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UNH 2018-19: Souza The Opportunity

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Re: UNH 2018-19: Souza The Opportunity

Hey Guys......love the dedication from everyone, no matter their course of trying to right the ship! I am fully behind Dan Enders and Coach Souza trying to engage the Alumni and solve our current situation....While I haven't partaken in any of these discussions yet, I have been talking with some of my former teammates regarding what we should be attempting to bring UNH back to where we should be, in the National discussion, and seen as a team no one wants to play!! Recently, we had dinner at Libby's and then went to the Miami game...….attendance was 1600? Yes students on vacation but it was a team that would've sold out the Whitt in years past.....
To try and be brief, and I'm sure you'll let me know how and what you think on this idea, we basically are ****ed that kids come to the Boston area and look at BC, BU, Lowell, and Providence without ever coming to look at (yes, I am biased) the beauty of the UNH campus! How do we get top prospects to visit? A couple of my dinner-mates travel the world finding talent for their respective hockey clubs.....they KNOW who and what is available for top prospects...ALL ages, all leagues! So let's agree that Coach Souza is willing to go and sit in these prospects living rooms.....the problem is $$$$. Will UNH give him and his staff the money to go to Europe, BC, Canada, or Russia for a couple of weeks to find these kids? It will take some serious cash that I'm not sure UNH will pony up......Have the Friends group got that cash or donors with it for a month on the road? Then, do they have the means to get said recruits and family (father or mother) here for a visit? You get my drift.....but realize this isn't a small issue, it takes serious and long term commitment...…..if we could get a couple of decent recruits, the 12, 13 and 14 year old, see and hear the UNH brand, see the colors worn by family members and maybe we establish ourselves...….like we did in Sarnia and Petrolia, and other places previously.....

That's the gist of our discussions......obviously, there is a lot more to be done but if we do not get these quality, top notch players to campus so they see UNH, what other avenues will give us the best building materials needed? Cheers.... :)
 
Re: UNH 2018-19: Souza The Opportunity

Nick Ardanaz said:
I had an offer from a WCHA school, but never visited. I considered a couple of Ivy League schools. UNH was my first official visit...
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THAT is often how you get kids to campus and commit them - by being first to offer or first to host them. This is why a common refrain from me calls for a much more aggressive approach to recruiting. Identify and target the players you want, offer them and have them visit ASAP. If UNH waits until later this winter - and Ardanaz moves up and plays a few games with Vernon - then he probably garners a few more Big10, Ivy or NCHC offers and heads somewhere else...

Be the kid's first offer/visit and you will have a HUGE advantage. No matter how highly regarded a recruit they may be. This is how Northeastern has become a factor. It is simply the nature of the recruiting game today - with kids committing so young. UNH will either play the game or get left behind. They don't need a massive budget, they need to efficiently maximize the one they have. The days of heading out and taking multiple looks at players or spending trips just evaluating (and for the most part home-visits - most kids commit long before these are even allowed) are over, for now. You do your prep work ahead of time, you make your trip and you offer if you like what you see...
 
Re: UNH 2018-19: Souza The Opportunity

Dan said:
THAT is often how you get kids to campus and commit them - by being first to offer or first to host them. This is why a common refrain from me calls for a much more aggressive approach to recruiting. Identify and target the players you want, offer them and have them visit ASAP. If UNH waits until later this winter - and Ardanaz moves up and plays a few games with Vernon - then he probably garners a few more Big10, Ivy or NCHC offers and heads somewhere else...

Be the kid's first offer/visit and you will have a HUGE advantage. No matter how highly regarded a recruit they may be. This is how Northeastern has become a factor. It is simply the nature of the recruiting game today - with kids committing so young. UNH will either play the game or get left behind. They don't need a massive budget, they need to efficiently maximize the one they have. The days of heading out and taking multiple looks at players or spending trips just evaluating (and for the most part home-visits - most kids commit long before these are even allowed) are over, for now. You do your prep work ahead of time, you make your trip and you offer if you like what you see...
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Totally agree that it's great to get them on campus right away..and offer! What I have already seen as a fan of 5 years now tho is the concern about some of the younger commits changing their mind; see Farabee, Joel. (of course, I know zipp about what he was up to but he was 14 when he committed? Is that young for a recruit?) And, of course, players de-commit every team faces it, not just us.

