UMaine Black Bears, 2nd verse same as the first 2016-2017

[UVM Cat in Texas]

Interesting. My group had held season tickets to Notre Dame hockey dating back to the WCHA days in the 1970s. We were very visible fans, close to some players and parents of players over the years. For the first time in decades, we did not renew season tickets and no one heard a peep out of the athletic department asking why. A combination of factors led to this decision, including among other things the horrible "modern" environment at Notre Dame's arena, a stagnation of the program's progress since moving into the new building (the last remaining factor -- we were told -- that the coach felt would cement Notre Dame as a title team), the horrible home schedule with far too many buy games against lessor opponents and just an overall feeling that the intimacy that so many enjoyed when the only reason to go to campus on a hockey night was to see a hockey game to one of hockey being a sideshow to some fan of the game or "salute a vet" on the jumbotron over center ice. Notre Dame was a far more successful program in Jackson's first half dozen years playing in one of the worst buildings in college hockey (and for the most part with the previous coaches recruits) than they have been playing in a freeking palace with more creature comforts than pampered college athletes probably deserve. At least you guys got to the top of the heap and have a couple of NCAA title banners to look at and remember. Notre Dame never got there, and my guess is now that they have their on campus palace (which is what the coach really wanted) they never will.

Seriously?!?!? This is one of the more pathetic things I've read on this forum. Only a fan of a school like Notre Dame could post something like this. By all accounts Compton is a fantastic facility, probably the best of the many that have opened at D1 schools in recent years. I gotta tell you, if ND doesn't win a national championship, it's not gonna be because they're playing in a state-of-the-art rink that's the envy of most other schools, including my own! Oh to have such problems....

 

[AMC]

Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2nd verse same as the first 2016-2017

Do you really think less money would help them do a better job? They inherited a mess not of their making and are doing the best they can. I'm sorry to hear you and others aren't satisfied.

What have they done to sell us on a vision of Maine hockey? If the athletic department is going to treat the fans like customers and investors instead of family like it was back in the 80's and 90's, they need to do a better job of being a corporate entity. Investors and customers don't like throwing good money after bad. Family will, but you have to pay them back by treating them like family.

 

[WeAreNDHockey]

Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2nd verse same as the first 2016-2017

You must be one of a few ND posters on this forum? I can't seem to recall seeing an active ND thread here for awhile.

I watched ND play Vermont to a 4-4 OT game at Compton Arena a short time ago on television. Beautiful arena. I understand what you are saying, but in the long run I would think that a modern facility would increase attendance and help recruiting. Has game attendance been on the decline since the new arena opened?

I saw the ND vs Maine game on Saturday night. Their a very good defensive team and play their positions well. Good luck the rest of the season.

I don't believe there are any active ND-centric posters left on USCHO. CraigP might still occasionally post, but his ties are split between Northeastern and ND. Over the years the others all dropped away, and I rarely post in the hockey threads, maybe once a month -- if that -- during the season.

We have seen a consistent uptick in recruiting since the new arena was announced, and built. But teams with fewer (and often later round) draft picks were far more successful playing in the old arena than what has happened in the CFIA. Game attendance had been declining precipitously until this season when it seems to have leveled off or improved slightly. The place was packed most nights the first season and into the second. But crowds (often far below the official boxscore) are much smaller now than in 2012 or 2013. When the box said there were 5000 people in the place in 2013, there were 5000 people there. Last season there were boxscores that said 4500 showed up and there may have been 2500 actually in the building. As I have been posting for years now (and it isn't just at Notre Dame) boxscores are not necessarily tickets sold or tickets scanned. They are often complete lies. The newness of the building and recent success fueled big crowds and sellouts. But it isn't new anymore, and after winning NCAA games in 3 of the final 5 seasons in the old building, the team has yet to win one in the five completed seasons in the CFIA.

I simply miss the intimacy of the old building, the effort the team gave there more often than not, and how people showed up there because there was a hockey game. It's one of the reasons college sports used to be (and in some places in some sports) so much more fun than pro sports.

