BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

[mookie1995]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

Anyone going out on a limb and hoping for at least a split?

[Bomber]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

Anyone going out on a limb and hoping for at least a split?

UConn has 10 points. If Bobo plays, I'm predicting a win and a tie. Without Bobo, I think they can split.

Right!? Right!!!?

*sigh*

[brassbonanza]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

UConn has 10 points. If Bobo plays, I'm predicting a win and a tie. Without Bobo, I think they can split.

Right!? Right!!!?

*sigh*

Don't expect Bobo to play.

[chickod]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

UConn has 10 points. If Bobo plays, I'm predicting a win and a tie. Without Bobo, I think they can split.

Right!? Right!!!?

*sigh*

Yes, one would think. But who knows where they are mentally? We don't know the identity of this team yet. They haven't progressed as well as last year's, who was playing much better and by the end of the season was a team nobody wanted to face. This year's team seems to be fading quietly into the night...

[Friend_of_BU_Hockey]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

Yes, one would think. But who knows where they are mentally? We don't know the identity of this team yet. They haven't progressed as well as last year's, who was playing much better and by the end of the season was a team nobody wanted to face. This year's team seems to be fading quietly into the night...

This year's team has a different makeup in terms of personalities and leadership. Bobo is a quieter, lead-by-example captain, flanked by a co-captain and 2 assistant captains who are still younger than the average age of most teams.

IMO last year's team had a leadership core that was complemented by a stronger group of Seniors (Melanson, Phelps, Macleod, Diffley). That's lacking this year with Switzer & Prawdzik not really playing a role on the team, Cloonan only returning to the team out of need following offseason turnover, and Willman as a transfer struggling to regain is pre-ACL tear form at Brown.

Also, last year's lineup was bigger, deeper, and harder to play against once they started clicking. Greenway, Tkachuk, Hickey, Olsson, Phelps, MacLeod -- all very physical players. How many players on the current roster would one consider "difficult to play against"?

[brassbonanza]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

This year's team has a different makeup in terms of personalities and leadership. Bobo is a quieter, lead-by-example captain, flanked by a co-captain and 2 assistant captains who are still younger than the average age of most teams.

IMO last year's team had a leadership core that was complemented by a stronger group of Seniors (Melanson, Phelps, Macleod, Diffley). That's lacking this year with Switzer & Prawdzik not really playing a role on the team, Cloonan only returning to the team out of need following offseason turnover, and Willman as a transfer struggling to regain is pre-ACL tear form at Brown.

Also, last year's lineup was bigger, deeper, and harder to play against once they started clicking. Greenway, Tkachuk, Hickey, Olsson, Phelps, MacLeod -- all very physical players. How many players on the current roster would one consider "difficult to play against"?

In addition to injuries that are playing a role right now, Bobo and Wise, and the likelihood that others (Krys and Harper come to mind) are playing through an injury. Last year's team was mostly healthy in the second half of the year by all accounts.

[Friend_of_BU_Hockey]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

In addition to injuries that are playing a role right now, Bobo and Wise, and the likelihood that others (Krys and Harper come to mind) are playing through an injury. Last year's team was mostly healthy in the second half of the year by all accounts.

IIRC, Harper was only significant injury/illness. Greenway missed 4 games for the Olympics.

Currently Albie is forced to dress every healthy/available skater.

[DLG]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

one of best college hockey writers

https://www.grandforksherald.com/spo...iting-strategy

[Harry Cleverly]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

11 shots, and no goals, through two periods. Against UConn?
Are they packing it in for the season?
So much for a response to five straight losses and a fourth place finish in the Beanpot.
Will there be any life for the third period?

[chickod]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

11 shots, and no goals, through two periods. Against UConn?
Are they packing it in for the season?
So much for a response to five straight losses and a fourth place finish in the Beanpot.
Will there be any life for the third period?

Yes, one would think. But who knows where they are mentally? We don't know the identity of this team yet. They haven't progressed as well as last year's, who was playing much better and by the end of the season was a team nobody wanted to face. This year's team seems to be fading quietly into the night...

Exactly why I posted this a few days ago. Mark Linehan just said "This is a twenty-minute statement for the rest of the season." We'll find out if they have packed it in by about 9:30...

[Harry Cleverly]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

one of best college hockey writers

https://www.grandforksherald.com/spo...iting-strategy

Excellent article.

You watch BU, see four first-round NHL draft choices on the ice at the same time (Farabee, Bowers, Fabbro and Oettinger) and wonder why they aren't better? Then you check the respective ages of some of the other teams ...

