UNH Wildcats 2017-2018 Season - The Quest Continues

[Aerman]

As fate would have it, the pieces never really lined up for him, and maybe - just maybe - that frustration boiled over in some way to contribute to the "incident", or into discussions with BS35+1 after the "incident" that led to the parting of ways, which (at least to me) always seemed to have been a very rash outcome for a situation where the alleged "victim" was hardly blameless, and even arguably initiated the chain of events that would play out.

Lest we forget, BS had a significant role setting the stage. After a problematic freshman campaign, McCloskey removed the bad actor from the team. BS insisted she be reinstated.

 

[e.cat]

Lest we forget, BS had a significant role setting the stage. After a problematic freshman campaign, McCloskey removed the bad actor from the team. BS insisted she be reinstated.

BS obviously an activist AD. Had the opportunity to terminate McCloskey because he (McCloskey), didn't have the cache of a DU or Sean McDonnell. It was a PC move on his part IMHO!

 

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017-2018 Season - The Quest Continues

So is it safe to say we were just swept (again) by Mike Souza's recruits? (Or at least some of them)

 

[e.cat]

People carry their resumes into recruiting networks. Shawn Walsh was a brand new HC, but had five years of destroying recruiting for Michigan State. David Quinn had recruited a national championship team for BU, then went on to the AHL. Tony Granato and Osiecki have years of pro and All American recruiting at Wisconsin. Michigan State's Danton Cole has years of USA hockey experience. Norm Bazin had recruited a half dozen Colorado College NCAA teams, then was HC at DIII. Greg Carvel built St.Lawrence before being hired at U.Mass. Nate Leaman was a volunteer under Shawn Walsh's 1999 Championship team, then went to four years at Harvard's NCAA teams before Union hired him.


Jim Montgomery won the USHL title and had many years as an assistant at RPI


Penn State's Gadowsky built up Princeton for many years as its HC. Northern Michigan's Grant Potulny had recruited Minnesota's NCAA championship teams, and had USA hockey experience. Bowling Green's Chris Bergeron had years recuriting for Miami-Ohio's NCAA teams.

It doesn't always work (see Seth Appert), but it is a pre-requisite. Sometimes that resume also takes a while to take hold, until the program proves itself. (See Donato at Harvard)

Any of these guys can walk into an arena and are known, with mindget and junior coaches not just saying "he's a nice guy and he'll be fair" but more importantly, "he's got the program going in the right direction and you can trust that he'll improve the teams and be a winner."


One cannot ignore the contrast with Mike Souza, who had two average years at Brown with no notable signature recruits, and two average years at U.Conn as it moved from the weakest conference (the Atlantic) to the cellar of Hockey East. He may be the most sincere, nicest, and glib guy in the world, but he simply never had the unspoken "you can take me seriously because I've done it." Sure, he has a small network of Malden coaches who can refer locals (MacAdam, Sacco, Verrier etc.) to him, but he never had a USA hockey reputation where he can walk to the USA Select 16 festival in July (let alone coach one of the team), watch the hotshots and then tell the coaches or advisors "I'd love to talk to ....., please ask them to give me a call." You can see that when Farabee and Ryczek walked immediately. Ryczek you can say was a relationship with the coach who recruited him (Borek), but Farabee just walked away and didn't follow Borek. That speaks volumes about the regard he (or more realistically and critically, his advisors and community) held for the coaches he would play under. Who????

The second signal is "does Souza know the market?" Every new coach immediately signs up 6 or so recruits, guys they had had their eye on while elsewhere, and now that they are calling the shots, they call the kids, and say "I want you to be my first class, to be the foundation of something great that I'm building." It makes the kids feel special, and send the message that the guy has a plan. Even if you hate recruiting 15 or 16 year olds, you go to the Select festivals that summer and nab one or two just to send a message to the world that you are now in the game.

The third signal is "does he have a vision and drive?" Go back to C-H-C's August 2016 interview and you get three messages -- a) Umile was great to me b) we had a good history and c) I want to build a family, UNH is a family. Not a message of bravado anywhere about getting the best and challenging the powers.