 

[Fishman'81]

Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2nd verse same as the first 2016-2017

Do you really think less money would help them do a better job? They inherited a mess not of their making and are doing the best they can. I'm sorry to hear you and others aren't satisfied.

Thing is, Drew, the mess they inherited, they have made much, much worse. That is what is so discouraging.

 

[Ma#1ne Hky]

Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2nd verse same as the first 2016-2017

Do you really think less money would help them do a better job? They inherited a mess not of their making and are doing the best they can. I'm sorry to hear you and others aren't satisfied.

Money talks...yes it does...but doing the job at hand also counts, and do you think after 4 years that RG has this Program pointed in the right direction? Have you seen progress? Has the recruiting improved? The on ice play, improved or do we see the lack of discipline over and over...either through penalty's or forgetting who should be on the ice during a important time in the game. No accountability is the theme most nights. Comes off negative and why not...just because some of us don't follow the parade off the cliff does not mean we don't care...instead we do, and enough is enough...period. He was hired to improve and set the stage for a turn around, but instead we hear and read excuses...and the lets get big, bigger, biggest...in size...why not go with talent from small/medium and yes big...but bring in talent with heart and grit and old time work ethic and last but not least taking pride in the front of that hockey sweater that says: M A I N E.

 

[walrus]

Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2nd verse same as the first 2016-2017

Do you really think less money would help them do a better job? They inherited a mess not of their making and are doing the best they can. I'm sorry to hear you and others aren't satisfied.

By that comment I take you are satisfied? You think Red is satisfied also?

 

[riverchief1]

Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2nd verse same as the first 2016-2017

I bet Timmay used to tie the players skates for them.

No, he was too busy running the Maine program into the ground after doing the same at Lowell. Despite our warnings to Maine fans back then to beware of him and what was looming on the horizon, we were dismissed because of his early success riding Shawn Walsh's coattails. Then it went all downhill for Maine once Whitehead used up all his Walsh equity.

 

[all bear]

Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2nd verse same as the first 2016-2017

No, he was too busy running the Maine program into the ground after doing the same at Lowell. Despite our warnings to Maine fans back then to beware of him and what was looming on the horizon, we were dismissed because of his early success riding Shawn Walsh's coattails. Then it went all downhill for Maine once Whitehead used up all his Walsh equity.

This is spot on. Red is still trying to dig out of the hole he inherited. I think he will get there....eventually

 

[Drew S.]

This is spot on. Red is still trying to dig out of the hole he inherited. I think he will get there....eventually

It took six years for Timmy to run the program into the ground and it's foolish to think it will take much less than six years to get it back to where it used to be.

Edit: Timmy was a fine coach but a very poor recruiter. He got some decent players here and there but not nearly enough and there was no margin for error.

 

[Drew S.]

By that comment I take you are satisfied? You think Red is satisfied also?

I don't think it matters whether I'm satisfied or not. The way I look at it is does the money help or hurt? They desperately need funds.

Since you asked the question though, I would say I'm satisfied with what is most important to the program right now which is recruiting. I will also add I've been very happy with this year's freshmen class as well. I wish Maine had more wins this year but to be honest if Maine had say four or five more what difference would it really make? I've missed three of the worst performances this year so that might cloud my opinion some. I still think Maine is on the right track, it is just taking longer than a lot of people would like.

 

[NorthMike]

This is spot on. Red is still trying to dig out of the hole he inherited. I think he will get there....eventually

Riverchief1 comments are valid about the hole the team got into. We all watched it happen, slowly.
I am no longer optimistic that Red is the correct person to build back the program to something more than at best 50℅ win/loss seasons.

So in two years if things are about the same, not breaking 15 wins and no succes in HE tourney then what?

Like a few others i like what i saw in some of the freshmen class, and we havent see a couple of them yet. A few of the sophmores and juniors are respectable. For Red alot is riding on the next freshmen class, this will provide him the team through his contract to show what he can do.

 

[BoSox3066]

It took six years for Timmy to run the program into the ground and it's foolish to think it will take much less than six years to get it back to where it used to be.

