UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

[ClOuD 9]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

Now this is just getting funny and pathetic. I wonder if there is a restraining order out?

It rubs the lotion on it's skin or else it plays a year of Juniors again...
PUT THE ****ING LOTION IN THE BASKET!

[ClOuD 9]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

Link for the Northeastern video stream of tonight's game: http://client.stretchinternet.com/cl...astType=video#

Hopefully works better than when we were down there earlier this season, crapped out after about a period then.

[GoUNH]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

Not exactly a dominating win (vs. NU) but we'll take it. I say 'Cats win at home tomorrow as well.

[The Earl of Bodine]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

What did NU do at 20:00 of the 3rd period Friday night to warrant a 2 minute bench minor?

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

"UNH Handles Northeastern 3-1"

Tonight's a big opportunity for UNH to put some distance between them and Merrimack in the battle for home ice.

[Snively65]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

"UNH Handles Northeastern 3-1"

Tonight's a big opportunity for UNH to put some distance between them and Merrimack in the battle for home ice.

Thanks for the summary, C-H-C. I had hoped to attend, but still fighting a bad head cold, so stayed in Waltham. Seems from the attendance figures that NU is still on winter break?

It occurs to me that 48 shots is lot to give up, even if most were the low-percentage variety. Good that DeSmith was on his game when needed.

Three games against the same team in nine days is a scheduling absurdity during the regular season, but the Cats really need to win this series against Mac.

[WildShawn]

Thanks for the summary, C-H-C. I had hoped to attend, but still fighting a bad head cold, so stayed in Waltham. Seems from the attendance figures that NU is still on winter break?

It occurs to me that 48 shots is lot to give up, even if most were the low-percentage variety. Good that DeSmith was on his game when needed.

Three games against the same team in nine days is a scheduling absurdity during the regular season, but the Cats really need to win this series against Mac.

Merrimack played Maine three times in a row in eight days, right before playing the 'cats. Both oddly scheduled

[Snively65]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

Merrimack played Maine three times in a row in eight days, right before playing the 'cats. Both oddly scheduled

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?

[UNH09]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

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?

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

[wildcatdc]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

Greetings from Brazil. What the hell happened last night?

UNH09, good to see another DC'er, BTW

[Darius]

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.

[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?

[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.

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

"Merrimack's Marotta Stymies UNH"

[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.