Hopes for next year?

rood · Post by **rood** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 1:58 pm

So what does everybody think will happen next year? Will they build on this year's improvement? Or collapse like the last time they had a .500 season.

I think the biggest concern will be replacing Whitmore's goal-scoring, though the recruits from the OPJHL (Potacco and McIntosh) look promising.

Hopefully Eno will take a strong hold on the #1 starter position. Spratt certainly improved with Masters' coaching but the team obviously doesn't trust him in net and plays better with Nick in goal. How about one game every other weekend for Spratt just to keep him involved and ready should anything happen to Eno?

I think they are on the right track and will move up even further in the conference. Joe Louis by 2010.

PegCityFalcon · Post by **PegCityFalcon** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:01 pm

I too see a hole in the scoring section. I think Dave Soloway will have a breakout year next season. As for the goaltending... We all know I have no faith in Eno. The fact that a kid that can't skate or stick handle won games last year amazes me. Spratt has the reflexes to stop anything, but he let's in the softy here and there.
Recruits in:
Ian Ruel- A big defenceman 6'2 who plays physical.
Jordan Samuels-Thomas- 6'2 Left Wing Ben Geelan type with Omar Jacobs' looks
Mike Miller- Big D-man 6'1 chose college over the OHL the (best of the class)
James McIntosh- 6'2 scorer that will actually hit someone GP-47 PTS-38 PIM-105
Brian Potacco- 6'0 scorer that will not hit GP-47 PTS-40 PIM-20
Marc Rodriguez- 5'9 plays the role as the agitator
Robert Shea- 5'11 played the blue line with Miller for DHB 137 PIMS in 55 games
Brennan Vargas- 6'0 was a USTDP but hasn't found his niche in juniors
Nick Bailen- 5'10 Dman PTS-21 PIM-157

NY-BG-FAN · Post by **NY-BG-FAN** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:29 pm

It drives me crazy Notre Dame ascended from the bottom of our league to the Frozen Four in so short a time. Let's make the NCAA tournament....next season.

DWhite21 · Post by **DWhite21** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 1:50 am

NY-BG-FAN wrote:It drives me crazy Notre Dame ascended from the bottom of our league to the Frozen Four in so short a time. Let's make the NCAA tournament....next season.

I wish it was that easy. Jeff Jackson coming to Notre Dame was pretty much what turned their team around.

I think that we have a good chance to improve our record from last season. We're obviously losing Whitmore but several teams seem to be losing their top guns, Michigan is losing Porter and Kolarik, Miami is losing Jones. I think the team's success all depends on who steps up next season. Cepis will obviously be our big gun on offense but hopefully guys like Sexton, Perkin, McIlrath and Solway can improve. You also can't forget about Schmidt's scoring from the back end as well. Hopefully Eno can step up and be a good #1 goalie and steal some games for us. He obviously showed this year that he has a lot of potential.

An improved power play would def. help us out a lot too. I don't claim to be a hockey expert, but its pretty annoying to see our team continuously dump the puck in on the PP only to have it sent straight back out time after time.

BGDrew · Post by **BGDrew** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:15 am

If we're able to keep our coaching staff intact that will be huge in terms of building the team. I'm trying to remember the last time we had the same coaching staff 2 years in a row, and I honestly think it's been at least 5 years.

We need a lot of work on special teams and defense. If we're sticking with this "pseudo-motion offense" then we have to improve our passing as well. Stick-to-stick, tape-to-tape. Otherwise you're jut in a crap shoot everytime you try to move the puck.

Goaltending should be the least of our worries next year. I would like to see Spratt really work on his consistency and get his GAA <3. As long as Eno can work on his rebound control and focus, we could be looking at an All-American goalie before his time is through here (no joke). To have a sub-3.00 GAA and .905 save % is pretty special in this league. Again, if we get him some solid D-men and he improves what he needs to, we're set for at least the next 2 years.

Is it October yet?

rood · Post by **rood** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 9:46 am

I agree completely Drew. Eno should only get better. His detractors need to remember he came in as an 18 y.o. freshman with about two weeks warning. The coaches must have had him in mind all along to come in after Spratt graduated with two more years of junior experience. When I saw him play at Western in October I couldn't believe they found that good of a replacement for Unice (scumbag) in that short a time.

All the scouting reports on the incoming defensemen say they like to hit so that should help both goalies tremendously.

Don't forget Miami is also losing Zatkoff a year early (the replacements they have lined up don't look too impressive), MSU lost Abdelkader and who knows who will leave ND now that their season is finally over.

