UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

No chance that the NCAA sends PC to Manchester since Providence (Brown is the host) is the other regional site, right?

Look, something changed at UNH in the last 10 years since I graduated with the hockey program...why are they not selling out a game against BC last weekend? I know BC is down but usually that brings out the crowds...

Oh that's true, wasn't thinking about where the other Northeast Regional was going to be this season. I do plan on going to the Manchester Regional, just for the hockey of course. Well, I can't comment on your 'something has changed in the past 10 years' comment but I'm sure others on this board, can give their .02 on this. Easy answer? We're not winning. Ticket prices, atmosphere at the Whitt, no jumbotron, haha. A good friend of mine was a season tix holder for many years and just couldn't take it anymore with UNH not doing what they used to, etc. (and obviously, it's a different scenario now with other teams coming to the fore front like PC, UML; UNH not the only game in town.) I do know that if we do not make it this year (the Hockey Gods really have to like us in March) it will be 2 years in a row and 3 in 5 that UNH will miss the Regionals. (have said this before) On another note guys, looking back on our posts of just this past Thursday we were upbeat about our team...I'm just disappointed for them mostly, and today is, another day.

 

[e.cat]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

UNH Football #2 on the ESPN top ten with the Goldrich to RJ Harris trick play for a TD!! Very Noice as my daughter would say!

 

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

UNH Football #2 on the ESPN top ten with the Goldrich to RJ Harris trick play for a TD!! Very Noice as my daughter would say!

Oh man am desperately trying to watch this as we read about it on twitter last night at dinner/après the hockey game. If you can get a link/you tube on it will you kindly post it e.cat? Merci.

 

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

So the coaches are only now coming to the realization that the upperclassmen are not living up to expectations (or that they should not have had exepectations on them? If my Yugo keeps losing races to Audis, is it the Yugo's fault, or is it my fault for having bought a Yugo and expecting it to act like an Audi?



I also believe that people often confuse effort with indecision created by a lack of ability to predict puck possession. You get an extra step on defenders if you know your teammate will come away with a puck and have the skills to get it to you. You hesitate if you know your teammate will get to the puck but probably lose possession and therefore you need to play defense.

Based on the limited statistics presented (players who did well in leagues other than the USHL - guys like Downing, Hardowa, Trevor van Riemsdyk, Matt Willows, Brett Pesce, etc. - before coming to UNH are ignored) and following the proposed logic, it would have been reasonable to expect Hill, Gaudreault, and Thrush to come close to Nick Sorkin's accomplishments. If these three players were performing the way Nick Sorkin did his senior year (20G, 21A; he was hampered by a broken wrist his junior year), the coaches and most fans would be pleased. They aren't.

 

[skyraider0609]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

I am trying to paste a link from the ESPN website, but it keeps coming up with the wrong clip Ref. You can find the vid clips of the game at the four letter network's website. Go to ESPN, college football scores link at the bottom of the page, sort by all FCS in the drop down menu. UNH UTC game info is there including highlights. Fair warning though, you'll most likely want to go test drive a Honda Fit when you're done.

If you look at the game stats, you'd have to think there's no way on earth UNH could have won that game. Time of possession, yards gained, first downs...all totally lopsided in favor of Chattanooga. A few big plays for the offense and defense, a really huge non interception for Chatt, plus a clean game turn over wise for UNH and they get the "W". We'll take it...

 

[NCAA watcher]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

The overview is telling, regardless of adjustments. The larger the sample size (6 years), the clearer the pattern.

However, if you want to drill down to individual players, I think you do need to make age adjustments. For example, Gaudreault attained 31 points as a 20 YO, while Sorkin attained that as a 19 year old. In other words, a full year earlier, and generally players improve their performance within a league as they get older. Controlling for age, at the same age (19), Gaudreault had 14 points to Sorkin's 32. Plainly Sorkin has far greater offensive skills.

 

[Darius]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

Good for him. You ask the question "If you were advising him on strategy, what would you suggest?" I'm pretty sure one of my suggestions would NOT have been to issue a whining, self-serving press release that blames everyone else (including the press, ironically) except himself....

