UNH Men’s Hockey 22-23: the start of something new, or more of the same?

[HockeyRef]

Heading to Matthew's tonight..its been awhile since I've seen a game there. Friend of mine looked up our recent stats when playing NU;

Went back and looked. In the last ten games we are 1-9. The last win was in Jan of 2020. We were shut out 4 of the 10 games. And we were out scored 16-50 in those ten games

Welp anyway let's see if we can do something this weekend but HR predicts a NU sweep;

Fri: NU 5 UNH 1. Sat:.NU 3 UNH 1

Prove me wrong 'Cats!!

 

[NCAA watcher]

Even then, if/when McCloskey and Serino inevitably leave for greener pastures, and Coach Umile falls off like he did in the Scotty Borek Era, he could have used that process and his improved stature to perhaps bring in another second-in-command? Different recruiter(s), access to better recruits, etc. Umile's ability as a teacher of the game has probably been marginally undersold too, as we are now seeing with his hand-picked replacement's inability to really elevate the available level of talent on hand to be more competitive. How many times have we read in recent years that UNH and UMass Lowell are the only two HEA schools who aren't fishing for the elite talents per CSB or other scouting ratings ... but due to Coach Bazin's apparent ability to, er ... coach and teach, Lowell continues to win, while UNH continues to lag far behind?

So IMO, if Coach Umile had "won the big one(s)" then everything changes, the trajectory of the program improves, and that even could have resulted in him sticking around longer with better teams (like Coach York), and eventually ending up getting booted upstairs to share space with his paisan Blue Skies. Or just riding off into the sunset like he did, except with a better ending - at least to some degree. JMHO.

Umile was the quintessential good but limited coach. In the end, his limited perspective resulted in the predictable downfall.

Go back to his start at UNH, and he inherited Kullen's incredible core from 87 and 88 of 6 NHLers/All-Americans. He rode that core from 89-92, supplemented only by modest recruits from a limited pool of locals (Southie Malone, Donovan, Perry, GBL kids Sullivan, Chebator, Thomson) and the continuing UNH's Henry Carr Toronto pipeline (Glenn Stewart, Ted Russell). In other words, little thought or creativity in to bringing in talent. The little thoughts were always "what guys are like me and share my background."

That all changed in 1992, when McCloskey joined. Suddenly, UNH was in Western Canada (McCloskey is a BC kid) and in the big leagues for elite Mass kids, not just the local Wakefield/Melrose/Southie grinders). Umile was happy to outsource recruiting (lazy, a future trend), and McCloskey and Serino ensured that the pipeline and end goal of a championship was fresh in the mind of recruits. He stuck with what he knew -- it was all connections. We were fortunate that Borek worked with Umile in 86-88 at Providence, and that when he went to Brown he worked with McCloskey so was able to advocate for him. How a non-local like McCloskey worked his way into Umile's network remains a head scratcher. The hiring of local Serino, and local Borek to replace McCloskey, and local Jim Tortorella returned to business as usual for Umile. Wouldn't want a coaching staff with roots beyond Route 128.

With a guy of such a limited provincial outlook, succession planning was not a big thing. He cultivated no real network of assistants who flourished elsewhere. He really didn't mentor any young volunteer assistants. About the closest he had come was putting in a good word for Mikey at Brown, after his career finished. But given the parameters of his decision making network, his choice to advocate for a replacement boiled down to long-time loyalist Borek (born 8 miles from Melrose) or Souza (born 3 miles from Melrose). If that doesn't perfectly capture the incredibly myopic decision making, not sure what does. "Hey Marty, there's only two people qualified to replace me, and they're both walking distance from my Dunkin Donuts.") Choosing the one guy who had absolutely average to below-average pedigree in coaching (rather than a known competent coach) is just the cherry on top of the Umile decision making track record.

How Scarano handed him the decision making keys is the biggest indictment of Marty. Unless he had a proverbial gun pointed at him (lifetime contract).


To return to your post, he was the exact opposite of York. York remained enthusiastic about cultivating recruits, made efforts, and engaged with them. He also saw the need for talent beyond his Watertown horizon, going where ever he needed for talent. He cultivated assistant coaches, leading them to jobs elsewhere. He like what he was doing, in all aspects.