If our mid-tier forwards, McIlrath, Sexton, Solway, etc, pick it up a notch (and they all had pretty strong finishes) I don't think 4th place is out of the question.

PegCityFalcon · Post by **PegCityFalcon** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:03 pm

Here is the run down of the CCHA
1.Michigan- loses Porter and Kolarik recruits 5 USAs and 1 CANADA-U17

2.Miami- loses 7 players including Jones,Davis,and Zatkoff recruits 3 USA's 2 Drafted players and Conner Knapp who is a 6'7 goalie who will be drafted this summer

3.MSU- loses 7 including Abdelkader, but JLerg is back recruits 1 USA 3 All-USHLers including JLergs replacement Drew Palmiscano

4.ND- loses 3 including Van Guilder recruits 5 USAers and 1 SSMer (sorry biased throw in of my high scooll)

5.Ferris- loses five not including Neagle of O'Keefe, or leading scorer Cody Chupp recruits SJHL player of the year Jordie Johnston

6.NMU- loses only 2 not including Olver and Sirota recruits 2 AJHL all-stars one Centre and one at the point

8.UNO- loses 5 including 3 of there top 4 scorers recruits 1 drafted player and 1 USAer

9.UAF- loses 3 including Wylie Rogers recruits 22 players so I couldn't get past the huge number and evaluate

10.LSSU- loses 2 Eves and Blain recruits weakest in the CCHA

11. OSU- loses 8 all contributed, they still have talent on that squad including Joe Palmer in net recruits 2 USAers why they went to OSU baffles me

12. WMU- loses 6 including an early departure from LeVecchio recruits 5 impact players who will play as soon as they get to Kalamazoo giving stud Riley Gill some help.

rood · Post by **rood** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:14 pm

Connor Knapp is questionable for next year for Miami. They were planning on him for '09. They could push that up with the early departure of Zatkoff.

Notre Dame players haven't had a chance to turn pro early yet. I wouldn't be surprised surprised to see Condra, Thang, and (maybe) Pearce leave early although Brad Phillips should be an able replacement in net. He was the #1 at the NTDP over Josh Unice last year.

By the way - Does anybody now what happened to Molnar at BG? He had big numbers in junior, barely played as a freshman, then disappeared.

DWhite21 · Post by **DWhite21** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 1:15 pm

rood wrote:Connor Knapp is questionable for next year for Miami. They were planning on him for '09. They could push that up with the early departure of Zatkoff.

Notre Dame players haven't had a chance to turn pro early yet. I wouldn't be surprised surprised to see Condra, Thang, and (maybe) Pearce leave early although Brad Phillips should be an able replacement in net. He was the #1 at the NTDP over Josh Unice last year.

By the way - Does anybody now what happened to Molnar at BG? He had big numbers in junior, barely played as a freshman, then disappeared.

Brett Molner transferred to Ohio University and played for their club hockey team this past season. Also, according to the Frozen Four broadcast and an episode of CCHA All Access that I watched, Jordan Pearce is dead set on attending med-school after his college hockey career. So I highly doubt he has any plans for a pro career, let alone leaving school early. Although I guess plans can change if he gets a lot of interest from a pro team.

Freddie · Post by **Freddie** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 1:39 pm

rood wrote: By the way - Does anybody now what happened to Molnar at BG? He had big numbers in junior, barely played as a freshman, then disappeared.

I don't know anything about the circumstances under which he left BG, but I do know he played CLUB hockey at Ohio U this past season.

MACMAN · Post by **MACMAN** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 4:38 pm

We will be where we are today, maybe a bit higher...numbers wise that means we have real shot being #3with a strong probability of being 4,5 or 6.
We have a very strong core. Last year lost of folks craped on this team for lack of Size and one player JC in particular. We have speed folks, and they are only getting faster...and yes a bit bigger to which will help for sure down on the forecheck. Look for this Freshman to contribute off the get go. Look for Tod Mcilrath to tally many more goals and points this season compaired to the two or three goals he got this year, and still he will make a lot things happen on the ice, he will be one heck of an exciting player this season.
goalie situation.
i would bet we see more of the rotation. We are blessed we have two very good goalies folks, in the tops of D1. Are they perfect, nope. did they improve and grow, yep. should they grow the same this summer as they did in the past were talking about a new can of bean. A whole new can of beans. I will be that Eno grows more than JS and that will only be because he is younger, sprat will be more polished and that polish will result in more saves.
Conner knapp is not going anywhere but to Miami unless he gets guaranteed NHL time, which he wont. He will be a force to reckoned with and with W. Webber on Ld and Steve spinell Miami will be in t he CCHA top 4.
MI lost porter but they are getting Lee Moffit who will in all likely hood end up being one of the best offensive Defensemen the CCHA has ever had when his time is done. Then pair him with Marc Benett andlook out!
Notre Dams Recruiting list...is very strong.
ohio State will end up mid pack and some other shuffles down low.

