LSSU Lakers Hockey: 2017-18

[sm2pk]

Re: LSSU Lakers Hockey: 2017-18

This team is horrible . Lake Superior should have learned from MI State when they hired Anastos who had very little coaching abilities to begin with. Anastos did nothing for the program. Did the Lakers make the same mistake with Whitten ? Take a guy with very little coaching experience and make him a head coach .

Sixty teams in the nation and the Lakers are ranked 58th on that list .

[RapidsCity]

This team is horrible . Lake Superior should have learned from MI State when they hired Anastos who had very little coaching abilities to begin with. Anastos did nothing for the program. Did the Lakers make the same mistake with Whitten ? Take a guy with very little coaching experience and make him a head coach .

Sixty teams in the nation and the Lakers are ranked 58th on that list .

How about a budget for hiring assistant coaches and recruiting that is competitive with at least the midpoint of the league? Not long ago we had a part time assistant. How much time do you think he spent on the road finding talent?

[sm2pk]

Re: LSSU Lakers Hockey: 2017-18

They seem to be recruiting more and more from the BCHL and USHL and recruiting more and more talent but still going the wrong way in actual play . This team was preseason picked to finish 6th and that pick was a high pick compared to years of being pick 7th and lower . I think some were even saying they could very well finish higher then 6th and could break into the top five .

The talent does seem to be there . The recruiting early is something new for them . The funny thing being , this year most thought they had a decent team with good talent taking to the ice and most could not wait for the season to start and now we are running out of time for them to even make the play offs . How did one fan describe their play a couple weeks ago . He used the word apathy to describe their over all play and he followed up with , if the players don't care if they win or lose, why should the fans . The answer to that is the fans do care , only 800 showed up for the games and we can blame everything from weather to schools out but the fans cared enough to stay home. Lastly, the Laker game was described as watching paint dry .

[PerkyforPrez]

They seem to be recruiting more and more from the BCHL and USHL and recruiting more and more talent but still going the wrong way in actual play . This team was preseason picked to finish 6th and that pick was a high pick compared to years of being pick 7th and lower . I think some were even saying they could very well finish higher then 6th and could break into the top five .

The talent does seem to be there . The recruiting early is something new for them . The funny thing being , this year most thought they had a decent team with good talent taking to the ice and most could not wait for the season to start and now we are running out of time for them to even make the play offs . How did one fan describe their play a couple weeks ago . He used the word apathy to describe their over all play and he followed up with , if the players don't care if they win or lose, why should the fans . The answer to that is the fans do care , only 800 showed up for the games and we can blame everything from weather to schools out but the fans cared enough to stay home. Lastly, the Laker game was described as watching paint dry .

Excellent post.

[Truth Serum]

They seem to be recruiting more and more from the BCHL and USHL and recruiting more and more talent but still going the wrong way in actual play . This team was preseason picked to finish 6th and that pick was a high pick compared to years of being pick 7th and lower . I think some were even saying they could very well finish higher then 6th and could break into the top five .

The talent does seem to be there . The recruiting early is something new for them . The funny thing being , this year most thought they had a decent team with good talent taking to the ice and most could not wait for the season to start and now we are running out of time for them to even make the play offs . How did one fan describe their play a couple weeks ago . He used the word apathy to describe their over all play and he followed up with , if the players don't care if they win or lose, why should the fans . The answer to that is the fans do care , only 800 showed up for the games and we can blame everything from weather to schools out but the fans cared enough to stay home. Lastly, the Laker game was described as watching paint dry .

I think you nailed it with the word apathy. 1700 fans on a weekend series against a conference opponent, after basically giving away tickets in a holiday promotion has to send shock waves to the administration on the state of Laker hockey at this time.

[Laker Dude]

Re: LSSU Lakers Hockey: 2017-18

I think you nailed it with the word apathy. 1700 fans on a weekend series against a conference opponent, after basically giving away tickets in a holiday promotion has to send shock waves to the administration on the state of Laker hockey at this time.

Could be less if that number still counts no shows as it did in past years.

[Truth Serum]

Could be less if that number still counts no shows as it did in past years.

I can only speak to Saturday’s game, but there couldn’t have been more than 500 fans there, if that, and was one of the quietest crowds I’ve ever heard for a D1 college hockey conference game.

Will be interesting to see this weekend, if the D2 men’s basketball team, will outdraw the hockey team on Saturday? I believe their attendance count is the actual people who show up, not as much season tickets.

[Yooper_by_choice]

Re: LSSU Lakers Hockey: 2017-18

How about a budget for hiring assistant coaches and recruiting that is competitive with at least the midpoint of the league? Not long ago we had a part time assistant. How much time do you think he spent on the road finding talent?

The budget was increased dramatically for Whitten compared to what the previous coach's had.

[Bill]

Re: LSSU Lakers Hockey: 2017-18

They seem to be recruiting more and more from the BCHL and USHL and recruiting more and more talent but still going the wrong way in actual play . This team was preseason picked to finish 6th and that pick was a high pick compared to years of being pick 7th and lower . I think some were even saying they could very well finish higher then 6th and could break into the top five .

The talent does seem to be there . The recruiting early is something new for them . The funny thing being , this year most thought they had a decent team with good talent taking to the ice and most could not wait for the season to start and now we are running out of time for them to even make the play offs . How did one fan describe their play a couple weeks ago . He used the word apathy to describe their over all play and he followed up with , if the players don't care if they win or lose, why should the fans . The answer to that is the fans do care , only 800 showed up for the games and we can blame everything from weather to schools out but the fans cared enough to stay home. Lastly, the Laker game was described as watching paint dry .