Agreed. 100%. I am pondering if he did this with or against legal and public relations advice. Conversing with a lawyer at last night's game, I stated that if Casey doesn't mess up, the incident technically never happened. The lawyer's response was, essentially, that "Of course it did and everybody knows it". I wish I'd asked hs thoughts on the press release. In this day of no team rushing to sign Adrian Petersen, perhaps Casey wanted his version heard since so much is decided in the court of public opinion. On the flip side, UNH, on the cutting edge against campus violence and assault against women, saw fit to readmit him which they would not have done if he had a pattern of abuse or violence or was remotely likely to have another incident. Let that speak for itself. (Full credit to my daughter for that last part.)

Embarrassing for sure. Dang near disheartening.

I might be wrong, but my understanding is that the regular season game in MHT is part of the deal for hosting NCAA regionals. *shrug* If that is true, it doesn't seem likely that will do anything to help UNH this season... Even worse, it seems there's potential for a big hit to athletic department dollars. (Any confirmation or refutation of my understanding welcome.)

I don't know about that, but I do know UNH is working to expand its base, not just athletics, beyond the seacoast. There were people who never attend games in Durham at the VWA last night.

As for last nights game? Lackluster and disappointing. Duh. Looking for an excuse? Final exams? The rest of the year is about the Whitt experience, exiting the building to a blanket of snow, walking across campus with flakes falling after seeing friends and a hopefully competitive on ice effort. Still loving and supporting UNH hockey, just not efforts like last night's.

 

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

As I reviewed in a post last week, there will probably be only 4 forwards enrolling at UNH as freshmen next year. One of them is likely to be Liam Blackburn the second leading scorer in the BCHL. Add him to the mix of Kelleher, Poturalski, Eiserman, Foegele, McNicholas, and Salvaggio and UNH has the ingredients for a very good offense. If Marcus Vela, who is currently playing for Canada West in the World Junior A Challenge, and/or Brendan van Riemsdyk also come next year, so much the better. Joseph Masonius, a defenseman with the US National Team Development Program for the last two years, will be a welcome addition to the defensive corp.

As has been talked to death for a few years now, the number of highly-touted recruits who came to UNH ebbed in the aftermath of the NCAA sanctions. That trend is now moving back in a positive direction. Isn't it about time to get over the down time in recruiting and move on?

Well, I guess the answer would be "no" if the main goal is to get rid of Coach Umile and his staff (although I guess Coach Stewart may get a pass because he isn't "old"). But, even Chuck - who rejoined the board a few summers ago calling for Umile to be replaced - has come to realize that Umile is going to leave on his own terms. No amount of carping on this thread is going to change that.

And when Coach Umile retires (unless it is in the midst of a BU-like scandal) he will be in a position to advocate for one of several former, younger UNH players who have joined the college coaching ranks.

 

[Darius]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

Thanks for keeping it upbeat and positive. I'll filter so I don't project Freshman phenom expectations on Blackburn as I did with Kelleher and Eiserman. Tyler played well last night, trying hard to make something happen most times he had the puck and it was nice seeing Eiserman on ice and producing.

I recall Jack Parker saying he planned to retire after the Terriers most recent national championship, but decided to stay another year so he didn't leave right in the middle of the scandal.

 

[NCAA watcher]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

As has been talked to death for a few years now, the number of highly-touted recruits who came to UNH ebbed in the aftermath of the NCAA sanctions. That trend is now moving back in a positive direction. Isn't it about time to get over the down time in recruiting and move on?

The way you phrase that belies your conclusion -- the downturn was a function of the sanctions, and thankfully that's done now.

In fact, the downturn began before the sanctions. Moreover, major impact players have de-committed independent of any sanctions issues. And, except for this year's freshmen class, the future recruits (except for Blackburn & Masonius) seem to be less than impact players.

If you believe that laying out the facts translates to an improper "goal to get rid of Coach Umile" then you are missing my point. I recognize that my posts are not going to change Coach Umile's stubborn clinging to power and lack of accountability to those responsible for the bad recruiting and the NCAA sanctions.

I do disagree, however, that I should not point the finger at the root causes of the 10 year downturn. What set me off is a comment blaming the upperclassmen for not stepping up. That is criticising the Yugo for being a Yugo. Blame the guy who bought the Yugo, not the Yugo itself.

