UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

[Greg Ambrose]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

Sorry pal, but using that stupid logic Maine would have 2 more championships (Minnesota and Denver games) and we'd be sitting at 3 titles to your lonely single...lol. And oh yeah, remind me just what a mecca of civilization Doorham is again...***.

I'm not your pal. And I'll give you some news. My niece graduated from Deering High a few years ago. She told me that twice as many kids from her class went to UNH as went to UMO.

[all bear]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

I've actually been to all 4 of those places, so I can tell you that from first hand experience. He11, Never mind Durham - Lawrence and Brockton look like Florence or Vienna compared to BOrono. Maybe if you'd ever left the Bangor area in your lifetime, you'd have seen for yourself.

Actually I travel a lot more than I'd like in my business. Company King Air that seats 10, with all the bells and whistles. Traveling is fun, to a point where it gets tiring. But I get picked up right at General Aviation in Portland and dropped off there just a few minutes from the house, so lifes good when I have to travel. No trains or waiting in security lines for me.

[Snively65]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

I As to whether UNH "wins the big ones" In the post-Snively era we've been to four FF. To get there you have to win big games. In fact, I would dare to say that since the rink opened we have had more "big game" wins than BU (save the miracle games in 2009). UNH beat BU in the "98 regionals (Drury's last game btw), Ayers shut then out in both the HE final and the regional final in '03. Big wins vs. Michigan in '99 regionals (avenging the '98 semis loss), Cornell in the '03 semis (would BU, BC or Maine have beaten Vanek in final, I don't think so). North Dakota, Cornell, Miami in the regionals three years in a row. We didn't advance, true, but where was BU those years?

And, UNH carried a 1-1 tie into the 49th minute of that 2003 NC game.....sigh......

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

And oh yeah, remind me just what a mecca of civilization Doorham is again...***.

Not to pile on or anything, as I do have much love for my UMaine-iac pals from the Downeast ... but I swear if you Google "Things to do in Bangor", the top of the list is a TripAdvisor.com page that lists fourteen (14) "attractions". #3 on the list is a cemetary.

And no, I'm not making that up.

[ClOuD 9]

And oh yeah, remind me just what a mecca of civilization Doorham is again...***.

Portsmouth, population: 21,233
Dover, population: 29,987
45 minutes to ManchVegas
1 hour to Boston

Bangor, population: 33,309
45 minutes gets you no where
1 hour gets you no where

[UNH09]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

1997
----------------
HE Semi:
UNH 4 - Boston College 0 | Win

HE Final:
UNH 2 - Boston University 4 | Loss

NCAA East Regional:
UNH 2 - Colorado College 4 | Loss

1998
----------------
NCAA East Regional:
UNH 7 - Wisconsin 4 | Win
UNH 4 - Boston University 3 | Win

NCAA Semi-Final
UNH 0 - Michigan 4 | Loss

1999
----------------
HE Semi:
UNH 6 - Providence 2 | Win

HE Final:
UNH 4 - Boston College 5 (OT) | Loss

NCAA East Regional:
UNH 2 - Michigan 1 (OT) | Win

NCAA Semi-Final:
UNH 5 - Michigan State 3 | Win

NCAA Championship Game:
UNH 2 - Maine 3 (OT) | Loss

2000
----------------
HE Semi:
UNH 1 - Boston College 2 | Loss

NCAA West Regional:
UNH 1 - Niagara 4 | Loss

2002
----------------
HE Semi:
UNH 4 - UMass Lowell 3 | Win

HE Final:
UNH 3 - Maine 1 | Win

NCAA East Regional:
UNH 4 - Cornell 3 | Win

NCAA Semi-Final
UNH 2 - Maine 7 | Loss

2003
----------------
HE Semi:
UNH 5 - UMass 4 | Win

HE Final:
UNH 1 - Boston University 0 (OT) | Win

NCAA Northeast Regional:
UNH 5 - St. Cloud State 2 | Win
UNH 3 - Boston University 0 | Win

NCAA Semi-Final:
UNH 3 - Cornell 2 | Win

NCAA Championship Game:
UNH 1 - Minnesota 5 | Loss

2004
----------------
HE Semi:
UNH 2 - UMass 5 | Loss

NCAA Northeast Regional:
UNH 1 - Michigan 4 | Loss

2005
----------------
HE Semi:
UNH 5 - Boston University 2 | Win

HE Final:
UNH 1 - Boston College 3 | Loss

NCAA Northeast Regional:
UNH 3 - Harvard 2 (OT) | Win
UNH 2 - Denver 4 | Loss

2006
----------------
HE Semis:
UNH 2 - Boston University 9 | Loss

NCAA East Regional:
UNH 0 - Michigan State 1 | Loss

2007
----------------
HE Semi:
UNH 3 - UMass 2 (OT) | Win

HE Final:
UNH 2 - Boston College 5 | Loss

NCAA Northeast Regional:
UNH 1 - Miami 2 | Loss

2008
----------------
HE Semi:
UNH 4 - Boston College 5 (3 OT) | Loss

NCAA West Regional:
UNH 3 - Notre Dame 7 | Loss

2009
----------------
NCAA Northeast Regional:
UNH 6 - North Dakota 5 (OT) | Win
UNH 1 - Boston University 2 | Loss

