At 09:52 AM 2/21/97 -0500, Paul Gentile wrote:
 
>But, lastly, its clear the big runner-up to Whitehead so far has to be the
>Maine Black Bear head-coach Shawn Walsh. Probably not a real-contender only
due >to his half-season appearance, this man deserves some real high
respect. Talk >about winning in the face of adversity, this year's Black
Bear resurgence is >clearly a testament to an unbelievable capability to win
hockey games. This has >to be strongly attributed to Walsh's ability to
lead, teach and empower. This >is a team that lost four possible
All-Americans! This team hasn't the >motivations of post-season
championships. Yet, Walsh has shown that Maine is >not going away.
 
I agree with Paul that Walsh has done a tremendous job thus far this season.
While many people may not like Walsh, you can't ignore the fact that he has
led a team that was 7-7-1, and in the lower-half of Hockey East at Christmas
time to the best mark in the league since the holidays.
 
A lot will be decided this weekend however.  Should the BU Terriers come up
to Orono and sweep the Black Bears, what Walsh has done will be muddied and
it would have come for the most part against weaker opponents.  Walsh's
Bears have already beaten the Terriers in Boston since Walsh returned but I
still think they need to win at least one game this weekend to be able to
really say that they turned the corner and were the best team in the league
after Christmas.
 
I also agree that Walsh won't win Hockey East coach of the year, for a
couple reasons.  First, look what has happened to him.  Walsh isn't exactly
Mr. Popularity in terms of Hockey East personnel.  Secondly, he has only
coached half of a season.
 
However, I would note that the other two canidates in my opinion (Tim
Whitehead and Ron Anderson) while coaching the whole season, have exhibited
their greatest credentials in only one half of a season (Whitehead the first
half, Anderson the second half).
 
>Looks like the Black Bears won't be missing a beat afterall.
 
Doesn't look that way.  Even though Maine will undergo another season of
scholarship reductions next year, they are only playing with between 12-14
scholarships now, and will play with 13 next year.  Since they lose four
full-scholarship players, it gives them the chance to give out a couple full
scholarships and several partials, and they players they lose (Jason
Mansoff, Dan Shermerhorn, Trevor Roenick and Reg Cardinal) are all quality
players, but certainly not irreplacable.  Reports indicate Maine has already
landed a couple top recruits, and are in the running for several others.
That, coupled with the core of this year's inspired group returning looks
like the Black Bears will be poised for a Hockey East top 4 run in their
first season after the NCAA saga.
 
>My COTY rankings in HockeyEast are all based on strong finishes by the
>respective teams. (i.e. If Merrimack finishes with a Fleet Center
appearance, >then Anderson is ranked 2nd )
>
>#1 -Tim Whitehead, Lowell Riverhawks.
>#2 -Ron Anderson, Merrimack Warriors.(Anderson gets tie here due to
post-season)
>   -Shawn Walsh, Maine Black Bears.
>#4 -Jack Parker, B.U.
>   -Paul Pooley, Providence
>#6 -Dick Umile, UNH
 
I believe the coach of the year is Ron Anderson's to lose.  Anderson, who
I've had a chance to meet and is a very nice guy, is well respected around
the league and most if not all of the other coaches like the guy.  Anderson
has also been beaten up by his own alumni in the past for Merrimack's
sub-par performances, but where are those people now?
 
Merrimack has made a great turnaround.  Should Merrimack finish fourth or
fifth, that is a significant improvement from their last place finish a year
ago.  You all saw Mike Machnik's statistical analysis of where Merrimack has
come from, and boom.  That turnaround has to be atrributed to Anderson.
 
I'm not big on the Tim Whitehead bandwagon yet, not because I don't think
he's done a good job but beacause he is using players that Bruce Crowder
played a role in recruiting.  Now, I know that Whitehead was the chief guy
recruiting-wise for Lowell, but when you sell your program you are also
selling your coach.  This is why people come to play for coaches like
Crowder, Mason, Berenson, etc.  I give Whitehead his credit because he's
done well, but still could finish sixth or so.  A sixth-place finish (even
though you were predicted 9th) with players someone else recruited isn't
enough for me when you have a guy like Ron Anderson who has taken so much
abuse for so long and played such a large role in turning MC into a contender.
 
Now what if Lowell makes it to fifth, gets home ice (because Maine is out)
and goes to the FleetCenter while Merrimack goes to play some golf?  That
could change everything.
 
Right now I think it's a two-man race between Whitehead and Anderson, with
the second-tier of coaches being Walsh, Umile and Pooley (you can never tell
with him!).
---
Deron Treadwell ([log in to unmask])
 
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