Not very fast… that isn’t the Tennessee that is same team last season. The iceVols have completely turned around their program after acquiring a new coach.

Do you realize: The Tennessee Ice Volunteers’ may be the hockey program that is oldest into the Southern U.S. (courtesy: IceVols Twitter)

Last Championships: 2009 SECHC Championship

(8) Tennessee Volunteers 9-5-1 (5-6 SEC Record)

When it comes to 2nd right period, the Tennessee IceVolunteers are going to be going into the SECHC Tournament because the 8th-seed.

They are going to look to replace their very early eradication they encountered year that is last the arms of Georgia when you look at the tournament-opener, where they destroyed 14-0.

The Bad Information:

Regrettably for the IceVols, they will certainly yet again be harmonized against a powerhouse squad that seems like the championship that is early into the Bulldogs’ group that continued to win the SECHC Championship final season, Arkansas is averaging over 7-goals per-game.

The Arkansas team that Tennessee will soon be dealing with is not just group that may get, however they have actually level in their whole roster. Among ACHA DIII, the Razorbacks’ have actually 6 dudes into the Top-50 scoring.

The Good Thing:

Along with of this being said, the IceVols aren’t the exact same group they certainly were final period. The club went to work in the offseason and acquired Johnny Scotello as their Head Coach after finishing the year with a disappointing 2-14 record.

The previous University of Tampa Assistant Coach has expertise in assisting aided by the turnaround of the fighting hockey club. In Scottelo’s very first year, when you look at the 2015-16 season browse this site, the Spartan’s completed at 27-8-2 making their first ever ACHA DIII National Tournament appearance–a extreme enhancement through the group that went 15-13-3 the season before.

To be able to look for such outcomes with a team that is new once more, the tradition associated with the IceVols program had a need to considerably alter. When it comes to new mind advisor, all of it began with a gathering that has been held at the beginning of the summer season. “I asked everybody just exactly what their objectives had been. Some stated they wished to have a fantastic season, many stated they desired to have far better outcomes than just last year, and for me personally, i needed to own an excellent winning record and move on to look at playoffs at a tremendously minimum.”

The prospect of making the SEC-showdown was even more difficult for the young IceVols team with the expansion of the conference. Once they destroyed a few key assets after graduation, Scotello had been kept with a group mainly composed of freshman.

Many would look at this as being a disadvantage going to the biggest hockey competition that nearly all of them will ever play in, your head mentor really views it as an edge. A young team can rise to the occassion, Scotello explained while an older team settles in and struggles to play out of their comfort zone.

“You wish to push them towards the items they will haven’t done prior to. Whenever that objective is not dictated by their past successes or problems, it is a complete great deal easier [to achieve that goal].”

Johnny Scotello, mind mentor associated with Tennessee Volunteers

To carry out the unthinkable and knock out of the #1-seed into the initial game, Scotello believes their young squad has got to “come out flying and also have a very strong first period.”

Beyond that, Scotello thinks that the group needs to be aggressive for the complete 60-minutes and remain from the penalty field within the process–something he states the IceVols have already been improving at.

Tennessee may have an opportunity that is perfect observe how prepared these are generally for the competition this Friday once they meet with the 4th-seeded Georgia Bulldogs (12-9-2) in Athens.

“Georgia is really a big part of creating for the competition. We’ve talked about [this game] for the past weeks that are several” Scotello explained. “In the very first training right back from break, we presented exactly just exactly what my plans were–our system that we’ve been developing for Georgia as well as for this tournament.”

The redemption game for Scotello is founded on the 10-4 loss that Tennessee suffered into the fifth game for the period. “We were really in that game until we began getting racked with charges. And it also had been those types of games for which you get one penalty–and another–and another.” Something which Scotello blamed on “having a complete lot of feeling.”

The double-edge blade of the group that will provide an edge that is competitive serious times, may also harm these with high priced rookie-mistakes that enable them to slip far from the hockey game.

The IceVols game this Friday up against the Bulldogs should be a proving ground for just just how ready this young team is, and also for the first-year head mentor, it ought to be a judgement to how he’s able to jump right right back from defeat.

Johnny Scotello on mentoring into the SEC:

Knoxville is very much indeed a football city. People live and die when it comes to game of soccer. We attempted to snap away from that as much as we could to get individuals to realize a hockey is had by that Tennessee team, while the ice hockey group isn’t any joke at this time. Whenever ice hockey group ended up being winning while the soccer group had been losing, it provided the players and also the school plenty of pride, also it’s gradually trickling out into town aswell.

The Arm-Chair Scout

View these 2 objectives from Captain, Drew King:

THE CAPTAIN GETS THE ICE VOLS IN THE BOARD ON THE ENERGY ENJOY!!

These 2 objectives had been very nearly 1 12 months aside from one another. The delivery as well as the execution would be the same. Walk-in, upstairs…

The leadership and shooting capability from captain, Drew King, makes him the X-Factor because of this Tennessee group. The Vols will need to score a lot of goals in order to keep up with the Razorbacks in the opening round in all likelihood. Just exactly How King and linemate, Mike Wasson, may do should determine set up IceVols can pull from the upset for the ages.