Also Dan, you were going to do a take on Providence, still up for that? I know they will be tough...but we usually manage to do something with them.
 
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Re: UNH 2018-19: Souza The Opportunity

Zoofer

I see your passion and hope UNH is helpful in recruiting. I do not know that it is all about $. Our recent recruiting has been very good to excellent and it may take a year or two to get where we want to be. I am not a fan of committing 12,13 and 14 year old kids. I would prefer no recruiting until the fall of their junior year in high school.

Our attendance is better than almost all of the hockey east teams. Colgate was about 300 people for both games. I would guess 1500-2000 at Colorado College, Good turnout for VT, Umass and BU. BC was empty and though we are far from sellouts, we have more in the stands than almost all Hockey East Schools. I am not optimistic about great turnout for Providence or Dartmouth. We shall see what the future holds. I hope our four injured players are back soon.
 
Re: UNH 2018-19: Souza The Opportunity

Itll only be a few people, but my father-in-law, brother-in-law, and I will be at the Providence game on Saturday as part of our yearly man trip. :p:D:D
 
Re: UNH 2018-19: Souza The Opportunity

UNH1932 said:
Zoofer

I am not a fan of committing 12,13 and 14 year old kids. I would prefer no recruiting until the fall of their junior year in high school.
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I'm not sure him was implying that UNH should try and get commitments from 12, 13, 14 year olds (as I agree in most cases that's too young); I think he was saying that this age grounp will start to notice UNH and hopefully see them as a school of interest down the road.
 
Re: UNH 2018-19: Souza The Opportunity

Dan said:
THAT is often how you get kids to campus and commit them - by being first to offer or first to host them. This is why a common refrain from me calls for a much more aggressive approach to recruiting. Identify and target the players you want, offer them and have them visit ASAP. If UNH waits until later this winter - and Ardanaz moves up and plays a few games with Vernon - then he probably garners a few more Big10, Ivy or NCHC offers and heads somewhere else...

Be the kid's first offer/visit and you will have a HUGE advantage. No matter how highly regarded a recruit they may be. This is how Northeastern has become a factor. It is simply the nature of the recruiting game today - with kids committing so young. UNH will either play the game or get left behind. They don't need a massive budget, they need to efficiently maximize the one they have. The days of heading out and taking multiple looks at players or spending trips just evaluating (and for the most part home-visits - most kids commit long before these are even allowed) are over, for now. You do your prep work ahead of time, you make your trip and you offer if you like what you see...
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The only risk you run with looking at these kids and offering them early is if they do not pan out as well as they look at that age. I'm guessing that every school has those happen on some early commits but it is definitely a good strategy to get out there and take them early. I agree that UNH needs to get in on the game and I think the risk of some players not developing is worth the potential rewards, considering this happens no matter when or how you are committing players. This falls back on the coaching staff to be able to have as much foresight as possible with any kids they are in on getting. If you are getting on a plane to BC to look at a kid you have a pretty good idea that he is something you want. I am liking the amount of 16 y/o's they have been pulling out of the recruiting pool in the last 4 months or so. It sets a vision for the future and right now we can offer these younger guys a faster track to the college ice (especially on the blue line) because our current top end D group is 1-2 years away from being gone.

I think UNH can also be successful filling in the recruiting classes in the 6 months before bringing them in. Key words being filling in and not having that as your primary strategy. I would hope that we are out looking for some late blooming or decommit forwards to fill in next years group because that is where we need help and we are quite thin on incoming forwards at this point.
 
Snively65 said:
Hey, FS, I will buy you a beer at Libby's pregame, as thanks for your hard work on greatest teams thread.
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That sounds great. Ill be sporting a green Sioux jersey. I anticipate sticking out. :p:D:D. How far is it from Libby's to the arena?

Also, we shouldn't have any issues getting tickets the day of at the box office correct?
 
