Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?

Collapse
This topic is closed.
X
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?

    Originally posted by Chuck Murray View Post
    Good ol' Enrico Blasi - the "Dick Umile of the Midwest". Funny just how his career continues to parallel DU's.

    Although (for better or worse) I don't think DU would've ever axed two assistants and four players at once.

    ++++++++++++++++

    Being at the HE Semis last night really brought it home (again) just what the fall of the UNH program has meant to its fans. Those kind of games are really what it's all about, and it smarts when you realize that UNH isn't even close to qualifying to play in those kind of games. And if some folks think some of us are being a little too hard on Coach Souza so early in his HC tenure ... well, as Dan and others have pointed out, next year's team is not only "all his" as the HC, but it's literally "all his" as it's his players who have been recruited during these last three seasons-in-waiting. The trend hasn't been promising either. Maybe the Taylor "get" signals a positive change, especially after Commesso's de-commit? We can only wait and hope. In the interim, we wait for the revelation of the new assistant(s) - assuming Stewie has some interest in the Merrimack HC job (doubt he'd get it though) - and I'm watching for selection of next year's captains.

    It was nice to finally meet HR and chickod at the arena last night.
    Multiple violations of the "new forward-looking thread, do not name the former coach" rule (DU counts, unless referencing Denver and its decision to stand up to its former venerable coach for the sake of the program).

    Edit: watching Providence last night, I know it is successful as a program, but man that muck it up approach is ugly. Someone commented its like the old NJ Devils. I hope UNH stays true to its roots and seeks skaters like Sikura rather than big grinders.
    Last edited by NCAA watcher; 03-17-2018, 09:21 AM.
    The Souza record:
    15-16 10th place
    16-17 10th place
    17-18 11th place
    18-19 8th place
    19-20 9th place
    20-21 10th place
    21-22 9th place
    22-23 10th place

    Comment


    • Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?

      Originally posted by Chuck Murray View Post
      Good ol' Enrico Blasi - the "Dick Umile of the Midwest". Funny just how his career continues to parallel DU's.

      Although (for better or worse) I don't think DU would've ever axed two assistants and four players at once.

      ++++++++++++++++

      Being at the HE Semis last night really brought it home (again) just what the fall of the UNH program has meant to its fans. Those kind of games are really what it's all about, and it smarts when you realize that UNH isn't even close to qualifying to play in those kind of games. And if some folks think some of us are being a little too hard on Coach Souza so early in his HC tenure ... well, as Dan and others have pointed out, next year's team is not only "all his" as the HC, but it's literally "all his" as it's his players who have been recruited during these last three seasons-in-waiting. The trend hasn't been promising either. Maybe the Taylor "get" signals a positive change, especially after Commesso's de-commit? We can only wait and hope. In the interim, we wait for the revelation of the new assistant(s) - assuming Stewie has some interest in the Merrimack HC job (doubt he'd get it though) - and I'm watching for selection of next year's captains.

      It was nice to finally meet HR and chickod at the arena last night.
      Didn't Umile try to get Blasi to attend UNH? Kindred spirits of a sort, I guess. UNH has had some pretty tough losses in the post season over the years. But I don't think any of them approach that 2009 NCAA final.

      Speaking of how the mighty have fallen, how bad was it sitting in that (at least) half empty arena last night? Chuck, I know you were there a few times when the place was full so you know what I'm talking about. There were so many empty seats I thought the games were being played at Conte Forum. Looking at the (alleged) attendance numbers it appears that as percentage of capacity the numbers at the Garden last night were down as much as the numbers have been at the Whitt. But given the product in recent years you can understand the situation in Durham. You had the top four seeds last night, three of them playing in their hometown. What's Bertagna's excuse?
      UNH Hockey: From "Why Not Us' to "Woe is Us"

      Comment


      • Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?

        Originally posted by Felger View Post
        Didn't Umile try to get Blasi to attend UNH? Kindred spirits of a sort, I guess. UNH has had some pretty tough losses in the post season over the years. But I don't think any of them approach that 2009 NCAA final.

