UConn v. UMass-Lowell RiverHawks (Friday 10/27/23 @7:15p @Tsongas Center & Saturday 10/28/23 @4p @XL Center). Both games on ESPN+

[DblCrossbar]

Someone mentioned earlier how much we miss tverberg. That is so true. He would have helped immensely. That said the PP failures are a big reason we feel like the goal scoring is dreadful and that is a systemic and consistent issue for years and drives me insane. Also Wood better start finding the back of the net. Otherwise we will find it hard to score more than 1 or 2 goals a game and cant win that way.

Ryan was good at bringing the puck into the zone, and always a threat for a SH goal on the PK. Still, even with him in the lineup, the power play also sucked last year. The consistent failure to perform on the PP lies somewhere

 

[zls44]

The lack of team speed is glaring.

 

[UC15]

Well said…I did not see one youth hockey group there yesterday. Marketing to them should be a given. The athletic marketing team really has just mailed it in.

I think the weather definitely played a part in people not coming but you're right usually you see youth hockey teams running around the concourse yesterday didn't see one. I think the athletic department is consumed by football in the fall and making sure preparations for WBB & MBB are in place and early in the season hockey falls by the wayside

 

[Waquoit]

I remember an old Batman comic book that explained the question of why a supposed creature of the night was wearing a yellow oval in the middle of his chest. They said it was to draw fire to the most reinforced area of the Bat-suit. For some reason, that nuggett popped back into head watch the game yesterday. Again and again. UConn also had a huge game in another stat from the past where the Whale routinely excelled - SOP. Shots on Pad.

 

[Sea Goat]

Cav and Toscano are tight. It doesn’t matter. He’s bulletproof.

So Toscano has strings attached to his generosity? Does Toscano have some experience with personnel decisions in college hockey programs? Maybe he does. Could someone please illuminate.

What difference does an on campus rink make if your coach can't get done? Pecknold started out with an office in a broom closet. He never got (nor needed) protection.

 

[Sea Goat]

Lastly, I’m upset with the UConn Athletics marketing team. Because Tuscano is so small and is essentially sold out for every game - lest they release 50-100 the day of - for the few XL games played they should concentrate and over market them, especially to youth hockey teams and give them a package deal. The crowd size yesterday was pathetic and worse than the WolfPack. Gone are the novelty days of 5-6K rocking the place. Now there’s just a smattering of fans about the arena and it shouldn’t be that way.

It would help to win the games you should and split the tough ones. We split the games we should win and lose most of the tough ones. That's coaching!

 

[Sea Goat]

I think the weather definitely played a part in people not coming but you're right usually you see youth hockey teams running around the concourse yesterday didn't see one. I think the athletic department is consumed by football in the fall and making sure preparations for WBB & MBB are in place and early in the season hockey falls by the wayside

You want a crowd? Just win baby, win!

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

NIL is not yet having a major effect on recruiting. On a recent podcast, Mike McMahon indicated he heard only the top of top recruits are getting deals and they're in the ~50-60K range. It's not precluding a school like UConn from getting the 3.5-4-star recruits. Perhaps down the line it'll trickle down a bit more, but having no/little NIL is not preventing teams from being NCAA tournament caliber teams.

 

[mac2351]

NIL is not yet having a major effect on recruiting. On a recent podcast, Mike McMahon indicated he heard only the top of top recruits are getting deals and they're in the ~50-60K range. It's not precluding a school like UConn from getting the 3.5-4-star recruits. Perhaps down the line it'll trickle down a bit more, but having no/little NIL is not preventing teams from being NCAA tournament caliber teams.

McMahon has stated on his podcast and during the intermission of a Merrimack v St. Lawrence game last weekend that the best recruits are getting $100,000 or more. He said it will take hockey a few years for it to become as prevalent as it is in basketball and football. Not as a much money in hockey but definitely a major part of recruiting.

Also, Cavanaugh stated this summer he does not believe in paying players above what they are getting for their scholarship.

Another thing that does not help UConn’s recruiting is producing 1 NHL player in 11 seasons.

 

[ableton04]

Lastly, I’m upset with the UConn Athletics marketing team. Because Tuscano is so small and is essentially sold out for every game - lest they release 50-100 the day of - for the few XL games played they should concentrate and over market them, especially to youth hockey teams and give them a package deal. The crowd size yesterday was pathetic and worse than the WolfPack. Gone are the novelty days of 5-6K rocking the place. Now there’s just a smattering of fans about the arena and it shouldn’t be that way.

My wife and I were just talking about this problem - before COVID, they actually put an effort in. We had an in-game host on the mic between periods, there were giveaways, they were clearly marketing, etc. None of that was around last year, but I figured they were on hold for Toscano but so far there's nothing. I wonder if there was somebody super into hockey in the department who put the effort in and now they're gone?

 

[KB19]

I Agee on the speed. We are just slow. Goalies are good. But there is not a scorer on the team. I kind of wonder if Wood really should have spent a year in juniors. He is big and talented but he isn’t that fast and he doesn’t seem to know the game.

Umm.. he did spend a year in junior. The BCHL where he led the league in scoring as a 16 year old.. Then proceeded to lead the Huskies in scoring as a 17 year old. While I will agree he's started off slowly on the scoring front, as the whole team has, to say he should have spent a year in junior is the wrong argument to make.