Re: UNH 2018-19: Souza The Opportunity

chickod said:
That's very good! Am I the only one who "got" that? (see, the Bruins retired Rick Middleton's number tonight) :D
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hahaha I WISH I could be that cool....oh wait, of course I put that in there for a reason....(coming from a person who really had no clue about that nickname...until tonight watching it ;) )
 
Re: UNH 2018-19: Souza The Opportunity

Fighting Sioux 23 said:
That sounds great. Ill be sporting a green Sioux jersey. I anticipate sticking out. :p:D:D. How far is it from Libby's to the arena?

Also, we shouldn't have any issues getting tickets the day of at the box office correct?
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Not far; a mile maybe? And, I'll be looking for you at the game!! (or at Libby's; Snively you going to be there??)
 
Re: UNH 2018-19: Souza The Opportunity

FS, there is freeparking in a downtown lot off Mill Road, which is off the oneway loop that includes Main Street; Libby's is on Main Street above that lot.

As HR notes, the Whitt is about a mile west on Main Street through campus, with most of the free parking just beyond the Whiit across the RR tracks (across the bridge).

There will be lots of UNH jerseys at Libby's, so you will definitely stand out. I like to arrive at the Whitt in time for practice, so I usually leave Libby's by 6 pm. Food and drink service is typically quick, but I will try to be at Libby's around 5 pm.

Correct; you should not have any concerns getting tickets, sadly.
 
HockeyRef said:
hahaha I WISH I could be that cool....oh wait, of course I put that in there for a reason....(coming from a person who really had no clue about that nickname...until tonight watching it ;) )
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Nice ceremony for Nifty at the Garden last night. Loved the video clips of him deeking everyone on the way to the net for his goals; no way he could do that in today's game, especially not wearing a helmet when practically everyone else was.
 
Re: UNH 2018-19: Souza The Opportunity

HockeyRef said:
Also Dan, you were going to do a take on Providence, still up for that? I know they will be tough...but we usually manage to do something with them.
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Providence is big, fast and physical. I thought they played really well in Denver, despite managing just a tie and a loss against the Pioneers. On Friday night, they seemed content to play on the perimeter - putting up 40-some shots on goal but with no real following of rebounds or chances around the crease. Saturday, they made a committed effort to attack the goal and scored four times near the doorstep. They're very responsible, turning tough defense and goaltending into transition offense and when they follow their shots and play physical around the goal they're really dangerous. They have to play that way because their forward group is much more of a pro-style, north-south unit.

They don't have a lot of shifty, typical college type standout offensive players - at least not so much in the older ranks of Bjorkqvist, Wilkins, Duhaime, etc. Which is not to imply these forwards don't have good hands and stick skills because they certainly do. They also have great depth of offensive talent with players like Conway and Printz, who was really good in Denver (recruited out of Maryland - Printz jumps out at me as a guy who might be at UNH if Borek had stayed). The wildcards offensively for the Friars are the FR - Dugan is their leading scorer and was silent on Friday before a big night on Saturday. First round pick O'Brien has yet to score a point (battling injuries) but man is he a talent - he is the shifty, ever dangerous type and when he gets healthy and figures it out he'll be a constant threat. It would be a bad sign for UNH if that was this weekend. Thompson is not his brother, but is a very strong player in his own right. The upperclassmen are consistently steady and dangerous, if the FR play well PC is tough to beat.

Defensively, they move the puck really well with guys like Bryson, Young, Mirageas and Callahan. Callahan suffered a pretty ugly injury in Denver, but is supposed to play - keep an eye on him, because he may not be able to move as well as he usually does. Desharnais is a tower but a pretty weak skater. He plays a lot of minutes, Id hope UNH attacks him on the rush as much as possible. He has a long reach, but he's the type of defenseman Watcher actively hopes we avoid and I agree. Bryson is all over the offense for PC. Young, Mirageas and Callahan are all really good two-way players. Mirageas seems to have lost a bit of impact this year and his odds of making the WJC team seem to be slipping...

Hawkey is really a well-rounded goaltender. If PC plays well in front of him, he's really tough to beat. You have to hope they struggle and that he wont still steal the game for them. It could be a much tougher weekend for UNH goal scoring than last weekend turned out to be - especially with a couple of key forwards missing.

