UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

[TovarishchLisa]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

Don't misjudge competence for playing a lousy team

Feel like we have a lot of the same problems. Great goalies but not enough quickness or puckhandling on the blueline. And subpar coaching.

[UVM Cat in Texas]

The good news: UVM at least looked competent this weekend.

The bad news: UVM only got one point out of it, and at this point making the HE tournament is going to be a serious uphill battle.

To add insult to injury, commit Nick Abruzzese flipped his commitment to Harvard

Not too hard to appear competent against another team that sucks. And right now, I don't blame any kid who flips his commitment. I'd be flipping too.

You know all this, I'm just venting!

[UVM Cat in Texas]

This program desperately needs new leadership, and a new direction.

+1

[TovarishchLisa]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

+1

I'm no longer with the Cynic (at least in a writing capacity) so I'm going to finally say it out loud instead of self-censoring in public: yes. Not just leadership and direction, but energy as well. Everything about this program screams stale.

[GreenCat]

Not too hard to appear competent against another team that sucks. And right now, I don't blame any kid who flips his commitment. I'd be flipping too.

You know all this, I'm just venting!

Being a MA resident and with a nephew at UMASS I might be flipping soon too. Like the Carval train at UMASS! Watched the UMASS UCONN game Friday on NESN and they are impressive!

[Runsub5]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

Feel like we have a lot of the same problems. Great goalies but not enough quickness or puckhandling on the blueline. And subpar coaching.

These two teams mirror each other on the ice. Sneddon has had some good teams in the recent past, but hasn't been able to sustain it for very long. Gendron is in his 6th year and so far hasn't accomplished anything.

[TovarishchLisa]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

Being a MA resident and with a nephew at UMASS I might be flipping soon too. Like the Carval train at UMASS! Watched the UMASS UCONN game Friday on NESN and they are impressive!

I've started asking out-of-conference friends on the college hockey subreddit (and its associated Discord) for a team to bandwagon during tournament time at this point.

All I ever wanted when I got to UVM as a freshman was to see hockey play in the NCAA tournament. I even wound up a year behind and it's still not gonna happen.

[Catamount93]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

People are too disappointed and disinterested to even post anymore.

I'm still rooting for these kids though.

[TovarishchLisa]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

People are too disappointed and disinterested to even post anymore.

I'm still rooting for these kids though.

It's frustrating, I want the kids to do well, but I also want there to be some change....

[pokecheckguy2]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

combine record of teams they play in the next 6 games is 22-41-4 and only Clarkson has a winning record
Will keep saying to get ahead of those who might conventelenty return if and tell all us negative Nancies we are bad if the team gets some wins...these teams they playing are among the worst in hockey and the team still dead last and will probably stay dead last in the league all year!
watch 4 wins in this set of games might be enough to have Schulman give Sneddyboy a new contract to his best buddy have no faith he wants to fire Sneddon my feeling is everyone haters and lovers of sneddon have come to that same conclusion! its why nobody cares anymore! pathetic!

[UVM Cat in Texas]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

People are too disappointed and disinterested to even post anymore.

I'm still rooting for these kids though.

I'm still rooting for them. But, as you said, too disinterested to post much anymore.

Seriously, when was the last time there was news about the UVM hockey program people were excited about?
--The "new facilities"? (not so much, for me anyway)
--The news that Colton would be returning for his junior year? (which of course didn't happen)
--The news that Zemgus Girgensons was in Burlington and working out with the boys during the summer of whatever year it was, and would be suiting up for the Cats that fall? (which of course didn't happen)
--The Chris McCarthy led team that made it to the NCAA's only to bow out to eventual champs Union in the first round?

I don't know, can anyone come up with something (other than the occasional good win)? There has literally been nothing to be excited about for years.

[TovarishchLisa]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

I'm still rooting for them. But, as you said, too disinterested to post much anymore.

Seriously, when was the last time there was news about the UVM hockey program people were excited about?
--The "new facilities"? (not so much, for me anyway)
--The news that Colton would be returning for his junior year? (which of course didn't happen)
--The news that Zemgus Girgensons was in Burlington and working out with the boys during the summer of whatever year it was, and would be suiting up for the Cats that fall? (which of course didn't happen)
--The Chris McCarthy led team that made it to the NCAA's only to bow out to eventual champs Union in the first round?

I don't know, can anyone come up with something (other than the occasional good win)? There has literally been nothing to be excited about for years.

I feel like the atmosphere this weekend said it all. No one was really all that excited to be watching the games. There's such an air of stagnation around this program. Yet I'd be willing to bet Patrick is packed Saturday for what looks like a delicious basketball game between UVM and Harvard.

To respond to your points:

--I don't think new facilities would be a panacea - good coaching and culture does that. So far that new facility hasn't really done much for Colgate or Omaha. It's worked for AHA teams because they were a) playing in glorified rec rinks like the JAR or Milford, which the Gutt definitely isn't and b) I think the increase in scholarships for AHA teams has more to do with some of their programs improving anyway.

