UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

[UNHhockey29]

You would think Hockey East would move this game to another day. They are saying we are going to be getting at least a foot of snow on the north side of Providence. The Providence Bruins have
already moved their Friday night game to Monday.

It's apparently providence's call. And UNH's team is headed down tomorrow. Looking like they'll play but still hoping it gets moved.

[The Zlax45]

You would think Hockey East would move this game to another day. They are saying we are going to be getting at least a foot of snow on the north side of Providence. The Providence Bruins have
already moved their Friday night game to Monday.

Agreed, it would be a terrible black eye if a ref or an official got injured heading to the game

[steven22]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

I'm really hoping hockey east does the safe thing and postpone. Otherwise I'm leaving super early for this game.

You would think Hockey East would move this game to another day. They are saying we are going to be getting at least a foot of snow on the north side of Providence. The Providence Bruins have
already moved their Friday night game to Monday.

[UNHhockey29]

PC beat writer Mark Divver tweeted the following out about the game....

I'm told not to expect any news on whether Friday night's UNH @ PC game will be played til tomorrow at the earliest. Right now it's game on

I'm really hoping hockey east does the safe thing and postpone. Otherwise I'm leaving super early for this game.

[The Zlax45]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

Not when the team is going down on Thursday

PC beat writer Mark Divver tweeted the following out about the game....

I'm told not to expect any news on whether Friday night's UNH @ PC game will be played til tomorrow at the earliest. Right now it's game on

[Snively65]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

I know it's just two games, but I didn't like what I saw this weekend. Back-to-back home losses (at the Whitt) against Providence and Merrimack just doesn't sit well, especially at this point of the season. Hope to see them bounce back this weekend with a home-and-home against Merrimack and pray they're not looking ahead to Boston College the following weekend at Chestnut Hill.

Good analysis. But home-and-home this weekend is against Providence. I cannot imagine why the Cats would look ahead of the Friars, having been humiliated by them three weekends ago. I think that this weekend pretty much determines whether the Cats have shot at maintaining a position for home ice in Hockey East post-season, and just a win and a tie might not cut it either.

[UNHhockey29]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

Gotta think there is a pretty good shot that Friday's game will end up being played on Saturday.

Not when the team is going down on Thursday

[Felger]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

Is there a particular reason UNH and Providence play the Friday/Sunday combo other than the TV concession? And if Sunday afternoons are good tv slots post football season, HEA might take advantage next year with the "tougher" bus trips that teams will have to endure.

Gotta think there is a pretty good shot that Friday's game will end up being played on Saturday.

[UNH09]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

Is there a particular reason UNH and Providence play the Friday/Sunday combo other than the TV concession? And if Sunday afternoons are good tv slots post football season, HEA might take advantage next year with the "tougher" bus trips that teams will have to endure.

[WarriorDJ]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

Sitting at the end of the reviewed non-goal, it looked good, my instant reaction was looking at the referee who was not signaling goal. Can anyone explain why we were charged a time out? I assume it was because we asked for the review, but I don’t recall a team being charged a time out before, perhaps because most replays are called for by the referee.

This is actually a brand new NCAA rule that was instituted as part of the 2012-13 rule changes. See here: http://s3.amazonaws.com/ncaa/web_vid...ulesVideo.html

I was at the game too, and had no idea the play in question was identified as a "coach's challenge". But here is a good breakdown of what took place: http://themackreport.com/umile-unh-l...esting-review/

[oldwildcat]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

For me, not seeing or listening to Friday’s win made Saturday’s loss seem worse than it was. Excerpts from Al Pike’s Daily Democrat article summarize it well:

"I think we made a few mistakes that ended up in the back of our net," said senior forward Austin Block. "We could have done that better. We're not perfect. It wasn't lack of effort, that's for sure. I don't think anyone's discouraged. It's frustrating but it's just one of those things you have to put behind you. Next weekend's going to be tough (against Providence). We've got to get focused on that."

“I thought we played pretty good,” said junior forward Dalton Speelman. "Consistency and momentum are key, but we worked hard. We put up 50 shots. That's pretty good shooting in a game. We're playing pretty well, we've just got to figure out a way to get the puck in the back of the net."

"We had a ton of chances," Block said. "A few questionable penalties hurt us. Their goalie played well and we didn't find a way to get it past him."

Speelman had a couple of quality scoring chances in the second period but came up empty. One of his attempts labeled for the top right corner was reviewed, but ruled no goal.

