UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

[Felger]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Is this the end result of league expansion, playing more games against league opponents? If so, time to rejigger the schedule, perhaps with two divisions of six teams each. Play teams in your division three times, in the other division twice. That gives you 27 league games, just like HE had before, leaving only 7 OOC games to schedule. Thoughts?

State Division

UConn
UMaine
UMA
UML
UNH
UVM

Non State Division

BC
BU
MC
ND
NU
PC

Of course that would all change when Notre Dame flies the HE coop

 

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

"Future NHLer Stevie Moses Reflects on UNH Career"

 

[Snively65]

State Division

UConn
UMaine
UMA
UML
UNH
UVM

Non State Division

BC
BU
MC
ND
NU
PC

Of course that would all change when Notre Dame flies the HE coop

An uneven league schedule is what the AHA used with six-team eastern and western divisions where three games were played against teams within division and two against the other division teams until UConn left this past year; there was constant whining about unfairness from the western division teams that remain categorically better than the eastern teams.

When NICC leaves HE, my guess is that a non-state school will replace them, unless URI gets it act together to play Div 1 hockey.

 

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Colin Mac Donald is our 2015-16 Capt! Not sure on other two..

Update: Maxim Gaudreault and Dan Correalle are the Alt Captains...oops sorry Mike!!! Must have been typing at the same time!! Thanks for the news!!!

 

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Alternate Captains:
Dan Correale
Maxim Gaudreault

 

[New Hampshire 'Cats Fan]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Downing Named MVP; MacDonald Tabbed 112th Captain at Men’s Hockey Team Banquet

 

[Snively65]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Here are first three years of stats for this year's seniors.

Games, goals + assists = points

Correale
32, 3+8=11
39, 4+7=11
38, 4+13=17
Totals 109, 11+28=39

Smith
2, 0+0=0
38, 3+7=10
33, 3+6=9
Totals 73, 6+13=19

Gaudreault
30, 3+5=8
36, 2+2=4
30, 3+3=6
Totals 96, 8+10=18

MacDonald
15, 1+1=2
16, 1+0=1
20, 3+4=7
Totals 51, 5+5=10

Hill
2, 0+0=0
21, 2+1=3
Totals 23, 2+1=3

Quast
3, 0+0=0
35, 0+2=2
31, 1+7=8
Totals 69, 1+9=10

For comparison, Camper
13, 1+1=2
24, 2+4=6
27, 1+0=1
3-year totals 64, 4+5=9
35, 4+2=6
4-year totals 99, 8+7=15

So, all but Hill and MacDonald are ahead in games after three years than was Camper. But, if all of this year's seniors double their 3-year goal totals in their senior year as Camper did, we would be looking at 33 goals from the seniors. Realistic?

If Collin MacDonald is captain, will he be playing in more than 20 games? Note that Watcher does not have him listed in the top four lines.

 

[Scott]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Good point about MacDonald only getting an "honorable mention" on 'Watcher's projected lines....obviously the coaching staff (and team members) know something that we do not know about him?

 

[Snively65]

"Future NHLer Stevie Moses Reflects on UNH Career"

To me, Stevie's is a most improbable story, but I am really happy for him. Really neat comments from JVR. Thanks for the interviews, Mike.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Please just keep Umile OFF the selection committee .... otherwise you will get your wish on Foley.

Please elaborate, sonar. Coach Umile had an opening on his staff LAST season, and Foley didn't get hired - Stewart did. I'm struggling to understand why Umile would have bypassed Foley for Stewart if he indeed held Foley in such high esteem (as I'd always believed he did)?

 

[Verkligen]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Another observation about the OOC schedule for next year is that it will contain costs, with probably eight of the 12 games at home, and only one long road trip to East Lansing (no road trip to NICC this year, which should please Agent 29). Maybe BS35+2 can use these cost savings as a down payment for a jumbotron?

Cost was something that crossed my mind too... Can't help but think that in addition to failing ticket revenues, UNH took a hit on the NCAA regionals. *shrug*

 

[Snively65]

So, all but Hill and MacDonald are ahead in games after three years than was Camper. But, if all of this year's seniors double their 3-year goal totals in their senior year as Camper did, we would be looking at 33 goals from the seniors. Realistic?

Whether or not 33 goals is a realistic expectation for this year's seniors, last year's seniors scored 50 goals, which need to be made up somewhere, most probably by last year's freshmen?