 

[After the Whistle]

Just can’t get up the energy t

 

[After the Whistle]

Tonight. Not my favorite venue, the GA seats are the best. Remember an early trip and thinking that my front row seats would be special. Wrong! They were the tiniest most crapped seats that I have even sat in. You would need to be under10 to be comfortable. On to the games. I have a feeling that we win tonight 2-1 and take in on the chin tomorrow 4-1.
Just feels like it is time for a feel good moment.

 

[Snively65]

Tonight. Not my favorite venue, the GA seats are the best. Remember an early trip and thinking that my front row seats would be special. Wrong! They were the tiniest most crapped seats that I have even sat in. You would need to be under10 to be comfortable. On to the games. I have a feeling that we win tonight 2-1 and take in on the chin tomorrow 4-1.
Just feels like it is time for a feel good moment.

Sorry, ATW. But at least we almost double-upped ‘dem Huskies on SOG in first period.

 

[Darius]

Matthews is great. First row balcony.

 

[HockeyRef]

Welp....

 

[d.gerry]

Welp....

The hits just keep coming. Didn’t watch or follow any of the game tonight. Who was in net?

 

[HockeyRef]

The hits just keep coming. Didn’t watch or follow any of the game tonight. Who was in net?

Tyler Muszelik started.. after 3 goals Fess came in. Just such a stark difference in talent but at least....we didn't get shut out if I'm looking for a positive. Just a young team out there.

 

[Snively65]

Tyler Muszelik started.. after 3 goals Fess came in. Just such a stark difference in talent but at least....we didn't get shut out if I'm looking for a positive. Just a young team out there.

Another plus was Cy LeClerk, the only +1 in the all important +/-.

 

[HockeyRef]

Another plus was Cy LeClerk, the only +1 in the all important +/-.

Really like Cy's game...and was nice to see Jake Dunlap put one by Levi (it can be done).

NU's Justin Hrckowian had a monster.night with 5 points (hattie amd 2 helpers).

Not an excuse but in talking to other UNH veteran fans they said that "even when we have good teams" we never play well at Matthews. Felt badly for the boys they skated off pretty dejected but maybe they learn somethings after playing a team like NU?

That has surely been true in my tenure as a fan. Believe with this loss NU has won 12 of our past 13 meetings with our last W coming in an OT win at.the 'Whitt in 2020. These stats courtesy of DB2..NU has certainly had our number.

And man either I'm getting too old but it's loud in there. Love the arena but couldn't talk to people between periods without shouting. Oh well....onto tomorrow.

FWIW dept HR plans on making it to Libbys after who knows how long its been so maybe see some of you there.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Matthews is great. First row balcony.

Bingo - best seat in the house, if not in the entirety of Hockey East.

ATW, I guess your experience is a painful reminder of the history of the place, as I'm sure you know, it's the oldest continuous in-service hockey arena in the world, and I believe in its original moniker of "Boston Arena" it was the birthplace of two current NHL franchises - first, the Bruins, and circa 1972 it was to host the original New England Whalers in the WHA, who subsequently moved to Hartford (with a brief stint of course in Springfield when the "Original" Mall's roof caved in), and then migrated to Carolina, where they remain to this day.

"Mathews" has been subject to a lot of renovations over the years, but I seriously doubt much (if any) of it was put into changes to the footprint of the seating bowl (see Park, Fenway not too far up the road), so what you probably still have there are just somewhat more modern seats anchored to the same positions in the arena's ancient bowl.

But as with the late lamented Boston Garden across town, the best feature of both old rinks were the lower balcony seats. And as good as some of the Original Garden's lower row balcony seats were - and they were great, if you remember the TV vantage points in that old building, they were fantastic, no signs of the "obstructed view" seating elsewhere in the old barn - they couldn't hold a candle to the lower row balcony seats at the Arena. Just as with Agganis Arena, both Boston Arena and Boston Garden were built as very vertical structures, and as the Arena was about half the size (capacity) as the Garden was, the balconies at the Arena were even better (closer to the ice surface) than those at the old Garden.