UNH literally went seven months with a single recruit, MacAdams, after Souza "took over the program." Does that signal a plan to the hockey world?

The idea that you throw him to the wolves, or throw him to the wolves with three years of guidance by a non-recruiting entity Umile, and expect him to have the gravitas required was borderline insanity.

=====================================================

Now, to the question that we can't reverse history, what do you do now? Dan talks about top level outlines, but I have no doubt that UNH has been doing that ... trying to recruit skilled kids, identifying a model, etc. The problem is none of the known kids are taking the offers. So right now they are fishing in pools of unknowns, hoping they can spot a hidden talent. Take a look at the list I posted of what other teams were pursuing our players.....most are "UNH was the first school to take notice, or to offer." Do we trust the ability to find those unknowns. the Lucas Bahns and Corson Greens of the world?

Two things need to happen. First, a known "coach" is needed, so recruits and current players have a feeling that UNH's on-ice play will level off and gradually improve. Lassonde fits that bill, and while I would give him a special title to signal that to recruits (Co-Coach" or "Special Assistant in charge or on-ice decisions" and gives instant credibility. (and for his network, something he can point to to give comfort that he will be running the ship in an important manner). Not dynamic that will result in the pop I would have expected if UNH had gone the route of a search and promising hire after Umile retired, but at this point they are doing triage, which stabilizing is important. I do trust Lassonde to be able to do that, and with a bit of luck, gradually improve the talent level for a seven year gradual climb from 10 to 9 to 8 to 7 to 6. Not sure I see a return to the top 5, but at this point, any prospect for climbing is an improvement.

Second, hire a known recruiting assistant. This is more challenging. You do not have a great story line to sell to recruits, of "new sherif in town, driven to win, you get in on the ground floor of rebuilding a program that has a fanbase and situation just ready to reclaim its glory.") You are essentially trying to sell a lame duck/neutered young guy and a veteran who may be there for only three years if this salvage fails. Does one of the known recruiters want to tie his career to this? Even if you assume there might be an opportuntiy down the road, at that point there would have to be a complete housecleaning, so you aren't next in line.

Third, if the three years of co-coaches doesn't work, do something creative, like setting up a committee of 5 guys not tied to Umile and perhaps one or two from outside of the UNH bubble, and then sifting through resumes and pick someone who is (a) under age 50, but (b) has had some actual success at some level. And let that guy go out and sell the "new sherif in town" storyline that is needed.

Ralph Cox is not walking through that door. Rod Langway is not walking through that door. Neither are Jason Krog or Darren Haydar....

 

[NCAA watcher]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017-2018 Season - The Quest Continues

So is it safe to say we were just swept (again) by Mike Souza's recruits? (Or at least some of them)

Players recruited during Souza's two years at U.Conn, with players who played this weekend in bold.

Derek Pratt
Will Golonka
Miles Gendron
Jeff Wight
Ben Freeman
Liam Murphy
Corey Ronan
Kasperi Ojantakanen
Will Garin
Spencer Naas
Johnny Austin
Marco Richter
Tyson McLellan
David Drake
Tage Thompson
Connor Mayer
Tanner Creel
Mike Young
Adam Karashik
Evan Wisocky
Max Kalter

 

[HockeyRef]

Ralph Cox is not walking through that door. Rod Langway is not walking through that door. Neither are Jason Krog or Darren Haydar....

Nor is Norm Bazin or Nate Leaman for that matter...Time to trust the process or let it drive you mad. Doesn't mean you have to like it but it's not going to change. Has to better than right now. Sorry I have another Wildcat weekend hangover... (and it's not from alcohol)

 

[HockeyRef]

Players recruited during Souza's two years at U.Conn, with players who played this weekend in bold.