--Believe it or not that newser is *still on the site.* For anyone who cares, btw, Colton has 1g-6a in 17 games in his AHL rookie season so far for Syracuse.

--I wasn't around for that (I was just coming off my sophomore year of high school in rural PA and at the time did not know I was going to UVM), but I'm genuinely curious to know how the fanbase reacted to the Girgensons fiasco.

--I feel like the freshman class that was there at the time never achieving anything more is an indictment of our player development, especially since a member *of that class* blasted the staff for it. And it's very clear to me now that we really got lucky with that recruiting class.

Again, I root for the kids out there on the ice. I want them to do well. But we need fresh energy and ideas. IMO the worst thing that can happen this season is that we somehow sneak into that 8th spot and make the HE tournament and get clobbered by whoever. And the reason why is...well, since I'm no longer Cynic-affiliated and can speak from the heart...that theory I kept talking about over the summer: that Sneddon was a lame duck unless he came up big this year. And, Michigan game aside (and even that win's lost its luster as Michigan is not actually that great), he hasn't.

Course as soon as I pen that rant I see that Farkas is on Twitter talking about how NEXT year is the make or break because it's the last year of his extension...you know, despite Schulman being on record as saying he doesn't like having coaches in their final year without knowing their future (as seen in Ted Ryan's piece when Sneddon got said extension)

[pokecheckguy2]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

I feel like the atmosphere this weekend said it all. No one was really all that excited to be watching the games. There's such an air of stagnation around this program. Yet I'd be willing to bet Patrick is packed Saturday for what looks like a delicious basketball game between UVM and Harvard.

To respond to your points:

--I don't think new facilities would be a panacea - good coaching and culture does that. So far that new facility hasn't really done much for Colgate or Omaha. It's worked for AHA teams because they were a) playing in glorified rec rinks like the JAR or Milford, which the Gutt definitely isn't and b) I think the increase in scholarships for AHA teams has more to do with some of their programs improving anyway.

--Believe it or not that newser is *still on the site.* For anyone who cares, btw, Colton has 1g-6a in 17 games in his AHL rookie season so far for Syracuse.

--I wasn't around for that (I was just coming off my sophomore year of high school in rural PA and at the time did not know I was going to UVM), but I'm genuinely curious to know how the fanbase reacted to the Girgensons fiasco.

--I feel like the freshman class that was there at the time never achieving anything more is an indictment of our player development, especially since a member *of that class* blasted the staff for it. And it's very clear to me now that we really got lucky with that recruiting class.

Again, I root for the kids out there on the ice. I want them to do well. But we need fresh energy and ideas. IMO the worst thing that can happen this season is that we somehow sneak into that 8th spot and make the HE tournament and get clobbered by whoever. And the reason why is...well, since I'm no longer Cynic-affiliated and can speak from the heart...that theory I kept talking about over the summer: that Sneddon was a lame duck unless he came up big this year. And, Michigan game aside (and even that win's lost its luster as Michigan is not actually that great), he hasn't.

Course as soon as I pen that rant I see that Farkas is on Twitter talking about how NEXT year is the make or break because it's the last year of his extension...you know, despite Schulman being on record as saying he doesn't like having coaches in their final year without knowing their future (as seen in Ted Ryan's piece when Sneddon got said extension)

Gergenson just took the pro deal end of story to me! THough UVM certainly made sure that they told people when they were losing after only winning 6 game year before how them only wiinnng 11 was because they did not have the kid! At this point with what we have seen with even talented players hard to say he would have made much difference
I just listedn to that 1013 thing what a crock!
He lost me when he said go see grade A talent did he mean the other team?
That boycotting is bad...best decision of my life! Saved a lot of money to not waste my time on a bad product and clearly not alone!
So what if they have Lekkas and upperclassmen they stink with everything in front of him! Veterans who aren't good are still not good players
This jusy sound like a guy who wanted to get some attention and doesnt have a clue
Sneddon has to go now!
I really hope you are right that if he does not make the playoff he is done but I have no faith!

Next year was 3 years ago!!

[TovarishchLisa]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

This jusy sound like a guy who wanted to get some attention and doesnt have a clue

I tend to hate speaking bad about any media types, but in this case I definitely agree - I distinctly remember Farkas trying to say that there was going to be a protest at the basketball playoffs last year, something that definitely didn't happen

[UVM Cat in Texas]

Re: UVM 2018-19: This is so sad Alex play Esposito

I thought last year was gonna be a make-or-break season for Sneddon, and then Schulman extends him for no apparent reason, at a time when the team absolutely sucked! So, do I think next year is a big one for Sneddon? Probably not. He seems to get the benefit of the doubt regardless of what wins and losses and other empirical evidence should tell a logical athletic director. A lot of people admonish the big-time programs in college athletics (the so-called “football factories” etc.), and at times for good reason, but one thing you have to admire is their complete intolerance for losing. UVM needs just a little of that right now.