Honestly, I'd be positively surprised if UNH picks up any points this weekend if PC looks like the team they were last weekend - especially last Saturday. They're very good. UNH has played PC well in recent years - stylistically they match up well when the Friars skate how they did last Friday (lots of pressure, few truly dangerous chances created). Still, even a single win would be a big step forward and a great sign for the Wildcats. Not the positive, momentum sustaining review I'm sure everyone was hoping for after last weekend, but the Friars may be for real. A disappointing weekend (of results) in Denver will only make PC an even tougher opponent...
 
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Re: UNH 2018-19: Souza The Opportunity

Dan said:
Providence is big, fast and physical. I thought they played really well in Denver, despite managing just a tie and a loss against the Pioneers. On Friday night, they seemed content to play on the perimeter - putting up 40-some shots on goal but with no real following of rebounds or chances around the crease. Saturday, they made a committed effort to attack the goal and scored four times near the doorstep. They're very responsible, turning tough defense and goaltending into transition offense and when they follow their shots and play physical around the goal they're really dangerous. They have to play that way because their forward group is much more of a pro-style, north-south unit.

They don't have a lot of shifty, typical college type standout offensive players - at least not so much in the older ranks of Bjorkqvist, Wilkins, Duhaime, etc. Which is not to imply these forwards don't have good hands and stick skills because they certainly do. They also have great depth of offensive talent with players like Conway and Printz, who was really good in Denver (recruited out of Maryland - Printz jumps out at me as a guy who might be at UNH if Borek had stayed). The wildcards offensively for the Friars are the FR - Dugan is their leading scorer and was silent on Friday before a big night on Saturday. First round pick O'Brien has yet to score a point (battling injuries) but man is he a talent - he is the shifty, ever dangerous type and when he gets healthy and figures it out he'll be a constant threat. It would be a bad sign for UNH if that was this weekend. Thompson is not his brother, but is a very strong player in his own right. The upperclassmen are consistently steady and dangerous, if the FR play well PC is tough to beat.

Defensively, they move the puck really well with guys like Bryson, Young, Mirageas and Callahan. Callahan suffered a pretty ugly injury in Denver, but is supposed to play - keep an eye on him, because he may not be able to move as well as he usually does. Desharnais is a tower but a pretty weak skater. He plays a lot of minutes, Id hope UNH attacks him on the rush as much as possible. He has a long reach, but he's the type of defenseman Watcher actively hopes we avoid and I agree. Bryson is all over the offense for PC. Young, Mirageas and Callahan are all really good two-way players. Mirageas seems to have lost a bit of impact this year and his odds of making the WJC team seem to be slipping...

Hawkey is really a well-rounded goaltender. If PC plays well in front of him, he's really tough to beat. You have to hope they struggle and that he wont still steal the game for them. It could be a much tougher weekend for UNH goal scoring than last weekend turned out to be - especially with a couple of key forwards missing.

Honestly, I'd be positively surprised if UNH picks up any points this weekend if PC looks like the team they were last weekend - especially last Saturday. They're very good. UNH has played PC well in recent years - stylistically they match up well when the Friars skate how they did last Friday (lots of pressure, few truly dangerous chances created). Still, even a single win would be a big step forward and a great sign for the Wildcats. Not the positive, momentum sustaining review I'm sure everyone was hoping for after last weekend, but the Friars may be for real. A disappointing weekend (of results) in Denver will only make PC an even tougher opponent...
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Thanks for the info...PC is a well coached team that usually has all the pieces they need to compete and compete well with anyone. Would love to get some points but know the task ahead! Let's Go 'Cats!! Snively65 maybe see you at Libby's...gotta get there by 5 really to get a seat anywhere...I will bring the T shirt hopefully so you can have that prize...;)
 
Re: UNH 2018-19: Souza The Opportunity

Snively65 said:
Nice ceremony for Nifty at the Garden last night. Loved the video clips of him deeking everyone on the way to the net for his goals; no way he could do that in today's game, especially not wearing a helmet when practically everyone else was.
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That was enjoyable wasn't it. I was just a Senior in high school in 1976. Wasn't following Bruins hockey then but knew of them of course, esp Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito. The high school I attended used to take trips from Littleton to Montreal to see the B's v. Habs. We'd get dropped off and told "see you at the Forum and behave yourself" :eek: which meant underage drinking galore! (for some mind you...:D) Remember not even having a clue what I was really watching went for the atmosphere and the fun of roaming the city. Can't believe they didn't wear helmets then, and, the goal tending certainly has evolved like the rest of the game!! Good times...
 
