UNH Commits & Recruiting: 2017 and Beyond

[Greg Ambrose]

Kids are going in with their eyes open, convinced that they will survive the purges. The kids want to play for a coach that will demand excellence and a dog-eat-dog environment. North Dakota has been doing the same, though hardly to the magnitude of Wisconsin, and cutting kids before they arrive. Yet, because they win, players want to play for them, despite the risks.

And that ulitmately is the "risk" point. Without any binding obligations, kids are taking risks, and the teams have no risk, so they can give out promises like skittles. Force teams to sign something, and those offers will shrink.

And the emphasis of midget hockey and elite camps create the culture in players at age 15 and 16 that they are competing not just in games, but to be recognized as an elite prospect. Committing early validates that mentality for them. Back in the good old days, there was less of a national pecking order, so players didn't need that validation. But once the hockey industry kicked in, emphasizing off season training (lest you lose a fraction of your lifting ability, or your Vo2 stamina) the whole field becomes a competition, with advisors stoking that drive. Hence, getting recognized by a top program by getting an offer, is validation that you are "winning" the off season.

Watcher, kids are not entering the process with their eyes wide open if they expect they all will survive. And, I should say, it’s not the kids who drive the process but their families, the coaches, and the family advisers. For the latter two, is it not a feather in their cap if they can tout that Johnny Wunderkind has committed to Wisconsin, Michigan, or North Dakota? They can sell this illusion of success for the next three years before the kid decommits and winds up at Merrimack or Lake State.

As much as I love college hockey and, really, college sports in general, the system is totally corrupt. One can say, I suppose, that both parties know what’s going on but, in reality, the colleges,,the coaches and the agents have made a devils pact and the kid and their parents are the ones sacrificed. And, never forget, the system is a lot, lot worse when it comes to football and basketball although the moral bankruptcy extends to every sport.

[defkit]

Re: UNH Commits & Recruiting: 2017 and Beyond

Finally, don't verbal. Verbals are primarily just ego strokes for the kid and Dad anyway.

Yep.

[NCAA watcher]

Re: UNH Commits & Recruiting: 2017 and Beyond

piggybacking off of the other thread, and Mike's interviews, it is an interesting couple of points. It seems Glenn Stewart was the primary point person on identifying James Miller and Benton Maass (and perhaps the others). Even though we talk about Mike Souza's recruiting, it seems that Glenn is doing much of the legwork. If Mike is doing more coaching than recruiting (which is what I heard is his strength), that probably bears on the important point about next year having another recruiter on staff to help Glenn sell the program and leave Mike to coaching and "closing."

Re: Maass

Coach Stewart saw him in the NAHL Showcase. Glenn had first seen him before I did. We always try to cross, and sometimes you can't. So Glenn obviously did a great job of identifying Benton Maass. And so we had him on a visit, and he's a fabulous kid, and we're really looking forward to having a hand in his development.

re: Miller

I think Glenn (Stewart) first saw him there [AJHL showcase]. Later in the process, after we had made official contact with Miller, we contacted a former UNH player familiar with the hockey scene in Alberta. It was nice to have a UNH guy out there that we could call and say, "What kind of kid is that?" and he gave James rave reviews, and that means a lot.

I wonder who the former UNH Alberta player is. Hardowa?

[Greg Ambrose]

piggybacking off of the other thread, and Mike's interviews, it is an interesting couple of points. It seems Glenn Stewart was the primary point person on identifying James Miller and Benton Maass (and perhaps the others). Even though we talk about Mike Souza's recruiting, it seems that Glenn is doing much of the legwork. If Mike is doing more coaching than recruiting (which is what I heard is his strength), that probably bears on the important point about next year having another recruiter on staff to help Glenn sell the program and leave Mike to coaching and "closing."

Re: Maass


re: Miller


I wonder who the former UNH Alberta player is. Hardowa?

