The sadness of the playoff run ending will hopefully be fading and the memories of another magnificent, if turbulent season will hopefully remain. We lose a senior class which distinguished themselves and will remain forever etched in the annals of Union Hockey. Filling their skates will be a difficult task, but new faces and the return of familiar ones give us cause for hope and discussion. What do "U" think?
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Union Hockey Official off Season Thread: Can U Three Peat?
- Thread starter Wholin1
- Start date
FlagDUDE08
Banned
Re: Union Hockey Official off Season Thread: Can U Three Peat?
Next year's freshmen class will certainly determine your future. I was looking at your roster from this past year, and as much as you're losing a good chunk this year (minus Wayne Simpson and a Bodie is going to hurt), you're losing IMO a bigger bulk next year, even if G sticks around. Sometimes you can just tell a band where a team will be based upon who they return; I was able to get the band for QPac and Colgate right, but enough boasting. A first-round bye for your team is not out of the realm of possibility, if you made me pick vicb's contest right now I'd say around the same as this past year's actuals. The frosh class, though, is going to determine whether the year after next will be success or rebuilding. Another key is going to be the season that Matt Wilkins has next year, as he'll be one of the go-to guys the years after, obviously in addition to your then seniors.
Next year's freshmen class will certainly determine your future. I was looking at your roster from this past year, and as much as you're losing a good chunk this year (minus Wayne Simpson and a Bodie is going to hurt), you're losing IMO a bigger bulk next year, even if G sticks around. Sometimes you can just tell a band where a team will be based upon who they return; I was able to get the band for QPac and Colgate right, but enough boasting. A first-round bye for your team is not out of the realm of possibility, if you made me pick vicb's contest right now I'd say around the same as this past year's actuals. The frosh class, though, is going to determine whether the year after next will be success or rebuilding. Another key is going to be the season that Matt Wilkins has next year, as he'll be one of the go-to guys the years after, obviously in addition to your then seniors.
Re: Union Hockey Official off Season Thread: Can U Three Peat?
FD, thanks for starting the discussion. The newcomers are also going to be big because this year's freshmen may have underperformed on an overall basis. Wilkins has big upside potential in my view and really didn't start to get going until after the first of the year. David Roy I know is liked by the coaching staff, but let's face it, zero goals has to be a surprise and disappointment. Gingras I thought acquitted himself well after a bit of a shaky start and Tim Boyle must have some talent too though he obviously had some adjustment issues as well. Let's also hope that Charlie Vasaturo comes back at full strength after his season ending injury because we are definitely going to need help replacing the 3 graduating seniors on the blueline and I thought he was really coming into his own when injury struck.
Re: Union Hockey Official off Season Thread: Can U Three Peat?
NCAA schedulers are a joke. Should have played at noon and 330. Why have something so important be unfair?
Q had eaten, showered and was in bed nice and early. Union didnt get to hotel until close to 2 am. Amazing that they still make them hang around and talk to reporters and so forth after that late start. Then they have to get up at 9 or 10 for film, meetings etc.
Why wouldnt they just do semis fri, finals sun, or an earlier start. Really stupid to expect kids at that level to play a BC type until midnight and then play again the next day at 6 vs the number one team in country. The tank was empty
great season+
lowell will win it all...
NCAA schedulers are a joke. Should have played at noon and 330. Why have something so important be unfair?
Q had eaten, showered and was in bed nice and early. Union didnt get to hotel until close to 2 am. Amazing that they still make them hang around and talk to reporters and so forth after that late start. Then they have to get up at 9 or 10 for film, meetings etc.
Why wouldnt they just do semis fri, finals sun, or an earlier start. Really stupid to expect kids at that level to play a BC type until midnight and then play again the next day at 6 vs the number one team in country. The tank was empty
great season+
lowell will win it all...
Re: Union Hockey Official off Season Thread: Can U Three Peat?
To his credit, Rick Bennett would not use the late start as an excuse. He basically said, play better in the regular season and get a higher seed in the NCAAs and then pick your start time. I really like our coach.
Re: Union Hockey Official off Season Thread: Can U Three Peat?
I'm sure Bennett will get some looks this summer... two titles in two years ... a lot of other schools would want that kind of success. He signed an extension last year, but that doesn't mean much really. Leaman left not even two years into his extension.