 

[Greg A]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Good point about MacDonald only getting an "honorable mention" on 'Watcher's projected lines....obviously the coaching staff (and team members) know something that we do not know about him?

Boy oh boy. Captains and A's have to play otherwise who represents the team in conversations with the officials? With MacDonald as the C, it means he is going to play a heck of a lot more than he did this year. His reputation coming in was that he could score goals. That obvioiusly hasn't happened. If the coaching staff knows something about MacDonald that we fans are missing, it certainly didn't translate into extra ice time this past season. Although point totals might not be an indicator of leadership qualities, just about every captain that I have ever talked to or read about mentions leading by example. This begs the obvious question. We'll just have to see I guess. What other choice is there?

 

[Darius]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

I am a little surprised and quite disappointed that TK won't be wearing at least an "A". Nothing against McD. who the coaches clearly expect to step up his game and who must have leadership qualities, but Tyler clearly has the game and from his snippets in the press also has the qualities. If anything I'd have thought Correale (39 GP, 17 points) would have gotten the nod over Colin (20, 7). Echoing Greg's thought, the coaches know...

 

[JB]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

His reputation coming in was that he could score goals.

Well maybe...

We have the advantage of hindsight that the recruiting process didn't. I am pulling information from Hockeydb.

As an 18 year old Collin played 6 games in the EJHL with 1 goal no assists. As an 19 year old Collin played 45 games in the EJHL with 27 goals - 18 assists for 45 points. Leading goal scorer on the team and 3rd in total points. He did break is leg while at UNH and that may have set back his development. But his 3 year line is:

MacDonald Games 51, Goal 5, Assists 5, Points 10

Looking back at the top 6 scorers on that EJHL team - EJHL stats in () and displayed Games, Goals, Assists, Points:

Swavely (45, 22, 30, 52) @ Umaine (3 yrs) 108, 24, 38, 62
Petito (43, 18, 28, 46) @ No information assumed out of hockey
MacDonald (45, 27, 18, 45) @UNH (3 yrs) 51, 5, 5, 10
Riley (43, 15, 30, 45) @Mercyhurst (2 yrs) 45, 9, 16, 25
Clifton (39, 14, 30, 44) @Quinnipiac (2 yrs) 77, 12, 15, 27
Barre (35, 16, 25, 41) @Dartmouth (3 yrs) 79, 7, 16, 23

What I see is nobody from that team has set the world on fire at the next level. It is not that there were no good players in the EJHL that year. Chris Heisenberg had Brett Pesce as the highest rated #2 was Jim Vesey (45, 48, 43, 91) a Hobey finalist out of Harvard. However the next three EJHL players were Connor Anthoine (end it up at SUNY-Geneseo), Brian Morgan (2 meh years at Maine), K.J. Tiefenwerth (2 meh year at Div 1 - Umass & QU).

Basically that year the ECHL produced one high end forward and defenseman. The rest were nothing to write home about. I didn't search the entire list just the top 10 skaters...

 

[Ned Braden]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

I am a little surprised and quite disappointed that TK won't be wearing at least an "A". Nothing against McD. who the coaches clearly expect to step up his game and who must have leadership qualities, but Tyler clearly has the game and from his snippets in the press also has the qualities. If anything I'd have thought Correale (39 GP, 17 points) would have gotten the nod over Colin (20, 7). Echoing Greg's thought, the coaches know...

It was my understanding that at UNH the players voted on the captain and alternates, they weren't just selected by the coach. Anyone have any more insight on that? (personally I'd like to see the coach picking the captains)

 

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Collin MacDonald is respected by his teammates in part because of how hard he worked (and continues to work) to recover from a broken femur in his right leg.

 

[Snively65]

I am a little surprised and quite disappointed that TK won't be wearing at least an "A". Nothing against McD. who the coaches clearly expect to step up his game and who must have leadership qualities, but Tyler clearly has the game and from his snippets in the press also has the qualities. If anything I'd have thought Correale (39 GP, 17 points) would have gotten the nod over Colin (20, 7). Echoing Greg's thought, the coaches know...

Exactly about press snippets, like TK telling Grayson Downing that the season was not over late in game 3 at Providence.

 

[Felger]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Well maybe...

We have the advantage of hindsight that the recruiting process didn't. I am pulling information from Hockeydb.

