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UMaine Black Bears Recruiting

Re: UMaine Black Bears Recruiting

Bhall44 said:
He has decommitted. Likely asked to play another year of juniors and didn't want to.
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That is sad if true. Didn't seem like he needed another year of juniors from what I could see. He has good wheels and his scoring picked up. I think he lead Fargo in scoring last month.

I watched first two periods of Salibury game today. Capone had a goal where he pounced on a rebound and banged it home. Looks like a big power forward type. Had several hits, and lots of general banging on the boards. Took a couple hits too. Had a couple nice passes. Not really any weaknesses I can see.
 
Re: UMaine Black Bears Recruiting

BlackI said:
That is sad if true. Didn't seem like he needed another year of juniors from what I could see. He has good wheels and his scoring picked up. I think he lead Fargo in scoring last month.
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Only so much scholarship money and can only skate so many guys. Certainly disappointing but this probably means Pearson is not being offered a contract and will be sticking around for next year. Also leads to Osadick commitment.

BlackI said:
I watched first two periods of Salibury game today. Capone had a goal where he pounced on a rebound and banged it home. Looks like a big power forward type. Had several hits, and lots of general banging on the boards. Took a couple hits too. Had a couple nice passes. Not really any weaknesses I can see.
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Glad you got to see Capone. I have seen him live a couple times this year. Fantastic player! He and Breen get me very excited!
 
Re: UMaine Black Bears Recruiting

A few random questions for BHall/BlackEye...do you think any of Herner, Spicer, Moran, Pappalardo, or Hock are on the team next year? It's hard for me to see where any of them have much of a future with Maine but maybe there is something I am missing. What is the difference between Drobot and Pappalardo? Will the difference in competition leading into playing for Maine lead to a different outcome for Drobot? What do you make of the last six commits coming from the Manitoba or Saskatchewan leagues? I know some of the kids are actually from the maritimes but it makes me a bit nervous when Maine goes heavy from one area.
 
Re: UMaine Black Bears Recruiting

Drew S. said:
A few random questions for BHall/BlackEye...do you think any of Herner, Spicer, Moran, Pappalardo, or Hock are on the team next year? It's hard for me to see where any of them have much of a future with Maine but maybe there is something I am missing. What is the difference between Drobot and Pappalardo? Will the difference in competition leading into playing for Maine lead to a different outcome for Drobot? What do you make of the last six commits coming from the Manitoba or Saskatchewan leagues? I know some of the kids are actually from the maritimes but it makes me a bit nervous when Maine goes heavy from one area.
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In your first question, I expect them all to be here if they want to be. I expect them all to be depth where cracking the line up will take a lot of hard work. Numbers next year seem similar to this year... lose 4 and gain 4(assuming Moran comes in 19/20). I have always been a fan of bigger rosters because you have a lot of competition for the final few spots and it makes the team better. And it makes those players better that are competing. And the playing time is usually in their control, if they want to play then work the hardest.

On Pappalardo vs Drobot I am unsure really. It seems Pappalardo has not been able to make the adjustment to the speed and physical play and has yet to show up on the score sheet. On Drobot, since he is playing in USHL and displaying the ability to play 200 feet, tenacious on the boards, penalty killing, goes to the net, etc... I think there is less risk he doesn't pan out. I think he will be a solid player for Maine. He is strong on his skates and isn't afraid of contact.

Well, I have been very impressed with Keeper, and he came from MJHL. And so the two recruits from MJHL are on the all rookie team, and Thiessen is a first team all-star. I think he should have gotten goalie of the year but I realize a kid two years older that didn't play in a rotation can get it too. One the other 4 from Saskatchewan, three come from a top notch hockey academy. The 4th is up for defenseman of the year in SJHL. And two are from eastern Canada, which is good for Maine to try to have a good stake in that area for recruiting. Overall, I think these recruits look very promising. I worry on three of them that may chose major junior(Morrissey, Breen, Renwick).

If anything Maine seems to have one of the most diverse teams I've seen. Next year we add someone from Denmark, and someone from Newfoundland. Kind of cool.
 
Re: UMaine Black Bears Recruiting

BlackI said:
If anyone is interested in watching Nick Capone at 5 PM here is a link... you have to go down below and find the games that has Salisbury vs. KUA... as an added bonus you get to watch former Black Bear Coach Tim Whitehead...

https://twitter.com/WickSports/status/970400749573328896?s=19
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Great battle, if anyone got the time to watch it. Whiteheads KUA wins again. Capone played well, when he played.... but I noticed he didn't get the ice time I would have expected. He had a huge hit in the third. He's a nhl frame type, where once he gets a couple steps in he can hit very hard. Reminds me a lot of Greg Moore.
 