I’ve been saying for awhile now that the most important decision Souza will make in his new career is selecting the right guy as a recruiter. It may wind up being someone from outside the UNH family, maybe even outside of Hockey East, but this person has to have those qualities that all good recruiters need - eye for talent, a gift for gab, tremendous energy, and dogged tenacity. Let’s hope for the best.

[NCAA watcher]

Re: UNH Commits & Recruiting: 2017 and Beyond

<

2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21
Shane Eiserman	TBD	TBD	TBD
M.McNicholas	Angus Crookshank	Angus Crookshank	Angus Crookshank
J.Salvaggio	Eric Esposito	Eric Esposito	Eric Esposito
Marcus Vela	Marcus Vela	TBD	TBD
A. Nazarian	A. Nazarian	TBD	TBD
Chris Miller	Chris Miller	Jackson Pierson	Jackson Pierson
Frank Cefalu	Frank Cefalu	TBD	TBD
Liam Blackburn	Liam Blackburn	Liam Blackburn	TBD
BVR	BVR	BVR	Connor Sweeney
Patrick Grasso	Patrick Grasso	Patrick Grasso	TBD
Justin Fregona	Justin Fregona	Justin Fregona	Marek Wazny
Joe Sacco	Joe Sacco	Joe Sacco	TBD
Eric MacAdams	Eric MacAdams	Eric MacAdams	Eric MacAdams
Charlie Kelleher	Charlie Kelleher	Charlie Kelleher	Charlie Kelleher
Kohei Sato	Kohei Sato	Kohei Sato	Kohei Sato
_________	J.Cipollone	J.Cipollone	J.Cipollone
DEFENSE	DEFENSE	DEFENSE	DEFENSE
Max Gildon	Max Gildon	Max Gildon	Max Gildon??
Dylan Chanter	Corson Green	Corson Green	Corson Green
Cam Marks	TBD	TBD	TBD
Rich Boyd	Liam Darcy	Liam Darcy	Liam Darcy
Benton Maass	Benton Maass	Benton Maass	Benton Maass
James Miller	James Miller	James Miller	James Miller
Anthony Wyse	Anthony Wyse	Anthony Wyse	TBD
Matt Dawson	Matt Dawson	Lucas Bahn	Lucas Bahn
Nick Nonis	Nick Nonis	Ryan Verrier	Ryan Verrier
GOAL	GOAL	GOAL	GOAL
Danny Tirone	TBD	TBD	TBD
Adam Clark	TBD	TBD	TBD
Mike Robinson	Mike Robinson	Mike Robinson	Mike Robinson

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Commits & Recruiting: 2017 and Beyond

Re: watcher's table (which I couldn't successfully copy into this post):

With the caveat that an incoming freshman is seldom an actual replacement for a departing senior at least in the first couple seasons (e.g., skill development, experience), I see three upgrades in the defensive core: Corson Green for Chanter, Lucas Bahn for Dawson, and Ryan Verrier for Nonis.

[NCAA watcher]

Re: UNH Commits & Recruiting: 2017 and Beyond

I agree with your statements. But living up to my half empty reputation, would note that the upgrades are for our 8th and 9th defensemen (Nonis being a likely pure walk on), with the upgrade being to a 6 and 7th sort of defensemen, and the open spot TBD for our 3rd guy (Marks).

I'd also note that the replacements for the current forwards are downgrades. Crookshank is about at McNicholas' level, perhaps a bit higher. But there is no current replacement for Eiserman, and I put Esposito in the Salvaggio group, but he has none of the offensive upside -- he's essentially a 3rd/4th line energy guy. The replacements for Vela and Nazarian coming up for 2019 are TBD, and Wazny has had a rough adjustment to the NAHL.

And the other big TBD is the goalies or goalie (if they roll over Clark, which I doubt).
So, within the next two months we really should hear about Eiserman and the two goalies. For Marks, I suspect given the amount of D they have, that they may view Miller as being his replacement even though he was brought in this year, so not have a full scholarship sort of replacement.

