UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

[GreenCat]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

Tonight's game was really awful. We got beat by a team that was much, much better than us. But the third period meltdown was awful and the game was effectively over halfway through. What is going on? Are Patrick and Wallack recruiting as has been hyped, and is Sneddon failing to put them together on-ice? Or are the ***'t coaches not doing as well as we think? I've got nothing against the current regime, who brought us into Hockey East and has had flashes of semi-success.
But the last UVM guy to play any time in the NHL beyond a cup of coffee was Victor Stalberg, a Gilligan recruit. And Gilligan had many recruits who played, and in some cases are still playing, in the NHL, not the AHL and ECHL, which all due credit are a giant achievement for a player. But beyond bringing UVM into Hockey East, in a long term sense I don't see what Sneddon has done for the program. I'm not a friend/associate of anyone just someone who has been watching UVM hockey for a very long time (like many people on the board).

Sneddon had nothing to do with bringing them into Hockey East. That was the AD and the University. Bringing UVM into to Hockey East was supposed to improve recruiting and notoriety and bring the program to the next level. Granted we have been to the NCAAs a couple of times under this coaching staff but I expected more in 12+ years.

[rufus22]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

Kevan Miller? And it seems like Brickley's finally broken through.

But yeah. I'm not sure who the blame's on - the players? Sneddon? Wallack/Patrick? At least the last time we started badly we were competitive and were mostly just unlucky...

Also, to the #SneddonOut people, I do have a question - who would you replace him with? (I'm not taking a side, I tend to be patient with coaches - I'm a Southampton fan and I wasn't #PuelOut until, like, April last year)

Lisa you are right. I totally forgot about Miller. And also assumed Brickley was still with the Checkers or Las Vegas but you're right there too. Although that has always been a surprising story...he didn't do much at UVM except get hurt (not his fault), get delegated by Sneddon to lower lines and hit people, cleanly and otherwise. But Brickley did very well before UVM and after, which is odd.

I still don't see that Sneddon has brought enough to this program to be kept around much longer

[BCeagle]

BC is even younger - they only have six players older than the sophomore grade level. One of whom is their third goalie.

That is true 🍺I was here last night and BC snuck by 4-3 even though they outshot UVM by a big margin and pleasantly surprised they won again tonight comfortably as I went back to Boston to watch football team punt the game away ((

BC has no seniors but only a Michigan transfer grad student who plays sparingly .

A handful of juniors but mostly Sophs and Freshmen

A record deceptively average but on top of Hockey East. I was thinking this will be a long season for BC fans but who knows? There’s still a lot of hockey left and hoping BC continues to improve and gel with no names on the roster after losing a lot of players early 2 seasons ago ⛳️

BC has quietly put together a streak but fun again to visit Burlington and see so many UVM fans still rooting hard for their team🚘

[Mule617]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

Lisa you are right. I totally forgot about Miller. And also assumed Brickley was still with the Checkers or Las Vegas but you're right there too. Although that has always been a surprising story...he didn't do much at UVM except get hurt (not his fault), get delegated by Sneddon to lower lines and hit people, cleanly and otherwise. But Brickley did very well before UVM and after, which is odd.

I still don't see that Sneddon has brought enough to this program to be kept around much longer

224-239-68. That's what Sneddon has done at UVM. Even worse at Union. I feel like he has had plenty of time to prove himself as a coach. The only thing he has proven to me is that he can't win more then half of his games. I've been going to these games for over 30 years and last night my frustration level hit a new level. I actually said out loud to my wife, "maybe we won't get season tickets next year." It just doesn't seem worth the money anymore. I'm hoping Schulman can see what most of the people on the forum see and not let this continue in the coming years. If you want a new arena, start winning games. You want to win games, start making changes. Sub .500 is not going to do it for you.

[TovarishchLisa]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

A record deceptively average but on top of Hockey East. I was thinking this will be a long season for BC fans but who knows? There’s still a lot of hockey left and hoping BC continues to improve and gel with no names on the roster after losing a lot of players early 2 seasons ago ⛳️

BC has quietly put together a streak but fun again to visit Burlington and see so many UVM fans still rooting hard for their team🚘

Eh, easy to understand the record when you've played so many tough games

[BCeagle]

Eh, easy to understand the record when you've played so many tough games

Hopefully in the long run it provides an experience that provides a teaching point(s) on how to win games in the trenches

Generally York rather play tough games than cupcakes but i’m Starting to see progress on this BC team so vastly different from usual teams

The OCC games will hurt if they want to qualify for NCAA tournament

It could be like last year where they got bumped from the National tournament

[pokecheckguy2]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

Kevan Miller? And it seems like Brickley's finally broken through.

But yeah. I'm not sure who the blame's on - the players? Sneddon? Wallack/Patrick? At least the last time we started badly we were competitive and were mostly just unlucky...