Speelman had another opportunity with 16.3 seconds left in the period with UNH on a power play. He was denied by Marotta from in tight as he was being taken down by a Merrimack defender. No penalty was called on the play. "It's definitely frustrating," Speelman said. "We didn't take away the goalies eyes as well as we should have maybe."

"Marotta played a very good game," Umile said. "Some shots I believe he didn't see, but he was in position to make the save."

"It's just disappointing," Umile said, "because I thought the guys played hard and have nothing to show for it. It's a missed opportunity by us.

A lack of true snipers/goal scorers, poor timing (Henrion’s penalty just after the goal review, last Friday’s first minute/last minute goals against) and an inability to seize “championship” moments are a problem. We could be tied for first place with a game in hand, but are instead facing a weekend against a team we recently lost to that could put us temporarily out of home ice for the playoffs. On the plus side we have league parity going for us.

Sorkin needs to be given a hard look. One must assume his injury won’t heal faster with rest and won’t worsen by playing. A fan next to me commented that he seems to be playing one handed. Is he better at less than 100% than Gaudreault or Macdonald at full strength?

Sitting at the end of the reviewed non-goal, it looked good, my instant reaction was looking at the referee who was not signaling goal. Can anyone explain why we were charged a time out? I assume it was because we asked for the review, but I don’t recall a team being charged a time out before, perhaps because most replays are called for by the referee.

Speelman should have gotten a call. His break away was a stride from warranting a penalty shot.

I gotta say that Merrimack played an excellent defensive game Saturday night, gave us no time or room. We on the other hand gave them all kinds of time and room. We did not lay a single halfway decent body check on them all freakin night. Not one. Gliding with the opponent gently into the boards does not send a message in the same way as the slamming checks we laid on BC. And after the BC game I thought now the Cats had a template on which to model the rest of the season. Why they tossed it out the window is beyond me.

[Piels25]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

First post in a long time from this guy....here goes.

While I appreciate the game reviews from C-H-C, I think they have to be taken with a grain of salt as they are clearly taken through "blue-colored" glasses if you will. Having been at both games Friday and Saturday, I don't think the 'Cats played nearly as well on Friday as the blog would indicate, and much of their poor defensive zone play that they got away with vs. NU at Matthews came back to bite them on Saturday vs. Merrimack.

UNH was bad all weekend, borderline awful, in their own defensive zone....witness the 47 shots that NU had Friday night. Many of those were a result of UNH defensemen trying to do too much with the puck individually, not making the easy pass, or just failing to clear. Some credit goes to the NU forecheck, but UNH shot themselves in the foot many times. While Merrimack did not have nearly as many shots on Saturday, it was a similar story. Case in point - late in the 1st period Goumas has plenty of time to make a breakout pass up the left wing or clear the puck, instead takes too much time, gets his pocket picked, and takes a bad hooking call as a result. Merrimack did not capitalize on that PP, but that turnover and penalty was the Wildcats weekend in a nutshell.

As I said, UNH was able to make up for the poor defensive play on Friday with some timely goals and a strong effort from DeSmith, but they did not dominate NU, and it was clearly the opposite on Saturday. I can't fault DeSmith for the loss as the UNH defense just hung him out too many times. Lack of scoring has suddenly become a problem for the Wildcats, as Darien pointed out - too many chances went begging on Saturday, and if they can't right the ship defensively they are going to need a lot of 4, 5, and 6 goal games down the stretch.

I know it's just two games, but I didn't like what I saw this weekend. Back-to-back home losses (at the Whitt) against Providence and Merrimack just doesn't sit well, especially at this point of the season. Hope to see them bounce back this weekend with a home-and-home against Merrimack and pray they're not looking ahead to Boston College the following weekend at Chestnut Hill.

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

"Merrimack's Marotta Stymies UNH"

[UNHhockey29]

I realize that the Bean Pot this week and next complicates scheduling, but how hard could it be to avoid having UNH, Maine, and especially Merrimack playing such ridiculous schedules?

Doesn't matter much as next year will be completely different. Not a fan of just 2 games.

[Snively65]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

Why does the Beanpot complicate scheduling, other than force three teams to have 1 league game this weekend?

Actually, two weekends. But, that is my point, how hard can it be to schedule the other seven teams around the bean pot weekends without teams playing all three of their games against one another in nine days?