At 12:01 PM 6/21/96, Dave Hendrickson wrote:
 
>Lowell's Future
>---------------
>I am depressed about the future of Lowell hockey.  This is no disrespect to
>whoever replaces Bruce, but I have major concerns that UML will slide back
>into a second-tier status within Hockey East.  It takes a very special coach
>to elevate a program with the disadvantages inherent at Lowell.  Bruce was as
>special as they get.  Odds are his replacement won't be.
>
>I found especially disturbing the remarks from Lowell AD Dana Skinner, quoted
>in the Lowell Sun (posted by Mike -- thanks).  Skinner said:
>
>> "One of the realities of being in Lowell is that we've lost some real good
>> (coaches) to Division One programs.  We're still a Division Two program
>> with one Division One sport.  That's who we are and there's nothing we can
>> do about that.
>>
>> "In the end, we just try to bring in the best people we can and hope they
>> do the best job they can for as long as they're with us.  If they move on
>> to broad-based Division One programs, we wish them well and thank them for
>> their contributions."
>
>A "Division Two program with one Division One sport?"  What is that supposed
>to mean?  Yes, I know that UML is of Division 2 size, but a *Division 2
>program*?  I highly doubt that Bruce Crowder viewed Lowell as a Division 2
>program.  When RPI, a Division 2 school playing Division 1 hockey, won the
>national championship ten or so years ago, did they view themselves as a
>Division 2 program?  Is that how other D2-sized schools playing D1 hockey
>view themselves.
 
I don't believe Skinner was referring to hockey specifically with his
reference to "program," but rather the entire athletic department.
 
>
>Self-perception soon becomes self-performance.
>
>Is this the first signal of a retreat?  Are hopes of a Hockey East
>and national championship now gone, replaced with a "we'll do the best we can
>but we'll know that we'll eventually lose our good people to The Big Time?"
>
>Not that long ago it still looked like Lowell would be signing Crowder to a
>very long-term contract and he would make Lowell a consistent national
>powerhouse, despite its D2 size and its recruiting problems.  The new rink
>was on its way, which was hoped to make recruiting easier and attract more
>student fans.
>
>Now it's almost like there is a resigned acceptance of being a second-tier
>program.
 
Scuttlebutt I've heard indicated Lowell had every intention and expectation
of signing Crowder. The most popular interpretation of Crowder even
entertaining NU's offer was trying to get Skinner and UML to up the ante.
Personally, I felt despite UML not being a beanpot school, that Crowder
would have a better chance of further NCAA success riding the wave of his
current success than trying to build a program up from the cellar.
 
However, it was also rumoured that Crowder was not happy with this past
off-season's recruiting.
 
So perhaps another theory:  Crowder used the opportunities as assistant at
Maine and head coach at UML to do what he wanted to do: get a shot at a
top-flight position (by that meaning a job at a Boston, beanpot school).
 
Once Smith left NU, Crowder may not have ever had any intention of
returning to Lowell-- the opportunity might have been too juicy to pass up
for anything.
 
 
>
>Perhaps I'm reading too much into Skinner's comments.  But it's also possible
>that Skinner is right, given what happened when Crowder's contract extension
>hit the skids.  It may be that those higher than Skinner have decided that
>enough is enough, we've overextended ourselves, now it's time to get back into
>the comfort zone of a D2 mentality.
>
>Sadly, I must now offer another wager.  Anyone want to wager that starting
>three years from now Northeastern is gonna regularly finish higher than Lowell?
>Northeastern is sounding motivated to be a national force.  Lowell is sounding
>motivated to be second-tier.
 
That may be over-interpreting. Does it mean that in order to be division 1
Lowell, a state-funded school, had to best NU's offer making Crowder the
highest-paid college hockey coach? This whole thing is starting to remind
me of Ron Caron in St. Louis.
 
 
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