UNH Wildcats 2021/2022 - Return of the Champions of October?

[After the Whistle]

But of course, if it isn’t working why fix it? Huh! Is that why we don’t respond with changes between
periods either?
Correction for Chuck, I actually think more positively about the skill level of this team than most. As coach noted, if you don’t score you can’t win. Great quote! So scoring is a problem, but it can certainly be addressed and improved. One GIANT issue to me about all of our teams post Casey D. is less than ideal goal tending. Everyone rightly talks about our past goal scorers and we have had many. But if you start games down2 after 10 minutes with no coaching and no one to help you see a way out you may not have the attitude necessary to turn it around. “ Damn we cannot score, are down2 and it doesn’t feel good.”
we have continued to be on a downward trajectory since CS. Yes we have had a few very decent scores but our GA has slide down a very slippery slop and the scoring has not kept up with that ever widening gap.

[Dan]

Recognizing the limited options to move things around, I am surprised Cafarelli hasn't gotten game action. He at least offers offensive skills (40 points in 42 BCHL games as an 18 yo), and would seem to be Souza's type of player (Austin Prep, North suburbs, etc). That he and Richels are DNPs, and Gendron has regressed, really decimates the sophomore class (only Luke Reid and Nikolai Jensen) Hard to rebuild when the newer recruited classes are non-competitive.

Interesting tangent to the Devlin/Speed conversation - the game is about putting pucks in the net, not being fast/tenacious. Devlin has never been a scorer. Richels and Cafarelli have their limitations but they've always been producers. Its coaches looking at the wrong things or being afraid of certain limitations, when the limitation to avoid is top-line forwards who can't score or create...

I was younger, maybe my memory is off - but I remember some pretty shaky 'skaters' scoring a lot of goals and earning AA honors for UNH. Recruit production. Play production. If you can't score in prep or juniors, youre not going to suddenly start scoring in college (unless youre flanked by AA's).

There's a difference between simply fast - and a guy like Willows, who was fast and scored a ton in HS and JRs. My kingdom for mediocre skaters who score like Bekar, Hemingway, JVR, Niklaus or slower skating production from guys like Haydar & Krog...

They players getting run aren't scoring goals and they're not preventing goals. So give me more Richels, Cafarelli, Margel, etc - guys who have scored. They at least deserve the shot, the status quo certainly isn't working...

[Dan]

I actually think more positively about the skill level of this team than most. As coach noted, if you don’t score you can’t win. Great quote! So scoring is a problem, but it can certainly be addressed and improved. One GIANT issue to me about all of our teams post Casey D. is less than ideal goal tending. Everyone rightly talks about our past goal scorers and we have had many. But if you start games down2 after 10 minutes with no coaching and no one to help you see a way out you may not have the attitude necessary to turn it around. “ Damn we cannot score, are down2 and it doesn’t feel good.”
we have continued to be on a downward trajectory since CS. Yes we have had a few very decent scores but our GA has slide down a very slippery slop and the scoring has not kept up with that ever widening gap.

Souza has raised the level of bottom six forward on the team - but they can’t score because they’ve never scored. Again, if they can’t score pre-college why would you - a coaching staff - ever believe they would when they arrive in Durham...

Watching the goals from last weekend I’d have a hard time blaming the goalies - open guys, open nets, clean looks, second and third chances.

DeSmith was a great goalie but he played in some very solid teams - bad teams create bad goaltenders. Send Robinson to Minnesota State and you’d think he was a completely different player...

Im not seeing the goalies giving up cheapies - though they certainly haven’t been stealing saves either. But that’s recruiting...

[Chuck Murray]

DeSmith was a great goalie but he played in some very solid teams - bad teams create bad goaltenders. Send Robinson to Minnesota State and you'd think he was a completely different player...

Wonder why the San Jose front office never put a bug in MR's ear to follow that advice ... ;-)

[Dan]

Wonder why the San Jose front office never put a bug in MR's ear to follow that advice ... ;-)

Robinson should have thought about it, that's for sure. Not sure why San Jose would care (which sort of proves the point) - his talent is his talent. I'm not going to argue about what kind of goalie he is variables aside, but his environment effects his production 100%.

Fessenden vs. NU - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Uzt8ThJ200
Robinson vs. NU - https://nuhuskies.com/news/2021/11/6...-wildcats.aspx

Which saves are supposed to be made? Maybe NU's 8th of the weekend which comes off of a flukey bounce of some sort? But even that one follows a clearance turnover at the defensive blue line. Otherwise, I see rebound goals following great saves, back door goals, goals from opponents left alone at the top of the crease and goals off of turnovers...

The team has a handful of players, but the overall roster leaves a lot to be desired and that's going to effect everyone's numbers.

Tyler Ward is the same guy who scored 10 goals as a Denver sophomore, but he's not playing on a roster with offense all over the ice at forward and defense. He's playing at UNH. Put Luke Reid on any number of rosters around college hockey and he's probably sitting at +6 and not -6.