Also, to the #SneddonOut people, I do have a question - who would you replace him with? (I'm not taking a side, I tend to be patient with coaches - I'm a Southampton fan and I wasn't #PuelOut until, like, April last year)

Brickley breaking through no thanks to Sneddon!
Those assistant coaches have been touting all the "talent" they bring in and still can't compete with the upper half! Read that Wally's history guy burns out everywhere he goes but finally has found someone willing to keep him on in Sneddon!
Being patient with coaches? Sneddon has has 15 years! Thanks for the frozen four but getting to the NCAA every few years and being terrible every other year getting old and boring and he's part of the problem! Man survives everything even poor conduct issues that cast school in bad light!

Hard to know who is out there because in recent years many guys who you know would get shots are starting to get jobs and likely do not move to UVM but if Dean Blais wanted to coach again hell I'd take Emery or McShane over Sneddon! Don Granato...Mark Carlson..Greg Cronin...Ron Rolston...UVM alum Andrew Allen...Dom Ducharme UVM alum coach in QMJHL and coach Canada in Wolrd JR.....the Mankato or Bowling Green coaches...gotta be some talented league assistants these all just spitrolling semi informed names but the UVM job would attract a lot of quality because its in the best league in the country, great fanbase renovations to Gutt coming and in college hockey anyone can win the national title even UVM - want someone who believes that not tell me every year that they are going to score more and don't or who rotates kids out in favor of new shiny toys every year instead of trying to build a foundation for a team!

[CatClass08]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

I hate to post here for the first time in awhile simply to be negative, but...

This team is just bad right. Echoing what everyone else has been saying really. There is no excuse for being outshot the way they have all year.

It's time for the university to take a look at the head coaches job. This program has been stuck in the same middling pattern for a decade. I think Sneddon is a good coach and I respect the good work he has done here. It has bothered me to see overly critical posts of him in here. I do think we underestimate how difficult it is for a program like ours to compete with others in Hockey East. Still, maybe Schulman should srart to research how much of an offer would be needed to coax Cam Ellsworth from Lowell.

[j24vt]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

I think UVM is doing a good job recruiting talented players. The issue I see is that the players, for the most part, are not progressing during their time at UVM. Every year the incoming freshman class seems like it is better than the returning upper classmen. That is 100% on the coaches.

And dump and chase when you are on the power play is not a good idea at ANY level of hockey.

[TovarishchLisa]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

It's time for the university to take a look at the head coaches job. This program has been stuck in the same middling pattern for a decade. I think Sneddon is a good coach and I respect the good work he has done here. It has bothered me to see overly critical posts of him in here. I do think we underestimate how difficult it is for a program like ours to compete with others in Hockey East. Still, maybe Schulman should srart to research how much of an offer would be needed to coax Cam Ellsworth from Lowell.

My dream new coach if Sneddon were to go would be Ducharme (alum + would have pull recruiting wise in Quebec/Maritimes + good at developing players + winner), but he's probably outside the school's price range.

[VTALUM]

I think UVM is doing a good job recruiting talented players. The issue I see is that the players, for the most part, are not progressing during their time at UVM. Every year the incoming freshman class seems like it is better than the returning upper classmen. That is 100% on the coaches.

And dump and chase when you are on the power play is not a good idea at ANY level of hockey.

Exactly right regarding player progress. I can think of one or two Vermont High School coaches who understand the game better than Sneddon.

[TovarishchLisa]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

Being patient with coaches? Sneddon has has 15 years! Thanks for the frozen four but getting to the NCAA every few years and being terrible every other year getting old and boring and he's part of the problem! Man survives everything even poor conduct issues that cast school in bad light!

Moreso talking about not being overly reactionary to a bad start. But I am concerned with how much UVM's been dominated, and I wrote on my blog yesterday that perhaps the senior class that just graduated was an anomaly with how good they were at controlling games.

[UVM Cat in Texas]

Also, to the #SneddonOut people, I do have a question - who would you replace him with? (I'm not taking a side, I tend to be patient with coaches - I'm a Southampton fan and I wasn't #PuelOut until, like, April last year)

How about John Becker?!?! ;-) The guy excels as a coach in a sport (basketball), at a school (UVM), where he arguably has no business excelling! His team's compete level is off the charts and they rarely have a dud of a game. Sneddon, on the other hand, can't seem to get things going at a hockey school, where it should be easier to excel!

[TovarishchLisa]

Re: UVM 2017/18: A Gutt Check

Exactly right regarding player progress. I can think of one or two Vermont High School coaches who understand the game better than Sneddon.

Fun side note: Tim Fingerhut, UVM alumnus, coaches high school hockey in New Jersey and one of his teams is being inducted into the NJ HHOF next year

[UVM Cat in Texas]

How about John Becker?!?! ;-) The guy excels as a coach in a sport (basketball), at a school (UVM), where he arguably has no business excelling! His team's compete level is off the charts and they rarely have a dud of a game. Sneddon, on the other hand, can't seem to get things going at a hockey school, where it should be easier to excel!

Cats almost pull off the upset against Kentucky! Again, John Becker for UVM hockey coach!!! 😉