And while I thoroughly enjoy your posts on recruiting -- genuinely -- I do believe that your "just the facts" approach does mask some of the necessary context for the average UNH fan. When I was at UNH for the final Holt years, I too looked at the future and the reports on successful recruits from Henry Carr and from Reading HS, each with impressive results. Only later, when you dissect the leagues that they came from you see that they were nothing spectacular, so that UNH's slide was not surprising. My point being that absent any norms or context, saying a player like Willows or BVR played well in the EJHL/USPHL means little until you see that they have few of the other trappings of actual blue chippahs. Just from the reactions in this thread we see that a posters lament that the upper classemen are not living up to expectations. I guess I could join the chorus imploring the players to "work harder" and for the upper classmen to "step it up" like past upperclassmen. I just have a different take on that, and I am sorry that you disagree with that approach or wish I would move on.

 

[ClOuD 9]

Embarrassing for sure. Dang near disheartening.

I might be wrong, but my understanding is that the regular season game in MHT is part of the deal for hosting NCAA regionals. *shrug* If that is true, it doesn't seem likely that will do anything to help UNH this season... Even worse, it seems there's potential for a big hit to athletic department dollars. (Any confirmation or refutation of my understanding welcome.)

Marty has said in the past that they play in Manchester to show the NCAA that they can draw there, if there is any sort of contractual hook it's probably with the building management, maybe they are offered a cheaper rate if they tie in a regular season booking too. The NCAA doesn't require any of the other hosts to play a regular season game at their site. QPac did play UConn in Bridgeport this season, but Yale and Fairfield co-hosted the last regional there and it's not on the schedule again through 2017.

 

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

Thanks for keeping it upbeat and positive. I'll filter so I don't project Freshman phenom expectations on Blackburn as I did with Kelleher and Eiserman. Tyler played well last night, trying hard to make something happen most times he had the puck and it was nice seeing Eiserman on ice and producing.

I recall Jack Parker saying he planned to retire after the Terriers most recent national championship, but decided to stay another year so he didn't leave right in the middle of the scandal.

If you have some spare time, I encourage you and other UNH fans to watch some of the recruits play and judge for yourself what their potential is. Liam Blackburn, Marcus Vela, Brendan van Riemsdyk and any other recruit playing in the USHL, BCHL, or USPHL can be viewed on fasthockey. BvR, Charlie Kelleher, and those who play in the USPHL play many of their games not too far from Southern New Hampshire. Recruits who play in the New England Prep School league (e.g. Eric Esposito, Mike Robinson, Liam Darcy) play in arenas not far from Durham.

I've tried to present information about the UNH recruits beyond their raw statistics so that you all can get a better sense of who they are and what their strengths and weaknesses are. Data bases, by themselves, have limited utility. Checking these guys out for yourself is a far better way to evaluate UNH's recruiting successes and misses than reading the occasional post on the USCHO fan forum.

As far as Liam Blackburn's "phenom" potential goes, I've watched him play online in 4-5 games. From what I can tell from this two-dimensional format, he is a little bit faster skater than Grayson Downing with a comparable nose for the net and play-making ability. He's not beefy in the way Shane Eiserman is. Muscle mass is something that can be acquired if he is willing to put in the work. He has said that an additional year in juniors, beyond this year, would help him grow phyisically. I'd say he could do that just as easily in Durham as in British Columbia.

I'd add that my ability to predict the future impact of a recruit ain't any better than any of you. For example, though I thought Andrew Poturalski would make an impact later this season as he got used to college play, I have been surprised at how mature and impactful he has been since the beginning of the season. Conversely, I thought Shane Eiserman would be generating quality shots on goal from Day 1 and it has surprised me that he has not been in some games and usually toils on the fourth line. Similarly, I thought Dylan Chanter would be a physical, steady defender very early in the season and be a mainstay by season's end. He only started playing regularly in the BC series last weekend. I don't feel so bad though - even real hockey recruiters are correct some but not all the time.