UNH's best guys don't have enough other 'best guys' around them to maximize their talent - they're not lazy and underachieving. Other players will be exposed by the lack of 'best guys' on the roster - maybe the goalies, maybe not. The issue isn't any individual, its the overall failure in recruiting and the lack of any depth of talent. Ironically, its too many four-year, tenacious and speedy 'hustlers' who don't actually contribute anything meaningful and too few guys with one foot out the door scoring 30-50 points a year...

[NCAA watcher]

But they'll meet their wives at UNH

[Snively65]

Interesting tangent to the Devlin/Speed conversation - the game is about putting pucks in the net, not being fast/tenacious. Devlin has never been a scorer. Richels and Cafarelli have their limitations but they've always been producers. Its coaches looking at the wrong things or being afraid of certain limitations, when the limitation to avoid is top-line forwards who can't score or create...

I was younger, maybe my memory is off - but I remember some pretty shaky 'skaters' scoring a lot of goals and earning AA honors for UNH. Recruit production. Play production. If you can't score in prep or juniors, youre not going to suddenly start scoring in college (unless youre flanked by AA's).

There's a difference between simply fast - and a guy like Willows, who was fast and scored a ton in HS and JRs. My kingdom for mediocre skaters who score like Bekar, Hemingway, JVR, Niklaus or slower skating production from guys like Haydar & Krog...

They players getting run aren't scoring goals and they're not preventing goals. So give me more Richels, Cafarelli, Margel, etc - guys who have scored. They at least deserve the shot, the status quo certainly isn't working...

Entirely agree, and it always has been this way. In the late 1960s/early 1970s, Guy Smith (RIP) skated like he was in downhill ski boots, but he could score goals. Of course, it helped that his center was Loui Frigon.

[HockeyRef]

Entirely agree, and it always has been this way. In the late 1960s/early 1970s, Guy Smith (RIP) skated like he was in downhill ski boots, but he could score goals. Of course, it helped that his center was Loui Frigon.

So put Devlin, with Richels and Cafarelli but that obv can't work etc. I think they need to shake things out and give some of these guys you mention a shot. Cannot hurt and this weekend is a very good weekend to do just that. Have always loved our UVM games and this is a good chance for the 'Cats to play well against them esp at home. Speaking to your points, the combo of players is crucial. I have thought about your post ATW about judgements about players and I hear that. I think we have some gifted players who do great things in Piersonn and Engaras, for example. We are fortunate to have Tyler Ward and Luke Reid. Hopefully we'll see these players get in decent combinations that work.

Have already spoken about Devlin. He gets it about crashing the boards. They all should be doing that. Huard I think is going to be a player that has a lot of potential. Thanks to CHC's blog I saw alot of his work in jrs. So, I mean, that's the stuff to be paying attention to. I think we all recognize what we have and I'd like to be thinking more in those terms right now.

As always, I value and learn from all of your posts; helps me understand the game that much better and the sport as well. And regardless of how it's going I still love it and am in it for the long haul...Now come on Bruins!

[Chuck Murray]

If someone had told us 20 or so years ago that a UMaine in-season thread would be focusing on Women's Field Hockey, and a similar in-season UNH thread would be focusing on Men's Soccer, I think we all would have found that just a little hard to believe ... truth is stranger than fiction ...

[Chuck Murray]

but they'll meet their wives at unh

lol

[Felger]

'Ref, it looks like your "call out" from a few days ago seems to have worked.

Great to have some added feedback, even if it's more like Generals fighting the last war.

fyp

[Dan]

If someone had told us 20 or so years ago that a UMaine in-season thread would be focusing on Women's Field Hockey, and a similar in-season UNH thread would be focusing on Men's Soccer, I think we all would have found that just a little hard to believe ... truth is stranger than fiction ...

Yeah, but Maine Field Hockey about to get blasted by the Miami RedHawks. What's a FH blowout these days? 3-0?

[HockeyRef]

Yeah, but Maine Field Hockey about to get blasted by the Miami RedHawks. What's a FH blowout these days? 3-0?

Yeah, that's not a great game but I'd say 5-0 is more of a blow out....esp at the college level. I am planning on watching that game online. UMaine has a decent team; and in FH anything can happen. That said, looking at their season (Miami) they got killed by defending champ NC (which is not surprising those women can play...) so I think it could be closer than you think! We'll see! No dog in this hunt I just love the sport. You should go out and watch!

[teez]

Big game in Durham tonight for the AE Championship. I would love to get to a game but it's a bit too far of a drive for me. Has anyone been? How's the atmosphere?

There is a lot of (deserved) negativity towards UNH hockey, but it's been wonderful to watch the meteoric rise of UNH Soccer under Marc Hubbard. What a stud.

[Chuck Murray]

Yeah, but Maine Field Hockey about to get blasted by the Miami RedHawks. What's a FH blowout these days? 3-0?

I'm sure you've noticed this already, but it looks like the UMaine-iacs feel quite differently ...