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UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

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  • Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

    Originally posted by Darius View Post
    I am a little surprised and quite disappointed that TK won't be wearing at least an "A". Nothing against McD. who the coaches clearly expect to step up his game and who must have leadership qualities, but Tyler clearly has the game and from his snippets in the press also has the qualities. If anything I'd have thought Correale (39 GP, 17 points) would have gotten the nod over Colin (20, 7). Echoing Greg's thought, the coaches know...
    It was my understanding that at UNH the players voted on the captain and alternates, they weren't just selected by the coach. Anyone have any more insight on that? (personally I'd like to see the coach picking the captains)
    Are you guys brothers?

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    • Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

      Collin MacDonald is respected by his teammates in part because of how hard he worked (and continues to work) to recover from a broken femur in his right leg.
      The UNH Men's Hockey Blog

      Comment


      • Originally posted by Darius View Post
        I am a little surprised and quite disappointed that TK won't be wearing at least an "A". Nothing against McD. who the coaches clearly expect to step up his game and who must have leadership qualities, but Tyler clearly has the game and from his snippets in the press also has the qualities. If anything I'd have thought Correale (39 GP, 17 points) would have gotten the nod over Colin (20, 7). Echoing Greg's thought, the coaches know...
        Exactly about press snippets, like TK telling Grayson Downing that the season was not over late in game 3 at Providence.

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        • Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

          Originally posted by JB View Post
          Well maybe...

          We have the advantage of hindsight that the recruiting process didn't. I am pulling information from Hockeydb.

          As an 18 year old Collin played 6 games in the EJHL with 1 goal no assists. As an 19 year old Collin played 45 games in the EJHL with 27 goals - 18 assists for 45 points. Leading goal scorer on the team and 3rd in total points. He did break is leg while at UNH and that may have set back his development. But his 3 year line is:

          MacDonald Games 51, Goal 5, Assists 5, Points 10

          Looking back at the top 6 scorers on that EJHL team - EJHL stats in () and displayed Games, Goals, Assists, Points:

          Swavely (45, 22, 30, 52) @ Umaine (3 yrs) 108, 24, 38, 62
          Petito (43, 18, 28, 46) @ No information assumed out of hockey
          MacDonald (45, 27, 18, 45) @UNH (3 yrs) 51, 5, 5, 10
          Riley (43, 15, 30, 45) @Mercyhurst (2 yrs) 45, 9, 16, 25
          Clifton (39, 14, 30, 44) @Quinnipiac (2 yrs) 77, 12, 15, 27
          Barre (35, 16, 25, 41) @Dartmouth (3 yrs) 79, 7, 16, 23

          What I see is nobody from that team has set the world on fire at the next level. It is not that there were no good players in the EJHL that year. Chris Heisenberg had Brett Pesce as the highest rated #2 was Jim Vesey (45, 48, 43, 91) a Hobey finalist out of Harvard. However the next three EJHL players were Connor Anthoine (end it up at SUNY-Geneseo), Brian Morgan (2 meh years at Maine), K.J. Tiefenwerth (2 meh year at Div 1 - Umass & QU).

          Basically that year the ECHL produced one high end forward and defenseman. The rest were nothing to write home about. I didn't search the entire list just the top 10 skaters...
          As usual, JB is spot on.

          I know its an oversimplification, but I think you can trace the decline of the UNH program to the (over)emphasis on picking up so many players from the EJHL. (FWIW, Maine suffers from the same affliction.) Probably unavoidable, given UNH has lost so many recruiting battles on other fronts. I equate recruiting Division One college hockey players from the EJHL to selecting professional football players from the CAA. As long as you are getting the cream of the crop - like Joe Flacco or Terrence West - that's fine. But there is do depth in either league that is likely to be successful and the next level. And as JB pointed out, MacDonald's numbers as an 18 year old were inconsequential, it was only as older player that he had any success at all.

          I am encouraged to see that at least UNH is having some success in other regions.
          UNH Hockey: From "Why Not Us' to "Woe is Us"

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          • Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

            I think the question of whether Collin MacDonald has reached his potential as a point producer at the college level is not related to his selection as the team's captain. It's his leadership skills that made him the UNH captain for 2015-16.

            As for his potential as a scorer, this is what US Hockey Report said about him when he committed to UNH in August 2011:
            "One of the all-time leading scorers in New Jersey High School hockey history, MacDonald scored over 300 goals in the four years he played for the West Milford High School Highlanders while also playing for the Hitmen organization. In the spring of ’10, he graduated from high school, and last season played only for the Hitmen Empire Team while also taking classes at Passaic County Community College. He tore it up, finishing as the Empire League’s leading scorer with a 29-53-82 line in 39 games played.

