Interview with Salisbury Coach Andrew Will
The Crimson Knights look to return to New England Championship form
Salisbury coach Andrew Will has compiled a 183-42-20 (.787) record while capturing four New England titles in his ten-year tenure at the helm of the program. I caught up with Will to talk about the program, prospects and outside expectations as we close the book on a decade that saw the Crimson Knights accomplish a New England prep hockey first from 2013 to 2015: three titles in a row.
You’re one of the only coaches who has come from the Division 1 level and then coached at prep school, now having one of the most successful teams in prep hockey, how would you describe your coaching philosophy and how has it evolved over the years?
I’ve always believed strongly in having open communication with our guys, having clear expectations, letting them know what we’re seeing, where they’re fitting in, the things that are going well and the things that they need to improve upon. For me confidence is such an important part of the game for these young guys and providing regular honest feedback is an important aspect of building it. I also believe that it’s not just telling them what they want to hear, it’s telling them what they need to hear and doing that because you’re committed and focused on their development and growth. One of the areas where I believe I have evolved as a coach has been on the skill development side. Over the years, our staff has made some significant changes to some of the things we’re doing on and off the ice with our guys to increase the amount of time and to emphasize that aspect of the game.
You’ve got a great rink on campus, can you talk a bit about your facilities?
We are tremendously fortunate to have the facility that we have. Our rink is part of the Flood athletic center and it really is outstanding. On account of the weight room, video room, locker room, training facilities and the rink (an olympic sheet) itself, we're very lucky to not be limited by a lack of resources.
What I really love most about our building, is that it’s a part of our athletic center. Because of that, the basketball courts are there, the wrestling gym is there, the squash courts, so whether you’re going down for practice, Wednesdays or Saturdays for home games, there’s always a lot of energy. Our Athletic Center is a hub on campus so there is tremendous support for our kids and our program here at the school. We're very fortunate to have such a terrific environment for our kids and one that creates an exciting great prep atmosphere.
You sent a bunch of guys out to junior hockey this year, how are you feeling about the group that returns?
We had an outstanding group last year, but we’re very excited about the core of kids that are returning. Starting up front with Lucas Mercuri, who is back for his senior year, before going straight to UVM after graduating. He’s really excited about elevating his game and hopefully continuing to be a leader for us. Lucas is certainly gifted offensively but is also a guy we’re going to look at to be a key player for us in all situations. Jake Quillan is back as well. Jake is an extremely smart, 200-foot centerman who will be playing college hockey at Quinnipiac. Jake had an out-standing first year for us, followed up by a terrific off-season so Jake is poised to take on an even bigger role with us.
Also up front is Cole Vallese, who is an extremely dynamic offensive player. People tend to focus on his speed and creativity which is deserved, but one of the things I really like about Cole is for an under-sized guy he really competes. He is a player that gets in on guys and is tough to handle on account of his high compete level. As a Providence commit I know Cole is really excited for the year. Another impact forward for us is Matt DeBoer. Matt recently committed to Holy Cross which is a terrific fit for him. Matt has continued to progress in each of his seasons here at Salisbury. Matt has continued to get better and better. He does a great job along the wall winning his battles, he has a terrific stick and anticipates the play well which makes him very effective when playing with skill guys higher up in the line-up. Matt knows to go to the front of the net, and does a great job going to those dirty areas.
How are you feeling about the goaltending and defensive side of things?
On the back-end, we have four returning D who played in our top six last year. Bayard Hall who recently committed to Yale, [he] has continued to progress. His skating and ability to defend have continued to improve, while he was a guy who really contributed offensively from the back-end for us last year. Jarod Crespo, who is going to Penn State, is just a work-horse. Jarod is someone we lean on in all situations and is a real leader. Both Jarod and Bayard are two guys that will anchor the back-end for us. In addition, Bobby Metz and A.J. Casperson are two returning D who we anticipate having terrific seasons. Both played important roles for us last year, and we expect that their development and impact will only grow. In net, we have a big guy from Buffalo in Nick Haas who was terrific year for us last year. Nick has grown into his body, and has gotten stronger and quicker, so he’s poised to have a big year for us.
I’m sure you’re excited about the whole incoming group of recruits but are there one or two you could single out as players to watch early on?
