Romano will not be back next year

[redredux]

If it wasn't Milo's choice not to be on the team anymore, then he comes back only if he wants to and Schafer reverses course on a recent decision -- seems unlikely.  Given Milo's success on the diamond, it's also unlikely he's going to decide now to give that up.  The trend of players leaving early or not being asked back for whatever reason is a bit disturbing.  I'd expect it if we were realistically anticipating Frozen Four appearances every year (see North Dakota and Minnesota) but our rate of departures seems high for the quality of play we put on the ice.  I may be mistaken but I'd bet over the last few years we have one of the higher attrition rates.

[KeithK]

[quote DILLIGAF]Does the departure of Romano affect Riley Nash?  If he is drafted as projected, is it possible that he sees the writing on the wall, so to speak, and bolts for major junior as well?[/quote]
Riley Nash is coming to play with his brother.  Presumably he knew all about how Schafer runs the show before committing to Cornell.  So I wouldn't expect him to decide to leave because of Romano's departure.

[calgARI '07]

[quote redredux]If it wasn't Milo's choice not to be on the team anymore, then he comes back only if he wants to and Schafer reverses course on a recent decision -- seems unlikely.  Given Milo's success on the diamond, it's also unlikely he's going to decide now to give that up.  The trend of players leaving early or not being asked back for whatever reason is a bit disturbing.  I'd expect it if we were realistically anticipating Frozen Four appearances every year (see North Dakota and Minnesota) but our rate of departures seems high for the quality of play we put on the ice.  I may be mistaken but I'd bet over the last few years we have one of the higher attrition rates.[/quote]

I think you raise some very good points.  I don't know what the numbers say, but it seems like Cornell is losing the same amount of guys early as the top programs.  The difference is that Cornell is not a top program.  It isn't a bad program by any stretch of the imagination with four second round appearances in six years, but I still think it is in that second tier.  Tough to argue otherwise.  You would think with the Cornell education and all that, Cornell would lose fewer players early even if it were a top notch program.  I guess part of it can be attributed to how college hockey is changing particularly since the lockout with NHL teams looking for younger, cheaper players.  But the coaches need to receive some blame either because they aren't doing enough to keep the players here (which I think was the case with Romano) or they aren't bringing in the right players in the first place.

[Jim Hyla]

Does anyone know how well he did as a student? Maybe it's been mentioned on another thread, but if he was having problems maybe he felt this was the best move?

[The Rancor]

Milo, Nash, Romano, and Gallagher were all left behind on the north country trip for an undisclosed disciplinary measures. two are off the team, one got his bad ass little brother to blue chip at Cornell. hmmm. the other?

[DILLIGAF]

I think you are right about the brother being the biggest hook, but it is possible that the departure could be a factor.

Another even bigger factor is if the team that drafts him wants him to play somwhere else.  If he is drafted high enough they could have a lot of say in where he plays next year.

[pfibiger]

there was an article in the IJ today with a little more info:

http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007706110330

Schafer leaves open the possibility of Milo coming back, as well as potentially bringing in a 2008 player (Locke Jillson is the only forward we know about).

[ugarte]

[quote pfibiger]Schafer leaves open the possibility of Milo coming back, [/quote]
Also mentions that Milo was looking to transfer. I wonder if the coaches at the other schools he was looking into were no happier with Milo playing two sports than Schafer was.

[KeithK]

Just taking the story presented in the IJ Romano comes off pretty badly.  To tell your coach that you're not even considering leaving and then turning around and jumping ship in June doesn't speak that well of him.  The business about the number of games per season is true, but it's not like Romano just discovered the difference when he came to Cornell (or in the last couple of months).  This makes it sound like Romano was only using Cornell as a one year stepping stone to the OHL, which he may have felt he needed after playing in a lower junior league.

All that said, there may be (probably is?) more to the story that the general public isn't likely to find out.  I haven't been in the locker room so it's hard to say whether Romano is a selfish opportunist who screwed over the Cornell program or if Schafer is a tinpot dictator who chased away a talented player.

[min]

Reading the IJ article on the Romanos reminded me of the storyline on Jerry Maguire.

[billhoward]

[quote ugarte][quote pfibiger]Schafer leaves open the possibility of Milo coming back, [/quote]
Also mentions that Milo was looking to transfer. I wonder if the coaches at the other schools he was looking into were no happier with Milo playing two sports than Schafer was.[/quote]
Not that a reporter on deadline weighs the nuance of every word, but this, "One possibility is the return of Justin Milo, who cut ties with the team with the idea of seeking a transfer, Schafer said. But Milo, who played for the Big Red baseball team in the spring, has decided to return to Cornell for his sophomore year in the fall," sounds as if it could be a Cornell spin - Milo cut his ties, as opposed to Cornell cut him loose and that made Milo think "transfer," and now that Milo has decided to stay at Cornell after hitting like Lou Gehrig, maybe he'd give hockey a spin one more time.

This helps a little bit take the sting off the lax season. Can't wait for the countdown clock to the red-white scrimmage.

[Trotsky]

I'd rather have Romano than Milo.  I'd rather have both, at that.  Oddly, it appears not to be up to me.  I hate that. :-(

[ugarte]

[quote KeithK]Just taking the story presented in the IJ Romano comes off pretty badly.  To tell your coach that you're not even considering leaving and then turning around and jumping ship in June doesn't speak that well of him.[/quote]

While there are a lot of circumstances where "just business" is used to cover some truly immoral behavior, I really wish people would stop judging interactions like this as if they were governed by junior high "pinky swears." Romano has every right to look after his own interest here. I'm not sure if he is even permitted to talk to OHL teams (with an agent? without one?) without jeopardizing his NCAA eligibility. I also don't know if it is in his long-term interest to let Schafer know that he is thinking about leaving if he ultimately decides to stay.

Do you think that Schafer told Milo during hockey season that he was considering forcing him to choose baseball or hockey?

[KeithK]

Romano has every right to look after his own interest here.

Yes, he has the right to do so.  But just because he has the right to do it doesn't mean it was the right thing to do.

Do you think that Schafer told Milo during hockey season that he was considering forcing him to choose baseball or hockey?

No.  But then I don't have any evidence to say that Schafer did this after the season either.  As far as I know the idea that Milo was cut over playing baseball is speculation.

[Trotsky]

[quote ugarte]Romano has every right to look after his own interest here.[/quote]Who said he didn't?

While we're stacking speculations, for all we know, Romano warned Schafer that he was exploring juniors, and Mike said come on in, we'll deal with it as it comes up, but for now it's great to have you.