UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

[UVM Cat in Texas]

They can't complete a pass. I'm going to count completed passes in the second period

Unfortunately, it's not just that. Not good when you have a complete defensive breakdown 2 minutes into the game!

[VTALUM]

Unfortunately, it's not just that. Not good when you have a complete defensive breakdown 2 minutes into the game!

That’s what’s known as a “set play”. Coaches design those to make the Sneddons of the world look outclassed. Did it work? 😐

[Nosmo King]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

Too soon to say stink??

[UVM Cat in Texas]

Too soon to say stink??

No

[gocats]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

Long time Cat and long time hockey guy from playing to coaching. Just found this site but have been watching this team and others for years. Yes, so far they do stink as a team. Young D and lack of scoring will do that. And losing will make a team look apathetic. But I have been watching these games too.

It is absolutely wrong to paint this team with a single brush. Some players may not be that good. Maybe they can be coached differently. Some players are young and it shows - they will improve. They are amateurs, so I won't name names. But saying everyone on that ice is apathetic is a very unfair comment and very disrespectful to an athlete - though a fan's emotions may lead to such comments. I believe we have a few of the most competitive players I have ever seen - and a team currently struggling. The optics certainly suck. And it is tough to watch. But there are some fierce competitors on that ice - pretty clear who they are. This is a team where time will tell.

[CollegeHockeyRinkReport]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

UVM commit David Paluch mentioned in these rankings on prep hockey's incoming defensemen:

http://www.hockeyjournal.com/nehocke...leIdCMS1829576

[j24vt]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

Second and third periods UVM stepped up their game. I started counting passes in the second period and quickly realized it is more a possession after receiving the pass issue. More than half of the completed passes resulted in a quick turnover.

Would really like to see an end to the mix and match line up every game. Set the lines for the next 4 games and see how that goes. It certainly can't be worse than what we have seen.

The defense was chasing the puck too much. Don't wave your stick at the puck; just knock them down. There was some great back checking by the forwards in the last two periods. Misley in particular stood out to me.

5 minutes left in the game and it still felt winnable. If the coaches can get them to play all three periods with intensity the wins will come. Time to switch up the pre-game rituals. maybe Bowen should be the first one off the ice after the warm-up

To do list for this week:
- Enjoy Thanksgiving
- Passes through the neutral zone. Skate with the puck after receiving the pass
- 1:1 corner battles

[jcarter7669]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

I post less frequently because I've got too many other things to do... unfortunately. That said, I was a Sneddon defender for a while, but there are things I just can't get over....

Is the program worse off or better off then before he took over?
- We are in HE which is an improvment.
- We have gone to the Tourney a few times
- When we are good we tend to be good...but when we are bad we tend to be really bad.

- When we suck we really suck. Every 3-4 years we are terrible.
- Attendence is horrendous, Sneddon has squandered a 10 year wait list to empty seats.
- Enthusiasm is down. Even with the students there its not the same. Students want to go watch squeeky ball.
- To support Sneddon you must believe that UVM can only ever be a mid tier team. That's what Sneddon can do and hes been behind the bench long enough to show that's all he can do.

There is no reason that with the right staff/coach and support from the school that the Cats can not develop into a top tier team. Had Jim Montgomery came to UVM instead of going to Denver 2 years ago this team would not have the record it does... We are here, because this is where Sneddon led us. Does UVM lack the support? Their financial support is waning... but thats because of the on ice product. People want to see year over year success. Not up down up down down down up down up up down down down years. I doubt it is now, but for a while UVM was one of the few profitable men's hockey programs.

Sneddon has actually declined the program... there is less demand, less enthusiasm, and less profitability then there was before he came, in exchange for a very mild bump in success. The Gutt used to rock and it was the ticket to have on a winter weekend. Now its just ho hum, why do I keep paying more and more for season tickets when I can just buy them for whatever games I want to actually sit through.

When you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging. Schuleman needs to hit the recruiting trail and find a new coach for the new building. This will be his legacy... do you eliminate that last excuse and get upgraded facilities only to continue with the mediocre teams we have been accustomed to, or do you seize the opportunity to create a top tier program, with top tier facilities AND a top tier coach to lead it?

If Bazin can do it at UMLOL then someone can do it at UVM...
If Leahman can do it at PC then someone can do it at UVM...
UConn...
heck, even UMass has more upside potential...

Its not that UVM can not be a top program, it just isn't. And that requires a change at the helm.

[Play$Maker]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

Pure and simple - this team has talent! Are they young, yes. That is an excuse though. The fact that many of these players have been leaders (statistically) in their prior teams is a gauge for comparison. We have, “on paper”, a good team (again based on history).

So what is the common thread of change - Coaching and/or Systems - or lack of. Clearly we don’t have any real systems, nor have there been any since Sneddon came here. So that is an issue.

As for Coaching -
1. Bench Coaching: the ability to adapt to change during a game is non-existent
2. Development: No systems, No plan - clearly this is a major lacking area
3. Chemistry/Lines: I think enough has been said about that already. All you have to do is look at stats and see the Captain is -11, and move on from there. Stats tell the story - Moneyball isn’t fiction...

A change is needed...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[VTALUM]

Pure and simple - this team has talent! Are they young, yes. That is an excuse though. The fact that many of these players have been leaders (statistically) in their prior teams is a gauge for comparison. We have, “on paper”, a good team (again based on history).

So what is the common thread of change - Coaching and/or Systems - or lack of. Clearly we don’t have any real systems, nor have there been any since Sneddon came here. So that is an issue.

As for Coaching -
1. Bench Coaching: the ability to adapt to change during a game is non-existent
2. Development: No systems, No plan - clearly this is a major lacking area
3. Chemistry/Lines: I think enough has been said about that already. All you have to do is look at stats and see the Captain is -11, and move on from there. Stats tell the story - Moneyball isn’t fiction...