Absolutely. We're extremely excited about our incoming class. It's a big group and a talented group. To compliment Nick [Haas] in goal, we added Max Donoso. Max is a young goalie out of Windsor who had a fantastic minor midget season last year. Max was drafted by the Ottawa 67s in the fifth round, and he’s shown that he’s ready to be a great [goaltending] partner with Nick...we’re excited about where we are in goal. On the back-end, we have a St. Lawrence commit in Jake Lammens. Jake is an extremely gifted skater with an exciting skill set who is still growing into his body. Jake has fantastic mobility, really good vision, and he can play the game with pace. Calum Chau is a defenseman that joins us from the Halton Hurricanes. While undersized, Calum has outstanding hockey sense and smarts. He moves very well and brings a high compete level.
Up front, we have added a number of exciting new players. Cole Eichler played for Don Mills last year. Cole plays a heavy game, likes to shoot the puck, and enjoys going to those high-traffic areas. I believe Cole is ready to come in and have a big impact on our group. Sam Deckhut is another forward that joins us, from San Diego. Sam played for the Jr. Coyotes out in Phoenix, he is someone who brings really strong hockey sense and is going to be a guy who plays very effectively for us in all three zones.
A lot of your guys do split season stuff, is there anything they’re doing fall or spring on campus, playing other sports?
Most of our guys are doing split-season. In terms of some of the different sports they’re playing on campus, we’re a school that has a three-sport athletic commitment so everybody is doing something in all three trimesters. In addition to their work with their fall sport, we’re doing off-ice training and conditioning with our kids, something we do in all three trimesters. In terms of competing in other sports, we have more guys competing at the higher levels in the spring. A fair number of our guys are playing on the lacrosse, baseball, golf or tennis teams.
I’ve talked with a number of other coaches who think that playing another sport at a high level seems to translate back into success on the ice, is that something you’ve noticed?
I believe that as well. I think there’s a lot to be gained and numerous benefits from guys to be playing multiple sports. In terms of skill development and hand-eye coordination, competitiveness, and athletic IQ, I think there are many benefits from playing other sports. I also think it’s healthy to play other sports because oftentimes a player will find himself in a different roles than the one he has on his hockey team. Additionally, I believe exposure to different coaching styles is important as it could be quite different then the hockey coaches that they’re used to. So in terms of growth and development, not only on the physical side, but also the mental and emotional side, all those things can really compliment these talented hockey players as they’re preparing to move on to the college level and beyond.
About recruiting, you always seem to get some good players from Ontario, seems like the Maritimes, and Quebec, obviously America, is there a specific region you focus on or is it wherever you can get good players?
Our emphasis is on finding the right boys and the right families for our program and for our school. We have had some kids from those areas that you’ve mentioned, but really for us it’s trying to identify the right players. The reality is that it ebbs and flows. There are years where we’ll have a number of guys from Ontario and Quebec and some years where that number is down. As with everything in recruiting… every year’s different. We don’t prioritize one area over the other but we certainly have established roots in some areas that have been really helpful for us as a program, but we’re not limiting ourselves to those.
Lastly, going into an interesting season, Kimball Union having now accomplished the New England three-in-a-row run that you did first (at Salisbury)… the opportunity to knock them off as far as making prep hockey history… is that an extra motivator?
That rivalry with Kimball Union is one that has been present for a number of years but certainly has grown with us meeting them in the playoffs, specifically the championship game, the last two years. They’re always on our Flood-Marr schedule, so we’ve had a number of fun and exciting games. It’s been back and forth as far as whose come out on top… so to meet them in the championship game the last two years has been a great opportunity for our guys. Unfortunately for us we’ve ended up on the wrong end the last two years. We have tremendous respect for KUA, Coach Whitehead and his staff and right now they’re the team to beat if you want to be New England champions. It's an exciting rivalry and we're looking forward to playing them this December.
It’s got to be exciting, you were really on top with three in a row and now you have a chance to knock them off…
Yeah, and I think for our guys and us as a staff, that’s out there, you’re aware of it, but I also think it’s important that we keep our focus on us and what we need to do to be the best version of the Salisbury team that we can be. We’re not building a team to beat KUA. We’re trying to build our team to be the best we can be. Our focus is on coming together as a group, playing the way we need to play. If we can be successful in doing that, then we’ve got a chance to hopefully be there at the end. It’s something our guys are certainly aware of but our priority and our focus is on being the best team we can be day one so that we can build over the course of the season so that by the time playoffs roll around, hopefully we’re in the hunt…
Thanks for reading and to Andrew for doing this interview.