Re: UMaine Black Bears Recruiting

BlackI said:
Great battle, if anyone got the time to watch it. Whiteheads KUA wins again. Capone played well, when he played.... but I noticed he didn't get the ice time I would have expected. He had a huge hit in the third. He's a nhl frame type, where once he gets a couple steps in he can hit very hard. Reminds me a lot of Greg Moore.
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I watched it and it was a great game, especially the last few minutes. Very exciting with the announcers really getting into it. Only the second loss for Salisbury on the season and they were a #1 seed. Capone served a penalty for the goal tender in the closing minutes. Tim has some talent on that team with one or two of them already committed to D1 schools. I think one is going to Northeastern.
 
Re: UMaine Black Bears Recruiting

Runsub5 said:
I watched it and it was a great game, especially the last few minutes. Very exciting with the announcers really getting into it. Only the second loss for Salisbury on the season and they were a #1 seed. Capone served a penalty for the goal tender in the closing minutes. Tim has some talent on that team with one or two of them already committed to D1 schools. I think one is going to Northeastern.
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Nice fan following from KUA. Speedy, well coached. Fun game to watch. KUA goalie played very well.
 
Re: UMaine Black Bears Recruiting

How likely are commits for the upcoming season at this time of the year? I was doing some research on USHL defensemen and an uncommitted player caught my eye. Mason Palmer, Waterloo; 45 GP, 2-5-7, +17. 19 years old. Unlikely, I know, but any chance he could be lured to Orono?
 
amkirby10 said:
How likely are commits for the upcoming season at this time of the year? I was doing some research on USHL defensemen and an uncommitted player caught my eye. Mason Palmer, Waterloo; 45 GP, 2-5-7, +17. 19 years old. Unlikely, I know, but any chance he could be lured to Orono?
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I’d be surprised if they took another dman. That could change depending on defections though.
 
Drew S. said:
I’d be surprised if they took another dman. That could change depending on defections though.
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I mean, I don’t think they’ll get this kid, but I’dlike to see it. Herner I believe was personally told by Red he’d never play here, Moran might have a year or two extra in junior, and I’m not sure of Spicer’s status. Butala I expect to be here, and he will in all likelihood get Hamilton’s roster spot, but since I’m personally no fan of Muhelbauer if we could get Palmer to take his place we’d have a solid D in my view.
 
amkirby10 said:
I mean, I don’t think they’ll get this kid, but I’dlike to see it. Herner I believe was personally told by Red he’d never play here, Moran might have a year or two extra in junior, and I’m not sure of Spicer’s status. Butala I expect to be here, and he will in all likelihood get Hamilton’s roster spot, but since I’m personally no fan of Muhelbauer if we could get Palmer to take his place we’d have a solid D in my view.
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Interesting. I wonder if maybe Herner had an attitude issue or something like that? I’m really surprised he never got a shot last year given how little depth Maine had.

Do you know what the deal with Hock is? Has he been hurt or just not good enough? It’s bizarre three guys on the roster will wind up not playing a game.
 
Re: UMaine Black Bears Recruiting

Drew S. said:
Interesting. I wonder if maybe Herner had an attitude issue or something like that? I’m really surprised he never got a shot last year given how little depth Maine had.

Do you know what the deal with Hock is? Has he been hurt or just not good enough? It’s bizarre three guys on the roster will wind up not playing a game.
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I thought Hock and Spicer were red shirts, therefore we wouldn't expect them to play. Just practice this year. I can't remember if I red it in posts on here, but that has been my impression. Could be it was mentioned on that coaches show. Not sure if I can find a link to an article.
 
Re: UMaine Black Bears Recruiting

Drew S. said:
I wonder if maybe Herner had an attitude issue or something like that? I’m really surprised he never got a shot last year given how little depth Maine had.
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Herner played in the exhibition game against Acadia and he was Slow...

I doubt he will ever have the speed to play.
 
Re: UMaine Black Bears Recruiting

dogtagger said:
Herner played in the exhibition game against Acadia and he was Slow...

I doubt he will ever have the speed to play.
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Thanks for the tip, I just watched(available in on demand section of game videos) a little and I agree with your take.
 
Re: UMaine Black Bears Recruiting

Drew S. said:
A few random questions for BHall/BlackEye...do you think any of Herner, Spicer, Moran, Pappalardo, or Hock are on the team next year? It's hard for me to see where any of them have much of a future with Maine but maybe there is something I am missing. What is the difference between Drobot and Pappalardo? Will the difference in competition leading into playing for Maine lead to a different outcome for Drobot? What do you make of the last six commits coming from the Manitoba or Saskatchewan leagues? I know some of the kids are actually from the maritimes but it makes me a bit nervous when Maine goes heavy from one area.
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Herner is Stephen Cochrane 2.0 good kid not fast enough for this level if he likes Orono/coaches/practice squad he will stay around, Spicer & Hock RSing, Moran has one more year of juniors, Pappalardo up to him if he comes back next year. Drobot and Papparlardo have completely different games. Pappalardo and Hock are more likely in competition with one another. Pappalardo played a phenomenal game at Lowell this year. Other than Tralmaks he was the best player on the ice that game. Could he make a Robbins type jump his Jr year? Possibly, but depth is an issue for him and he still has some speed issues. As it sits today tough to see where he is anything other than injury security. All depends how hard he works and if he is willing to wait for his opportunity. I expect Becker will graduate this year and move on, in which case Spicer is likely the guy to gill the role of the 7/8th defenseman (Assuming just one of Butala/Kleiboer) comes next fall.