 

[ClOuD 9]

If the Verizon W has lost it's loving feeling then dump the thing. I personally like getting out of dodge to be honest for a game or two...it's a shorter ride, too for us. For those of you who have been around a lot, have we ever even come close to selling out the Verizon, even for Regionals?

Regular Season
12-13-01 UNH 6 Dartmouth 3 Attendance: 10,053
1-15-03 UNH 1 Dartmouth 1 Attendance: 10,104
2-1-03 UNH 4 Maine 2 Attendance: 10,104
11-12-03 UNH 2 BC 2 Attendance: 10,104
1-13-04 UNH 5 Dartmouth 0 Attendance: 10,104
11-5-04 UNH 4 BU 3 Attendance: 9,075
1-12-05 Dartmouth 9 UNH 8 Attendance: 9,405
11-1-05 BC 3 UNH 2 Attendance: 8,411
1-14-06 UNH 5 Dartmouth 4 Attendance: 7,018
1-13-07 UNH 4 Dartmouth 2 Attendance: 9,640
2-2-07 Maine 4 UNH 2 Attendance: 10,104
1-19-08 Dartmouth 5 UNH 3 Attendance: 8,654
1-17-09 UNH 6 Dartmouth 4 Attendance: 8,001
2-7-09 Maine 1 UNH 0 Attendance: 8,811
1-16-10 UNH 5 Dartmouth 2 Attendance: 7,573
1-15-11 Dartmouth 5 UNH 4 Attendance: 7,704
1-14-12 UNH 4 Dartmouth 1 Attendance: 5,301
1-26-13 UNH 6 Merrimack 2 Attendance: 6,605
1-11-14 UNH 4 Dartmouth 2 Attendance: 4,006
12-12-14 Maine 5 UNH 2 Attendance: 5,028

Regionals
3-27-04 Michigan 4 UNH 1 Attendance: 10,104
3-24-07 Miami 2 UNH 1 Attendance: 9,015
3-28-09 UNH 6 North Dakota 5 Attendance: 6,883
3-29-09 BU 2 UNH 1 Attendance: 7,863
3-26-11 UNH 3 Miami 1 Attendance: 7,608
3-27-11 Notre Dame 2 UNH 1 Attendance: 5,906
3-29-13 UNH 5 Denver 2 Attendance: 8,049
3-30-13 UMass-Lowell 2 UNH 0 Attendance: 8,357

For the first day of regionals they count the two games attendances together, so Lowell being present bumped the numbers vs Denver in 2013 as they also drew a good crowd.

 

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

Well hasn't it been an interesting morning/ afternoon on this board. Again the perspectives from all contribute to the learning curve of the newbie ice hockey enthusiast. (that would be me but it is coming along) That being said..here's something to ask...why/how does a school like BU, get a player like Eichel? Simple answers will do. Here's the fun question: can UNH 'attract' a player of that caliber? Have at it. Oh Darius, I totally agree it's at the 'Whitt. Love going there and there is something to be said about that experience. Keeps me coming back, 'tron or no 'tron.

 

[Drew S.]

I've been to many of the Verizon games and the biggest crowd I can remember was the first UNH-Maine game....over 10,000...a legit full house....but that was a dozen years ago and alot has changed since then

That was a really fun night even though Maine lost. Tickets were really tough to get and I'm sure they could have sold many more than 10k if there was room. I think the second game there was close to being full as well. Times change I guess but it was pretty sad seeing the place so empty last night. UNH certainly isn't alone as far as having attendance issues.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

If you have some spare time, I encourage you and other UNH fans to watch some of the recruits play and judge for yourself what their potential is.

Funny you mention that ... the last time I did this was when Eddie Caron was in his final year at PEA, and several of us from this board (well, boardies back then anyway, but that's another story) went to check out the phenom who by then was UNH-bound. Kid looked like the real deal - I think he's already been drafted by Edmonton - and then ... well, most of you know how that turned out. What I took out of the experience was, you never know what you're getting. There are WAY too many variables. From that point forward, I decided I'd leave the recruiting narrative and insight to others, and form my own opinions once they arrived in Durham. BTW that's not a shot at C-H-C or anyone else who writes on the recruiting front. It's nice to have an idea what's coming, and I do read it and take it on board, but beyond that, I can't pretend to have any insight into how they'll perform once they get here.

