UMD - Bulldogs -'11-'12 Season Thread

[binnyrus]

Why not get started???? A good reason for the 'Dogs to be in the news:

http://www.umdbulldogs.com/teams-wom...5884&page=news

Congrats to Coach Schuler for the CAN - U22 camp coaching position!!!

[skatefast]

Re: UMD - Bulldogs -'11-'12 Season Thread

The team starts trickling in at the end of the month. On one hand, I'm thinking, "Where did summer go?". On the other hand, I'm thinking "Bring on October!!"

It's looking up to be a great season with rumblings of the veterans not being satisfied with the outcome of the 2010-2011 season. I'm hearing some various reports about the Swede freshman recruits changing their minds and/ or not making it through the NCAA Clearinghouse. It would be a real shame as we would have had a full fourth line this year!

Jenny will be #1 in net and I'm curious to see how our seniors and juniors will step up. I think sophomore Jamie Kenyon has the potential to do some great things on this team.

Whatever the mix, the Frozen Four will be here sooner than later. No pressure, girls. No pressure.

[JosephPSchmoe]

Re: UMD - Bulldogs -'11-'12 Season Thread

I'll be watching online from a distance as I'm moving out of state soon, but I still can't wait for the season to start. If the Dogs look like they're going to make the effort this season and have a legitimate Frozen Four shot, I think I'll be back in Duluth for the tournament.

No pressure? There better be pressure. I expect more than what I saw last season. You could say some of it was due to having to learn the torpedo system, and I'll cut them some slack for that. But not enough to account for their early exit from the Big Dance. Fans expect more, the coaches expect more and the players ought to expect more. I'm not going to rag on them too much. They've heard it all already, I'm sure. The team needs some leadership this year that isn't going to settle for anything less than 100% effort on the ice week in and week out. They have a small senior class with Kacy Ambroz, Lana Steck and Haley Irwin. I can see Kacy as a leader. I don't know enough about Lana to speculate too much. Haley? There's always questions. I guess it's up to her. (If I'm not mistaken, Jenny Harss and Mariia Posa are both graduating early after this season, so I suppose that makes them seniors.)

I knew Isabelle Jordansson wasn't going to come, but hadn't heard a thing since then about Enstrom and Grahm. Changed their minds? Thanks for wasting everyone's time. Go hang out with Jenni Asserholt.

I like the idea of Jenny Harss being the #1 goalie again. I always liked Kim in net, of course, but Jenny did so well during her freshman season while Kim was away and already has a national championship ring to show for it.

Last year's newcomers don't get to have the "freshman jitters" anymore. I think Jaakkola can be better and did improve over the season. Maybe it was the hair. Didn't see enough of Gallop to really get much of an impression, but her play looked good from what little I saw. I liked the effort Jamie Kenyon made last year. She's a scrapper. I REALLY liked watching Brienna Gillanders play, especially after Haley got hurt and someone had to step up and provide some muscle around the crease.

Some of the sophomores at least looked like they were making an effort. Cournoyer stepped it up late in the season. I think she's got superstar potential. Thibault with her gritty play (but I wish she'd shoot more often.) Wong working hard anyway when those around her maybe weren't. And of course there's Winberg, who as a junior could play a leadership role being as good as she is. I'm really curious to see how she plays without a mentor like Holmlov was. I think she's ready to have a real breakout season on her own and could bring some of the younger players up to a new level.

The incoming freshmen are the unknowns, as it is every season. The 2009-10 freshmen surprised everybody. It could happen again. The Dogs have the tools to win. They need the leadership and the desire, but nobody can do it for them. Bring it!

[ARM]

Re: UMD - Bulldogs -'11-'12 Season Thread

And of course there's Winberg, who as a junior could play a leadership role being as good as she is. I'm really curious to see how she plays without a mentor like Holmlov was.

She's 22 and has played in two Olympics. I doubt she needs a mentor.

[JosephPSchmoe]

Re: UMD - Bulldogs -'11-'12 Season Thread

She's 22 and has played in two Olympics. I doubt she needs a mentor.

I certainly wasn't implying that she can't handle Division I hockey on her own. What I'm saying is that Holmlov kind of played "big sister" to her when Winberg was a freshman and the two are close friends, so I'm curious to see how she does on her own now. After a couple of seasons at UMD, I think she's ready to have an outstanding year.

[binnyrus]

Re: UMD - Bulldogs -'11-'12 Season Thread

I'm hoping for big things this season from Brienna Gillanders . . . she had such a quick stick around the net last season - I'm hoping with that first year experience under her belt and in the past that she'll pick up right where she left off!!!

