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Re: UNH Wildcats 2014 Post-Season Thread: "Maybe Dick" Hunts the Great White Whale
I totally agree, Greg. I'm just interested in determining who is actually a "spare part", and who isn't (see Quast, Regan). Based only upon observations of how the players have been handled, I would guess Regan is a "spare part", and we find out about Quast this Fall.
Three seasons ago UNH essentially were forced into redshirting Eric Knodel and Justin Agosta because the following six defensemen ALL played in ALL 39 games that season (I think you've raised this example before, to be fair):
* Blake Kessel
* Brett Kostolansky
* Damon Kipp
* Matt Campanale
* Connor Hardowa
* Mike Beck
Hindsight is wonderful, and obviously players improve with experience and growth over the course of a four year D-1 career (sometimes five years
). But this shows you that someone like Mike Beck (a non-factor in his first two UNH seasons) earned regular ice time for his last two seasons, and in his senior season got the nod at the expense of Knodel AND Agosta. So if you're Harry Quast, you gotta think your chances of getting a pretty fair run-out at the start of your junior season is pretty darned good, given Coach Umile's history.
I'm not saying it's right and I'm not saying it's wrong, Greg. I AM saying this is just the way things have been with Coach Umile in the past, and every year we read or hear all this speculation (to differing degrees) on how next year's slate of incoming frosh are going to shunt established, returning players to the stands. And it really almost never happens.
Yes, the relative absence of returning upperclassmen will likely increase playing opportunities for the incoming frosh this season, but the idea that guys like Thrush, Camper, Correale, Smith, Quast and Gaudreault are going to plummet off the depth chart (as various posters have speculated) in favor of lower rung frosh players is probably very unrealistic, given the way Coach Umile runs his program. JMHO.
Originally posted by Greg Ambrose
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Three seasons ago UNH essentially were forced into redshirting Eric Knodel and Justin Agosta because the following six defensemen ALL played in ALL 39 games that season (I think you've raised this example before, to be fair):
* Blake Kessel
* Brett Kostolansky
* Damon Kipp
* Matt Campanale
* Connor Hardowa
* Mike Beck
Hindsight is wonderful, and obviously players improve with experience and growth over the course of a four year D-1 career (sometimes five years
). But this shows you that someone like Mike Beck (a non-factor in his first two UNH seasons) earned regular ice time for his last two seasons, and in his senior season got the nod at the expense of Knodel AND Agosta. So if you're Harry Quast, you gotta think your chances of getting a pretty fair run-out at the start of your junior season is pretty darned good, given Coach Umile's history.I'm not saying it's right and I'm not saying it's wrong, Greg. I AM saying this is just the way things have been with Coach Umile in the past, and every year we read or hear all this speculation (to differing degrees) on how next year's slate of incoming frosh are going to shunt established, returning players to the stands. And it really almost never happens.
Yes, the relative absence of returning upperclassmen will likely increase playing opportunities for the incoming frosh this season, but the idea that guys like Thrush, Camper, Correale, Smith, Quast and Gaudreault are going to plummet off the depth chart (as various posters have speculated) in favor of lower rung frosh players is probably very unrealistic, given the way Coach Umile runs his program. JMHO.
) so if anyone needs a 4th for a foursome, don't hesitate to let me know and I'll get him signed up. Here's the info:
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