One rumor out there is if Maine fires Tim Whitehead, Leaman (a former Maine asst) could be in play there and Bennett could then be in play at Providence. But it's just a rumor.
I'm sure Bennett will get some looks this summer... two titles in two years ... a lot of other schools would want that kind of success. He signed an extension last year, but that doesn't mean much really. Leaman left not even two years into his extension.
One rumor out there is if Maine fires Tim Whitehead, Leaman (a former Maine asst) could be in play there and Bennett could then be in play at Providence. But it's just a rumor.
The whole late night thing is a lame excuse. Union is better than that. Really dissapointing to hear a player bring it up in the press conference. Makes the team look like sore losers. Quinnipiac had our number and even all the Union confidence in the world couldnt produce a win. Matthew Peca singlehandidly beat the team. You should never make excuses about what time the team went to bed because they got outplayed for 60 mins. Quinnipiac is a great team and that is why the team lost.
FlagDUDE08
Banned
Re: Union Hockey Official off Season Thread: Can U Three Peat?
Why wouldn't Bennett go straight to Maine?
Why wouldn't Bennett go straight to Maine?
Re: Union Hockey Official off Season Thread: Can U Three Peat?
That whole scenario would make more sense with Leaman's ties to Maine and Bennett's to Providence. Bennett played and later assisted there.
Currently, Whitehead and the program are being "evaluated" at Maine though some think if he was going to be canned, it would have happened already.
That whole scenario would make more sense with Leaman's ties to Maine and Bennett's to Providence. Bennett played and later assisted there.
Currently, Whitehead and the program are being "evaluated" at Maine though some think if he was going to be canned, it would have happened already.
Re: Union Hockey Official off Season Thread: Can U Three Peat?
It is not an excuse, it is a fact. Why pretend it didnt factor in? Just like when Bruins beat Ottawa, fly late, get into Philly next day at 3/4 am and get shutout by Flyers. It factored in. Not an excuse, a fact and stupid for NCAA to schedule games at 9 pm. Stupid. Q is a great team and will be the only one to give Lowell a game
U Conn is the one who is going after RB hard, real hard. A Springfield kid coming home to coach a Hockey East team with a long leash.
It is not an excuse, it is a fact. Why pretend it didnt factor in? Just like when Bruins beat Ottawa, fly late, get into Philly next day at 3/4 am and get shutout by Flyers. It factored in. Not an excuse, a fact and stupid for NCAA to schedule games at 9 pm. Stupid. Q is a great team and will be the only one to give Lowell a game
U Conn is the one who is going after RB hard, real hard. A Springfield kid coming home to coach a Hockey East team with a long leash.
FlagDUDE08
Banned
Re: Union Hockey Official off Season Thread: Can U Three Peat?
That's not surprising from freshmen that it takes them a while to get into a groove. We saw the same thing from some of our newer players from the past two years on the other side of I-87. IIRC, you guys had some difficulties at the start of 09-10 (I can't remember 10-11, though). Their sophomore year is key, though. Are they falling into a slump, or do they continue to pour it on? Guys like Simpson and the older Bodie did not waiver. The same is true with the class that I said would be your bigger loss. This past year's sophomores it's tough to say. Obviously I'm basing on your team stats along with what I heard in the three games we played. This year you're not going to pull what happened to Colgate when Austin Smith left, or what may be happening to SLU with Flanagan leaving (we both saw in the last weekend of the regular season how much he really means to that team), but it very well could be in your future, so beware the capabilities of the underclass.
That's not surprising from freshmen that it takes them a while to get into a groove. We saw the same thing from some of our newer players from the past two years on the other side of I-87. IIRC, you guys had some difficulties at the start of 09-10 (I can't remember 10-11, though). Their sophomore year is key, though. Are they falling into a slump, or do they continue to pour it on? Guys like Simpson and the older Bodie did not waiver. The same is true with the class that I said would be your bigger loss. This past year's sophomores it's tough to say. Obviously I'm basing on your team stats along with what I heard in the three games we played. This year you're not going to pull what happened to Colgate when Austin Smith left, or what may be happening to SLU with Flanagan leaving (we both saw in the last weekend of the regular season how much he really means to that team), but it very well could be in your future, so beware the capabilities of the underclass.