Remember teams get 18 "full" scholarships which means some players get partial rides. Every year at this time of year there are last minute "wheeling and dealings" with recruits. Ripple effects happen which push a recruit back a year. If player doesn't want to play another year of juniors they go and look for another opportunity. We benefited last year by getting Tiuraniemi because of this. The average NCAA hockey roster is 29 we have 31 so our roster size is pretty normal. Maine has been well below that for quite some time. When rosters are thin the reason is kids don't want to come and play as a walk on, or put more bluntly your program is not attractive. Maine struggled with this for almost a decade. Paying attention to the recruiting trail provides early indicators a team is headed in a positive direction, however those recruits still need to show up and continue to develop. Development is a key component. As well all sit her on this forum chatting about shortcoming here and shortcoming there of the current roster, we all must remember that the core talent is FR & SO and 2 years from now they will not be the same players we see today.

The commits we have recently got out of Canada are a great demonstration of Guite/Michaud talent identification and recruiting ability. To compete at a high level in NCAA hockey is more difficult than ever and recruiting is key to competing. Starts with culture in the locker room, then talent not just impact freshman but players who will be around to provide an impact as seniors. Nothing to be nervous about.
 
Re: UMaine Black Bears Recruiting

amkirby10 said:
How likely are commits for the upcoming season at this time of the year? I was doing some research on USHL defensemen and an uncommitted player caught my eye. Mason Palmer, Waterloo; 45 GP, 2-5-7, +17. 19 years old. Unlikely, I know, but any chance he could be lured to Orono?
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For UMaine, new recruits for next season are pretty unlikely at this point. We are pretty well locked in, especially at D. If an obvious roster upgrade presents itself that is a different story. The one thing to keep an eye on is Michel and Holway. I left the Alfond last Saturday night and pretty much said goodbye to Michel. I think he will be offered a contract and sign, as he should. I'm a little on the fence about Holway, but ultimately I think Detroit sees enough room for improvement that at least another year at UMaine is in order. Becker is likely to graduate. So we need to replace Hamilton, Michel, Becker is this scenario.

Assessing the current situation Butala (Hamilton), Kleiboer (Michel), and Spicer (Becker). Palmer has one more year of junior eligibility and is a good player no doubt, i've watched him play a couple of times. Ultimately he doesn't represent an obvious roster upgrade and Maine doesn't have enough $ left to get him to Orono. He is likely to get more $ (a half to full ride) from another school . Palmer is your classic Norm Bazin type pickup (which more and more teams are doing now). Also Atlantic Hockey with their 18 scholarships now and many schools with new infrastructure projects completed/underway/planned should not be taken lightly going forward.
 
Re: UMaine Black Bears Recruiting

Bhall44 said:
For UMaine, new recruits for next season are pretty unlikely at this point. We are pretty well locked in, especially at D. If an obvious roster upgrade presents itself that is a different story. The one thing to keep an eye on is Michel and Holway. I left the Alfond last Saturday night and pretty much said goodbye to Michel. I think he will be offered a contract and sign, as he should. I'm a little on the fence about Holway, but ultimately I think Detroit sees enough room for improvement that at least another year at UMaine is in order. Becker is likely to graduate. So we need to replace Hamilton, Michel, Becker is this scenario.

Assessing the current situation Butala (Hamilton), Kleiboer (Michel), and Spicer (Becker). Palmer has one more year of junior eligibility and is a good player no doubt, i've watched him play a couple of times. Ultimately he doesn't represent an obvious roster upgrade and Maine doesn't have enough $ left to get him to Orono. He is likely to get more $ (a half to full ride) from another school . Palmer is your classic Norm Bazin type pickup (which more and more teams are doing now). Also Atlantic Hockey with their 18 scholarships now and many schools with new infrastructure projects completed/underway/planned should not be taken lightly going forward.
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Great posts BHall44. I want to know if you see the same thing I do... If I project a starting line up I see 63 percent of starting line up being from USHL. That trend may or may not increase. But it may be the highest it has been for Maine? I guess there is a correlation. I'll go ahead and post what I see for a line up scenario next season(assuming Michel comes back)... And star indicates did not play in USHL...

Forwards =>

Fossier/Pearson/Schmit-Svestrup
Tralmaks/Doherty*/Dawe
Westerlund/Pieper*/Robbins*
Drobot/Shea*/Smith

BackUp: Housakos*/Holesinsky*/Perez*/Quinlivan*/Hock*/Poppalardo*


Defense =>

Keeper*/Michel*
Binner/Holway
Butala/Muehlbauer*

BackUp: VMT/Spicer/Becker*/Herner*

Goalies=>

Swayman

BackUp: McGovern*/Mundinger*
 
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