Excited for the season. The team seemed to underperform last year and I do certainly hope that this year is more of a "hit on all cylinders" type of season.

[skatefast]

Re: UMD - Bulldogs -'11-'12 Season Thread

Multiple trips to the Olympics, hell-- even gold medals, don't mean that you are fully evolved as an athlete and a person. Can we say Haley Irwin? All the skill in the world doesn't mean you don't need mentors in your life.

Schmoe- you speak the truth. Last season was a disappointment and I don't think it was for lack of skill or even the risky Torpedo system. Clearly, there were some internal dynamics at play. The pressure is on to make it to the show that will be at home. I think it was this same kind of pressure that lead that 2009-2010 crew to the top. Miller told the incoming freshman, "you will need to play like juniors". And that they did.

Posa and Harss are technically seniors. Kacy has the personality and the character of a good leader. The question is, will the team respect a leader that isn't first line? I argue that it can be done if facilitated properly.

The talent is all there, waiting to perform. It's up to them.

So here's a question pertaining to the potential vacancies left by the Swede(s). Let's say you have a daughter that had UMD as a top pick but there was no more room for her. If she committed somewhere else, but now there's space open, could she jump ship? It would be shady, no doubt... but my understanding is that it isn't official until you show up on campus to report for training.

[brookyone]

Re: UMD - Bulldogs -'11-'12 Season Thread

I think it becomes official once you sign your name on the NLI.

BTW, for all the talk about utilizing the torpedo last season, it didn't appear tremendously successful in games I watched.

[skatefast]

Re: UMD - Bulldogs -'11-'12 Season Thread

You can't take a system and isolate it for what it is and say it doesn't work. It worked for Miller in the past. Like any team sport, the function of the skills of the players as well as the chemistry of the lines and the player, all have an effect on the outcome of any particular system, even a more traditional one.

[brookyone]

Re: UMD - Bulldogs -'11-'12 Season Thread

You can't take a system and isolate it for what it is and say it doesn't work.

Yes, I believe I can. I'm only addressing the 2010-2011 season. Admittedly, I didn't see a bunch of UMD games. Just a few.

It worked for Miller in the past.

Don't know about the past but my opinion remains the strategy was pretty much a non factor in those few games I saw last season.

Like any team sport, the function of the skills of the players as well as the chemistry of the lines and the player, all have an effect on the outcome of any particular system, even a more traditional one.

Well yeah. This is not a dig...but that's fairly fundamental.

[ARM]

Re: UMD - Bulldogs -'11-'12 Season Thread

Multiple trips to the Olympics, hell-- even gold medals, don't mean that you are fully evolved as an athlete and a person. Can we say Haley Irwin? All the skill in the world doesn't mean you don't need mentors in your life.

Sure, but compared to 18 year olds going through this for the first time, Winberg will get along fine.

As for the torpedo system last year, I thought UMD's bigger problem was they were always a little short at D. They stole from the forwards, it worked well in the case of Wong, not as much with Frid', but that left them a little sparse at forward. More than the system, I thought they were a player or two short. They had a lot of talent, but weren't as deep as UW.

[skatefast]

Re: UMD - Bulldogs -'11-'12 Season Thread

As for the torpedo system last year, I thought UMD's bigger problem was they were always a little short at D. They stole from the forwards, it worked well in the case of Wong, not as much with Frid', but that left them a little sparse at forward. More than the system, I thought they were a player or two short. They had a lot of talent, but weren't as deep as UW.

You're spot on, ARM.

That combined with internal dynamic led to a very lackluster season. But this thread is about the upcoming season. The past is the past and we UMD fans can only look forward to securing #6.

[skatefast]

Re: UMD - Bulldogs -'11-'12 Season Thread

Small setback. All three Swedes recruited for this year will not be joining the 2011-12 Roster.

[JosephPSchmoe]

Re: UMD - Bulldogs -'11-'12 Season Thread

Great. Down three forwards before the season even starts. If all three had eligibility issues, someone dropped the ball in recruiting them. If all three just said to hell with UMD, someone dropped the ball in judging their character. Either way, someone dropped the ball.

Oh well. The 2010 season didn't look very promising at the beginning either. Looks can be deceiving. Go anyway, Dogs!

[skatefast]

Re: UMD - Bulldogs -'11-'12 Season Thread

Nope. One changed her mind. Two didn't score high enough on the English comprehension exams that are part of the gig to get in. Fair enough. Rules are rules.