Latest / Coaches Corner / MHOC Coach Mike Cavanaugh Media Zoom Jan 21 - CT Ice

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MHOC Coach Mike Cavanaugh Media Zoom Jan 21 - CT Ice · Coaches Corner

• 0:03
  Speaker 1: All right, coach, turning our attention to ct ICE weekend.
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: You got to match up with Yale. Who's the host
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: Friday night, seven thirty puk drop. Just want to get
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: your thoughts headed into into the weekend.
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I was certainly looking forward to the tournament. It's
• 0:19
  Speaker 2: always a great weekend. As I've said many times. I
• 0:23
  Speaker 2: think it's a rehearsal for what's to come in March,
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: you know, and it really lets you evaluate your team
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  Speaker 2: and a winner take all type game. So we know
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: the Yale is playing extremely well. They've I think they're
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  Speaker 2: five and two at home. They went on the road
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: this weekend and swept the Union and RPI, so we
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: know we're going to have a real formidable opponent on
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: our hands Friday night.
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  Speaker 1: All right, we'll open up for questions. Who wants to
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: start us off? Go ahead, Randy, Thank.
• 0:59
  Speaker 3: You very much, colleague.
• 1:00
  Speaker 4: Morning coach, How are you today? I'm great, Randy, you
• 1:03
  Speaker 4: very good.
• 1:04
  Speaker 5: Looking forward to the weekend.
• 1:05
  Speaker 3: Yeah, so you had mentioned how it's a dress rehearsal
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  Speaker 3: for tournament time. These past couple of weekends it was
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  Speaker 3: splits for you guys, so an opportunity to, you know,
• 1:18
  Speaker 3: try to win a weekend in tournament play, Like, how
• 1:22
  Speaker 3: much is that sort of discussed with the guys and
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  Speaker 3: how much are they sort of focused on you know
• 1:28
  Speaker 3: that mentality?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I just think we're focused on Yale Friday night.
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: We're not looking towards Saturday night. And what's happened in
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: the past two weekends isn't going to have anything to
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: do with what happens this weekend.
• 1:41
  Speaker 4: We just have to go out.
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  Speaker 2: And compete, play to our identity, play connected, and give
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: us solid sixty minute effort.
• 1:53
  Speaker 3: You mentioned, you know, being focused on Yale on Friday,
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  Speaker 3: And I wonder how a team does approach a tournament
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  Speaker 3: like this or you know the NCAA is when you
• 2:03
  Speaker 3: know there's another opponent no matter what the next day,
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  Speaker 3: do you keep the focus completely on the Friday opponent
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  Speaker 3: and have some bit of scouting for the other two
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  Speaker 3: teams that you could potentially face, or do you just
• 2:16
  Speaker 3: deal with that, you know after Friday.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, as a staff, we certainly like pre scout the
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  Speaker 2: other two teams, like we'll have film broken down on
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  Speaker 2: Sacred Heart and Quinnipiac. However, our players won't see any
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: of that. Our sole focus is on Yale. That's all
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  Speaker 2: we're going to focus on. We do not talk about
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  Speaker 2: either one of those other teams because the game doesn't matter.
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: Saturday's game does not matter to us. It's just all
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: about Friday. You can't get to the championship game, you know,
• 2:48
  Speaker 2: without winning Friday's game.
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  Speaker 4: So that's where a hundred focuses.
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  Speaker 3: You're the defending champs of this tournament. How much did
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: that experience last year lead to the you know, the
• 3:01
  Speaker 3: Hockey East run to the championship game and obviously the
• 3:04
  Speaker 3: NCAA is.
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  Speaker 2: I just think, you know, it was nice to finally
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  Speaker 2: break through. We had been in that championship game previous years.
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  Speaker 4: And we had not won it.
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  Speaker 2: So to finally break through, I think that was great
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  Speaker 2: for that team. But again it has no bearing on
• 3:21
  Speaker 2: this year's team. This is a completely different team, and
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  Speaker 2: this is a team that's going to have to blaze
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  Speaker 2: its own path.
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  Speaker 3: I would love to hear a final thing from me.
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  Speaker 3: It's just your general thoughts six years into the tournament,
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  Speaker 3: what you've liked, maybe some things that you know you
• 3:39
  Speaker 3: didn't see that have worked, and anything else you'd like
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  Speaker 3: to see with the tournament moving forward.
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  Speaker 2: Well, I certainly want to see it continue. I think
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  Speaker 2: that I've had talks with people in the state that
• 3:53
  Speaker 2: I do personally think it should be moved to People's
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  Speaker 2: Bank Arena. I think that the majority of the teams
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: are on board with that as well. The year that
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: we did host it and have it there, there was
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  Speaker 2: close to seven thousand people. And why would we sure
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  Speaker 2: change ourselves holding it and either one of our you know,
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  Speaker 2: our rank holds three thousand tops. I don't know what
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  Speaker 2: Yale holds, but it can't be more than three thousand.
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  Speaker 2: Sacred hearts like four thousand Quinnipiacs roughly thirty five hundred.
