UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

[Snively65]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

These CM reports are hard acts to follow, but there may be a chance that TvR will make it back into the lineup for the SC series.

http://www.csnchicago.com/blackhawks...lose-returning

[Hokydad]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Borak to PC

[C-H-C]

Borak to PC

Going to have a long chat with him about MV?😉

[Aerman]

Borak to PC

I like this, it's a cross between Borek and Borat. Hmmmmm, has anyone ever seen the two of them in the same place, at the same time?

[NCAA watcher]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Good career move. Probably only had a year or two with Umile, so getting in with a younger coach is opportune. Wonder why Souza would jump from lead assistant at U.Conn to the same 2-year horizon at UNH that Borek is leaving......

[C-H-C]

Borek to PC

Hmmm....the Head Coach of the National Champion would want him as the recruiting coordinator?

[NCAA watcher]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Hmmm....the Head Coach of the National Champion would want him as the recruiting coordinator?

Why not. He was hired by the Head Coach of a 3-time National Champion (Lake Superior), and the HC of a two-time National Champion runner-up (UNH). As they say in My Cousin Vinny, "third time's a charm?"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOFGhnr4rto

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Why not. He was hired by the Head Coach of a 3-time National Champion (Lake Superior), and the HC of a two-time National Champion runner-up (UNH). As they say in My Cousin Vinny, "third time's a charm?"

Ironic - the coach who has been roundly criticized for his recruiting on the UNH threads since he replaced McCloskey is rumored to have been chosen by the guy who is considered one of, if not the best young college coaches in the country. Isn't he too old?

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Wonder why Souza would jump from lead assistant at U.Conn to the same 2-year horizon at UNH that Borek is leaving......

Is this a tongue-in-cheek question?

He would become the heir apparent to Coach Umile upon his retirement.

[NCAA watcher]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Well, as they say, time will tell. He certainly again has something longer-term to sell to recruits (including Ryczek).

As for UNH, the fundamental issues still persist, with the program still treading water in the near term and no clear draw until that is resolved in a year or three. As we see with Ryczek, it will remain hard to sell someone on Umile being their coach, and they are not even sure that the assistant who recruited them will be there in 2 years. Let's hope they can keep Farabe to give the new Head Coach at least something in the cupboard.

[NCAA watcher]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Is this a tongue-in-cheek question?

He would become the heir apparent to Coach Umile upon his retirement.

Hardly. But I wonder if Stewart might be in the running.

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Well, as they say, time will tell. He certainly again has something longer-term to sell to recruits (including Ryczek).

As for UNH, the fundamental issues still persist, with the program still treading water in the near term and no clear draw until that is resolved in a year or three. As we see with Ryczek, it will remain hard to sell someone on Umile being their coach, and they are not even sure that the assistant who recruited them will be there in 2 years. Let's hope they can keep Farabe to give the new Head Coach at least something in the cupboard.

If Coach Borek had nothing longer-term to sell to recruits at UNH, Ryczek - to say nothing of Blackburn, Vela, Nazarian, Kelleher, Eiserman, Foegele, Tirone, Pesce, TvR, JvR, Moses, Butler, and on and on - wouldn't have chosen UNH.

There's no need for hyperbole. It's no secret that some believe UNH will never be "on the upswing" until Coach Umile retires. Some are willing to overlook Coach Borek's value, and Coach Souza and Stewart's potential value, because they are so focused on their disapproval of Coach Umile. Reasonable people can disagree on Coach Umile's value to the program.

[Snively65]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Ryczek taking a pass on the new jumbotron? Guess that some of us were all wrong about the recruiting influence of jumbotrons?

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Ok so this news is official I take it... Congrats to Coach Borek a tireless recruiter and coach who will be missed behind the bench. All you have to do is go to one banquet to hear the Seniors speak of his value. Working for the NC team... Cool. Thank you Scott and best wishes! Onward 'Cats!!!

[Dan]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

If Coach Borek had nothing longer-term to sell to recruits at UNH, Ryczek - to say nothing of Blackburn, Vela, Nazarian, Kelleher, Eiserman, Foegele, Tirone, Pesce, TvR, JvR, Moses, Butler, and on and on - wouldn't have chosen UNH.

There's no need for hyperbole. It's no secret that some believe UNH will never be "on the upswing" until Coach Umile retires. Some are willing to overlook Coach Borek's value, and Coach Souza and Stewart's potential value, because they are so focused on their disapproval of Coach Umile. Reasonable people can disagree on Coach Umile's value to the program.

Are you arguing that recruiting has been better and UNH has been better with Borek than it was with McCloskey? The list of recruits you attribute to Borek is nice, except very few are at the level of the elite McCloskey recruits and many are huge question marks still. The bigger issue at UNH since Borek's arrival has been putting together complete rosters - no question that every year they've had a handful of very good to great players, but the consistent depth of the past has not been there and its been reflected.

Borek was at UNH for 14 years and UNH's recruiting and success has trended backwards since his arrival. I have NO idea how much of that fault lies with him, but it is what it is. Since his arrival I've heard a lot of excuses as to why UNH can't compete (see the jumbotron as savior discussions) and I haven't agreed with any of them. The right recruiter can put UNH back on top of HE and in the picture for National contention.

Most of my complaints about UNH recruiting have revolved around the forwards. Lets compare the career stats of the top-10 forwards in 2002-03 (Borek's first year) vs. 2014-15 (Borek's last year).

2002-03
Lanny Gare - 137 GP, 48 G, 142 PTS
Colin Hemingway- 139 GP, 67 G, 147 PTS
Steve Saviano - 139 GP, 50 G, 117 PTS
Sean Collins - 164 GP, 77 G, 183 PTS
Jim Abbott - 141 GP, 38 G, 94 PTS
Preston Callendar - 149 GP, 62 G, 130 PTS
Nathan Martz - 137 GP, 25 G, 82 PTS
Josh Prudden - 131 GP, 33 G, 73 PTS
Justin Aikins - 154 GP, 27 G, 103 PTS
Patrick Foley - 143 GP, 23 G, 47 PTS

2014-15
Tyler Kelleher - 76 GP, 23 G, 58 PTS*
Grayson Downing - 144 GP, 56 G, 112 PTS
Matt Willows - 130 GP, 45 G, 90 PTS
Andrew Poturalski - 40 GP, 14 G, 29 PTS*
Casey Thrush - 151 GP, 20 G, 63 PTS
Dan Correale - 109 GP, 11 G, 39 PTS*
Warren Foegel - 34 GP, 5 G, 16 PTS*
Shane Eiserman - 35 GP, 4 G, 15 PTS*
Kyle Smith - 73 GP, 6 G, 19 PTS*
Collin MacDonald - 51 GP, 5 G, 10 PTS*

Borek leaving is a non-issue for me, he didn't get enough top talent or enough depth, especially lately (good for him if he can do that at PC) - for UNH its all about the next guy (Souza or otherwise) and whether he can do the job at a higher level...

* obviously some of the current players have seasons ahead of them to build career totals - but aside from Kelleher & Poturalski who ends up in the same sphere as the players from 2002-03?? Downing probably belongs, but not near the top with Gare, Hemingway, Collins & Saviano. Willows was Prudden with a lot of first-line opportunity, instead of a third-line career. Foley had something like 21 knee surgeries limiting his point total...