UNH Recruits: 2012-2018

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

2015 or '16 UNH recruit Brendan van Riemsdyk will be playing for the Jersey Hitmen next season. He will begin the season on the Under 18 team.

 

[Snively65]

2015 or '16 UNH recruit Brendan van Riemsdyk will be playing for the Jersey Hitmen next season. He will begin the season on the Under 18 team.

I just think that it will be way cool to have a third van Riemsdyk coming to UNH: JvR, TvR, and next BvR.

 

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

I just think that it will be way cool to have a third van Riemsdyk coming to UNH: JvR, TvR, and next BvR.

The Jersey Hitmen U18 team comes to New England several times a season to play in places like Dunstable, MA (not far from Nashua) and Marlborough, MA. It's a good opportunity to watch recruits committed to a number of Hockey East and ECAC schools.

 

[goblue]

I just think that it will be way cool to have a third van Riemsdyk coming to UNH: JvR, TvR, and next BvR.

The Beav!

 

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

"UNH Recruits Update: April-12-2013" Featured Player is Patrick Grasso.

 

[herbst20]

Andrew Poturalski told the Cedar Rapids reporter tonight that he informed UNH that he is staying another year in Juniors.

 

[herbst20]

Andrew Poturalski told the Cedar Rapids reporter tonight that he informed UNH that he is staying another year in Juniors.

 

[hockey east fan]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

Andrew Poturalski told the Cedar Rapids reporter tonight that he informed UNH that he is staying another year in Juniors.

That sucks......i think the kid is more than ready to come in and make an impact....I thought the Masters kid would be held back..since hes been hurt all year..One question for CHC.....was Jamie Hill not good enough to crack the lineup all year?? i thought he was one of the better players coming in this year????

 

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

"UNH Recruit Andrew Poturalski Coming Fall 2014"

 

[Dan]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

Surprising news on Poturalski - I definitely felt like he would make an impact next year, but hopefully with another year in CR he can step right into a top two-line role. At least we should end up with a top-40 scoring USHL forward after next season...

I wonder if this means both McNicholas and Masters come in this fall - or if UNH is trying to break up the log-jam at the forward position. I would have guessed both would defer over Poturalski - with Masters playing just 20 or so games over the last year and a half for various reasons and McNicholas' recent injury.

Any news on Masters? He had such pre-verbal hype as a game-changing forward and the last two years have really been disappointing...

 

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

One question for CHC.....was Jamie Hill not good enough to crack the lineup all year?? i thought he was one of the better players coming in this year????

Here is what Josh Ciocco posted on this thread last spring:

"Jamie Hill- Really improved his stock over the course of the playoffs where he led the USHL in playoff goals and was a big reason why Waterloo nearly won a title. The fans will love Jamie as he works his bag off. Is a really quick skater, but not fast goal line to goal line. Has a good, quick stick and can make plays in tight spaces. Will challenge for a 4th line spot and is the type of player coach umile will like. Has physical limitations. Best case scenario is he develops into a steve saviano--worst case scenario he ends up being a greg collins type player."

Hill practiced with the team this season and was in the stands with the other players not in the lineup during most games. I haven't read any public comments about why Hill did not play in any games.

 

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

Surprising news on Poturalski - I definitely felt like he would make an impact next year, but hopefully with another year in CR he can step right into a top two-line role. At least we should end up with a top-40 scoring USHL forward after next season...

I wonder if this means both McNicholas and Masters come in this fall - or if UNH is trying to break up the log-jam at the forward position. I would have guessed both would defer over Poturalski - with Masters playing just 20 or so games over the last year and a half for various reasons and McNicholas' recent injury.

Any news on Masters? He had such pre-verbal hype as a game-changing forward and the last two years have really been disappointing...

Here's what Josh Ciocco had to say (on this thread last spring) about the UNH recruiting process:

"Having gone through the recruiting process as a player and having seen numerous kids go through the process I can tell you one thing—the only thing that is ever “promised” to a player is what they will receive in terms of scholarship money and the fact that they will start with a stall in the locker room—nothing else is promised—NOTHING. The year a player is to arrive, how much a player will play and what role the player has are all moving variables and never guaranteed. Any player, Mike Vecchione included, is given a timeline in terms of when the staff plans to bring them in. This does not mean it is a done deal by any means. Any recruit has expectations that they must meet if they would like to come in as scheduled. The player in question was told to go to the USHL and when he proved to be a top player in the league he would come into UNH. He had the opportunity to do so this season—and at one point it was thought he would become a top player in only 1 season in the USHL. That was not the case—he was not a top player in the league this season and was then asked to play another year. This is not uncommon."

I would add that in addition to the recruit, his family/advisors, and the UNH coaches, there is a another party who has a vested interest in where the recruit will play the following season - the Coach and General Manager of the player's junior team. Andrew Poturalski's coach with Cedar Rapids is Mark Carlson. You may remember that Carlson was a prime candidate for the UMass job last summer. Carlson and the RoughRiders did not make the USHL playoffs this season - something they are not accustomed to. Around midseason, there was a certain amount of turmoil on the team as a few players left.