It also shows that after the high-end talent, BU's depth players have been lacking.

[chickod]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

Excellent article.

You watch BU, see four first-round NHL draft choices on the ice at the same time (Farabee, Bowers, Fabbro and Oettinger) and wonder why they aren't better? Then you check the respective ages of some of the other teams ...

It also shows that after the high-end talent, BU's depth players have been lacking.

Yup. What I've been saying for five years. We need a better balance of EXPERIENCE and high-end talent. We're woefully behind. Other schools have "figured it out" and adjusted. BU hasn't. Although I give them credit for the comeback tonight on the road, this team just doesn't seem to have the horses. BTW, we are now tied with Maine for 7th place.

[mookie1995]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

Great draft pick coming our way...

[chickod]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

Great draft pick coming our way...

Wonderful. So he'll stay one year and leave. We need OLDER leadership. The '09 team had a great SENIOR class. College hockey is getting older...you can't win with all 18-20 year-olds. And it's not just the physical maturity factor. These kids have one eye on the NHL before they get here. You need players who care about the TEAM - role players who don't have pro aspirations but will put their heart and soul into winning because they know their careers will be over when they graduate. Lowell and Providence have done it and others are quickly following suit. How long are we going to be the "farm team" for the USNTDP and NHL? And why should I bother to watch (much less attend) a team who is comprised of mostly NHL wannabes who give full effort half the time? I can watch the Celtics if I want to see that.

[Friend_of_BU_Hockey]

Re: BU Terriers 2018-19: Albie in Charge

Wonderful. So he'll stay one year and leave. We need OLDER leadership. The '09 team had a great SENIOR class. College hockey is getting older...you can't win with all 18-20 year-olds. And it's not just the physical maturity factor. These kids have one eye on the NHL before they get here. You need players who care about the TEAM - role players who don't have pro aspirations but will put their heart and soul into winning because they know their careers will be over when they graduate. Lowell and Providence have done it and others are quickly following suit. How long are we going to be the "farm team" for the USNTDP and NHL? And why should I bother to watch (much less attend) a team who is comprised of mostly NHL wannabes who give full effort half the time? I can watch the Celtics if I want to see that.

Not only is BU once again college hockey's youngest team at a current average age of 20 years, 6 months, it's youngest by an average age of 4 months. As I mentioned in a recent post, BU has 1 C and 2 A's who are all only 20 years old. Not to mention the small Senior classes many BU teams since '09 have had.

2010 - 3 (Gryba, Z. Cohen, Popko)
2011 - 2 (Pereira, Kraus)
2012 - 5 (Connolly, Millan, Rollheiser, K. Gilroy, Gaudet)
2013 - 5 (Megan, Escobedo, Rosen, Santana, Ruikka)
2014 - 4 (Noonan, MacGregor, Ronan, Moscatel)
2015 - 3 (Rodrigues, Hohmann, Moccia)
2016 - 5 (Grzelcyk, O'Regan, Lane, Oksanen, Moran)
2017 - 3 (Somerby, Roberto, Kelley)
2018 - 6 (Hickey, Olsson, Phelps, Macleod, Diffley, Melanson)

36 Seniors over 9 years = 4 Seniors/year average

In those Senior classes, the # of incoming Freshmen in each class was:

2010 - 5
2011 - 7
2012 - 10
2013 - 8
2014 - 8
2015 - 4
2016 - 9
2017 - 9
2018 - 9

69 Incoming Freshmen over 9 years

Out of the last 9 graduating classes, only 52% of the players in those classes were 4-year players.


Also, when looking at the returning players on the current roster (classes of 2019 - 2021), there were 26 incoming Freshmen with only 16 remaining on current roster --> 62% retention (or 38% turnover resulting from early departures, transfers, cuts, etc.).

Seniors (2019) - 8 Freshmen --> 4 Seniors
Juniors (2020) - 10 Freshmen --> 6 Juniors
Sophomores (2021) - 8 Freshmen --> 6 Sophomores


Recruiting may be an issue based on the context. When Quinn took over, it was very clear his focus on rebuilding BU Hockey would be based on recruiting blue-chippers more so than player development. He surrounded himself with assistants (Greeley, Albie) whose strengths were recruiting. While that approach certainly paid off in some ways (esp. from a branding standpoint), the lack of emphasis on recruiting 4-year players who could develop into impact players & leaders as upperclassmen is something I hope (and believe) will change for the better. BU Hockey needs more Rodrigues, Hohmann, O'Regan, Grzelcyk to complement the Bowers, Farabees (and Zegras next year)...