            MacDonald, who has a 3.9 gpa, is the classic late bloomer, having never played in any USA Hockey Festivals. He just played high school hockey and the Empire League -- and was a huge success at both levels. Now, he is more than ready to move on to the EJHL, as shown by his play at the EJHL Showcase, and then, last week, at the Beantown Classic.

            A 6/21/92 birthdate, MacDonald plays a pro-style game and, as we mentioned last week, could be one of those guys who, despite being totally unknown in his draft year, turns into an NHL prospect as his game develops in college.

            To show how quickly MacDonald’s stock has shot up, consider that he visited one college after the EJHL Classic (Providence College). Then, last week, he visited four more schools on the drive up to – or returning from -- the Beantown Classic (Harvard, UNH, Sacred Heart, and Quinnipiac). Also, Penn State was trying to get him on campus, and other Ivies such as Dartmouth and Brown were calling. But he’s a small-town boy, from that corner of New Jersey -- still fairly rural -- up by the New York state line, and he liked what he saw up in Durham."
            In his only season in the Eastern Junior Hockey League (2011-12) he was selected to the EJHL All-Star team. In October, 2011, the NHL Central Scouting Service identified MacDonald as a "B prospect" meaning he was a potential 3rd to 5th round draft pick.
            The UNH Men's Hockey Blog

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            • Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

              On the surface, Colin MacDonald is a curious choice as a captain. As Greg points out, by virtue of the "C" he immediately goes from spare part forward to someone taking a regular turn on one of the top three lines, every night.

              And I'll echo Ned's thoughts ... this is the reason I'd prefer to see Coach picking the captains.

              Having said that, I hope MacDonald has an Austin Block/Jay Camper senior-out-of-obscurity season.
              Sworn Enemy of the Perpetually Offended
              Montreal Expos Forever ...

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              • Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

                Originally posted by Chuck Murray View Post
                On the surface, Colin MacDonald is a curious choice as a captain. As Greg points out, by virtue of the "C" he immediately goes from spare part forward to someone taking a regular turn on one of the top three lines, every night.

                And I'll echo Ned's thoughts ... this is the reason I'd prefer to see Coach picking the captains.

                Having said that, I hope MacDonald has an Austin Block/Jay Camper senior-out-of-obscurity season.
                I don't think that players ever have the final say as to who the captains are. They have input, but this isn't Little League. If the player's choices were out in left field, I'm sure the coach would step in. But I doubt there is ever a need since the players and the coaches are pretty much on the same page when it comes to this stuff. That's why some years what seems to be an obvious choice doesn't happen, while in other years you get a choice like MacDonald. That leads me to believe that Umile has plans for MacDonald, like all seniors, to expand his role next season. As we all know, Umile is partial to his seniors so I fully expect that they all will be given ample opportunity to succeed or fail

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                • Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

                  Originally posted by Greg A View Post
                  I don't think that players ever have the final say as to who the captains are. They have input, but this isn't Little League. If the player's choices were out in left field, I'm sure the coach would step in. But I doubt there is ever a need since the players and the coaches are pretty much on the same page when it comes to this stuff. That's why some years what seems to be an obvious choice doesn't happen, while in other years you get a choice like MacDonald. That leads me to believe that Umile has plans for MacDonald, like all seniors, to expand his role next season. As we all know, Umile is partial to his seniors so I fully expect that they all will be given ample opportunity to succeed or fail
                  I can honestly say that in my many years of closely following the UNH Men's Hockey program, I've never been quite as surprised by their choice of captain as I am for this coming season. Suffice to say, the options were not compelling, given the low-profile nature of next year's senior class ... but to say MacDonald was a dark horse candidate would be an understatement. Quast or Hill would've been less surprising, at least to me. But I'm an outsider, so "surprises" are bound to happen when you don't know the "inner workings".

                  What I really hope this isn't about is the recovery from the broken leg "theme". While that's admirable, it shouldn't require some cause or special honor to be attached to it. As a society, we seem to have gravitated to honoring themes and concepts with campaigns to bestow honors on folks, as opposed to simply awarding those who achieve without the bells, whistles or "special causes". Although colleges seem to be at the front of that parade, as anyone who's recently gone through the college application process probably knows, so perhaps this approach is fitting, given the surroundings.