Edit: Timmy was a fine coach but a very poor recruiter. He got some decent players here and there but not nearly enough and there was no margin for error.

Very poor recruiter that got Gustav Nyquist, Spencer Abbott, Brian Flynn, Ben Hutton and Devin Shore to Orono. Who that's half as good as any of them are on the way?

If Tim had recruited a goalie, if Scott Darling hadn't had demons or if Tim could've figured out how to not blow a lead by over coaching at the end of games he's still be here.

Very poor recruiter my ***. He screwed it up at the end but lets at least be intellectually honest about it.

 

[Drew S.]

Very poor recruiter that got Gustav Nyquist, Spencer Abbott, Brian Flynn, Ben Hutton and Devin Shore to Orono. Who that's half as good as any of them are on the way?

If Tim had recruited a goalie, if Scott Darling hadn't had demons or if Tim could've figured out how to not blow a lead by over coaching at the end of games he's still be here.

Very poor recruiter my ***. He screwed it up at the end but lets at least be intellectually honest about it.

Those guys only make up a quarter of a team though. As I said, he got some decent recruits but not nearly enough.

 

[Runsub5]

Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2nd verse same as the first 2016-2017

Those guys only make up a quarter of a team though. As I said, he got some decent recruits but not nearly enough.

Tim was able to recruit a quality line as BoSox3066 indicates. As you indicate he was unable to recruit enough depth. So far, Gendron hasn't been able to recruit enough talented players for one line. Let alone 2 or 3. Gendron's best year was the first year and it's been getting worse ever since.

 

[Fishman'81]

Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2nd verse same as the first 2016-2017

Tim was able to recruit a quality line as BoSox3066 indicates. As you indicate he was unable to recruit enough depth. So far, Gendron hasn't been able to recruit enough talented players for one line. Let alone 2 or 3. Gendron's best year was the first year and it's been getting worse ever since.

That comment is indisputable, IMO. In this age of parity, you don't need 2-3 dangerous lines, but you do need some high-end talent... And I wouldn't characterize a single one of Red's recruits as "high-end talent".

 

[Drew S.]

Tim was able to recruit a quality line as BoSox3066 indicates. As you indicate he was unable to recruit enough depth. So far, Gendron hasn't been able to recruit enough talented players for one line. Let alone 2 or 3. Gendron's best year was the first year and it's been getting worse ever since.

Maine is much, much better this year than last year. It's not even close to be honest.

Pearson is definitely a top line forward. He has scored twice as many goals as Shore did his first year and is only one short of what Gus did his first year. Red's best recruits still haven't arrived yet.

 

[BoSox3066]

Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2nd verse same as the first 2016-2017

Did you watch Shore or Gus play? On skating alone theres not a kid on this team this year in their universe.

Abbott didnt look like a world beater immediately, he developed, so maybe one of these guys has that as a ceiling?

 

[RENCEB]

Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2nd verse same as the first 2016-2017

So what are Black Bear fans thoughts about this weekend?
Merrimack seems to have found its stride. Their top line (Gustaffson, Seney and Tavernier) are playing extremely well lately, and goalie Delia is healthy and playing with a lot of confidence. Offense is still a concern (they only have 4 more goals than ME in league play), but they have been good at shutting down the opposition, and they are generally pretty tough at home.

 

[AMC]

Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2nd verse same as the first 2016-2017

So what are Black Bear fans thoughts about this weekend?
Merrimack seems to have found its stride. Their top line (Gustaffson, Seney and Tavernier) are playing extremely well lately, and goalie Delia is healthy and playing with a lot of confidence. Offense is still a concern (they only have 4 more goals than ME in league play), but they have been good at shutting down the opposition, and they are generally pretty tough at home.

Maine will play really hard, probably keep it fairly close, then give up a goal or two after horrible penalties and lose.

 

[BBDiehard14]

Re: UMaine Black Bears, 2nd verse same as the first 2016-2017

Those guys only make up a quarter of a team though. As I said, he got some decent recruits but not nearly enough.

Beyond the second line, those teams severely lacked depth. It showed when Maine lost to Duluth in the NCAA Tournament in 2012.