HockeyRef
Well-known member
That is a great idea...and ya know I'm partial to the field hockey team...
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UNH Hockey 2023-2024 Season Thread - End Of The Cellar-Dweller Era??
- Thread starter Scott
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That is a great idea...and ya know I'm partial to the field hockey team...
No but you could have The Darius Concession Stand at the Towse Rink at the Whittemore Center Arena at the Key Auto Group Complex.
HockeyRef
Well-known member
Gotcha. And if she's done it already then I'd imagine it's going to be the best kept secret...til the season is over. Still got home games left and seats to fill.
UNH hockey...dreaming of next year...again. Should be a political slogan.
But if something miraculous happens I'll be the first to eat my words..
No way there’s been an extension or we’d know. For new recruits and those already signed they would want to put them at ease that those who recruited them are still going to be here
deltabravo62
Active member
I'm going to take a page from the marketing genius that opened a dentist office at tri town arena in Hooksett and rent out space in the concourse at the Whitt for a combination mental health therapist office and rage room. I'd make enough money to be one of these big money ball player kind of donors by the end of this season.
Darius
Go 'cats!
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HockeyRef
Well-known member
Really? You think we fans would know this pertinent info? You answered your own point... those who need to know haven't jumped ship (de comitted) ...so yeah...they already know he's coming back. Just trying to follow your logic sorry if I'm missing the point...
I feel like I'm taking crazy pills...seems to always happen this time of year.
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Darius
Go 'cats!
Based on nothing but my gut, I would be stunned if he has already been extended.
I’ve had some thoughts swirling around my head for an extension post that I’ll probably not get around to writing. One of them is that what happens with Coach Souza is a statement on what the UNH hockey program is and will be. Are we attempting to compete at the upper level of NCAA hockey year after year or are we a school with a mostly okay program that maybe the stars align for now and again but really doesn’t expect to win conference championships or qualify for the NCAA tournament? I’m actually okay either way and feel that with her background, AD Rich is the right person to lead UNH athletics through a rapidly changing DI landscape.
Darius
Go 'cats!
I am not clear why either needs to be fast tracked lol
Another swirling thought, to ’refs recruiting/commitment point, does a one year extension help or hurt the program? If I’m AD, I am either making a change or offering a three (maaaaybe two) year extension. One year is not a consideration.
Exactly. What kind of message would a one-year extension be to the Windsor Ontario bro’s? And players contemplating exiting via the portal? Speaking of which, for those of you at Lawlor, how did our former Captain Chase look?
HockeyRef
Well-known member
Good points here Darius...and to make a point I (and I think others here who have made similar remarks) expect him to be coaching next season. Personally it will not surprise. And...yeah..just what do we want UNH hockey to ultimately look like?
At one time it was crystal clear what the expectations were and the success followed.
Think most.fans want a team that contends and consistently competes. So far this has been in serious question with the current HC..so if this is what UNH wants to me that's not acceptable esp given the past.
To your point...its either A: be cool with what we have or B: contend and compete on a national level? I'm not ok with medicrity..just ok hockey. I can go to a high school game if I want that.
Set a low bar and that is what you get.
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Oops, I missed this post, and will go on the record to say that I am not okay with the second option about not expecting to win a conference championship or qualifying for the NCAA tournament. Not when we qualified for the NCAA tournament year after year until about a decade ago. And same goes for at least getting to the Garden for the HEA tourney more years than not. If this option is acceptable for a contract extension to MS7, then I am not on board at all, an unhappy camper.
Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
I think there is a lot to be said about boiling it down to your ultimate conclusion above, Darius. The more this year's team continues to circle the drain down the stretch, it undoes the surprisingly strong start they made to this season, and this season begins to fade into the same mediocrity that has preceded it in each and every past season where MS7 has been in charge. I mean, if you've seen the same movie over and over again for a half-dozen times ... is there really any sane or logical expectation that the ending changes for (ironically) #7?
From a numbers perspective ... IIRC when his predecessor was chasing the infamous NRN a few years ago, Coach Umile deservedly came up short of even that modest goal when he averaged a whopping twelve (12) wins per season over his final three lame duck seasons, aided by MS7 as his chief recruiter. UNH is now most of the way through MS7's sixth season in charge, and guess what? UNH is exactly at the same level we were when Coach Umile left, as MS7 is averaging twelve (12) wins per season. IF UNH were to reach the twenty (20) win level this season, that average would leap all the way to ... thirteen (13) wins per season. Yup. That's "progress" for ya ... and chances of getting to 20 this season are increasingly fleeting, even though I was still on board for that accomplishment as of a week or two ago. But let's look just a bit deeper, shall we ...
