Well I'm also one who believes in waiting until the season is near its
completion to talk about coaching and the teams successes and failures
but I do read all the negative comments that come across this discussion
board and I thought it was time someone spoke up for Whitehead.  When I
looked back at where Maine was in early January and
then looked at the way they've played in their last 15-16 games well you
have to ask yourself what turned this team around.  The obvious answer is
the coaching staff.  If anyone can pinpoint something else please send a
message.  I'm the one who said this team lacks talent and I'll stand by that
statement.  Unfortunately I totally didn't think about Jimmy Howard, I mean,
it's a given that he has talent.  I was speaking of our defense corps and
our forwards.  I'll say again we have many very good players but only one
player who approaches talented (Leveille and he almost scored for B.C. last
night).  We do have some promising freshman and sophomores who may yet
develop the talent along with all the other ingredients necessary to win a
championship.  I didn't realize Maine was preseason ranked #2.  I guess that
shows how ludicrous preseason polls are as they obviousley new nothing about
Maine's team.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Fitta" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2005 9:17 AM
Subject: Re: HE coaches


> I have to laugh a bit at some of the folks now piling on to the
> bandwagon and claiming Tim all of a sudden is a genius.
>
> I have been called an apologist on this board for Coach Whitehead and
> in many cases I am.  I am someone who instead of panicking when things
> were going bad thought let's see how things sort themselves out before
> we make a judgment about this years team.  I happen to agree with many
> of the comments Dan touched on, the biggest loss for this team was
> Prestin Ryan from last year, plain and simple.  Players like Todd,
> Colin, and even Dustin are tough to replace, but you are faced with
> that every year, and at the beginning of this season Maine was ranked
> #2 in the country.
>
> To say that this team lacks a certain degree of talent is ludicrous!
> Maine has a tremendous amount of talent and recruits the best players
> for the system that they use.  I laughed when I recently read some
> so-called expert write that Lowell had a better team on paper, but
> thought Maine would win the series because of home ice.  Better goal
> scorers don't beat depth and a willingness to work.  This team is
> performing better now because they are willing to work!
>
> People who saw Maine play a number of games before the Christmas break,
> for me best exemplified by the Harvard game, saw a team not get to the
> front of the opposing teams net, and a defense that did not move people
> from in front of their own net.  Maine is doing that now, and that is
> not as much about coaching, as it is about working and wanting to win.
>
> I think there is something to be said for getting to a National
> Championship and then coming back and expecting to win rather than
> working to win.  This team seems to be working to win, and if anyone is
> surprised they are in the Hockey East Semi-finals you're crazy.  Based
> on their talent level they absolutely should be their!
>
> I think the coach has done a great job this year dealing with the team
> and finally getting them to understand what it will take to win.  But
> if we lose Friday and then lose our one tourney game I will admit that
> the team will have underachieved this year, not the coach, but the
> team!  I like this years Maine team and I still believe that they can
> win the National Championship, but I'm also not foolish enough to
> believe that they could lose their next two games!  The truth of the
> matter is, it is all up to them.
>
> Tim is doing a wonderful job at Maine and I have and will continue to
> support him 100% and will continue to be called a Maine apologist by
> some.
>
> But Coach of the year in Hockey East, not this year.  To be honest I'd
> have Blaise, Jackie, Bruce and even Umile ahead in terms of
> expectations going into the season.  Maine did not have many question
> marks this year and were picked to finish 2nd in the league, 4th is not
> coach of the year and I have a feeling Coach Whitehead would agree with
> that!
>
> Bob Fitta '83
> On Mar 15, 2005, at 9:03 PM, steve hayes wrote:
>
> > doucette, i'm sure you're right parker or mcdonald wil most likely
> > receive
> > HE coach of the year......i don't have enough information to argue that
> > point......What i do kow is in early January Maine was
> > staggering....now
> > here they are playing in the HE semifinals........this is most
> > certainly NOT
> > a team "by and large populated by the players who suited up to take
> > the team
> > all the way to the National Championship" (doucette's words in quotes)
> >  Gone
> > from the team are the top two offensive players in White and Jackson
> > and an
> > all american defenseman in Ryan..... i guess you don't remember them
> > Doucette?  whitehead has somehow not only juggled the lines to produce
> > a few
> > goals but has also taught this team how to play team defense something
> > that
> > was missing most of the season.
> > Check out the teams goals against average in their last 15 games!  and
> > it's
> > not becuase Howard is playing any better......and Doucette i couldn't
> > disagree with you more on the talent level of this team..........there
> > is no
> > big time defenseman that logs 35 minutes and clears out opposing
> > players
> > from the front of the net....there is no big time offensive defenseman
> > to
> > play the point on the power play.......there are no big time goal
> > scorers........what we do have are many very good players but the only
> > player even approaching "talented" is Levellie.  He is a magician with
> > the
> > puck but he needs some scorers.........i will modify my stance on HE
> > coach
> > of the year.  Maine needs to win the HE tourney (slim and none).  Win
> > the
> > NCAA toruney and Whitehead's coach of the year.
> >
> Bob Fitta
> Director of Advertising
> Harvard Magazine
> 617-496-6631
>