As this discussion progressed, I couldn't help thinking back to this summer
when I interviewed Northeastern coach Bruce Crowder.  He, too, instinctively
preferred a defense-first approach and had installed a "three goals a game
or under" goal for his 1995-96 UMass-Lowell team.  But as it turned out, that
approach was not optimal for his personnel.
 
"I like to preach defense first," he said, "but if you've got a horse
that can run, you let it run.  We finished fifth in the country
in scoring.  If we can score five or more goals a game, I'll take
that.  We even got over thirty goals from our defensemen."
 
It would seem that Crowder's flexibility helped get his team to the NCAA
quarterfinals even though they'd been picked to finish sixth in Hockey East.
I'd argue that a coach without that flexibility would have achieved a much
lower level of success last year.
 
Of course, you also can't argue with the results of teams like Lake Superior
and the playoff successes of Paul Pooley's Providence teams, both of which
have specific systems that their players are expected to adhere to.
 
-----------------------------------------------
Dave Hendrickson   [log in to unmask]
Hockey East writer for US College Hockey Online
        http://www.uscollegehockey.com
(Go to "Features" and then click on "Past Features" for the Crowder article
titled "The Best Coach in the Business?")
 
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