... so let's start with Coach Umile's final three seasons without MS7 as his lead recruiter, when Scotty B. was running the show on recruiting ... how many wins do you think UNH averaged over those final 3 seasons, when many UNH fans were already voicing disappointment with levels of postseason progress from the all-time winningest coach? Answer - 20 wins per season. Now extend that back another three seasons, and how many wins were Coach Umile's teams averaging over that six year stretch, again with Scotty B. in charge? 19 wins per season over those 6 yrs. - for an average of 18 W's per year for the first half of those six final Umile years, and (as noted above) 20 W's for Borek's final three seasons. Even if not up to prior UNH standards - and there is no question, Umile's final six years were his worst six year stretch, eking past his first six years in charge - there is an argument to be made that Borek's recruited teams were at worst treading water at or around the 20 WPS level.
Coach Borek leaves when Coach Souza is appointed, and MS7 becomes lead recruiter and associate HC. UNH posts three (3) consecutive losing seasons during the "Long Goodbye" transition, whereas Coach Umile had posted all of two (2) losing seasons over his first 25 seasons in charge. Up until now, as a group, we've been pretty harsh and judgmental on Coach Umile's performance over his final three seasons, and I hold my hand up as prominent in that group. But, with the benefit of additional data to consider ... can and should the argument be made that Coach Umile's final three seasons' results were more a reflection of MS7's limitations as a lead recruiter?? For sure, those three years most closely track with the six years that followed, when Coach Souza ascended to head coach, than they do with the preceding six seasons, when Scotty B. at least had the program doing a somewhat pale impression of more successful UNH Hockey teams in the prime Umile Era?
Perhaps instructively ... let's sit back and assess what the reasonable expectations were when Coach Souza was annointed Head Coach in Waiting by the former AD and his coaching predecessor. Was the reasonable expectation for what was to follow once Coach Souza placed his imprimatur on the program that UNH would:
(1) Return to the prime Umile Era glory years, when UNH averaged 25 WPS, and regularly qualified for the NCAA's;
(2) Return at least to the Late Stage Borek Era, when UNH averaged almost 20 WPS, and were in the mix for NCAA's; or
(3) Maintain the average of the final three years of the horrid "Umile Checked Out" Era, hovering at around 12 WPS?!?
How any logical and/or rational person in charge of the personnel decisions can come to the conclusion the Coach Souza Era has been anything but a crushing disappointment and failure, would leave me speechless - especially having seen that same person coming to a far different determination at this time last season regarding the future of a HC of the "other" Winter revenue sport, who consistently outperformed MS7 with a fraction of the resources and support from the U. I mean, this is not a close call. It only becomes a close call now IF UNH either posts their first 20 win season in 10 seasons (2013/2014) OR gets themselves to the TD Garden for the HEA Semifinals. And neither of those results is looking very likely based on the team's recent form.
Next weekend, Coach Ben Barr brings his UMaine Black Bears to The Whitt for a pair of must-win games for UNH. AD Rich should find herself a prominent seat to watch how this series plays out. I hear rumors about how "money talks", and with TDL purportedly being besties with MS7, AD Rich should invite TDL to take the seat next to her, and dispassionately observe the series that plays out in front of them. And if things are to play out as I suspect they will, AD Rich should ask TDL if he truly thinks his investment in UNH Athletics is best realized by a few more years of the current mediocrity on display, OR if TDL would like to be part of a blue ribbon panel of UNH Athletics' experts (lol!) to ID and retain the "next Ben Barr". I'd think that message should register loud and clear, and prevent further continuation of the deterioration of UNH Hockey.
To paraphrase Snives and his all-time famous pronouncement on the value of the Jumbotron ... "I was for the consideration of an extension to Mike Souza before I became decidedly opposed to it."
Rounding back to Darius' post ... the idea that UNH is on the verge of some major competitive breakthrough this season has been rendered just another cruel mirage. I don't need to see another year of continued mediocre hockey to sell me that it's time to pull the plug, and if there is a viable quality replacement candidate, we shouldn't sit on our thumbs and watch them turn up at UMaine, or someone else destined to be reminding us of another opportunity lost for the foreseeable future. Time to fish, no more time left to waste cutting bait. JMHO.
grooverider
Your Team Sucks
How about a nice UMaine sweep this weekend to get your coach fired 
I'll be there with my Maine gear to get some crap from you Wildcat fans.
I'll be there with my Maine gear to get some crap from you Wildcat fans.
HockeyRef
Well-known member
Schools make decisions based on many, many factors. UMass had 'had it' with their 'mediocre' hockey program (HE teams used to say "UMass Hockey,
good for what ails ya") and they found Greg Carvel and his team ready to move from St. Lawrence. He laid out what he would need to bring
the program to prominence and voila...a few years in he's built a national championship team. Now Carvel is sitting on a 500K contract deal and
while he had a 'down season' last year, his team is poised to most likely make another NCAA tournament appearance.. I am aware UNH is not
UMass funds wise.