2010
----------------
NCAA Northeast Regional:
UNH 6 - Cornell 2 | Win
UNH 2 - RIT 6 | Loss

2011
----------------
Hockey East Semi:
UNH 1 - Merrimack 4 | Loss

NCAA Northeast Regional:
UNH 3 - Miami 1 | Win
UNH 1 - Notre Dame 2 | Loss

I wasn't depressed until I had to relive all these games

[Umileated]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

And just for fun, its recently ironic that the 200x100 sheet is referred to as "Olympic", when the 2010 Olympics were played on a standard NHL sheet.. (Actually, "International" is the official nomenclature I believe).

I believe that's the first time that's happened. Rather than building a new rink for the games, Vancouver 'borrowed' the Canucks rink. Thus NHL spec.

[carltonbarrett]

How in hell would you know, you were born and brought up in a train station phercrissakes.

I've actually been to all 4 of those places, so I can tell you that from first hand experience. He11, Never mind Durham - Lawrence and Brockton look like Florence or Vienna compared to BOrono. Maybe if you'd ever left the Bangor area in your lifetime, you'd have seen for yourself.

[all bear]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

Durham might not have much, but it's like Paris or Milan compared to BOrono.

How in hell would you know, you were born and brought up in a train station phercrissakes.

[carltonbarrett]

Sorry pal, but using that stupid logic Maine would have 2 more championships (Minnesota and Denver games) and we'd be sitting at 3 titles to your lonely single...lol. And oh yeah, remind me just what a mecca of civilization Doorham is again...***.

Durham might not have much, but it's like Paris or Milan compared to BOrono.

[all bear]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

As for Maine, for the knob of Alfie's stick we'd have the same number of championships without the stain of SW and without having to admit that our school is in freakin' Orono, 10 miles from freakin' Bangor (home of the slots parlor and not much else).

Sorry pal, but using that stupid logic Maine would have 2 more championships (Minnesota and Denver games) and we'd be sitting at 3 titles to your lonely single...lol. And oh yeah, remind me just what a mecca of civilization Doorham is again...***.

[bakchk20]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

So is creativity with the puck and ability to see scoring areas. The 1995-2004 teams had the benefit of Krog (2nd in BCHL scoring), Mowers (led USHL in goals), Bogi (led US U18 team in scoring), Haydar (set OJHL goal scoring record), Colin H (9th in BCHL scoring) and Brett H (7th in BCHL scoring).

Today's team has no player who finished in the top 40 in USHL scoring, or the top 10 in BCHL scoring, and only one made the US Select team (Henrion). [Think about that and let it sink in]. Frankly, Umile has done a great job motivating this pile of talent to have the intensity to resemble a top 20 team.

Somehow I think making the rink smaller isn't the issue.

[I am not counting the impressive achievement that EACH time UNH has actually gotten commitments from that type of talent, they have not come. The USHL's top 15 scorer (Vecchione), The BCHL's top d and top 10 scorer (Laleggia), the USHL's Top Forward (Matt White) and the Select 17 and 18 top scorer (Bourque) and BCHL #11 scorer (Cam Reid)]

I hear ya and agree that talent overcomes a lot of other variables. On that front, you've got McCloskey leaving recruiting, and then the recruiting restrictions than landed from the mass email caper, both of which hurt and still haven't recovered from. There are comparative facility shortcomings vis a vis, player lounge and weight rooms. A virtual cast of variables to argue/fix.

But to extend my rant...
I believe these below are the Oly sheets in D-1. Of that group, only 1 school has won national titles with home ice being the big sheet -- MN -- twice. MN has 3 other titles on a smaller sheet, and CC's 2 championships occurred before most of us here were born. That's it.

Colorado College - World Arena
Minnesota - Marriuci Arena
Alaska Anchorage - Sullivan Arena
St. Cloud State - National Hockey Center
Minnesota State - Alltel Center
New Hampshire - Whittemore Center
Alaska Fairbanks - Carlson Center
Northern Michigan - Berry Events Center

Now, could you randomly pull 8 other schools out of the D-1 hat (all with NHL sheets) and get the same result? Absolutely. But still, just sayin'... it's one of the variables that complicates the picture getting to the end-game (literally), especially at the end of the year when you don't even breathe on the Oly sheet down the crucial stretch. Now, give me 3 more beers, and I'll swear on a Bible there's a correlation here!

And just for fun, its recently ironic that the 200x100 sheet is referred to as "Olympic", when the 2010 Olympics were played on a standard NHL sheet.. (Actually, "International" is the official nomenclature I believe).