FlagDUDE08
Banned
Re: Union Hockey Official off Season Thread: Can U Three Peat?
How would it have been any different from some radio station or other rambunctious fans calling the players' hotel rooms at 3AM pretending to be room service, or sneaking in and pulling the fire alarms?
How would it have been any different from some radio station or other rambunctious fans calling the players' hotel rooms at 3AM pretending to be room service, or sneaking in and pulling the fire alarms?
Re: Union Hockey Official off Season Thread: Can U Three Peat?
Bennett's right - Union should have played themselves into a better seed and scheduling scenario and none of us would be talking about this.
That said, I still didn't like the game times. Providence is probably the Eastern-most location of all four regionals and yet they were the last games to start on Saturday. I know all four regionals were in the Eastern time zone, so someone had to "suffer". It's just strange the way they scheduled these games.
Bennett's right - Union should have played themselves into a better seed and scheduling scenario and none of us would be talking about this.
That said, I still didn't like the game times. Providence is probably the Eastern-most location of all four regionals and yet they were the last games to start on Saturday. I know all four regionals were in the Eastern time zone, so someone had to "suffer". It's just strange the way they scheduled these games.
Re: Union Hockey Official off Season Thread: Can U Three Peat?
I guess it wouldnt be.
I guess it wouldnt be.
MarkEagleUSA
C'mon Q!
Re: Union Hockey Official off Season Thread: Can U Three Peat?
As for whether the times had any affect... sure, but it was no different than a 4:00 start after a 7:00 start. The teams were in town Friday so they all had time to adjust their schedules around the game times. Bennett seems to be a great coach. I'm sure he did everything he could to mitigate the time factor.
The real problem on Sunday was the fact that Matt Peca had way too much Easter candy and was wound up like a top come game time!
Another thing is that old "some teams just have your number" syndrome. I think we just had U's number this year, much the same as Brown had ours.
Whatever it was, Union had another great year and there's certainly nothing to be ashamed of.
Blame the NCAA. They moved Union-BC to Providence for attendance reasons. I really didn't notice that many BC fans there on Saturday. In fact, I thought the fan bases went QU, Union, BC, Canisius. As for the final, the holiday didn't help anyone.
As for whether the times had any affect... sure, but it was no different than a 4:00 start after a 7:00 start. The teams were in town Friday so they all had time to adjust their schedules around the game times. Bennett seems to be a great coach. I'm sure he did everything he could to mitigate the time factor.
The real problem on Sunday was the fact that Matt Peca had way too much Easter candy and was wound up like a top come game time!
Another thing is that old "some teams just have your number" syndrome. I think we just had U's number this year, much the same as Brown had ours.
Whatever it was, Union had another great year and there's certainly nothing to be ashamed of.
I agree but we weren't the only team whose number they had, there were a whole bunchBlame the NCAA. They moved Union-BC to Providence for attendance reasons. I really didn't notice that many BC fans there on Saturday. In fact, I thought the fan bases went QU, Union, BC, Canisius. As for the final, the holiday didn't help anyone.
As for whether the times had any affect... sure, but it was no different than a 4:00 start after a 7:00 start. The teams were in town Friday so they all had time to adjust their schedules around the game times. Bennett seems to be a great coach. I'm sure he did everything he could to mitigate the time factor.
The real problem on Sunday was the fact that Matt Peca had way too much Easter candy and was wound up like a top come game time!
Another thing is that old "some teams just have your number" syndrome. I think we just had U's number this year, much the same as Brown had ours.
Whatever it was, Union had another great year and there's certainly nothing to be ashamed of.
FlagDUDE08
Banned
Re: Union Hockey Official off Season Thread: Can U Three Peat?
For the right price, it's possible. Look out, though; Denver has an opening, and they may not want to go with a Gwozdecky assistant...
For the right price, it's possible. Look out, though; Denver has an opening, and they may not want to go with a Gwozdecky assistant...
Re: Union Hockey Official off Season Thread: Can U Three Peat?
True, anything is possible. I hate the thought of starting over with a new coach. For sure it will be an interesting summer.
I agree. 55 teams are full of excuses right now. I say congrats to the teams in the frozen four.