Monday, September 29, 2008
Meland to Princeton
Eric Meland will matriculate at Princeton. I know that Harvard had shown some interest. Might this mean that Anders Lee is on the way?
Friday, September 26, 2008
Harvard bests BC for Rempel
After losing a # of hotly contested recruiting battles to Boston College (most notably Chris Kreider), Harvard finally came out on top for a very highly regarded defenseman, who won a championship with Avon Old Farms last year, and who has taken his talents to the USNDT this year. He will come to Harvard in the Fall of 2009.
Per USHR:
The Boston College hockey program is currently on such a roll that losing recruiting battles is almost unheard of.
But that's exactly what's happened, as 6’3”, 200 lb. U.S. Under-18 Team defenseman Brendan Rempel has committed to Harvard University for the fall of ’09.Rempel, who had narrowed his final choice to just those two schools, is a Willington, Conn. native who played the ’06-07 season at the Pomfret School, then last season transferred to Avon Old Farms, where he grew into his body, and blossomed, gaining confidence while playing on a powerhouse team that went 27-1-0 and capped things off by winning the New England Prep School title.
Rempel continued his strong play at the Select 17 Festival in July, and was named to the U.S. Under-18 Select Team that played in the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. From there, he was invited to spend his senior year in Ann Arbor with the Under-18 Team.
A right shot, Rempel posted a 0-14-14 line for Avon last winter. He’s eligible for June’s NHL draft.
Welcome to Cambridge!!
Per USHR:
The Boston College hockey program is currently on such a roll that losing recruiting battles is almost unheard of.
But that's exactly what's happened, as 6’3”, 200 lb. U.S. Under-18 Team defenseman Brendan Rempel has committed to Harvard University for the fall of ’09.Rempel, who had narrowed his final choice to just those two schools, is a Willington, Conn. native who played the ’06-07 season at the Pomfret School, then last season transferred to Avon Old Farms, where he grew into his body, and blossomed, gaining confidence while playing on a powerhouse team that went 27-1-0 and capped things off by winning the New England Prep School title.
Rempel continued his strong play at the Select 17 Festival in July, and was named to the U.S. Under-18 Select Team that played in the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. From there, he was invited to spend his senior year in Ann Arbor with the Under-18 Team.
A right shot, Rempel posted a 0-14-14 line for Avon last winter. He’s eligible for June’s NHL draft.
Welcome to Cambridge!!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Adversity for the Crimson
Well, you usually hear stories like this from other programs. I will leave out names, but we all know which programs walk a very fine line with regards to ethics, judgment, etc.
In any event, it seems that Harvard will be without the services of 2 of its key players for next season. The two players are Kyle Richter and Jack Christian. I have not heard definitively the reasons and I'm not going to rumor monger, but they were obviously serious enough to warrant a decision that must be very dificult to bear.
What does this mean for Harvard? Well, they go from probably a solid #2 finish (Princeton is the clear favorite) in the ECAC on paper, to probably a #4 or #5. And the ability to move up and down from those numbers will be significant- that is what happens when you have to rely on goaltenders with no college hockey experience. We all remember 1989 with Roy & Hughes...but we also know that is the exception as opposed to the role.
Taking a year off from competitive hockey...any competitive sport is devastating. Not only is it very difficult to recreate game-like situations, but mentally, it can be even harder. Both players will have to regain the trust of their teammates, who I am sure at some level feel like they have been let down. However, Harvard is entering the season fully informed of all of this and can prepare accordingly. Having your chemistry altered mid-season is a much tougher pill to overcome.
In any event, adversity can be an interesting enigma. It can bring a team closer together and be something they can rally around or it can be a source of division and excuses. I think we will all learn about the type of character in Harvard's dressing room and the type of leadership that exists.
I am confident that Harvard will come through okay!!
In any event, it seems that Harvard will be without the services of 2 of its key players for next season. The two players are Kyle Richter and Jack Christian. I have not heard definitively the reasons and I'm not going to rumor monger, but they were obviously serious enough to warrant a decision that must be very dificult to bear.
What does this mean for Harvard? Well, they go from probably a solid #2 finish (Princeton is the clear favorite) in the ECAC on paper, to probably a #4 or #5. And the ability to move up and down from those numbers will be significant- that is what happens when you have to rely on goaltenders with no college hockey experience. We all remember 1989 with Roy & Hughes...but we also know that is the exception as opposed to the role.
Taking a year off from competitive hockey...any competitive sport is devastating. Not only is it very difficult to recreate game-like situations, but mentally, it can be even harder. Both players will have to regain the trust of their teammates, who I am sure at some level feel like they have been let down. However, Harvard is entering the season fully informed of all of this and can prepare accordingly. Having your chemistry altered mid-season is a much tougher pill to overcome.
In any event, adversity can be an interesting enigma. It can bring a team closer together and be something they can rally around or it can be a source of division and excuses. I think we will all learn about the type of character in Harvard's dressing room and the type of leadership that exists.
I am confident that Harvard will come through okay!!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Catching Up
Been a while since I posted, but thought I'd update a few tidbits:
1) Brendan Rempel, a senior defesneman at Avon, but opting to spend his senior year on the national team, is supposedly down to BC and Harvard. BC recently outgunned Harvard for Chris Kreider.
2) Eric Meland, #1 from his class in North Dakota and playing this year in the USHL at Lincoln, may end up at Harvard.
3) Anders Lee is still very much considering Harvard.
4) David Valek, a senior forward on the national team, is supposedly also being looked at hard by Harvard.
Looking forward to the season. This year's freshman come in with a lot of accolades and I expect a few (Grimshaw and Killorn in particular) to have an immediate impact.
1) Brendan Rempel, a senior defesneman at Avon, but opting to spend his senior year on the national team, is supposedly down to BC and Harvard. BC recently outgunned Harvard for Chris Kreider.
2) Eric Meland, #1 from his class in North Dakota and playing this year in the USHL at Lincoln, may end up at Harvard.
3) Anders Lee is still very much considering Harvard.
4) David Valek, a senior forward on the national team, is supposedly also being looked at hard by Harvard.
Looking forward to the season. This year's freshman come in with a lot of accolades and I expect a few (Grimshaw and Killorn in particular) to have an immediate impact.
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