        Speaking of how the mighty have fallen, how bad was it sitting in that (at least) half empty arena last night? Chuck, I know you were there a few times when the place was full so you know what I'm talking about. There were so many empty seats I thought the games were being played at Conte Forum. Looking at the (alleged) attendance numbers it appears that as percentage of capacity the numbers at the Garden last night were down as much as the numbers have been at the Whitt. But given the product in recent years you can understand the situation in Durham. You had the top four seeds last night, three of them playing in their hometown. What's Bertagna's excuse?
        I can answer. First off, I don't even know what they "announced." But there were not more than 10,000 there. TOTAL. And they can't use that "well it's the combined total for two games" excuse, because EVERYONE was there at the same time due to the OT. Everyone from the first game was still there and everyone from the second game was there for a period and even at "peak" there were cavernous sections in the balcony that were empty. Also, even though there was a "good" crowd in the lower bowl, it's not like they were jammed together and there were numerous empty seats "in between."

        What was it like? Well, I can tell you it was better than last year which was embarrassing (Notre Dame brought nobody and all the Lowell people left, leaving just BU/BC). Regarding three of the four schools from Boston, I believe the students are on break, but even if that's the case, we just don't "travel" (almost an oxymoron in this case) well. But the BU crowd was actually good last night. Many more than BC brought.

        I can only tell you that this has been discussed ad nauseum and there were multiple threads addressing it last year. The "old days" are not coming back - as it relates to ANYTHING. The new reality is that ALL college sports have suffered. A combination of many things. Although many of us don't want to admit it, it's not basketball, which is more of a world-wide game. I know in BU's case there is a gigantic foreign student population. Most of those people don't follow or care about hockey. Additionally, most are here for academic purposes. It's not the old days where it was a commuter school and everyone was local and the culture was inherent.

        Think about if you have a family of, say, four (of which I saw quite a few last night). That's $200 for the tickets alone (if you bought them at Ticketmaster - and most of us don't have the option to drive in to buy them at the box office - with the 40% surcharge) plus $48 for parking in the Garden garage. Add to that $5.50 for a Coke (for example) - you're going to pay another $75 for food and you have yourself an evening over $300. And then they want you back the next night. And the winner has to think about spending even more at the regionals next weekend. It was almost funny to hear them announce immediately after the game last night "Tickets for the finals are available tomorrow morning at the Garden box office - we hope to see you here!" Right. So I'm going to get home at 2:00 a.m., DRIVE into Boston in the MORNING to buy tickets and then drive BACK at night for the game. Are these people on drugs?

        But the biggest reason is the lack of attention span and number of distractions today. Social media, other diversions and an "immediate gratification" culture. Talk to any millennial. They don't even watch the 11:00 news. That was a staple for us. They get everything in drips and drabs in five second snippets. Sitting for six hours to watch two games (although watching Providence is a great cure for insomnia) is literally aversive to them.

        I know that I am fortunate to have been around for the "old days." I also wish they were coming back, but that ship has sailed. I was there in '77 when UNH beat Cornell 10-9 in 2OT. And most people, being drained from that game as well as the lateness, MISSED the second game which was almost as good, as BU, down 5-3 to Cornell scored three goals in the last three minutes to win 6-5. But it's the atmosphere that makes that memory of those games what it is. PACKED house, plus a LOUD old barn (and don't get me started about how the "new" Garden is "just as loud but the people don't cheer as much"). It was a raucous atmosphere, when people had FUN without all kinds of restrictions and being "monitored" for looking at someone the wrong way. I go to very few games now for exactly that reason. It's just not as FUN. The world has changed. We talk about this every year but that's not going to make those days come back. I don't really know how you can blame Bertagna. It is, as they say, what it is. What would you like them to do (short of lowering tickets prices, which you can't do at a venue like that, I'm sure because of union pay scales and the like)? You can't make people go. You can't tell people that have a sedentary lifestyle to get off your butt and come to the game. Another thing is TV. The NCAA basketball tournament is on. People like to sit at home and watch all of these games (because they're all on) instead of just going to ONE and then missing everything else. The world is smaller and technology makes it possible to just create a "command center" in your house (besides what you are already paying for your TV package but you would be paying that anyway) and not have to spend anything. So what you're left with are the true die-hard fans that understand that seeing a game in person is infinitely better than watching on TV. But you're going to lose all those "casual" fans who came because there was "nothing else to do."

        I lament it as much as you do. But we ain't going back to the old days...

        EDIT: So I actually just looked up the attendance on the Hockey East site: 10,871. That’s actually probably just about right. So they didn’t embellish it this time.
        Last edited by chickod; 03-17-2018, 10:24 AM.

        Comment


        • Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?

          Can the site administrator please get rid of all this spam????

