Re: UNH Wildcats 2014 Post-Season Thread: "Maybe Dick" Hunts the Great White Whale
Re: UNH Wildcats 2014 Post-Season Thread: "Maybe Dick" Hunts the Great White Whale
Chuck, UNH has never finished lower than 6th in the Umile era. They did that the first year of the Whit when they inexplicably finished with 12 wins despite having the likes of Mowers, Boguniecki, Krog et al on the team. They also finished 6th two years ago in the Moses, Borisenock, McCarey class of seniors. So the question is whether you think that the talent on the team next year is equal or less than 2012 or 1996 or somewhere in between. If it is somewhere in between, I think they'll be okay. Not national championship calibre but okay. Despite all the slings and arrows Umile absorbs on this forum (actually I don't think he absorbs them at all because he never, ever reads them unless someone prints it for him) he has done a pretty decent job over the years of coaching up what he has in front of him.
Understood, Greg. To answer your primary question ... no, I don't think next year's team has anything close to the talent of the '96 team (a rare fluke down year), and at least in terms of returning talent, I don't quite see them at the level of the '12 team either. I'm optimistic with what I read and hear about the incoming class ... but until I see that out on the ice, I'm not going to get carried away.
This is NOT a dig at Coach Umile, and overall I don't disagree with your assessment that he has done a pretty decent job of coaching up sub-prime talent over the course of his time at UNH. But these are the realities he (and we) will be facing for next season:
* Returning forwards will likely be pretty thin with scoring depth. Once you get past Downing, Willows, and Kelleher (assuming the latter does make a big jump forward next season - not a given, though), you are left with two groups of players. One, the serviceable third/fourth line types like Thrush/Camper/Correale/Smith/Gaudreault/MacDonald/Bourque/Hill. Will one of those older guys have an Austin Block-like breakout year, or will one of those younger guys become the next Willows? I sure hope so, but based on the body of evidence I've seen from those guys in the past, I wouldn't bet the house on it. And you are going to need that.
* Incoming forwards ... overreliance on that group will almost be necessary as the season plays out. It's interesting that you mention the '96 team, which included frosh studs Krog and Bekar, while Mowers was a soph (Nickulas as well IIRC?) and Bogey was a junior. If the "next Krog" or "next Bekar" is among the incoming group of frosh, then that's great, but as seen by the '96 example, that's likely not going to be enough to avoid a losing season. And the '96 team (including Tom Nolan) was MUCH deeper with returning forward talent.
* Defensemen - Brett Pesce is THE MAN this season (assuming he returns, which I think he will). thegeese makes some valid points on the extra burdens he will be shouldering this coming season. Maller and Cleland, I expect will be solid if unspectacular. That leaves you with three openings, and I'm pretty sure Coach Umile will give Harry Quast a legitimate shot at one of those slots. He may be a junior eligibility-wise, but experience-wise he is probably barely a soph, having played less than Maller and Cleland. As challenging as things will be up front ... I think the really hard work is going to need to be done by Coach Tortorella with the defense. I hope he pulls it off.
* Goalies - Casey DeSmith. Good but not great. And he will be called upon to overperform to support the lack of experience in front of him. Regan seems to be an afterthought, with much of the focus of discussion seeming to be on the incoming frosh goalie. Maybe the frosh 'keeper will see more time than expected - especially if the season starts to go south early? He'd better be good 'cuz what's out there in front of him will be early on their learning curves as well.
I'm not trying to be a downer on next season's outlook. I just want to be realistic. And I think 7th place and a losing record is going to be our reality next season. God forbid one of Downing/Willows/Pesce/DeSmith gets injured and misses extended time ...
... JMHO.
). Apparently this is the ECAC model..or so I read.