Brief aside to 'Watcher's post ... I'd love to find out the connection that brought McCloskey to Durham, it's definitely an outlier in Umile World. FWIW Coach Serino and the extended Shipulski Family (featuring UNH's Jason) were local legends on the Saugus sports scene at around the time Umile was growing up those same proverbial "3 miles away" (literally) in Melrose. Jumping into the "WIS Way-Back Machine", I wouldn't be surprised to find out that a very young Chuck Murray spent some time skating on the same ice as older "kids" like Umile, Serino, etc. at the Kasabuski Rink just outside Breakheart Reservation near the Saugus/Melrose city line. Which for fans of the WIS summer frolic "Fun with Souza Dick & Stew" saga a few years back, is located about a mile from the Mount Hood links that hosted that epic 12 (?) hole match. But I digress ...

Tonight was sadly just the latest example of the "Not Ready for Prime Time" cast of coaches behind the UNH bench. MS7 has sadly adopted the same defensive mannerisms (i.e. folded arms in front of chest) as his former UNH coach, and looks like he's holding on for dear life. I do feel badly for the guy, I don't doubt he cares and I don't doubt he wants very much to win, and in Souza Dreamland I'm sure the climax is winning the only game that eluded Coach Umile in his storied UNH career. And of course, we'd all love that hokey kind of story to come true, I'd be first in line in the parade down Main St. Titletown NH. But it's increasingly obvious that's just never going to happen. In the course of a generation, Northeastern has become the lovable attack-oriented, can't-get-it-done-in-the-postseason bunch that UNH used to be, while UNH has reversed roles and is now the mediocre making-up-the-numbers, forgot-they-were-even-in-Hockey-East bottom dwellers NU used to be. Sad. Very sad.

In other UNH news ... after a slow start to the season, Men's Soccer won the America East regular season title again with 12W-0T-4L, and will be hosting an AE semifinal game this Thursday evening at The House That Blue Skies Built against TBD. Carrying a #20 national ranking, the 'Cats will need to win their league tourney, and probably catch a break or two to qualify for the NCAA's this year. Coach Hubbard's team wasn't the free scoring juggernaut of last season, but "defense wins championships" and this year's edition won a lot of close low-scoring games (not unusual in the sport!). Thursday night under the lights, schedule allowing, I may try to make the trek ...

 

[NCAA watcher]

You are spot on with Saugus being the epicenter of Umile's world. From there's its two degrees of separation.

Borek and Umile were assistants at Providence 85-88, hired by Wakefield's own Mike McShane.
https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/...005761988.html

Borek then went to Brown, where McCloskey was hired as the second assistant.
https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/...005481990.html

Who hired them? Saugus' Bob Gaudet.
https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/...y.php?pid=8971

And one third-degree turn, later on, who was Gaudet's assistant at Dartmouth? Brendan Whittet, who got the Brown job in 2009.
Who did Umile hit up to hire his alumni? Whittet. Mark White in 2009, and a young Mikey Souza in 2012.

And the further "what if," Whittet's other new hire in 2009 was a kid from Billerica, still within Umile's acceptable zone. Jerry Keefe moved on to other things in 2012, creating an opening in 2012 for Mikey.

Basically, the entire 2000s recruiting network was an incestuous network raised within a 10 mile radius. That McCloskey was able to crack it despite the prejudice against people outside of Route 128 (and the northern part only) shows just how talented he was. Without him, Umile would have been a competent, if not forgettable head coach.

 

[HockeyRef]

You are spot on with Saugus being the epicenter of Umile's world. From there's its two degrees of separation.

Borek and Umile were assistants at Providence 85-88, hired by Wakefield's own Mike McShane.
https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/...005761988.html

Borek then went to Brown, where McCloskey was hired as the second assistant.
https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/...005481990.html

Who hired them? Saugus' Bob Gaudet.
https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/...y.php?pid=8971

And one third-degree turn, later on, who was Gaudet's assistant at Dartmouth? Brendan Whittet, who got the Brown job in 2009.
Who did Umile hit up to hire his alumni? Whittet. Mark White in 2009, and a young Mikey Souza in 2012.

And the further "what if," Whittet's other new hire in 2009 was a kid from Billerica, still within Umile's acceptable zone. Jerry Keefe moved on to other things in 2012, creating an opening in 2012 for Mikey.