Just getting players out of the USHL and BCHL isn't going to automatically make you a winner. In the old CCHA, prior to making coaching changes, both WMU and BG for many years were getting quite a few guys out of the USHL but were still finishing in the bottom tier of the conference. College coaches have to build relationships with USHL and BCHL coaches, identify talented players earlier, and get commitments from guys that turn out to be 1st and 2nd line USHL/BCHL players and not just 3rd and 4th line players. While Damon and his assistants have gotten some guys out of the USHL, so far they have been mostly guys who were aging out of Juniors rather than younger guys. Exceptions to that are Collin Saccoman and Luke Morgan who both committed to the Lakers before playing in the USHL. The BCHL guys we have recruited were also for the most part older guys who were aging out of Juniors. The exception to that is Diego Cugglieta who committed to the Lakers but still played another season in the BCHL.

We haven't yet seen many of the younger players who committed to the Lakers. In this sense, younger to me means guys who committed even before playing Junior hockey (i.e. they committed right out of AAA Midget hockey or prep or high school hockey). I may be missing someone, but I think the only 3 younger guys in that category we've seen play for the Lakers so far are Collin Saccoman, Luke Morgan and Chase Gamelin. Others either are still in Juniors or no longer in hockey. A couple of guys that committed while still in AAA Midget hockey will never be with the Lakers. Jaden Anderson played in the NAHL for a while but had to retire from hockey due to concussion issues. Nico Blachman also committed while playing AAA Midget hockey but after starting playing Juniors in the USHL decided to go the Major Junior route instead and that didn't turn out well for him. Dustin Manz committed to the Lakers while in AAA Midget hockey, played in the NAHL last season, is in the BCHL this season, will likely be in either the BCHL or USHL next season, and with the Lakers the following season. Niko Esposito (Prep school) and Spencer DenBeste (AAA) are younger guys who have only seen limited action so far this season in the USHL. Robert Blueger (Prep school) is in the NAHL this season. Jack Robbel (Prep school) is also in the NAHL this season. Chase Pilawski (AAA) has played in the USHL and NAHL this season. Ashton Calder (AAA) played in the BCHL last season, the USHL this season, and probably will be with the Lakers next season. But the coaches have to continue to at least go after younger players. Many of the best players in the USHL especially, and even in the BCHL, have committed to colleges even before they start their junior careers.

Even when considering that the Lakers have expanded recruiting to the USHL and BCHL in recent years, and the fact that they are also now looking for younger recruits (commitments), Damon's teams so far have consisted mostly of guys who were older guys who were recruited while aging out of Juniors. The jury is still out on many of the younger players he's recruited.

It's been stated before, but we took a big hit with the guys we lost early during and after last season (Hults, Headrick, Morgan, Bindulis). That said, I still think there is more talent on the team than what they've shown on the ice so far this season. Not as much depth of talent as the top teams in the league, but enough to expect better results than we've seen.

[sm2pk]

Re: LSSU Lakers Hockey: 2017-18

Bill, I am sure every team recruits guys who change their minds, get injured , decide to take another route,or something that keeps them from joining a college team they were heading for. There is a better chance this team will not make the play offs then make them and why a team that was picked preseason to finish sixth or even higher is ranked fifty eighth in the nation as of now. There are only sixty teams out there . What happen to improvement ? I have said this for years. We at times seem to bring in high scoring juniors and find out scoring a goal at this level is almost next to impossible for them . I guess we can bang our heads all day and night asking ourselves is it lack of talent or coaching that is not working . Or is it both ? Most likely we will never settle that question .

[RapidsCity]

The budget was increased dramatically for Whitten compared to what the previous coach's had.

I’d like to see you’re definition of “dramatically.” Did it put in the top of the league with Minnesota State and Tech? Did it put them in with Bowling Green & Bemidji and now NMU. Damon, though getting $15-20,000 more than Roque, is still one of the two lowest paid. I would assume assistants and recruiting budgets to rank much higher. We don’t treat it like an elite WCHA program. So why do we expect an elite level result. We don’t even treat it like the middle of the pack.

[jnacc]

Re: LSSU Lakers Hockey: 2017-18

I’d like to see you’re definition of “dramatically.” Did it put in the top of the league with Minnesota State and Tech? Did it put them in with Bowling Green & Bemidji and now NMU. Damon, though getting $15-20,000 more than Roque, is still one of the two lowest paid. I would assume assistants and recruiting budgets to rank much higher. We don’t treat it like an elite WCHA program. So why do we expect an elite level result. We don’t even treat it like the middle of the pack.

LSSU is not a wealthy school with a large endowment nor does it have many wealthy alums ready to make up any shortfalls in the athletic budgets. In fact, declining enrollment has put the school in a rather precarious financial position and there is simply no "extra" money for athletic programs. I dare say that attendance needs to rebound or the wolves will soon be at the door.

[Section P]

Re: LSSU Lakers Hockey: 2017-18

Apparently the apathy extends to those paid to watch and record the game. Kossoff was replaced by Mitens after the 3rd goal. The game sheet and the play by play both show Mitens coming in after the 5th goal.

[Truth Serum]

Re: LSSU Lakers Hockey: 2017-18

The question I have for Laker fans is this, if things stay as they are and the team finishes in 9th place and out of the playoffs, should they stay the course with Damon Whitten or look in another direction?

The pro's seem to be it will take more time to develop a pipeline of recruits and they don't have a chance because of recruit budgets and the unfair advantages of most of the other teams, so it doesn't matter who the coach is.

The con's seem to be he is getting decent talent but not developing it to his system or in general, he has lost the locker room and players leaving early, apathy has set in on the ice and with the fan base not showing up, and his overall record as head coach is 38-83-18 a winning percentage of around 28%.

[Truth Serum]

Re: LSSU Lakers Hockey: 2017-18

It appears the Laker hockey apathy has spread to the fan forum as well!