Last night was abysmal. UNH used to get ribbed with the "University of No Hardware" thing, but now they are opening themselves up to the whole "University of No Heart" issue. Really just plain embarassing, and I'm glad Coach Umile said that in the post-game.

As far as the future ... when I did come back and express concerns about the UNH program dipping, and perhaps following the same downsliding pattern that Coach Holt's teams experienced in the mid-'80's, that was my concern then, and I hoped Coach Umile would take steps to avoid following the same pattern at the tail end of his career. I'll give him credit for what the team achieved in bits and pieces of the last two seasons, but after some promising early play this season, the performances are trending in a scary direction in recent weeks. And if the team plays with the same lack of intensity and focus as they've done over the last couple of weekends going forward, the idea of some late-season uptick is going to prove to be a fantasy. And let's face it folks ... if there's anything we all know from the years Coach Umile has been in charge, it's that rarely do his teams perform better after the break than before the break.

Hopefully the boys will not cause further embarassment to the program or themselves tonight in Portland, but I'm honestly really starting to worry about what the rest of this season might look like. A team with marginal and/or developing talent cannot afford to be lackadaisical in their application. Yes, I understand the Yugo vs. Audi scenario, but there has to be a baseline of effort and of personal accountability for same from ALL players who wear the jersey, and if that's not out there, this "rebuild" will never get the foothold they are going to need to get things moving back in the right direction.

There's a reason why strong programs usually stay strong, and also-ran programs struggle to move up to the next level. Right now UNH is wavering on the precipice - not as strong as in the past, but still a HE Finalist last season, and borderline winning records until this year - so that's why this season AND next should be pivotal in what the medium range future in Durham is going to look like.

Coach Umile has earned the right to try to turn this around, but he seemed genuinely p.o.'ed after last night's *performance* and I have to wonder how much more of this he is willing to take before he decides he's done enough. I give him no better than a 50% chance of being the head coach come the start of the 2016 season. JMHO.

 

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

... except for this year's freshmen class, the future recruits (except for Blackburn & Masonius) seem to be less than impact players.

If you get a chance, check out Marcus Vela either in the WJAC tournament (the games will be streamed live - for free, I think) and/or in future Langley Rivermen games. I'd be interested in your take on his current abilities and where he might fit in at UNH. From the games I've seen, he's an atypical - in a good way - UNH player in that he is a mobile, power, right-shot forward who goes strong to the net and has a good to very good shot - sort of like the Hemingways, Sislo, and Thompson.

 

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

Coach Umile ...seemed genuinely p.o.'ed after last night's *performance* and I have to wonder how much more of this he is willing to take before he decides he's done enough. I give him no better than a 50% chance of being the head coach come the start of the 2016 season. JMHO.

I agree completely.

 

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

Excellent post Chuck as usual. Gotta say that the day the team has no heart is the day I will not follow them. That is not ok by me. Be young, have stuff to figure out but play with no heart? Nope. I know you have coached as have I in the past and heart is sometimes all you have. My last year as a Varsity FH coach my team, who had struggled throughout the season actually asked me if they "had to" go to the tournament. Being the fierce competitor I was at the time I pulled them together and point blank said that anyone who didn't want to go could turn in their jerseys right here and now. Was more than willing to pull up JV kids who would be happy to go. Needless to say I got no takers and we went on to lose in the last minute of play to the eventual State Champ. That day they played with heart and learned something valuable. Me? I knew my decision to give up coaching that season as we were starting a fam was the right one..

Kids are different today plain and simple. Heard Coach U say the newbies were "better listeners" . I hope that when he does retire it's not under circumstances where he loses the joy ( if that's an appropriate term for him I do not know him) in what he does. We shall see how the team responds not only tonight but in the coming 3 months, yugo or not.

 

[e.cat]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2014/2015 - Wait 'Til Next Year!!!

Oh man am desperately trying to watch this as we read about it on twitter last night at dinner/après the hockey game. If you can get a link/you tube on it will you kindly post it e.cat? Merci.

They will post the highlights on YouTube and you can see the play. I tried to find a link from ESPN with no luck.