Since there is speculation running around that MS7 will most likely receive an extension it will be interesting to see
how he fares in the salary and longevity dept, with neighboring Maine giving Ben Barr a big contract (and rightfully so).
Obviously UNH does not have the money to give Souza (or anyone) a 500k contract but I bet he'll get a boost of sorts.
I'm not saying he deserves it. But, I digress.
A few factors I've already discussed / mentioned could be, are at play here in this determination of extending him:
1. Whitt project and the donors he's brought in...
2. Stability of the program: he's going/gotta get at least a 2 year extension and I will not be surprised if he gets 3. As has been mentioned a 1 year
hamstrings the program and gives potential recruits possible concern about who's running the show at UNH.
3. Souza supporters feel he's had a 'much better year' so give him a chance to build on that. (we all know how this is going right now...no need
to mention that as of late, things aren't so 'great' and this weekend could be more of the same)
But here's the thing, and Chuck pointed out how things have been going since our last appearance in the NCAA's or made any viable
'noise' in the HE and I hope that AD Rich really considers all of this. I've resigned my self that this is most likely going to happen, so I'm considering
my own options in following the team not that my 2 season tickets make a difference?
I recognize this is not an easy decision and there's a lot to consider in that decision making, but I think his record speaks volumes, thing is,
the people in charge listen to a different tune...And for the record I've always wanted to see UNH hockey / Mike Souza succeed fwiw dept.
Kind of like that story about making a change: A dog is lying on a porch whimpering, and someone walking by has this convo with the owner:
"What's the matter with your dog?"
Owner: "he's laying on a nail"
"Why doesn't he get off the nail"
Owner: "It doesn't hurt bad enough"
I guess it doesn't hurt bad enough...
Meanwhile...we've got a big weekend coming up, don't we?
good for what ails ya") and they found Greg Carvel and his team ready to move from St. Lawrence. He laid out what he would need to bring
the program to prominence and voila...a few years in he's built a national championship team. Now Carvel is sitting on a 500K contract deal and
while he had a 'down season' last year, his team is poised to most likely make another NCAA tournament appearance.. I am aware UNH is not
UMass funds wise.
Since there is speculation running around that MS7 will most likely receive an extension it will be interesting to see
how he fares in the salary and longevity dept, with neighboring Maine giving Ben Barr a big contract (and rightfully so).
Obviously UNH does not have the money to give Souza (or anyone) a 500k contract but I bet he'll get a boost of sorts.
I'm not saying he deserves it. But, I digress.
A few factors I've already discussed / mentioned could be, are at play here in this determination of extending him:
1. Whitt project and the donors he's brought in...
2. Stability of the program: he's going/gotta get at least a 2 year extension and I will not be surprised if he gets 3. As has been mentioned a 1 year
hamstrings the program and gives potential recruits possible concern about who's running the show at UNH.
3. Souza supporters feel he's had a 'much better year' so give him a chance to build on that. (we all know how this is going right now...no need
to mention that as of late, things aren't so 'great' and this weekend could be more of the same)
But here's the thing, and Chuck pointed out how things have been going since our last appearance in the NCAA's or made any viable
'noise' in the HE and I hope that AD Rich really considers all of this. I've resigned my self that this is most likely going to happen, so I'm considering
my own options in following the team not that my 2 season tickets make a difference?
I recognize this is not an easy decision and there's a lot to consider in that decision making, but I think his record speaks volumes, thing is,
the people in charge listen to a different tune...And for the record I've always wanted to see UNH hockey / Mike Souza succeed fwiw dept.
Kind of like that story about making a change: A dog is lying on a porch whimpering, and someone walking by has this convo with the owner:
"What's the matter with your dog?"
Owner: "he's laying on a nail"
"Why doesn't he get off the nail"
Owner: "It doesn't hurt bad enough"
I guess it doesn't hurt bad enough...
Meanwhile...we've got a big weekend coming up, don't we?
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How about a nice UMaine sweep this weekend to get your coach fired
Mildcat fans
If MS7 was extended I would believe there would be a press release. The article not too long ago indicated there was nothing done yet and I have not heard anything in conversations with people around the team indicating there has been anything.
HockeyRef
Well-known member
Not yet...guess we'll find out. Ok I'll just leave this alone for now...It's prob fairly unusual to announce an extension during the season
anyway, right?
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HockeyRef
Well-known member
How about a nice UMaine sweep this weekend to get your coach fired
I don't think even that (Maine sweep) is going to matter in that dept! As per your 'gear'...just make sure it's white!
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