UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

[UNHSince1969]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

Thank God we don't have to play those bums again any time soon. They kill one's Strength of Schedule!

[ClOuD 9]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

Mordor ... Like the reference, but it seems Sauron has fallen on some hard times this year.

How the hell did they get an HD scoreboard in there without collapsing the walls of Mt. Doom?
*****http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8e/Mount_Doom.jpg/315px-Mount_Doom.jpg***********http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4115/4851334224_a4ed95c54d_n.jpg******

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

"UNH Shuts Out Maine 4-0"

[sonar]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

DeSmith continues to make his way to the upper echelons of NCAA goaltenders. As of today he has the following .947 1.5421. Good for 7th place. The defensive corps is helping him but I think even they will admit he has made some key saves at the right moment.

[zoofer]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

Sorry to be late to the conversation but why the question about the fish and arrows in Snively's ceiling? I know why I put one of them up there, but curious about the question now....also who said there were 3? and where was it placed and why? just curious...do you know the years the first 2 were put up?

[Snively65]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

Sorry to be late to the conversation but why the question about the fish and arrows in Snively's ceiling? I know why I put one of them up there, but curious about the question now....also who said there were 3? and where was it placed and why? just curious...do you know the years the first 2 were put up?

I seem to remember that there were three arrows in the Snively ceiling, but I do not remember who, where, when, what, or why.

[Scott]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

I seem to remember that there were three arrows in the Snively ceiling, but I do not remember who, where, when, what, or why.

Just a stab in the dark (no pun intended )....didn't the Archery Club practice in Snively until it was time to put ice down for hockey practice?

(Source: My lovely wife, who started going to games at Snively at the tender age of 5)

[sonar]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

Back in the day when they actually had "physical education" classes in Snively when the ice was out .... some arrows "accidentally" wound up embedded in the ceiling.

[ClOuD 9]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

Maybe it costs too much?

Surely there is an engineering student or otherwise tech-savvy kid somewhere on campus looking for some extra credit.

[zoofer]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

The story as I was told and lived goes as this.....for those that remember UNH first made it ti the Garden in 72 I believe, as I was not there yet, then as we lost to RPI, Cornell and Harvard in successive quarterfinal matches, all of which I was there for....so as there was an arrow over the zamboni end blue line, which I was told was put there as we had made the 72 trip....what we were going for was to break the superstition that had cost us the 3 quarterfinal losses due to said arrow! Hockey players superstitious, nah.....so I and a couple of of teammates decided to counter balance the effect of the other arrow precisely equal to where the first one was, therefore on our home end blue line about 25* off the zenith or about 10 o'clock to the noon clock....you get the idea....and as we all know when the puck shot by Lumley from the right point went off Mike Mastrullo's skate into the Brown net, UNH went to the garden in 77! I no nothing of a third arrow but would love to know if there was one......

[zoofer]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

Sorry Scott but as far as I know, the Archery club had no play in this.....

[Verkligen]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

Feeling another win at home? Will the kids toss a fish? Will the band play the goal song? So many questions...

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

Another solid win, and another shutout for DeSmith - his 3rd in the last 4 games. 6-1-1 eight games in, 4-1-1 in the conference, Austin Block scoring for fun (honestly, who saw that coming??). Perfect record at home ... but only 1-1-1 on the road, with all three of those games against teams in the lower half of the Hockey East standings. Next four games coming up are all on the road, and all against Top 20 ranked opponents, including a UMass Lowell team that is due to break out shortly against someone. You don't win league OR national titles in November, no doubt, but I think this next couple of weeks may really give us all a better idea about what this UNH team will be all about. It's been a pleasant surprise so far, and the 'Cats are an OT goal allowed away from being unbeaten, but we've all seen this movie before. If this team can find its way to the 10 win mark by the time winter break arrives, with seven games to get there, I think we'd all have to admit to being pretty happy about that. Not sure this is ever a Frozen Four team, and it's doubtful anyone besides DeSmith gets consideration for any individual awards, but I'm liking what I'm seeing back on the blueline this year. Fingers admittedly crossed , and let's see how this stretch of road games go.

[sterlippo1]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

11 GA in 8 games is impressive and not against chopped liver opponents albeit with a friendly home tilted schedule so far .........killer 4 game road trip coming up will at least tell you something even though its november, i think

[JB]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

Thoughts on the UVM game and season so far (it is still early)...

First the goalie is #2 star with a shutout and a forward scoring goals 3 & 4 in a 4-0 win is the #1 star. How often in a shutout is the goalie not the #1 star? If he isn't it is a 1-0 game and the goal scorer did something mind boggling... or... it is the easiest shutout for the goalie I think I have ever seen. UNH's D both the 6 on the back end and the team as a whole played a fantastic game. UVM may be offensively challenged, but I am not sure DeSmith even had a "signature" save in the shutout. There had to be at least one time during the game UVM got a second shot on a rebound but I don't remember it. Now I am not taking anything away from DeSmith, he played a solid game, did his job and well. Most rebounds were pushed out of harm’s way but the couple that weren't, were picked up by the D and moved safely away. DeSmith really only had to play square and make a solid first save. DeSmith has played very well this year, sometimes spectacular, this game he didn't have to the rest of the team played that well in zone (doesn’t hurt that Vermont can’t score anyway).

Now for the D, I really like this group of 6. I think a very strong case can be made this is UNH's best back end ever; I don’t think it is even close. UVM trapped in center ice for chunks of this game. That usual gives UNH fits. Typically UNH’s D doesn't like carrying the puck and the passes aren’t crisp enough to break through. So far this year the trap is ineffective against UNH. I don't remember a time this year that UNH has had a "live hand grenade moment". You all know what I am talking about, when the D act like the puck is a grenade with the pin pulled... anywhere but on my stick! The group is playing with confidence and the puck is behaving: TVR always happy with it on his stick, Knodel who at least 4-5 times had a hot puck come to him and just stick to his back hand, Pesce who seems to play the puck with his feet as deftly as his stick... Only one that doesn't seem to enjoy the puck on his stick is Kostolansky. I think they are self-aware, Knodel knows he is slow so he stays in position to minimize that issue etc.

The forwards on this team still scare me. They are doing a great job, winning on the boards, staking hard, going to the front of the net, backchecking like crazy, and responsible in zone. Workmen like group nobody is a prima dona and it is fun to watch. What scares me, who is the sniper? Who is going to score a goal in the tough game? Downing is showing signs and the shorty was well placed. Love the group overall, the depth is nice as it drives them all to play hard or you sit. But the lack of a true scorer is where I am concerned.

1-1-1 on the road, scoring less than 2 a game, and most of those goals at an underwhelming Maine. At home it is 4.25 gpg. These next 4 against a surprisingly underperforming Lowell, BU then at altitude in Colorado should be telling. After this trip UNH only has a 2 game trip at Christmas and the 3 game late year league stretch to see how they really play extended time away from home (everything else is just 1 game away then right back). Everybody knows this team needs to learn to play well (that is score goals) away from the Whitt to do anything on the real list of wants. The toughest of the next 4 will be at Denver, who is playing well and the second night at altitude, the forward depth that they have been building will need to come in handy to win that one.

Finally the constant fear is there another gear for later in the year.