          Comment


          • Originally posted by cavbim View Post
            Miami cleared that up yesterday. Brekke and Petraglia were fired. Also reports 4 players won’t be back
            Bergeron (now the HC at BGSU) and Blashill (DET) were elite assistants and the trio was as good a staff as you'd ever see in college hockey. When they left, Blasi turned to Brekke and Petrglia - Petraglia was the third string goalie when I was in school and a coaches favorite who was given the job because he was a hard-working, personable guy (with no experience). Sound familiar....???

            Watcher is right they've been hurt by MJ and early departures - including Tyler Biggs, Connor Murphy (both legacies) and Ryan Hartman. Jack Roslovic could still have been on this year's team. He would make all the difference too, IMO. They filler to replace those players has led to a slow decline.

            The only NCHC level seniors they've had the past two seasons were Louis and Belpedio. The last two years we've had to watch fringe DI guys like SD, CL and CS, JG and others take ice time from more talented young players simply because they're older and trusted. Sound familiar...???

            Miami is isolated (in a way that makes cries of UNHs isolation pathetic) - but if you can get kids on campus to enjoy the scenery (not just the campus) and you cannot convince kids to attend that school, with that campus, that facility and the Disney for college kids vibe (right Greg!) then you cannot recruit and need to go. You think I'm hard on UNH recruiters? Recruiting to Miami should be like shooting fish in a barrel. In Hockey and in all other sports where MAC titles should be the expectation...

            These guys couldn't get it done - and word out of Oxford is thy Blasi (despite a storied recent past as architect of the program's best years, and a $$$$ remaining contract) was told them - or you AND them. That's why happens when you have an AD who expects you to not only be a family but win. The AD has already fired football and BBall coaches - in addition to a few Olympic coaches for failing to meet expectations. Blasi remains on the block that's why you're seeing end of the roster kids asked to leave the program. This is DU (Denver) not being satisfied and knowing it can be better as opposed to UNH dwelling on its obstacles...

            The difference between Miami's situation and UNH's is that Miami has a lot of Young talent that will now be SRs and JRs in Grant Hutton, Josh Melnick, Keiffer Sherwood, Geordie Green, Carson Meyer, Karch Bachman, Ryan Larkin and Grant Frederic. As well as sophomores to be who had big first-years in Rourke Russell, Phil Knies, Casey Gilling and Alec Mahalc. Youth has been as much a problem for Miami as anything - their last two SR classes have had three players each.

            When Miami was in Denver there were more NHL scouts in the building than I've seen at a DU game - every team must have been represented - a lot of that was the potential in Miami's underclass...

            Assuming Meyer (MJ) stays after a hugely disappointing season and Hutton doesn't sign a pro contract, the right hires and a return to recruiting prominence could see next year as a solid bounce back season and put the rebuild right on track. As is they took #1 SCSU to OT in game three last weekend, beat (tied) DU twice and beat Cornell once. That's four victories total over the top-five in the current pairwise.

            Can we say the same about UNH...
            Last edited by Dan; 03-17-2018, 11:34 AM.
            Live Free or Die!!
            Miami University '03

            Comment


            • Originally posted by Chuck Murray View Post
              Good ol' Enrico Blasi - the "Dick Umile of the Midwest". Funny just how his career continues to parallel DU's.

              Although (for better or worse) I don't think DU would've ever axed two assistants and four players at once.

              ++++++++++++++++

              Being at the HE Semis last night really brought it home (again) just what the fall of the UNH program has meant to its fans. Those kind of games are really what it's all about, and it smarts when you realize that UNH isn't even close to qualifying to play in those kind of games. And if some folks think some of us are being a little too hard on Coach Souza so early in his HC tenure ... well, as Dan and others have pointed out, next year's team is not only "all his" as the HC, but it's literally "all his" as it's his players who have been recruited during these last three seasons-in-waiting. The trend hasn't been promising either. Maybe the Taylor "get" signals a positive change, especially after Commesso's de-commit? We can only wait and hope. In the interim, we wait for the revelation of the new assistant(s) - assuming Stewie has some interest in the Merrimack HC job (doubt he'd get it though) - and I'm watching for selection of next year's captains.

              It was nice to finally meet HR and chickod at the arena last night.
              Same Chuck and chickod! Man the compete level brought in both games and the sheer talent unreal. Glad I went but couldn't stop thinking about what UNH needs to do to get back there.
              Here we go 'Cats!!

              Comment


              • Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?

                Hubby informed me our tv is on the blink...what other options do I have to watch the game tonight? (HE game)
                Here we go 'Cats!!

