Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
Re: UNH 2018-19: Souza The Opportunity
I'm not necessarily saying it was the wrong approach, HR - but it was probably a different approach than the one Coach Umile would've taken. Devil's advocate time - why not lean a little heavier on McKinnon and/or Verrier, and see what they can handle at this stage of their careers? I seem to recall guys like Cleland and Maller were initiated as frosh fairly early on, and others before them, too. Hickey apparently only played a shift or two in the first period. I'm guessing Sato was the swing guy for times when three of the other four were in need of a little extra recovery time? From reading the various accounts on here, it sounded like either Gildon or Wyse was on the ice at all times, and probably spent some time out there together as well. That adds up to 30-35 minutes apiece, which is a HUGE amount of time at this level, and pretty extraordinary for an early regular season game, even if it was a conference game.
For example - let's say Gildon and Wyse play 27-28 minutes apiece. A little above average (or maybe at Gildon's average), and then look to McKinnon and Verrier for 22-23 minutes apiece (definitely more than usual) with Sato/Hickey up for 10 minutes apiece? Or if you find that Hickey/Sato aren't up for it, you limit them to 5 apiece, and push McKinnon and Verrier a little harder still for 27-28 minutes apiece? See if they can handle it?? Those guys are already regulars as frosh … why not press them to show some upside??
Usually I refrain from quibbling about coaching decisions like this, and if I'm being honest … to me, this is more a comparison between how the mentor and his successor have varied approaches. Which is good. I think the last thing most of us were looking for was for Souza to be "Umile Jr." And whereas Umile never really had to coach with an eye on his short term prospects with the program during the last 25 or so years of his career, he could play the "long game" if he wanted to, and avoid burning out his top pair guys early in the season. Souza has no such assurances about his future, so he may be coaching for short term results instead. Playing your top guys over 30 minutes apiece this early in the season (and what if it went OT again, like Friday?) is definitely more about the latter scenario.
Not huge issues in the current scheme of things, but fascinating (to me) nonetheless to see someone coaching with a degree of urgency that hasn't been seen in these here parts for close to 30 years.
I'm not necessarily saying it was the wrong approach, HR - but it was probably a different approach than the one Coach Umile would've taken. Devil's advocate time - why not lean a little heavier on McKinnon and/or Verrier, and see what they can handle at this stage of their careers? I seem to recall guys like Cleland and Maller were initiated as frosh fairly early on, and others before them, too. Hickey apparently only played a shift or two in the first period. I'm guessing Sato was the swing guy for times when three of the other four were in need of a little extra recovery time? From reading the various accounts on here, it sounded like either Gildon or Wyse was on the ice at all times, and probably spent some time out there together as well. That adds up to 30-35 minutes apiece, which is a HUGE amount of time at this level, and pretty extraordinary for an early regular season game, even if it was a conference game.
For example - let's say Gildon and Wyse play 27-28 minutes apiece. A little above average (or maybe at Gildon's average), and then look to McKinnon and Verrier for 22-23 minutes apiece (definitely more than usual) with Sato/Hickey up for 10 minutes apiece? Or if you find that Hickey/Sato aren't up for it, you limit them to 5 apiece, and push McKinnon and Verrier a little harder still for 27-28 minutes apiece? See if they can handle it?? Those guys are already regulars as frosh … why not press them to show some upside??
Usually I refrain from quibbling about coaching decisions like this, and if I'm being honest … to me, this is more a comparison between how the mentor and his successor have varied approaches. Which is good. I think the last thing most of us were looking for was for Souza to be "Umile Jr." And whereas Umile never really had to coach with an eye on his short term prospects with the program during the last 25 or so years of his career, he could play the "long game" if he wanted to, and avoid burning out his top pair guys early in the season. Souza has no such assurances about his future, so he may be coaching for short term results instead. Playing your top guys over 30 minutes apiece this early in the season (and what if it went OT again, like Friday?) is definitely more about the latter scenario.
Not huge issues in the current scheme of things, but fascinating (to me) nonetheless to see someone coaching with a degree of urgency that hasn't been seen in these here parts for close to 30 years.
I had a general awareness of UNH Hockey, would catch a few games at Snively when time allowed, and knew the program was going through some tough times. If your point was/is that those teams were better than the ones we've seen here over the last two seasons, that's good enough for me. I know the interlocking schedule with the WCHA was the polar opposite of the less formal interlocking schedule with Atlantic Hockey of the last few seasons (which to Souza's credit, they seem to have moved away from this season).
