UNH Commit Robert Cronin: A Smart, Poised Forward

Robert Cronin
2020 or '21
UNH Commit

"Robert Cronin played Boston Advantage U18 last season and adjusted quickly to Prep. Wins races to pucks, wall battles and goes hard to the net. Can create or compliment. Effective in every area of the ice and all situations. Game is trending upward." Neutral Zone

Robert Cronin Forward, 5'10", 185 lbs. Shoots Right Hometown: Plymouth, Massachusetts DOB: 8-15-2000 Turned 18 in August Neutral Zone Rating: 3.75 out of 5 Stars Current Team: The Gunnery                        ~ Starting Center Commits to UNH: February, 2019 at Age 18 years, 6 months.

2018-19 Highlight Reel

Interview

I had an opportunity to interview Robert Cronin, via email, about his hockey career and commitment to UNH:

Mike Lowry ("C-H-C"): Congratulations on your commitment to play for the University of New Hampshire. What are the main reasons you chose UNH?

Robert Cronin: The moment I stepped on campus and saw the rink I knew I could call this place home for the next four years. Playing in Hockey East has been a dream of mine since I grew up going to games almost every weekend.
After meeting with the coaching staff and hearing their mindset and vision for the UNH hockey program's future was something I wanted to be a part of. Playing college hockey close to home was a big decision factor and to play in front of an atmosphere like one at the Whittemore Center is second to none - an opportunity of a lifetime.

Mike Lowry: What other college programs were you considering? Which schools did you visit and which ones made an offer to you?

Robert Cronin: I received interest from Hockey East and ECAC schools. The programs with the most interest for me at the time, aside from UNH, were Cornell, Providence, Holy Cross, and Brown. UNH was the first school to make an offer and this was where my heart was set on.

Lowry: Have you and the UNH coaches agreed on a target date for you to enroll as a freshman at UNH and join the team?

Cronin: My target date will be determined on when I am ready to play and have success at the college level. Whether it is one or two years of juniors, my target date will be decided when I am ready to make an impact at the collegiate level.

Lowry: At this stage in your hockey development, what are the strengths of your game? What areas are you trying to improve?

Cronin: My main strengths of the game are my cerebral playmaking and my high-level hockey IQ/decision making. I continue to take pride in playing a 200 ft game which I want to continue to develop as I jump from level to level.
My main areas that I am trying to improve on is my strength and skating ability. As the game has grown to the best skaters will have the most success.

Lowry: Last season, you scored 12 goals and 12 assists in 40 games with the Boston Advantage U18 team. So far this season with the Gunnery School, your offensive production has jumped to 18 goals and 33 assists in 27 games. What factors have lead to this dramatic increase on the score sheet?

Cronin: Over the course of the season my confidence has grown tremendously which is allowing me to consistently play at a level that I strive to play at. Now, playing prep hockey, it is essential to develop habits of getting to the net. As I’ve been told by many, “Get to the net, and good things will happen”. Instilling that mindset in myself, I have fortunately seen the fruits of my labor being translated onto the score sheet.

Lowry: You played youth hockey with the Boston Advantage and Boston Junior Bandits near your home in Plymouth, Massachusetts. What were the main reasons you decided to attend prep school in Western Connecticut, a couple hundred miles from home, and play hockey for Gunnery?

Cronin: I felt it was a necessary jump to play prep hockey. After touring The Gunnery and meeting with the coaches, I knew this was exactly where I wanted to play. The distance factor wasn’t that big of an issue as I tried to focus on where I could better develop myself, to strive and be prepared to get to the next level.

Lowry: Do you plan to play in either the United States Hockey League, British Columbia Hockey League, North American Hockey League, or National Collegiate Development Conference before you come to UNH?

Cronin: I’m not 100% sure on what league I will play in next year. My main goal is to play in either the USHL or BCHL as those leagues will help me best in developing my game to be ready for the collegiate level.

Lowry: Do you plan to graduate from the Gunnery School this spring? What are your academic strengths and interests? Have you thought about what you might major in when you enroll at UNH??

Cronin: Yes I plan on graduating from Gunnery in the spring. I am very interested in Business and Economics as those are two courses that interest me. I am looking to major in business at UNH as they have a great business school that will help me in life after hockey.

Neutral Zone Scouting Report

From the Avon Old Farms Christmas Classic, December, 2018

"Cronin played U18 last season, looked very well adjusted for prep hockey. He and Jeffries dominated at times and Cronin was all over the ice and the score sheet here. He is not a true speedster but won almost every puck race. He is not tall or heavy but he won wall battles and was a constant net-front presence for tips and rebounds. He is not overly skilled but he was able to make every play with the puck often in creative but safe manners. Won faceoffs, was strong on the puck and played in every situation. Played with Jeffries who is quite skilled and they really complimented each other well as the best combo at the Classic. Cronin is smart, poised and prepared and that led to his success here. Picked up several points and seemed to make something good happen every shift. Really caught our attention and should have caught the attention of college coaches as well."

Youth Hockey & Prep School Statistics

Player	Season	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM
Robert Cronin  (F)	2018-19	The Gunnery	NE Prep	27	18	33	51	2
		Yale Jr. Bulldogs 18U	Beast Series	9	2	4	6	4
			18U Nationals	-	-	-	-	-
	2017-18	Boston Advantage U18	Tier 1 EHL	25	7	8	15	8
			East Coast HL	15	5	4	9	6
	2016-17	Boston Advantage U16	Tier 1 EHL	32	7	9	16	10
			East Coast EL	8	0	0	0	0
	2015-16	Boston Jr. Bandits 16U	Eastern Junior EPL	18	4	2	6	2
			East Coast EL	10	0	0	0	6