[C-H-C]

I agree with your statements. But living up to my half empty reputation, would note that the upgrades are for our 8th and 9th defensemen (Nonis being a likely pure walk on), with the upgrade being to a 6 and 7th sort of defensemen, and the open spot TBD for our 3rd guy (Marks).

I'd also note that the replacements for the current forwards are downgrades. Crookshank is about at McNicholas' level, perhaps a bit higher. But there is no current replacement for Eiserman, and I put Esposito in the Salvaggio group, but he has none of the offensive upside -- he's essentially a 3rd/4th line energy guy. The replacements for Vela and Nazarian coming up for 2019 are TBD, and Wazny has had a rough adjustment to the NAHL.

And the other big TBD is the goalies or goalie (if they roll over Clark, which I doubt).
So, within the next two months we really should hear about Eiserman and the two goalies. For Marks, I suspect given the amount of D they have, that they may view Miller as being his replacement even though he was brought in this year, so not have a full scholarship sort of replacement.

Your take on the forwards for the next year or two makes sense. Someone to replace Eiserman is important. There may be a little more flexibility for Marks and Tirone replacements. Both Boyd and Clark have a redshirt year they could use next season.

[cavbim]

Both Boyd and Clark have a redshirt year they could use next season.

Assuming both are on schedule and graduate in the spring they can choose to play elsewhere. The transfer is a freebie. I would think Boyd with assuming he plays fairly regularly will have 85-95 games experience at a position experience is most valuable would be in demand to replace either an unexpected early departure or if multiple defensemen need to be replace to better balance a class. If Clark is relagated to backup and he knows it pick a place he’d get a chance to start or at least with 30 games experience have a leg up. Or possibly be a backup on a team with a better chance then UNH to win national championship. I would think he’s not getting much scholarship money now so a cheap backup option.

It’s an option that had quite a few teams use. sCSU got the BU backup, BC took the Michigan Dman Lohan to get defensive experience and a senior, BU got Melanson to give experience up front/provide him with a situation to excel like his freshman year, PC picked up Davis giving them 90+ games of experience in replacing 4 Dmen, UMass augmented their bumper crop of freshmen by adding Rufo.

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Commits & Recruiting: 2017 and Beyond

Assuming both are on schedule and graduate in the spring they can choose to play elsewhere. The transfer is a freebie.

See Agosta, Justin, or "Firestarter" as he is now known around there here parts.

I can absolutely see Clark pursuing that option. Boyd, perhaps less so, but I wouldn't rule it out.

[joecct]

They, apparently, picked up a third commit today, too. What they're doing is verbaling as many young prospects as they can and, in essence, giving themselves exclusive communication rights while they complete evaluations and keep their options open. Then when the time comes they cut loose the kids that don't make the 'grade' or for whom upgrades have been unearthed (Gildon). Those recruits are then left scrambling to find any school that still has scholarship money remaining or is willing to cut loose one of their own commitments...

It's standard operating procedure for a number of coaches across many sports and the number one reason why no one should have any ill will towards kids changing their own minds on commitments (Commesso included)...

Now a days the commitment means nothing. Coaches are talking to family advisors all the time and will keep talking until the kid signs an NLI.

[NCAA watcher]

Re: UNH Commits & Recruiting: 2017 and Beyond

Josh Prokop is touring the UConn campus Huskies today and the Quinnipiac Bobcats Wednesday before visiting three more NCAA schools next week. Those two starry Vernon Viper forwards are expected to commit to Division 1 universities soon.

I'd guess we might be on Prokop.

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Commits & Recruiting: 2017 and Beyond

I'd guess we might be on Prokop.

If we can't beat out the "UConn Eddie Haskell" Luce Canaan and North Haven CC, we've got problems ...

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Commits & Recruiting: 2017 and Beyond

"UNH Commits Update: October-19-2017"

Player Spotlight on Angus Crookshank including video highlights.

[Dan]

Re: UNH Commits & Recruiting: 2017 and Beyond

Son of a UNH women's hockey alum...

https://twitter.com/ushl/status/922188153078927362

Against players 2-4 years older than him - no big deal...