Derek Pratt
Will Golonka
Miles Gendron
Jeff Wight
Ben Freeman
Liam Murphy
Corey Ronan
Kasperi Ojantakanen
Will Garin
Spencer Naas
Johnny Austin
Marco Richter
Tyson McLellan
David Drake
Tage Thompson
Connor Mayer
Tanner Creel
Mike Young
Adam Karashik
Evan Wisocky
Max Kalter

Karashik with the game winner...Oh and that Creel guy was stellar all weekend. EDIT: In an earlier post I said Yukon was on a 5 game win streak when in reality they were in a 5 game skid before beating PC before playing us...

 

[Greg Ambrose]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017-2018 Season - The Quest Continues

When Dan talked about recruiting and the areas UNH should concentrate on, I thought of one of my pet peeves. Why is not the metropolitan Toronto area not a target? Over the years I have heard a million excuses as to why. Competition from MJ., 13 years of schooling, Michigan has a lock, blah, blah, blah. It’s over 40 years ago, but back in the Holt days we had a ton of players come from Ontario. I know times are way different now, there is a lot more competition but success starts with building relationships and that means nurturing the coaches, the GMs of the leagues. I remember when Haydar was a senior, Lassonde asked his father if he had time to sit down with Winnik’s father and talk about his experience as a parent at UNH. I remember Haydar going off in a corner at the New England Center after a game and talking to Winnik for 15 or 20 minutes. I’ve often wondered if Lassonde or Borek had used that parent to parent approach inother circumstances. I’m not saying it was the deal maker,but it couldn’t have hurt.

 

[Snively65]

Ralph Cox is not walking through that door. Rod Langway is not walking through that door. Neither are Jason Krog or Darren Haydar....

"And, if they do walk through that door, they will be old and gray. The negativity in this town stinks!" [sic]

Just finishing your quote, e.cat.

 

[e.cat]

"And, if they do walk through that door, they will be old and gray. The negativity in this town stinks!" [sic]

Just finishing your quote, e.cat.

 

[Snively65]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017-2018 Season - The Quest Continues

Looks like Chuck has started a new season thread. But, this thread still has room for 50 more posts. Moreover, is The Quest over? Of course not!! The Quest is not over! Was The Quest over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Nooooo!!

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017-2018 Season - The Quest Continues

Looks like Chuck has started a new season thread. But, this thread still has room for 50 more posts. Moreover, is The Quest over? Of course not!! The Quest is not over! Was The Quest over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Nooooo!!

I'm going to be away for a good chunk of this week, so I figured ... hey, I started this Quest and NRN stuff, so I might as well frame the finish of it, and it looks like space on this current thread is going to be spent before next weekend at the current rate of posting. So my apologies for "jumping the gun", and everyone should feel free to keep posting here until this one fills out. No ulterior motives, honest guv!!

 

[Snively65]

I'm going to be away for a good chunk of this week, so I figured ... hey, I started this Quest and NRN stuff, so I might as well frame the finish of it, and it looks like space on this current thread is going to be spent before next weekend at the current rate of posting. So my apologies for "jumping the gun", and everyone should feel free to keep posting here until this one fills out. No ulterior motives, honest guv!!

I liked the High Plains Drifter reference, one of my all-time favorite films.

Dirty bastard gang leader: "Well, Stranger, I guess you will be moving on now?"

Stranger: "Oh, I do not think so. There seems to be still a lot of evil around here. You would not want to see me move on before my work is done........would you?"

Safe travels, Chuck. Will try to get this thread properly closed down by the moderators before your return so that we can carry on the several themes in the new thread, including The Quest, the MBPBEGAM around (need to extend deadline for entries or changes in that contest), Grasso's red shirt, and much more.

 

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017-2018 Season - The Quest Continues

Here's a post to hasten the end of this thread...My season ticket mate is a very good statistician (like you, Snively65). He took some time to look at this year's season to the past few and here's what he found (the side notes are HE tourney notes)

16/17 season: 15-20-5 Beat MC in first round, lost to UML in 3 in HE tourney 2nd round
15/16 season: 11-20-6 Lost to MC in 3 (ugh that last game) (last 15 games of that season, which were all HE games, we went 2-11-2
14/15 season: 19-19-2 BEAT Yukon at home (last time we have beaten them) defeated PC in 3, LAST TRIP TO THE GARDEN losing to BU 4-1 (scored first in that one; a trickler past Matt O'Conner by TyK) Note: if not for this trip to the Garden this current group of Seniors would have never skated there if we don't make it this year....
13/14 season: 22-18-1 Defeated Jim Mad-Again's Huskies at home, beat PC at the Garden, lost to UML in the HE finals 4-0

Feel free to correct if I'm wrong...