Basically, the entire 2000s recruiting network was an incestuous network raised within a 10 mile radius. That McCloskey was able to crack it despite the prejudice against people outside of Route 128 (and the northern part only) shows just how talented he was. Without him, Umile would have been a competent, if not forgettable head coach.

I mean shoot with that 'HockeyTown USA' arena makes total sense that Saugus is THE heart of all things hockey ha! Seems like its a 'decision' to create a program where the culture flourishes and players wanna play there. No one can deny that is exactly what NU, Umass, PC, UML have done. But like Chuck says, they haven't cracked the big game ...yet. And from what I read on their board they aren't the team they have been (offensively anyway; with that wagon of a goal tender who needs defense). Still goes back to a 'decision' that this is what they want, expect, and get. Hmmm....interesting how you get what you focus on the most?!?

Sometimes you just gotta break the damn mold and do something you have NOT done to achieve greatness; obviously the same path (at least in our case) leads to the same result.

 

[Felger]

Basically, the entire 2000s recruiting network was an incestuous network raised within a 10 mile radius. That McCloskey was able to crack it despite the prejudice against people outside of Route 128 (and the northern part only) shows just how talented he was. Without him, Umile would have been a competent, if not forgettable head coach.

Just curious, how did Lassonde figure into the mix? Obviously a local to UNH guy (Spaulding HS) and I know he attended Providence.

 

[NCAA watcher]

I believe Kullen hired him (volunteer goalie coach) in 1988, where Umile was also an assistant. I'd guess it was because he was in the area and able to help out a specialized need for a goalie coach.

 

[HockeyRef]

I believe Kullen hired him (volunteer goalie coach) in 1988, where Umile was also an assistant. I'd guess it was because he was in the area and able to help out a specialized need for a goalie coach.

So was Lassonde ever considered for UNH HC? He left the program the year I started following I believe. But in thinking that through DU was not leaving in 2013 by any stretch of the imagination...answered my own q.

 

[NCAA watcher]

As things were going south in 2018, I floated the unrealistic idea of bringing him in as an adult to supervise Mikey.

• Originally posted by NCAA watcher View Post
  The team has been told for three years
  1.they have a lame duck coach invested only in paychecks and personal accomplishments
  2.there is no meritocracy system in picking the new coach, a kid with 4 years of low level D1 experience and no urgency upon coming aboard
  3.the ad doesn't care, and is willing to lie to them about an upward trajectory and everything is fine
  
  Combine those with Dan's undeniable point about talent, and you have a lack of common purpose.
  
  Co-coach Lassonde will not accept this crap
  Why would Dave Lassonde want to come back to this? He left because of the Gaudreau fiasco, a lack of institutional support. It?s much worse now. Don?t get me wrong. I?d love for Dave to come back. At least we would have competent goaltending and a decent penalty kill. But I don?t see it, contrary to the rumors I heard.
• NCAA watcher replied
  02-16-2018, 10:25 PM
  Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale
  
  The team has been told for three years
  1.they have a lame duck coach invested only in paychecks and personal accomplishments
  2.there is no meritocracy system in picking the new coach, a kid with 4 years of low level D1 experience and no urgency upon coming aboard
  3.the ad doesn't care, and is willing to lie to them about an upward trajectory and everything is fine
  
  Combine those with Dan's undeniable point about talent, and you have a lack of common purpose.
  
  Co-coach Lassonde will not accept this crap
• NCAA watcher replied
  02-15-2018, 08:35 AM
  Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale
  
  The lack of finish, lack of confidence, and the mindset will change once Co-Coach Dave Lassonde gets to work with the team. He has a track record of working with above-.500 teams.
• catsfan replied
  02-12-2018, 06:38 PM
  Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale
  
  Watching the performance this weekend, I was dismayed by the quality of play by both teams. In 1997 I seem to remember a great game where UNH had Boguniecki, Mowers and Krog, against a UVM team with Marty St. Louis, Eric Perrin and Tim Thomas; wow, those were the days. It is sad to see the depths to which the programs have fallen; UNH is 46th in the PWR (the lowest that I can remember), just one above UVM which at 47th is the worst in Hockey East.
  