[sonar]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

I find this thread kind of amusing. Is it the players, is it the rink, is it the coach? All I can tell you is that from the time the Whit opened until a couple of years ago, UNH won the vast majority of their games at the Whit. I think the winning percentage was something like .850.Things have dropped off the last couple of years, not because of the rink, but because the talent level has dropped off, and precipitously. The last two senior classes, talent wise, have been god awful. I dare say that none of the forwards on the last two teams would have been better than third line back in the Mowers/Krog days.

As to whether UNH "wins the big ones" In the post-Snively era we've been to four FF. To get there you have to win big games. In fact, I would dare to say that since the rink opened we have had more "big game" wins than BU (save the miracle games in 2009). UNH beat BU in the "98 regionals (Drury's last game btw), Ayers shut then out in both the HE final and the regional final in '03. Big wins vs. Michigan in '99 regionals (avenging the '98 semis loss), Cornell in the '03 semis (would BU, BC or Maine have beaten Vanek in final, I don't think so). North Dakota, Cornell, Miami in the regionals three years in a row. We didn't advance, true, but where was BU those years?

The point I'm trying to make is, okay, we are not as good as BC (for the last 15 years) and Maine (back then but not now). So what school has BC's record? They've been in the FF something like 10 times in the last 15 years, won four championships. No team in history, even Michigan and Denver back in the '50's can match that. As for Maine, for the knob of Alfie's stick we'd have the same number of championships without the stain of SW and without having to admit that our school is in freakin' Orono, 10 miles from freakin' Bangor (home of the slots parlor and not much else).

One other point. UNH's first D! season was '67-'68. UNH hired Rube Bjorkman from North Dakota to be the coach, replacing the legendary Whoop (as in the arena) Snively. Rube had two good seasons, but he left to go back to the midwest and was replaced by Charlie Holt. Charlie admitted that Rube left him some pretty good players and, as a result, they had good seasons in the '69'-70 and '70-'71 before finally making the playoffs in "71-'72. Won't bore you with the details but Charlie had a good run for 15 years. Lot of great players, lot of great times. Just ask Zoofer.

Hard to believe but I agree with a lot of your post. I saw my first UNH game at Snively in the Fall of 1967 .... been a STH ever since. Rube left UNH and went to North Dakota and had some good years. I respected Holt (by the way his grandson does a great job as the Assistant Coach on my grand-daughter's Oyster River High School hockey team) and yes he had great players but the painful loses are extremely hard to forget .... and somehow do not balance out the great times.

I also agree that Vanek was a man amongst the boys and certainly stood in the way of UNH's chances at their 1st NC.

So why has the talent level dropped off as much as it has at UNH .... I mean Providence brings in a new coach - they skate 10 or 11 freshman and almost won HE .... how did he find the talent?

[Greg Ambrose]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

I find this thread kind of amusing. Is it the players, is it the rink, is it the coach? All I can tell you is that from the time the Whit opened until a couple of years ago, UNH won the vast majority of their games at the Whit. I think the winning percentage was something like .850.Things have dropped off the last couple of years, not because of the rink, but because the talent level has dropped off, and precipitously. The last two senior classes, talent wise, have been god awful. I dare say that none of the forwards on the last two teams would have been better than third line back in the Mowers/Krog days.

As to whether UNH "wins the big ones" In the post-Snively era we've been to four FF. To get there you have to win big games. In fact, I would dare to say that since the rink opened we have had more "big game" wins than BU (save the miracle games in 2009). UNH beat BU in the "98 regionals (Drury's last game btw), Ayers shut then out in both the HE final and the regional final in '03. Big wins vs. Michigan in '99 regionals (avenging the '98 semis loss), Cornell in the '03 semis (would BU, BC or Maine have beaten Vanek in final, I don't think so). North Dakota, Cornell, Miami in the regionals three years in a row. We didn't advance, true, but where was BU those years?

The point I'm trying to make is, okay, we are not as good as BC (for the last 15 years) and Maine (back then but not now). So what school has BC's record? They've been in the FF something like 10 times in the last 15 years, won four championships. No team in history, even Michigan and Denver back in the '50's can match that. As for Maine, for the knob of Alfie's stick we'd have the same number of championships without the stain of SW and without having to admit that our school is in freakin' Orono, 10 miles from freakin' Bangor (home of the slots parlor and not much else).

One other point. UNH's first D! season was '67-'68. UNH hired Rube Bjorkman from North Dakota to be the coach, replacing the legendary Whoop (as in the arena) Snively. Rube had two good seasons, but he left to go back to the midwest and was replaced by Charlie Holt. Charlie admitted that Rube left him some pretty good players and, as a result, they had good seasons in the '69'-70 and '70-'71 before finally making the playoffs in "71-'72. Won't bore you with the details but Charlie had a good run for 15 years. Lot of great players, lot of great times. Just ask Zoofer.

[Snively65]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Season Thread

Hey, Nick, how about a thank you post for all of the intel?