Of course, if we 'run the table' in this current season, we could be 17-13-4 (stranger things have happened....?) Or...are we heading towards the same result at the 15/16 season??? Time will tell. Come on 'Cats...you can do better than this!!!! Get healthy and pull out some W's!!

 

[Felger]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017-2018 Season - The Quest Continues

I'm going to be away for a good chunk of this week, so I figured ... hey, I started this Quest and NRN stuff, so I might as well frame the finish of it, and it looks like space on this current thread is going to be spent before next weekend at the current rate of posting. So my apologies for "jumping the gun", and everyone should feel free to keep posting here until this one fills out. No ulterior motives, honest guv!!

That makes perfect sense, Chuck. And you should frame/start the final season thread.

I'm glad too, because it removed the temptation for me to start it, and title it "Tell Me Again Mommy"

 

[Snively65]

Here's a post to hasten the end of this thread...My season ticket mate is a very good statistician (like you, Snively65). He took some time to look at this year's season to the past few and here's what he found (the side notes are HE tourney notes)

16/17 season: 15-20-5 Beat MC in first round, lost to UML in 3 in HE tourney 2nd round
15/16 season: 11-20-6 Lost to MC in 3 (ugh that last game) (last 15 games of that season, which were all HE games, we went 2-11-2
14/15 season: 19-19-2 BEAT Yukon at home (last time we have beaten them) defeated PC in 3, LAST TRIP TO THE GARDEN losing to BU 4-1 (scored first in that one; a trickler past Matt O'Conner by TyK) Note: if not for this trip to the Garden this current group of Seniors would have never skated there if we don't make it this year....
13/14 season: 22-18-1 Defeated Jim Mad-Again's Huskies at home, beat PC at the Garden, lost to UML in the HE finals 4-0

Feel free to correct if I'm wrong...

Of course, if we 'run the table' in this current season, we could be 17-13-4 (stranger things have happened....?) Or...are we heading towards the same result at the 15/16 season??? Time will tell. Come on 'Cats...you can do better than this!!!! Get healthy and pull out some W's!!

Who is not healthy? Other than Grasso out for season?

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017-2018 Season - The Quest Continues

Who is not healthy? Other than Grasso out for season?

Chronic swallowing issues ripping through the squad nowadays. Very contagious stuff, working from the top down.

That makes perfect sense, Chuck. And you should frame/start the final season thread.

I'm glad too, because it removed the temptation for me to start it, and title it "Tell Me Again Mommy"

http://board.uscho.com/showthread.p...2017-2018-Umile-s-Last-Stand-The-Grand-Finale

Over and out, at least until Friday ...

 

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017-2018 Season - The Quest Continues

Who is not healthy? Other than Grasso out for season?

I talked with a couple of parents at Hartford Saturday and they said there was illness (flu) going through the team. (but that's happening with all teams) so that's what I meant. Not an excuse but one player (whom I won't name) could barely walk up stairs due to his illness but played all weekend anyway...Carry on.

 

[chickod]

Not an excuse but one player (whom I won't name) could barely walk up stairs due to his illness but played all weekend anyway...Carry on.

Unfortunately it’s very legit. My wife had it for three weeks and couldn’t even get out of bed for the first two days.

 

[Snively65]

I talked with a couple of parents at Hartford Saturday and they said there was illness (flu) going through the team. (but that's happening with all teams) so that's what I meant. Not an excuse but one player (whom I won't name) could barely walk up stairs due to his illness but played all weekend anyway...Carry on.

Ah, ha! That must explain in part the two-month-long winless streak. Cooped on long bus trips not a good recipe for flu avoidance either. Bummer.