A change is needed...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Exactly right.

[TovarishchLisa]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

I post less frequently because I've got too many other things to do... unfortunately. That said, I was a Sneddon defender for a while, but there are things I just can't get over....

Is the program worse off or better off then before he took over?
- We are in HE which is an improvment.
- We have gone to the Tourney a few times
- When we are good we tend to be good...but when we are bad we tend to be really bad.

- When we suck we really suck. Every 3-4 years we are terrible.
- Attendence is horrendous, Sneddon has squandered a 10 year wait list to empty seats.
- Enthusiasm is down. Even with the students there its not the same. Students want to go watch squeeky ball.
- To support Sneddon you must believe that UVM can only ever be a mid tier team. That's what Sneddon can do and hes been behind the bench long enough to show that's all he can do.

There is no reason that with the right staff/coach and support from the school that the Cats can not develop into a top tier team. Had Jim Montgomery came to UVM instead of going to Denver 2 years ago this team would not have the record it does... We are here, because this is where Sneddon led us. Does UVM lack the support? Their financial support is waning... but thats because of the on ice product. People want to see year over year success. Not up down up down down down up down up up down down down years. I doubt it is now, but for a while UVM was one of the few profitable men's hockey programs.

Sneddon has actually declined the program... there is less demand, less enthusiasm, and less profitability then there was before he came, in exchange for a very mild bump in success. The Gutt used to rock and it was the ticket to have on a winter weekend. Now its just ho hum, why do I keep paying more and more for season tickets when I can just buy them for whatever games I want to actually sit through.

When you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging. Schuleman needs to hit the recruiting trail and find a new coach for the new building. This will be his legacy... do you eliminate that last excuse and get upgraded facilities only to continue with the mediocre teams we have been accustomed to, or do you seize the opportunity to create a top tier program, with top tier facilities AND a top tier coach to lead it?

If Bazin can do it at UMLOL then someone can do it at UVM...
If Leahman can do it at PC then someone can do it at UVM...
UConn...
heck, even UMass has more upside potential...

Its not that UVM can not be a top program, it just isn't. And that requires a change at the helm.
If Bazin can do it at UMLOL then someone can do it at UVM...
If Leahman can do it at PC then someone can do it at UVM...
UConn...
heck, even UMass has more upside potential...

Its not that UVM can not be a top program, it just isn't. And that requires a change at the helm.

Yeah as a student I can confirm that enthusiasm is down. The student section has been so deflated most of this season. I've been trying but it's hard to care about this year's team tbh, especially with basketball being as good as it is.

One thing that should be noted - Sneddon is in a contract year. He signed a three year extension after 2014-15, with options for 2018-19 and 2019-20. So if Schulman wanted to, he could let him walk for free.

[pokecheckguy2]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

[QUOTE=jcarter7669;6559299

There is no reason that with the right staff/coach and support from the school that the Cats can not develop into a top tier team. Had Jim Montgomery came to UVM instead of going to Denver 2 years ago this team would not have the record it does... We are here, because this is where Sneddon led us. Does UVM lack the support? Their financial support is waning... but thats because of the on ice product. People want to see year over year success. Not up down up down down down up down up up down down down years. I doubt it is now, but for a while UVM was one of the few profitable men's hockey programs.

[/QUOTE]

Not only that Bob Corran hired Sneddon over Jeff Jackson!! Man won 2 national title at Lake Superior State and at the time did not have a job after working with a OHL team and is now at Notre Dame and been to what 3 frozen fours and multiple NCAAs. I believed in Sneddon until about 2012 when I started getting concern and thought maybe after those really bad years they were turning a corner recruiting and win wise because they were getting guys who they had on their best teams but now we can see it just isnt there! 15 years is a long time and eventually time runs out! People are seeing the light and I hope Schuman does too I simply do not get fans who act like everything is fine and UVM just supposed to accept where they are! People wake Up! UMAss getting more talent to Amherst and if they pass UVM and Maine takes a step forward you're only looking at Merrimack behind you that where you really want to Be? hell no!!!!

[GreenCat]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

Looks like Sneddon is on year two of a two year extension with 2 option years. So technically the school would not be on the hook contract wise after this season. I never like to see someone fired but it is time for a change.

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/s...sion/26696063/

[TovarishchLisa]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

Looks like Sneddon is on year two of a two year extension with 2 option years. So technically the school would not be on the hook contract wise after this season. I never like to see someone fired but it is time for a change.

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/s...sion/26696063/

Also, UVM will no longer be paying Lori McBride's buyout (women's basketball coach who was fired in 2016 with two years remaining).

[jcarter7669]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

Yeah as a student I can confirm that enthusiasm is down. The student section has been so deflated most of this season.

What's worse is it doesn't even compare to 10-15 years ago. I mean St. Louis / Perrin et al. were a once in a lifetime duo to come through and things were rocking as one would expect, but even the Strong / Lenes teams had the Gutt wild. But it has just been a steady decline through much of Sneddon's tenure. And the ticket sales are probably the most telling... I signed up as a student for season tickets, at the time it was estimated at 8 years. But it's free to get on the wait list so great. Sometime 5-6 years later I was finally called. Now, you can buy them today if you wanted. The product isn't worth the costs anymore to people. Even more... UVM had a 70+ game sold out streak going at one point and that only ended because of a Sunday game when the Pats were in the mix for a Super Bowl. Now I'd be surprised to muster a 10 game sold out streak.


It would be one thing if there just wasn't any talent on the team, but that's not the case. This is on the coaching staff. It's time for Sneddon to go.