                  Just a very very curious selection ... and with that said, I hope MacDonald leads from the front and pops in a dozen goals next season while he's at it. JMHO
                  Sworn Enemy of the Perpetually Offended
                  Montreal Expos Forever ...

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                  • Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

                    A bit of sleuthing revealed to me that Collin may have broken his leg in mid-February in 2014. But, he played in only 16 games that season, so about half of the games up to mid-February. This past season, he played in 20 games, nearly all during the first half of the season, when he scored his 7 points (3 goals, 4 assists). He did play in a couple of games during the second half, but I am wondering if he had a relapse with his leg injury? Or, were the 18 or so games that he missed during the second half healthy scratches? In any case, I agree that Collin is a most interesting selection to be captain this coming season. He does carry a 3.9 GPA, and I seem to recall that Busch and Foley were 4.0 GPA guys and captains or co-captains(?), usually toiling away on lower lines. So, here is my hypothesis (will never qualify as a theory): perhaps by having a fourth liner standing around on the ice waiting for video replays to be run by the refs, the front liners get more rest on the bench? Yeah, that's the ticket.
                    Last edited by Snively65; 04-28-2015, 03:18 PM. Reason: minor typo

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                    • Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

                      Originally posted by C-H-C View Post
                      As for his potential as a scorer, this is what US Hockey Report said about him when he committed to UNH in August 2011:
                      Interesting USHR view of Collin MacDonald. It would seem a well reasoned view in 2011 looking into the future. Guy scored a pile of goals in high school, has nice size, seems to skate well. He then followed it up in EJHL at a goal every other game and a point a game pace in his first full year on a team with a bunch of players the same age. Therefore one year out the Aug 2011 report still looks good. However we now have 3 years at the college level to look back on and additionally look at the players from the 2011-2012 EJHL campaign in comparison.

                      I will admit looking back from today is sorta like telling you it is a great stock tip to buy a bunch of Berkshire Hathaway in March of 1980 at $260 a share and just hold it until today.

                      I hope that the broken femur has just stunted his development. That he is a classic late bloomer and the shot that a 300 plus goal scorer must have is still there. It would be great to see Collin pull together a 15-20 goal senior season. The last 3 years however indicate he is a 4th liner at best at the D1 level.

                      It is an interesting pick for captain regardless of scoring it is interesting simply because he has only once played (just) more than 50% of a season in 3 years.
                      "Now Progress Takes Away What Forever Took To Find" Dave Matthews Band, The Dreaming Tree

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                      • Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

                        "UNH Captain Collin MacDonald Looks Forward to 2015-16 Season"
                        Includes an interview.
                        The UNH Men's Hockey Blog

                        Comment


                        • Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

                          Holy crap, a junior coach making comparisons between JvR and MacDonald now???

                          Has MacDonald ever even dressed for a postseason game at UNH? If so, maybe 1-2?? Serious question ...
                          Sworn Enemy of the Perpetually Offended
                          Montreal Expos Forever ...

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                          • Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

                            Originally posted by C-H-C View Post
                            Nice interview. You didn't shy away from some harder questions at the end. Thanks for taking the time to do and post this stuff.

                            Collin did a nice job with the answers too.
                            "Now Progress Takes Away What Forever Took To Find" Dave Matthews Band, The Dreaming Tree

                            Comment


                            • Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

                              Originally posted by Chuck Murray View Post
                              Holy crap, a junior coach making comparisons between JvR and MacDonald now???

                              Has MacDonald ever even dressed for a postseason game at UNH? If so, maybe 1-2?? Serious question ...
                              Uno. After not playing in the three PC HE quarters games, nor the DU game in the NCAA regionals, he registered 1 SOG in the loss to UML in 2013.

                              Trivia quiz:
                              1) Who were the #2 and #3 stars of that 5-2 win over DU?
                              2) How many SOG did these two stars each register?
                              3) What were the final SOG totals for the two teams?

                              Comment


                              • Originally posted by Snively65 View Post
                                Uno. After not playing in the three PC HE quarters games, nor the DU game in the NCAA regionals, he registered 1 SOG in the loss to UML in 2013.

                                Trivia quiz:
                                1) Who were the #2 and #3 stars of that 5-2 win over DU?
                                2) How many SOG did these two stars each register?
                                3) What were the final SOG totals for the two teams?
                                Will take a stab at q1: Thrush and TvR?
                                Here we go 'Cats!!

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