We are in very good shape this year. will win the CCHA, im not counting on it, but we have a shot a real shot at the joe, and that will earn us an opportunity.

bgbill · Post by **bgbill** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:09 pm

I hope the fastest skater on the team this year gets to play a lot more next season than he did
'07--'08.

bgsufalcon24 · Post by **bgsufalcon24** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 9:16 pm

I've been bashed on here countless times for being negative, and this is going to be a rather negative post. I am really fearing a regression back to the CCHA's bottom four next season. Let's face it, without Whitmore, our offense stinks. Period. Cepis looks like a stud in the making, but the other guys have really got to step up and deliver next year. The defense was better this season, but its still only average by CCHA standards. The goaltending is okay too. I have concerns about both Spratt and Eno, but I think either of them can win games for us. I really think next year comes down to two things, our offense and our coaching. I'm still not sold on Paluch as a good head coach. Yes we won a playoff series (FINALLY!!!) this year, but I have my doubts that he can effectively lead us past the CCHA round of 8. To do that, you've got to break into the penthouse of the conference where Michigan, Miami, ND, and MSU currently reside. I don't see any of those teams falling off next year, aside from maybe Miami. Paluch will have to squeeze goals out of this offense without Whitmore in order to make it to Detroit, and I'm just not confident that he'll be able to do that. It'd be easier if the players didn't hate his guts.

BGFan · Post by **BGFan** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 9:42 pm

bgsufalcon24 wrote:I've been bashed on here countless times for being negative, and this is going to be a rather negative post. I am really fearing a regression back to the CCHA's bottom four next season. Let's face it, without Whitmore, our offense stinks. Period. Cepis looks like a stud in the making, but the other guys have really got to step up and deliver next year. The defense was better this season, but its still only average by CCHA standards. The goaltending is okay too. I have concerns about both Spratt and Eno, but I think either of them can win games for us. I really think next year comes down to two things, our offense and our coaching. I'm still not sold on Paluch as a good head coach. Yes we won a playoff series (FINALLY!!!) this year, but I have my doubts that he can effectively lead us past the CCHA round of 8. To do that, you've got to break into the penthouse of the conference where Michigan, Miami, ND, and MSU currently reside. I don't see any of those teams falling off next year, aside from maybe Miami. Paluch will have to squeeze goals out of this offense without Whitmore in order to make it to Detroit, and I'm just not confident that he'll be able to do that. It'd be easier if the players didn't hate his guts.

Prior to this year did you ever see Whitmore being more than slightly better than average? He's always had a noticeable presence on the ice, but nothing even close to the numbers he put up this year. It will be the same next year....one or more of the players, including Cepis, will step up to fill the void. We're heading in the right direction, and will continue to do so.

BTW, do you ever see the sun in your neighborhood?

The Niz · Post by **The Niz** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 9:47 pm

BGFan wrote:
bgsufalcon24 wrote:I've been bashed on here countless times for being negative, and this is going to be a rather negative post. I am really fearing a regression back to the CCHA's bottom four next season. Let's face it, without Whitmore, our offense stinks. Period. Cepis looks like a stud in the making, but the other guys have really got to step up and deliver next year. The defense was better this season, but its still only average by CCHA standards. The goaltending is okay too. I have concerns about both Spratt and Eno, but I think either of them can win games for us. I really think next year comes down to two things, our offense and our coaching. I'm still not sold on Paluch as a good head coach. Yes we won a playoff series (FINALLY!!!) this year, but I have my doubts that he can effectively lead us past the CCHA round of 8. To do that, you've got to break into the penthouse of the conference where Michigan, Miami, ND, and MSU currently reside. I don't see any of those teams falling off next year, aside from maybe Miami. Paluch will have to squeeze goals out of this offense without Whitmore in order to make it to Detroit, and I'm just not confident that he'll be able to do that. It'd be easier if the players didn't hate his guts.
Prior to this year did you ever see Whitmore being more than slightly better than average? He's always had a noticeable presence on the ice, but nothing even close to the numbers he put up this year. It will be the same next year....one or more of the players, including Cepis, will step up to fill the void. We're heading in the right direction, and will continue to do so.

BTW, do you ever see the sun in your neighborhood?

He always keeps his head well up where the sun don't shine