That's not even counting the pain of being stuck against BAMA and Auburn football. I was hoping that the re-design of the concourse would help. Hell, run the **** games on the video boards.

GFM

 

[UAHHerd4]

One thing that I don't think a lot of people in Huntsville understand is that NCAA D1 hockey is, by and large, superior to the SPHL. Most teams that we play have a number of guys who will play in the AHL or ECHL. And there's always the occasional NHL prospect, too.

Yes, the SPHL has fighting, but it simply lacks the higher end talent of the NCAA teams that UAH plays. If more people in Huntsville would realize that, MAYBE we'd see some more fans in the seats.

BTW, great weekend for the boys. Now getting Carmine back will hopefully stabilize the backend. We have to take at least one from Fairbanks at home.

I agree with what you're saying. It's simple though, the team has to start winning more games. You have to appeal to the city of Huntsville and not just the average hockey fan. Until, UAH starts winning on a regular basis I don't see the attendance growing.