UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

[j24vt]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

Very fun, fast, game tonight. Feel bad for Lekkas. Hopefully the team can get him a shutout win in these last three games. Schulman needs to take a hard look at how players have developed from their freshman to senior years. Having only 3 seniors on the team is a symptom of an issue, not something positive.

 

[UVM Cat in Texas]

Yes, totally sucks to lose a 0-1 game in OT on an empty net. But, that was the situation based on so many early season losses.

Wait a minute, we lost in OT on an empty net goal??? Is Sneddon delusional?!? It's highly unlikely, if not downright almost impossible, we could have made the playoffs even with a win tonight! That being the case, I'd much rather have a tie and one point than another demoralizing, last-second heartbreaking loss. This team has almost nothing going for it, so give the guys a taste of something good and build some confidence.

 

[PuckVoice]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

Wait a minute, we lost in OT on an empty net goal??? Is Sneddon delusional?!? It's highly unlikely, if not downright almost impossible, we could have made the playoffs even with a win tonight! That being the case, I'd much rather have a tie and one point than another demoralizing, last-second heartbreaking loss. This team has almost nothing going for it, so give the guys a taste of something good and build some confidence.

You would rather settle for a tie that eliminates you from the playoffs rather than pull the goalie and go for the win? REALLY???
If the Coach had made that call the wolves on this board would have been screaming for his head!
Of course they are anyway.

 

[TovarishchLisa]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

Wait a minute, we lost in OT on an empty net goal??? Is Sneddon delusional?!? It's highly unlikely, if not downright almost impossible, we could have made the playoffs even with a win tonight! That being the case, I'd much rather have a tie and one point than another demoralizing, last-second heartbreaking loss. This team has almost nothing going for it, so give the guys a taste of something good and build some confidence.

I would've pulled the goalie late in regulation. At least you can bounce back from a regulation goal against late... at least wait until you get in the offensive zone, maybe wait for an o-zone draw (and UVM was doing well in the dot tonight, 34-21 per CHN). I'd long left the game when it happened but apparently we lost possession right away.

 

[gocats]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

One who remained would see that we spent the latter part of regulation in our own zone. At that point, it was staying alive. BU was dominant. There was not a good opportunity. As far as OT, play 5-5 until desperation. Not sure of the time, but we cleared the zone and pulled the goalie around 1 minute left. Maybe less? In all the intensity, I lost track.

 

[TovarishchLisa]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

You can teach defense. You can’t teach offense. Too many grinders that don’t have the skill to score. Still not sure how much of that is the system, how much is bad evaluation of recruits, how much is just getting outrecruited for goal scorers. I’m assuming Sneddon stays for the next year of his contract, after that it will be interesting to see what Schulman does. Fans are definitely getting restless, I assume he senses that.

Worst bit is two of our top skill recruits bolted when Wallack left. Nick Abruzzese is currently leading the USHL in scoring, and Zach Okabe had another great year in the AJHL. Both flipped their commitments elsewhere (Harvard and St. Cloud respectively).

Now, in a positive spin (a real shock from me!) some of the current commits are playing well. Lemay is second in the AJHL in scoring, and Lucas/McCutcheon/Boyko were all over a point per game this year. Course, this doesn't come without a few other recruits not playing much or having some worrisome statlines, and I've learned not to get too hype for recruits, but I'm trying to hold onto positives where I can find them... even going to the games isn't that fun anymore, the Gutt is practically a coffin instead of the place I came to know and love during my first few years at UVM as a place that could really get electric and I've found myself skipping some games entirely (something I thought unthinkable before)

Bummed for the players, who've done their ****edest, ESPECIALLY Lekkas. They deserve better.

 

[TovarishchLisa]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

Having only 3 seniors on the team is a symptom of an issue, not something positive.

Feel like this is something a lot of people forgot about - this was a class of 8 when they were freshmen.

Coughlin, O'Neil, and Puffer survived til the end.

Jake Kearley got outright cut, he's now at the U of Calgary after spending a year playing club hockey at UNLV.

Packy Munson and Mike Lee both transferred, we obviously saw Lee when he was with Sacred Heart, but Munson transferred a second time later and is now in the British league.

Tyler Gernhofer fell off the face of the earth. Went back to the NAHL on what appeared to be a temp basis (the Amarillo presser says that he was going to return), but that was his last year playing, and he's now an assistant coach there.