  A good coach could reverse this, as Dan notes so persuasively above. Sousa has not proven that he will be capable, but there is always the chance. I would vote for a short leash and a national search where the AD is assisted by a panel of experts.
  
  BTW, Lassonde would be a great addition.
• Greg Ambrose replied
  02-12-2018, 06:13 PM
  Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale
  
  Interesting thread. The first thing I?ll say is that the most important decision Mike Souza makes as UNH head coach will be his first one. Who does he hire to replace him? A former UNH player with ties to the Middlesex League told me it would be White. A long time season ticket holder who has played golf with Umile on several occasions told me the scuttlebut was Lassonde. I had not heard Mowers before but I?d be surprised. He scouts for Montreal, the NHL. He makes more money and, I dare say, with less travel than if he came to UNH. As much as he loves the school, and I have seen him there quite a bit over the past few years, I don?t think it will be him. I?m hoping Souza is thinking outside the box. Is there someone he has come across in his assistant days at Brown or UConn who has impressed him, someone perhaps with a personality a bit more fiery than his? I?m hoping that the new head coach recognizes his limitations and the limitations of making the coaching staff one big happy UNH family. The program needs someone who is going to take chances. To me the demise started when we got too cute, deferring kids for example. We need to get kids in here a year early and, assuming they can play, full rides. No money for fourth line muckers until they prove they?ve earned it. That?s the way it was in the glory days.
• NCAA watcher replied
  02-12-2018, 10:17 AM
  Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's LastStand - The Grand Finale
  
  *UNH will always be a desirable hockey location, so the underlying concern about needing to do something quickly is not apt.
  *Marty and Umile made a huge mistake for a reboot of the program in 2015, creating a bad situation of Mike
  *Implicit in the choice and the two years of pacivity is that there is a strong autopilot that would keep the program on a good path, and the Umile aura/UNH magic was enough while Mike learned the ropes of "coaching." That implicit notion is, I suggest, contrary to Dan's "little UNH" syndrome. I think it's hubris that UNH would succeed, and Dick could just sit back while Mike learned the ropes.
  *The assumption that recruiting took care of itself speaks great deal about Umile's biggest failing in making no effort to something that "took care of itself."
  *The assumption, and deference to his mentor, are a significant inhibiting factor to Mike's lack of success in recruiting the past three years. I suspect he went in with the idea of his 98-01 experience (and that as an assistant elsewhere), that UNH selected players (and he could recruit top kids by saying "I'm from UNH".) He has slowly come to learn that the dynamic is exactly reversed, and that recruits are not lining up based just on history, but instead want to know the future.
  *Mike may well have the potential to be a good coach, but he has no track record to flash for recruits, and Umile's sales pitch to Marty about how Souza's "up and coming" isn't apparent outside the bubble.
  *Recruits and their advisors have no reason to view Mike with any presumption based on his limited/unremarkable track record, and to overcome that, he's have to show a hunger (rather than pacivity) we really haven't seen.
  *Having made the choice in 2015, Marty has to give Mike an extended learning period. Dan's one year plus probation is too short. I side more with C-H-C's three year but with high expectations timeframe (though I was surprised when even C-H-C said an NCAA bid was an acceptable requirement). My concern had been that UNH would give Souza a five year window.
  *I don't think on ice expectations should govern, other than improved play from HE bottom three (9-11) into the 7-8 range. Too much of the cake for the next two years is already baked to expect him to achieve more.
  *I think someone has to be able to help the current admin in evaluating recruiting progress. All of us are extremely limited in being able to evaluate how UNH is doing, and Mike has gotten four decent recruits in Crookshank, Gildon, Maass and Taylor. It's not that he can't do it, but he needs greater consistency.
  *I hope the Admin recognizes enough red flags/not meeting expectations that they force on Mike the "support" he needs, which means that if he doesn't recognize the need for experience vs. hiring a closer trusted friend (the Lassonde v. White/Mowers discussion) that they do.
  *I am torn about the above item. I have joked somewhat about Lassonde as co-Coach, which I think is the best path forward. It would get someone a) with instant credibility in the USA hockey framework, and b) proven recruiting skills. I imagine the only way he would come back is if he could have a far greater say and title -- which is why the co-Coach title. But I would give Mike a choice: You can accept losing some of your authority, but with a three year time frame. Or you can decide to do this your own way, but that means the leash will be shorter, no guarantees.
  *The above gives you a clear three year track if the program doesn't stabilize.
  *The question is what happens if, after three years, they are trending upwards. You need to answer that question. First, keep in mind this would be a good position, meaning the co-coaching is working, so do you change it? I assume it works unless the egos then pose a problem. From Mike's perspective, he's now shown himself to be the top dog (with help), so take the training wheels off. If he has options elsewhere, he could request/demand that, and I suppose UNH could agree and make him the full coach. From David's perspective, he's upgrading salary, moving closer to home, and a higher profile position. If the choice is made in 2021, he's no worse off, with lots of options as an assistant, and perhaps even (at age 59), a HC job somewhere else.
  Last edited by NCAA watcher; 02-12-2018, 10:48 AM.