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  Speaker 2: If we can get seven thousand and grow it and
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  Speaker 2: get it to a point maybe where it's ten thousand,
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  Speaker 2: and it's a source of pride for the state, why
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  Speaker 2: wouldn't we put it at People's Bank Arena. I just
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  Speaker 2: think it's foolish not to. So hopefully everybody thinks the
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  Speaker 2: same way I do, and you know, maybe we can
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  Speaker 2: get a somebody to sponsor it, or get some sponsor
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  Speaker 2: behind it and make it a premier event every single year.
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  Speaker 3: Just one quick follow up to that, no matter what happens,
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  Speaker 3: and if it should go to People's Bank Arena, and grow.
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  Speaker 3: Do you think it has been good for this rotation
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  Speaker 3: to sort of spread the tournament at least for these
• 5:00
  Speaker 3: previous four years around different parts of the state, and
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  Speaker 3: for it to touch all four campuses.
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  Speaker 4: Yeah, it probably had to be done once.
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  Speaker 2: But I think we've proven that there's enough interest for
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  Speaker 2: the tournament. As I just alluded to earlier that it's
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  Speaker 2: it's not our buildings are not big enough to host
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  Speaker 2: and grow this tournament.
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  Speaker 3: All right, Well, thank you, I will see you on Friday.
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  Speaker 4: Sounds kid, go ahead, Eric, Mike, how are you? I'm great? Eric?
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: You good?
• 5:28
  Speaker 4: Hey?
• 5:29
  Speaker 6: Neale has been playing better. You mentioned it. What have
• 5:31
  Speaker 6: you seen from them? They've had a real struggle the
• 5:33
  Speaker 6: last couple of years. And tell me about you any
• 5:36
  Speaker 6: relationship you might have with Joe how their new interim coach.
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I personally don't know Joe that well. I certainly
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  Speaker 2: respect the job he's been doing this year. They're playing
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: with pace. Just watching a little bit of their tape,
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  Speaker 2: you know, they're a team that gets after it. They're
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: getting pretty solid goaltending, and they're really good in transition.
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  Speaker 4: So we're gonna have to.
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  Speaker 2: Make sure, you know, managing the puck well and not
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: turning it over and putting ourselves in compromising positions.
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  Speaker 6: And you mentioned having the tournament hopeful hopefully someday at
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  Speaker 6: People's Bank Arena for a bigger crowd. But when you
• 6:13
  Speaker 6: play in a small barn like this, is it still fun?
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  Speaker 6: Playing in arenas like this where the crowd's right on
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  Speaker 6: top of you.
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  Speaker 4: It's great if it's full, Eric, you know, it's like,
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  Speaker 4: I don't know how many people will be there for
• 6:23
  Speaker 4: the Sacred Heart Yale game, or the people that go there,
• 6:27
  Speaker 4: if they want to stick around or if they leave.
• 6:30
  Speaker 4: You know, I don't know what it's going to be like.
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  Speaker 4: So yeah, they're great buildings to have them in if
• 6:36
  Speaker 4: they're full. Good look, thanks, thank you.
• 6:41
  Speaker 5: Go ahead, Daniel, just for the tournament. Have there been
• 6:48
  Speaker 5: maybe any discussions about having a like a grouper, a
• 6:55
  Speaker 5: board maybe or something step in and run it instead
• 6:59
  Speaker 5: of having it be the four schools trying to balance
• 7:02
  Speaker 5: it in all having their separate interests.
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  Speaker 2: Well, I think ideally there should be some a group
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  Speaker 2: one or two or whatever it is, three people that
• 7:11
  Speaker 2: run it, but they has to be input from the
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: schools as well. I know when I was at the
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: bean Pot it was the Boston Garden and the four schools.
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: When I was involved with that tournament, it was the
• 7:21
  Speaker 2: Boston Garden and the four schools all collaborating together. And
• 7:25
  Speaker 2: that's what I think should happen with this tournament as well.
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  Speaker 2: That's what makes sense to me.
• 7:32
  Speaker 5: Given this is the last year of the rotation. Do
• 7:34
  Speaker 5: you feel confident that there's going to be a tournament
• 7:37
  Speaker 5: next year?
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  Speaker 4: I hope so. I know that speaking with CJ. Maritola and.
• 7:44
  Speaker 2: Rand, who have been involved in the tournament since the
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: genesis there and they want to continue to do it.
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: I have not spoken a joe about it, but speaking
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  Speaker 2: of those two, I know that they're very eager to
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: continue this tournament.
• 8:00
  Speaker 4: To the whale.
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  Speaker 5: Since my first season covering you guys, so it's been
• 8:03
  Speaker 5: quite a while. What's it like playing in that barn specifically,
• 8:09
  Speaker 5: and do you have any notable memories from there.
