2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

[TopShelf999]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

big weekend for the cats..maybe they can pick up some momentum if they can beat Maine Sat. night

[sterlippo1]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

glad for you guys with the successful weekend, good luck going forward. HE is better off and more interesting, at least for me ,with UNH on their game

[SteveF]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

i have no idea what this is for. but i'm sure someone here will get a kick out of it

http://www.youtube.com/embed/S7pZAzDGSPU

[Nifty16]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

big weekend for the cats..maybe they can pick up some momentum if they can beat Maine Sat. night

Have to worry about UMass first, can't over look any team

[JB]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

i have no idea what this is for. but i'm sure someone here will get a kick out of it

http://www.youtube.com/embed/S7pZAzDGSPU

That is strange.

[TopShelf999]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

Have to worry about UMass first, can't over look any team

I wasn't looking over UMass, just saying that if you could beat your rival maine saturday night it would give the team some momentum going forward.

[UNHhockey29]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

I wasn't looking over UMass, just saying that if you could beat your rival maine saturday night it would give the team some momentum going forward.

Any wins right now will give us momentum going forward. I'll take anything I can get right now.

[GoUNH]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

Big weekend. Im looking forward to it.

[JB]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

Some general thoughts as this thread is dead.

I like the growth I have seen so far in this team - goal differential by game -5, -4, -4, -2, 0, 1, 3 now I don't expect that series to keep going but it is clearly growth.

I like that Umile has played the kids. I think he had too, thankfully he wasn't too stubborn.

I think the holes in the top 2 classes are pretty clear and this team will need major contributions from the "kids".

Loved the power play in the 3rd period and actually the score was the frosting on the cake. That goal mouth back door feed was the 4th (maybe 5th) "set play" with options they ran on that one PP. My typical complaint about the UNH PP the past few years has been standing around and robotic passing with no attempt to disturb the box and create better chances. Other teams PK units were happy to sit in a box and let UNH blast from the outside with no screens or cutters for rebound chances. Well during that 3rd period PP there was a ton of movement: players rotating positions, sliding in and out of the slot, backside D cutting to the net, guys attaching the box and net with the puck from goal line and/or half wing with triangles for multiple options. That one PP was the reverse of what I grumble about and generated a bunch of grade A chances finally putting the puck home.

TvR has a chance to be a fantastic offensive D-man. His skills in the D-zone still need some polish but in the O-zone he is really confident. Don't remember if Fri or Sat night he got the puck up top man went down to block the shot. Instead of driving the puck into him TvR pulled it back toward the blue line, held it and waited till the guy started to get back up and snapped it under him. That is confidence with the puck on his stick.

I also like Thrush he is one of those guy you hate to play against, quick, fast, hardworking and looks to take the body. 3 assists in 5 games. Be nice if the scoring continues to develop but a nice set of tools to work with and fun to watch on the ice.

Team looked tight against Union and man did they need that win. Looked like a completely different group on Saturday.

As a team very good on the boards against NU, it will be interesting to see if that is an aberration or a trend with this UNH group.

For NU Pimm had some impressive moves with the puck on his stick. One was a really nice shot from a strange position. Didn't get a goal but caught the goalie by surprise.

Don't know what this UNH squad will do but they just made the season a little more interesting. It will be interesting to see if/how they continue to grow.

[C-H-C]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

Loved the power play in the 3rd period and actually the score was the frosting on the cake. That goal mouth back door feed was the 4th (maybe 5th) "set play" with options they ran on that one PP. My typical complaint about the UNH PP the past few years has been standing around and robotic passing with no attempt to disturb the box and create better chances. Other teams PK units were happy to sit in a box and let UNH blast from the outside with no screens or cutters for rebound chances. Well during that 3rd period PP there was a ton of movement: players rotating positions, sliding in and out of the slot, backside D cutting to the net, guys attaching the box and net with the puck from goal line and/or half wing with triangles for multiple options. That one PP was the reverse of what I grumble about and generated a bunch of grade A chances finally putting the puck home.

It would be interesting to find out if Coach Tortorella has contributed to some of these set plays and the apparent change in the character of the power play. Historically, I think the power play unit has been under Coach Borek's direction. Although, Tortorella reportedly has primary responsibility for the defense, his experience as a head coach at Colby must have included directing the power play.

TvR has a chance to be a fantastic offensive D-man. His skills in the D-zone still need some polish but in the O-zone he is really confident. Don't remember if Fri or Sat night he got the puck up top man went down to block the shot. Instead of driving the puck into him TvR pulled it back toward the blue line, held it and waited till the guy started to get back up and snapped it under him. That is confidence with the puck on his stick.

After the first game against BU, TVR was singled out for criticism by Meloni on College Hockey News for being "green." That assessment may have missed the mark. Then and now, he looks pretty mature to me.

I also like Thrush he is one of those guy you hate to play against, quick, fast, hardworking and looks to take the body. 3 assists in 5 games. Be nice if the scoring continues to develop but a nice set of tools to work with and fun to watch on the ice.

In retrospect, it looks like Casey Thrush was "ready" to make the jump to college hockey after one year in the USHL.

[JB]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

After the first game against BU, TVR was singled out for criticism by Meloni on College Hockey News for being "green." That assessment may have missed the mark. Then and now, he looks pretty mature to me.

I don't know I read that article too. I do see the "green" aspects of TvR particular in the D zone. There is a giant pile of raw tallent to work with but he definately has plenty of room to improve his game. Right now he is best with the puck on his stick, his skills there are unmistakable. There is a reason he is a freshman D on the PP when Umile doesn't like giving underclassmen those types of roles. He is just that good offensively when compared to the other D-men, so good Umile just can't sit him.

[C-H-C]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

I don't know I read that article too. I do see the "green" aspects of TvR particular in the D zone. There is a giant pile of raw tallent to work with but he definately has plenty of room to improve his game.

A fair point - though I thought Meloni went out of his way to single out van Riemsdyk after his first college hockey game. I saw that game at Agganis and, to varying degrees, every UNH defenseman other than Kipp looked "green" at times. Criticizing the brother of James van Riemsdyk after 1 game probably was a useful technique for attracting attention to the article.

[Drew S.]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

Does anyone have an extra ticket for Saturday's game? I'd get one off of ticketmaster but $80 seems a bit ridiculous. Thanks.

[unhpuckfan2001]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

Does anyone have an extra ticket for Saturday's game? I'd get one off of ticketmaster but $80 seems a bit ridiculous. Thanks.

Go to UNH's website, you have to buy a ticket for the Friday night game too. It's $50 total.

Although honestly, if you wait until Thursday of a Maine @ UNH weekend, you're gonna end up paying through the nose. The games has been sold out for weeks.

[Darius]

Re: 2011-2012 UNH Wildcats

White Out The Whitt: http://vimeo.com/19991107