 

[Snively65]

You are spot on with Saugus being the epicenter of Umile's world. From there's its two degrees of separation.

Borek and Umile were assistants at Providence 85-88, hired by Wakefield's own Mike McShane.
https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/...005761988.html

Borek then went to Brown, where McCloskey was hired as the second assistant.
https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/...005481990.html

Who hired them? Saugus' Bob Gaudet.
https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/...y.php?pid=8971

And one third-degree turn, later on, who was Gaudet's assistant at Dartmouth? Brendan Whittet, who got the Brown job in 2009.
Who did Umile hit up to hire his alumni? Whittet. Mark White in 2009, and a young Mikey Souza in 2012.

And the further "what if," Whittet's other new hire in 2009 was a kid from Billerica, still within Umile's acceptable zone. Jerry Keefe moved on to other things in 2012, creating an opening in 2012 for Mikey.

Basically, the entire 2000s recruiting network was an incestuous network raised within a 10 mile radius. That McCloskey was able to crack it despite the prejudice against people outside of Route 128 (and the northern part only) shows just how talented he was. Without him, Umile would have been a competent, if not forgettable head coach.

And Bob Gaudet’s last stop was head coach at Dartmouth where he brought on Brian McCloskey to join Dave Lassondre and John Rose as assistants for the 2017/18 - 2019/20 seasons before Reid Cashman brought in his own assistants in 2020/21. Appears that the former Dartmouth coaching team is retired now?

 

[Darius]

Not an excuse but in talking to other UNH veteran fans they said that "even when we have good teams" we never play well at Matthews.

Bullshit. We used to go down there and kick their ass. They freaking hated us. One game 15 or so years ago, my daughter was afraid, told me it was the scariest crowd she had ever been in. Psuedo-friendly back and forth with NU fans in the stands and F-bombs ("FU UNH") directed at us in our UNH gear post victory on St. Botolph St. Watching last night, I had the thought that there has been a complete role reversal. The Huskies were playing their game, almost toying with the 'cats.

And man either I'm getting too old but it's loud in there. Love the arena but couldn't talk to people between periods without shouting. Oh well....onto tomorrow.

https://www.agganisarena.com/unveilingofsensoryroom/

In the course of a generation, Northeastern has become the lovable attack-oriented, can't-get-it-done-in-the-postseason bunch that UNH used to be, while UNH has reversed roles and is now the mediocre making-up-the-numbers, forgot-they-were-even-in-Hockey-East bottom dwellers NU used to be.

Beat me to it. NU is now a perennial top 20 team routinely making the NCAA tournament and we are... not.

I do feel badly for the guy, I don't doubt he cares and I don't doubt he wants very much to win...

Agreed. The man bleeds blue. No doubt. WMUR had a spot from practice last week, interviewed Coach. I thought he looked tired, stressed, etc. Maybe not. What do I know? I had the thought that UNH should let him know where he stands. I doubt he his going anywhere at season's end, but if his job is on the line, he should know. Same if he is on the 2 - 3 year plan and also if he is Gerry Friel 2.0

Final thoughts from watching last night:

• Right now Tyler Muszelik is a sieve. I type that with love. Coach pulled him early which says a lot. Hopefully Conklin can help him.
• The NU announcers kindly took pity on the 'cats, grasping for positives like team youth. God.