As an 18 year old Collin played 6 games in the EJHL with 1 goal no assists. As an 19 year old Collin played 45 games in the EJHL with 27 goals - 18 assists for 45 points. Leading goal scorer on the team and 3rd in total points. He did break is leg while at UNH and that may have set back his development. But his 3 year line is:

MacDonald Games 51, Goal 5, Assists 5, Points 10

Looking back at the top 6 scorers on that EJHL team - EJHL stats in () and displayed Games, Goals, Assists, Points:

Swavely (45, 22, 30, 52) @ Umaine (3 yrs) 108, 24, 38, 62
Petito (43, 18, 28, 46) @ No information assumed out of hockey
MacDonald (45, 27, 18, 45) @UNH (3 yrs) 51, 5, 5, 10
Riley (43, 15, 30, 45) @Mercyhurst (2 yrs) 45, 9, 16, 25
Clifton (39, 14, 30, 44) @Quinnipiac (2 yrs) 77, 12, 15, 27
Barre (35, 16, 25, 41) @Dartmouth (3 yrs) 79, 7, 16, 23

What I see is nobody from that team has set the world on fire at the next level. It is not that there were no good players in the EJHL that year. Chris Heisenberg had Brett Pesce as the highest rated #2 was Jim Vesey (45, 48, 43, 91) a Hobey finalist out of Harvard. However the next three EJHL players were Connor Anthoine (end it up at SUNY-Geneseo), Brian Morgan (2 meh years at Maine), K.J. Tiefenwerth (2 meh year at Div 1 - Umass & QU).

Basically that year the ECHL produced one high end forward and defenseman. The rest were nothing to write home about. I didn't search the entire list just the top 10 skaters...

As usual, JB is spot on.

I know its an oversimplification, but I think you can trace the decline of the UNH program to the (over)emphasis on picking up so many players from the EJHL. (FWIW, Maine suffers from the same affliction.) Probably unavoidable, given UNH has lost so many recruiting battles on other fronts. I equate recruiting Division One college hockey players from the EJHL to selecting professional football players from the CAA. As long as you are getting the cream of the crop - like Joe Flacco or Terrence West - that's fine. But there is do depth in either league that is likely to be successful and the next level. And as JB pointed out, MacDonald's numbers as an 18 year old were inconsequential, it was only as older player that he had any success at all.

I am encouraged to see that at least UNH is having some success in other regions.

 

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

I think the question of whether Collin MacDonald has reached his potential as a point producer at the college level is not related to his selection as the team's captain. It's his leadership skills that made him the UNH captain for 2015-16.

As for his potential as a scorer, this is what US Hockey Report said about him when he committed to UNH in August 2011:

"One of the all-time leading scorers in New Jersey High School hockey history, MacDonald scored over 300 goals in the four years he played for the West Milford High School Highlanders while also playing for the Hitmen organization. In the spring of ’10, he graduated from high school, and last season played only for the Hitmen Empire Team while also taking classes at Passaic County Community College. He tore it up, finishing as the Empire League’s leading scorer with a 29-53-82 line in 39 games played.

MacDonald, who has a 3.9 gpa, is the classic late bloomer, having never played in any USA Hockey Festivals. He just played high school hockey and the Empire League -- and was a huge success at both levels. Now, he is more than ready to move on to the EJHL, as shown by his play at the EJHL Showcase, and then, last week, at the Beantown Classic.

A 6/21/92 birthdate, MacDonald plays a pro-style game and, as we mentioned last week, could be one of those guys who, despite being totally unknown in his draft year, turns into an NHL prospect as his game develops in college.

To show how quickly MacDonald’s stock has shot up, consider that he visited one college after the EJHL Classic (Providence College). Then, last week, he visited four more schools on the drive up to – or returning from -- the Beantown Classic (Harvard, UNH, Sacred Heart, and Quinnipiac). Also, Penn State was trying to get him on campus, and other Ivies such as Dartmouth and Brown were calling. But he’s a small-town boy, from that corner of New Jersey -- still fairly rural -- up by the New York state line, and he liked what he saw up in Durham."

In his only season in the Eastern Junior Hockey League (2011-12) he was selected to the EJHL All-Star team. In October, 2011, the NHL Central Scouting Service identified MacDonald as a "B prospect" meaning he was a potential 3rd to 5th round draft pick.