Brian Bowen turned pro early in the ECHL after being exiled to the press box for some reason and is playing very well in the SPHL.

 

[pokecheckguy2]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

You would rather settle for a tie that eliminates you from the playoffs rather than pull the goalie and go for the win? REALLY???
If the Coach had made that call the wolves on this board would have been screaming for his head!
Of course they are anyway.

oh very nice of the SHEEP to pop by every once and a while George! Thanks for coming down from lofty perch!
In fact I agree Sneddon had to go for win but he had to because the position he put this team in ALL YEAR and MANY year before! aka A bad one! Please matke no mistake acting as if it was so brave and bold move and gutty effort to give him more time on the job it was done out of desprate move because of the team lack of talent no development and bad coaching over full year!
LOSSES are LOSSES!!!! Sneddon has 65 percent more of those than he wins!

 

[UVM Cat in Texas]

You would rather settle for a tie that eliminates you from the playoffs rather than pull the goalie and go for the win? REALLY???
If the Coach had made that call the wolves on this board would have been screaming for his head!
Of course they are anyway.

Didn’t realize a tie would eliminate us. That changes things a bit, but yeah, I’ll stand by what I said — attempt to win without giving the game away. Also, as a member of HE, one can argue we have an obligation not to simply gift BU a win at a critical moment in the season. It could potentially affect the playoff picture for every other team in the league.

 

[UVM Cat in Texas]

You would rather settle for a tie that eliminates you from the playoffs rather than pull the goalie and go for the win? REALLY???
If the Coach had made that call the wolves on this board would have been screaming for his head!
Of course they are anyway.

Thought about it some more. Yeah, you’re right, he’s gotta do anything he can to get a W in that situation. Just annoying as heck to give a game away like that especially when (as I noted in a recent post) the team’s been playing pretty decent. Hopefully they can close out the season with a win or two.

 

[TheRevengeance]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

I would agree with pulling the goalie to make the playoffs if it were the last weekend of the year or something, but there are still 3 weeks left. If one point is eliminating you now, it's time to bite the bullet and take the shutout and point you earned. I could never imagine an NHL team pulling a similar stunt with so many games left.

 

[jfromvt]

Didn’t realize a tie would eliminate us. That changes things a bit, but yeah, I’ll stand by what I said — attempt to win without giving the game away. Also, as a member of HE, one can argue we have an obligation not to simply gift BU a win at a critical moment in the season. It could potentially affect the playoff picture for every other team in the league.

I don’t think he should have pulled the goalie. It does affect the playoff picture for other teams, so there is some “ethics” involved, maybe the wrong word. The chances of winning the game pulling the goalie, and with three weeks left in the season, of having everything go right to sneak in as an eight seed, were virtually impossible. I would rather have tie in a good game than this result. Frankly, at some point you have to consider the fans that sat there for the whole game, then see this happen. Felt like I wasted my evening.

 

[j24vt]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

7 points behind UNH going into last night with four games left. I'm ok with the decision to pull the goalie for the last 30 seconds in OT. They had BU on the ropes and a tie was meaningless at this point in the season. Sure would have been nice to have Colton and Bowen on the ice this season...

 

[Nosmo King]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

You could thank Sneddy boy for that.

 

[Nosmo King]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

Crickets

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

Next year, looks like you'll be playing in something you haven't played in since 2001.

Give you a hint: When our two teams were involved, neither have won.

 

[GreenCat]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

We are higher than BC in the Pairwise. Contract extension!!!!!!

 

[TovarishchLisa]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

Next year, looks like you'll be playing in something you haven't played in since 2001.

Give you a hint: When our two teams were involved, neither have won.

Gonna take a punt and guess (after a quick glance at the 2000-01 tab on the UVM record books) the Ledyard Classic?

 

[j24vt]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

Gonna take a punt and guess (after a quick glance at the 2000-01 tab on the UVM record books) the Ledyard Classic?

UVM played in the Ledyard in 2004

 

[pokecheckguy2]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

Crickets

sadly belive crickets are going to be what we hear from AD schulman and no move will be made! highly concernd that they have gotten two new players as recruits in last 3 days - Sneddon likely operating on no fear of job loss confirming all worst fears so are these quebequois that he trashed as not being talented or not wanting to go to college 5 years ago now going to save the program? fat chance!!