                Comment


                • Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?

                  Nesngo.com and your cable login should do it.

                  Comment


                  • Originally posted by TheRevengeance View Post
                    Nesngo.com and your cable login should do it.
                    Thank you!!!
                    Here we go 'Cats!!

                    Comment


                    • Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?

                      Have to say being at those games last night was awesome, even though we weren't there. Not quite as exciting but, close enough. For fun I wore my blue/white away jersey and had quite a few comments and one 'shout out' for the 'Wildcats. Believe you heard one of them Chuck? Anyway a few hand shakes, 'wish you were here' and nothing negative. Saw several UNH faithfuls there as well. Please 'Cats, don't take too long to get back to the Garden...you are missed!
                      Here we go 'Cats!!

                      Comment


                      • Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?

                        Breaking the rules again here, but 'Watcher had this up briefly (plus a Walshy piece from the BDN shortly after his hire by UMaine), and I had a few laughs in the Tirone-Umile exchanges. Just in case anyone thought I was going a little over the top last summer with my use of the term paisan in the "Fun With" thread, read on ...

                        http://www.seacoastonline.com/sports...hey-love-umile

                        Although the opportunity to play for coach Dick Umile was one of the reasons Danny Tirone wanted to join the University of New Hampshire men’s hockey team, he never had much contact with the man until he arrived midway through the 2014-15 season.

                        Until then, the extent of their interaction came largely on campus visits or over the phone to discuss a plan that would have Tirone coming in a semester early to fill a goaltending vacancy.

                        ...

                        “I remember when I first met him in the coaches’ room,” Tirone said. “I was definitely scared. I was nervous. I was kind of quiet. He’s very flamboyant with his hands. He was kind of like smacking me when he was saying stuff and talking about being Italian. He made me feel comfortable right away. I didn’t say much. He made me laugh.”

                        Umile even asked Tirone if he was “FBI” (full-blooded Italian), although Tirone had no idea what he was talking about.

                        “My parents always get a kick out of that one,” Tirone said. “He loves Italians. He loves talking about food, Italian food and what I had over Christmas break. You can talk about that forever with him.”


                        Little did Tirone know at the time that the end of his college career would coincide with the conclusion of Umile’s 28-year tenure behind the Wildcat bench.

                        “Coach Umile is the best coach I’ve ever had,” Tirone said. “He’s such a great guy and a great coach. He’s funny. He’s intense. It’s really everything. It’s amazing to play for him because everything most of us know about UNH he built and created. When I go through a struggle or get down about the way things are going I think about playing for Coach Umile. This is awesome. It’s an honor to play for him.”
                        Sworn Enemy of the Perpetually Offended
                        Montreal Expos Forever ...

                        Comment


                        • Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?

                          You like Walshy's response as to whether his current players were good enough?

                          That attitude got him Shawn Anderson away from Providence and Jack Capuano away from BU within the first four months on the job, and convinced in-state Eric Weinrich to pass on BC/BU/UNH to cast his lot with Walsh, whose energy he believed would not allow the sorry state of U.Maine hockey to continue. Shortly thereafter Bobby Corkum passed on BC for Maine, and a freshman class was born.
                          The Souza record:
                          15-16 10th place
                          16-17 10th place
                          17-18 11th place
                          18-19 8th place
                          19-20 9th place
                          20-21 10th place
                          21-22 9th place
                          22-23 10th place

                          Comment


                          • Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?

                            Well thats why they play the games! Congrats BU. Nicely played!
                            UNH Hockey: You can check out any time you like but you can never leave!

                            Comment


                            • Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?

                              Thanks! Really sweating that one out! And now, in a "down" year, Hockey East still gets three teams in the NCAA Tournament.

                              Comment


                              • Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?

                                Originally posted by NCAA watcher View Post
                                You like Walshy's response as to whether his current players were good enough?

                                That attitude got him Shawn Anderson away from Providence and Jack Capuano away from BU within the first four months on the job, and convinced in-state Eric Weinrich to pass on BC/BU/UNH to cast his lot with Walsh, whose energy he believed would not allow the sorry state of U.Maine hockey to continue. Shortly thereafter Bobby Corkum passed on BC for Maine, and a freshman class was born.
                                Love him or hate him, Walshy was a force of nature. Even without the "retroactive financial aid" thingie ...
                                Sworn Enemy of the Perpetually Offended
                                Montreal Expos Forever ...

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X