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: It's a great arena. It's uh, you know, it's a
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: it's a fun building to play in. I think the
• 8:20
  Speaker 2: last time we played there it might have been New
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: Year's Eve. I think and think Adam Huska played a
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: great game for us in net and we were able
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: to come away with the victory that night, So, uh,
• 8:31
  Speaker 2: you know, we've had I've had some great games there
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: over the course of my career, whether it was at
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: BC or at Actually that might have been the only
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: I might have been the only one we've played since
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: I've been the coach at Connecticut. You maybe correct me
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: if I'm wrong, but that's the only one I remember.
• 8:47
  Speaker 5: I remember any outs the top of my head anytime
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  Speaker 5: before I showed up. I'm not I'm not great for reference.
• 8:52
  Speaker 5: But how important is it that your team has won
• 8:58
  Speaker 5: it and they know that they can win this tournament
• 9:00
  Speaker 5: as opposed to coming in on an annual basis feeling
• 9:03
  Speaker 5: like you have to get past Quinnipiac and get over
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  Speaker 5: the hump.
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  Speaker 4: I'm sure that helps with the returners, but again it's
• 9:12
  Speaker 4: a different team, So that doesn't, you know, mean that
• 9:17
  Speaker 4: this team. I think it does help.
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  Speaker 2: Then it probably does help psychologically knowing that you know,
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  Speaker 2: we have won this tournament and we can win this tournament. However,
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: that's not going to be the deciding factor. It's, like
• 9:32
  Speaker 2: I said, whether we can execute and compete and stay
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: connected and play to our identity for sixty minutes, thanks
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: one hundred and twenty minutes.
• 9:45
  Speaker 7: Matt, go ahead, Hey, coach, you've talked about the growth
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  Speaker 7: that you want to see in this event moving forward.
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  Speaker 7: How much have you seen it grown since this thing
• 9:54
  Speaker 7: kicked off.
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  Speaker 4: Quite a bit.
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  Speaker 2: I mean, it was hard to get it off the
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  Speaker 2: ground at first, and then you know, unfortunately COVID hit
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: and that kind of put a damper on the tournament
• 10:06
  Speaker 2: for a little bit. But I think that we've come
• 10:09
  Speaker 2: back stronger, And as I said, I think there's a
• 10:13
  Speaker 2: lot of interest in the tournament.
• 10:16
  Speaker 7: How about from the fans, what do you feel? What
• 10:19
  Speaker 7: are you hearing from them heading into a week like
• 10:22
  Speaker 7: this versus maybe a couple of years back.
• 10:27
  Speaker 4: I think they're excited.
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: You know, the people that I talked to that are
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: going to the game and the people that have reached
• 10:33
  Speaker 2: out to me, it seems like they're excited. But yeah,
• 10:40
  Speaker 2: I don't talk to a ton of fans, but the
• 10:42
  Speaker 2: ones I have talked to that are excited to go.
• 10:46
  Speaker 7: And the last one from me, what stands out to
• 10:48
  Speaker 7: you when you think back to that game against Quinnipiac
• 10:51
  Speaker 7: last year, winning it in the fashion that you guys
• 10:53
  Speaker 7: did and leading to that breakthrough in this tournament.
• 10:56
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I was just it was a great hockey game,
• 10:59
  Speaker 2: you know, it with one second left was certainly exciting,
• 11:03
  Speaker 2: and you know, it was eventually getting the monkey off
• 11:08
  Speaker 2: our back because it had been a long time since
• 11:10
  Speaker 2: we had beat them.
• 11:12
  Speaker 4: Thank you, Joe, go ahead, Thanks con morning, cav How
• 11:17
  Speaker 4: are you morning, Joe, I'm great. Thanks. From a hockey standpoint,
• 11:22
  Speaker 4: what do you have to clean up from Saturday going
• 11:25
  Speaker 4: into Friday?
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I just thought, as I said, we weren't connected.
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: You know, when you're playing as a five man unit,
• 11:34
  Speaker 2: you can be very effective. I just felt like, you know,
• 11:40
  Speaker 2: we'd four check and we'd have three forwards on the
• 11:42
  Speaker 2: four check and two d would be changing and you
• 11:46
  Speaker 2: know you can't four check.
• 11:48
  Speaker 4: With just three players. You know, I thought that we
• 11:54
  Speaker 4: were not.
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: Really I thought in the offensive zone we had two
• 12:00
  Speaker 2: many turnovers in high ice that led to odd man
• 12:04
  Speaker 2: rushes against, you know, and we didn't get inside enough offensively.
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: I thought Vermont did a really good job of keeping
• 12:14
  Speaker 2: us on the perimeter and not letting us get inside,
• 12:17
  Speaker 2: because when you get inside, that's when you can draw penalties.
• 12:20
  Speaker 2: There were no power plays in the game either way.
• 12:23
  Speaker 2: You know, that's when you can draw penalties, and that's
• 12:26
  Speaker 2: when you can create advantages for your team, and we
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: weren't able to do that.
• 12:31
  Speaker 4: Thanks Kav.
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: Anything else for coach guys? Awesome, Well Coach, thanks for
• 12:36
  Speaker 1: jumping on good luck this weekend.
• 12:38
  Speaker 4: Okay, guys, thanks, have a great day. Thanks you too. Okay,