I have no doubt that Coach Carlson wants what's best for Andrew Poturalski and his development. At the same time, Carlson has to also be concerned about putting a playoff team on the ice at Ridertown next season. Based on Poturalski's quote about his decision to return to Cedar Rapids next season, Coach Carlson made the pitch that the RoughRiders have a core of good players returning next year and the hope is that Cedar Rapids will be a good team.

Since the UNH coaches are not allowed to comment on recruits, we don't know what advice they gave Poturalski. However, based on Ciocco's insight into the recruiting process, it's reasonable to assume that they were up front with Poturalski about where he would fit in next season given the existing and incoming UNH forwards. Poturalski is on board with the decision to play one more year in the USHL and come to UNH in the Fall of 2014.

FWIW, having seen both Tyler Kelleher and Poturalski play, I think they are similar players in that they are both right-shot, play-making centers who can score goals. Kelleher is obviously ready for the jump to the NCAA given his success against Division I teams as a member of the U.S. NTDP U18 team. One factor that might have been in play in the decision to have Poturalski wait until Fall 2014 is the number of centers on next year's roster. Downing, Goumas, Silengo, Sorkin and Camper are all battle tested centers. Adding Kelleher makes 6 centermen.

Another factor may have been that right-shot winger Jason Kalinowski, another UNH recruit, is likely to play for Cedar Rapids next season.

 

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

Union College recruit Mike Vecchione (former UNH recruit) became a top player in his second season in the USHL. He just completed the season with 26 goals and 34 assists. For comparison purposes, other UNH players who excelled in their final season in the USHL include Phil DeSimone (26 g, 47 a), Mike Sislo (23 g, 26 a) and Dalton Speelman (21 g, 21 a).

 

[Goldie]

Union College recruit Mike Vecchione (former UNH recruit) became a top player in his second season in the USHL. He just completed the season with 26 goals and 34 assists. For comparison purposes, other UNH players who excelled in their final season in the USHL include Phil DeSimone (26 g, 47 a), Mike Sislo (23 g, 26 a) and Dalton Speelman (21 g, 21 a).

Further evidence that going back to Jr would help his game. He is a 20 year old playing against many16,17,&18 yr olds. I think that most of the UNH players you mentioned left for school when they were 19. Please check that for us.

 

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

Further evidence that going back to Jr would help his game. He is a 20 year old playing against many16,17,&18 yr olds. I think that most of the UNH players you mentioned left for school when they were 19. Please check that for us.

Phil DeSimone (DOB: 3/19/1987) - Enrolled Fall 2007 at age 20 yrs, 6 months.
Mike Sislo (DOB: 1/20/88) - Enrolled Fall 2007 at age 19 yrs, 8 months.
Dalton Speelman (DOB: 2/9/1990) - Enrolled Fall 2009 at age 19 yrs, 7 months.

From what I've seen, Mike Vecchione's style of play and strengths are similar to Mike Sislo's. He doesn't have blazing speed but is a creative right winger in the offensive end with a very good shot and a nose for the net. He also was a prime player on Tri-City's power play and penalty kill.

 

[NCAA watcher]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

Further evidence that going back to Jr would help his game. He is a 20 year old playing against many16,17,&18 yr olds. I think that most of the UNH players you mentioned left for school when they were 19. Please check that for us.

For comparison purposes, Vecchione finished 15th in USHL scoring. UNH has now gone 5 years without a top 40 USHL scorer, regardless of age.

 

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

Tyler Kelleher scored 11 goals and 11 assists in 30 USHL games this season as a member of the U.S. NTDP U18 team. If Kelleher and the U18 team had played in the full compliment of 64 USHL games, he might have doubled his output. Kelleher is the leading scorer on the U18 team when one looks at the USHL, NCAA, and international games, combined. That would project Kelleher to have scored 22 goals and 22 assists which would have put him in or very near the Top 40 of USHL scorers.

 

[Saetia22]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

Interesting news on Poturalski especially since McNicholas and Masters both missed significant time last season. So who is coming next year? Kelleher.. and the other two seem to be either 13 or 14. Is UNH going to pick up a late forward? I'd be okay with only bringing in a couple forwards.. not a fan of the log-jam. 3 or 4 extras is enough. 5 is too many imo.

Also, a good season was had by a former recruit, but I'd really prefer not to clog this thread with arguments about him again..

 

[carltonbarrett]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

Vechionne had a nice year for sure, but as others have pointed out, he only started producing like this as a 19/20 year old, again, playing against kids mostly a year or two younger. It's the kids that put up points like this playing against guys 1-2 years OLDER than them that are the blue chippers. Moral of the story, don't get fooled by the "Bunga" effect....

 

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2016

19-year-old Matias Cleland, captain of the Omaha Lancers and 2013 UNH recruit, finished the USHL season as the 4th leading scorer among all USHL defensemen. He scored 9 goals and 30 assists (4 power play goals and 19 power play assists).