Kathleen Nelson wrote:
>
> Ask any WMU hockey fan if they have thoughts, and the overwhelming one is
> Mag's apparent lack of concern for the rest of his teammates and the coaches.
>  Yeah, he has the potential to be a great goalie, and had a great season, but
> the team will be fine without him. Remember, Matt Barnes was supposed to be
> the starting goalie until he got his nose broken in the pre-season last year.
>
> The thing that irritates me, and a lot of other Bronco fans that I know, is
> that Mags waited until it was too late for the coaches to recruit another
> truly D1 quality goalie to announce that he was leaving. UIC dissolved their
> program, and WMU picked up a couple of their players, and could've had the
> opportunity to pick up another goalie there, if Mags had only had the
> consideration to let the coaches know.  To me, that shows a great lack of
> respect for his teammates and the program.  Barnes is an awesome goalie in
> his own right, and will have no trouble stepping in to the starting
> position...the problem now is praying that he doesn't get hurt, and hoping
> that they can find someone who can play the position if need be.
>
 
I would disagree here.  This type of thing happens all the time and is not
necessarily any indication of how a player feels towards his teammates and
fans.
 
A player often has little choice determining when he can sign a pro contract.
It takes two to tango and pro teams often don't get serious in their
negotiating until this time of year.  This certainly is inconvenient for the
colleges but is just the reality of the situation.
 
UMass-Lowell, my own favorite team, had this happen as well.  Eddie Campbell
recently signed with the New York Rangers.  BU has had numerous players leave
early.  A college team simply must prepare for these possibilities and have
alternate plans ready if the player does leave early.  Certainly Magliarditti
should have been considered a possibility to leave given all the honors he
received last season.
 
Of course, some would argue that a player is a jerk and not a true student
if he leaves before receiving his degree.  I'd disagree, but would just as
soon we not beat that dead horse all the way to the glue factory.
 
Personally, I was disappointed in his play in the Regionals last year, which
was my only opportunity to watch him.  I would have liked the chance to see
him this year at the top of his game, but opportunity knocks irregularly, if
at all, in sports and I would hope that everyone would just wish him the best.
 
Dave Hendrickson
 
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