Re: UNH 2018-19: Souza The Opportunity

zoofer said:
Hey Guys......love the dedication from everyone, no matter their course of trying to right the ship! I am fully behind Dan Enders and Coach Souza trying to engage the Alumni and solve our current situation....While I haven't partaken in any of these discussions yet, I have been talking with some of my former teammates regarding what we should be attempting to bring UNH back to where we should be, in the National discussion, and seen as a team no one wants to play!! Recently, we had dinner at Libby's and then went to the Miami game...….attendance was 1600? Yes students on vacation but it was a team that would've sold out the Whitt in years past.....
To try and be brief, and I'm sure you'll let me know how and what you think on this idea, we basically are ****ed that kids come to the Boston area and look at BC, BU, Lowell, and Providence without ever coming to look at (yes, I am biased) the beauty of the UNH campus! How do we get top prospects to visit? A couple of my dinner-mates travel the world finding talent for their respective hockey clubs.....they KNOW who and what is available for top prospects...ALL ages, all leagues! So let's agree that Coach Souza is willing to go and sit in these prospects living rooms.....the problem is $$$$. Will UNH give him and his staff the money to go to Europe, BC, Canada, or Russia for a couple of weeks to find these kids? It will take some serious cash that I'm not sure UNH will pony up......Have the Friends group got that cash or donors with it for a month on the road? Then, do they have the means to get said recruits and family (father or mother) here for a visit? You get my drift.....but realize this isn't a small issue, it takes serious and long term commitment...…..if we could get a couple of decent recruits, the 12, 13 and 14 year old, see and hear the UNH brand, see the colors worn by family members and maybe we establish ourselves...….like we did in Sarnia and Petrolia, and other places previously.....

That's the gist of our discussions......obviously, there is a lot more to be done but if we do not get these quality, top notch players to campus so they see UNH, what other avenues will give us the best building materials needed? Cheers.... :)
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Hey Neil. Lot of good thoughts and questions there. I'll respond to a couple of them. First, attendance, which I think has been inflated the last few years, is a function of how you're playing. Back in the late 80s when UNH stunk, I can recall attending gams where there might be 1500 or 2000 in the stands, with few students. I will say that attendance throughout college hockey is down. None of the Boston schools draw well, Maine doesn't sell out nor does Minnesota. There are exceptions of course but I'd say that, overall, the dip in attendance has been a function of the product on the ice. There are still many great players playing college hockey but, unlike the past when guys like Krog, Gionta, Drury, Montgomery and the like would play for four years then turn pro, now they turn pro after one or two years. Can't say as I blame them since the money is there but it has reduced the quality level of the sport. It also exacerbates the disconnect between player and fan. Kid comes in as a freshman, gets his feet wet after a month or so, the fans start to embrace him and then, two months later is gone never to be seen again. You can't build up fan loyalty to a player or a team, if the key guys on the roster are changing every couple of years.

As for money, as you know well, UNH has never been a big spender when it comes to hockey. Back in your day it was a wonder that they could keep up with the Minnesotas and Wisconsins of the world. It's not that dire now but I'd be willing to bet that UNH's hockey budget is among the lowest in Hockey East and probably the country. They don't have the assets of some schools like those in the Big Ten, but they surely should be competitive with UMass or Maine budget wise. What is the likelihood that this is the case? As for the Friends, in the 20 years I was on the board membership ups and down were mostly a function of the fortunes of the team. Membership grew at a rapid pace after the Whit opened and well into the mid-aughts because the team was very successful. It started to drop after that, how much it is now I wouldn't hazard a guess. Regardless of how much money the Friends take in, how it is spent is really out of their hands. The FOH was melded in to the athletic department years ago, per NCAA requirements.
 
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