UNH 2026-27 Season Let's Go 'Cats!

[HockeyRef]

Mike McMahon reports MC forward Parker Lalonde is 'alert and awake' following his injury in tonight's game. Glad to hear!

 

[HockeyRef]

So for anyone who watched the game last night what were your thoughts? Talked to a long time supporter who felt we 'tired them out'.

I'd give Borek props for his teams ability to be dangerous as they moved the ouck quickly..only way to play in that space. Like a pin ball game but felt the 'Cats were up to the task. That 3rd goal was tough but glad we could find some offense for ourselves.

Much better defensive coverage and Fitzy (nice goal) had a great game compared to his Q start. Which if course they all did I mean the improvement was night and day. Not sure we would beat them if we played them again but doubt it would be 10-2.

Not sure what Colgate has but it will be a good test with 2 games. Already mentioned perhaps going with a goalie rotation to see what we have in net. MS7 is probably going with Smpson who had a busy night. MC had quite a few shots that just missed...

With no games this weekend guess I will see how the Q stacks up against the Black Bears. Not thrilled we arent playing what's a girl to do hahaha.

 

[Jellsville USA]

So for anyone who watched the game last night what were your thoughts? Talked to a long time supporter who felt we 'tired them out'.

I'd give Borek props for his teams ability to be dangerous as they moved the ouck quickly..only way to play in that space. Like a pin ball game but felt the 'Cats were up to the task. That 3rd goal was tough but glad we could find some offense for ourselves.

Much better defensive coverage and Fitzy (nice goal) had a great game compared to his Q start. Which if course they all did I mean the improvement was night and day. Not sure we would beat them if we played them again but doubt it would be 10-2.

Not sure what Colgate has but it will be a good test with 2 games. Already mentioned perhaps going with a goalie rotation to see what we have in net. MS7 is probably going with Smpson who had a busy night. MC had quite a few shots that just missed...

With no games this weekend guess I will see how the Q stacks up against the Black Bears. Not thrilled we arent playing what's a girl to do hahaha.

Watched from home and my 2 cents-

I thought the biggest difference from the opener was that the group actually looked connected. They were getting out of their own zone far more cleanly, supporting each other through the neutral zone, and generally playing with much better structure. Ring, Johnson, Guite, Gagnon, Newcombe, Fitzgerald, Vaas and Carr all stood out for different reasons and were consistently involved in positive plays.

The jury is still out on Simpson. Merrimack didn't generate a ton of shots, and the second goal looked like one he'd probably want back. At the same time, he wasn't asked to steal the game.

What encourages me most is that UNH controlled large stretches of play and honestly outplayed Merrimack for most of the night. They dominated overtime, with Ring coming inches away twice from ending it. The power play showed real promise with better puck movement and more creativity, while the penalty kill was strong and aggressive.

Lavins hit was clean but brutal. I hope that kid is ok.

If they play the way they did against Merrimack, they'll win more games than they lose. The result was frustrating, but the performance was a significant step forward from opening night. (Cautiously Optimistic).

 

[HockeyRef]

Watched from home and my 2 cents-

I thought the biggest difference from the opener was that the group actually looked connected. They were getting out of their own zone far more cleanly, supporting each other through the neutral zone, and generally playing with much better structure. Ring, Johnson, Guite, Gagnon, Newcombe, Fitzgerald, Vaas and Carr all stood out for different reasons and were consistently involved in positive plays.

The jury is still out on Simpson. Merrimack didn't generate a ton of shots, and the first goal looked like one he'd probably want back. At the same time, he wasn't asked to steal the game.

What encourages me most is that UNH controlled large stretches of play and honestly outplayed Merrimack for most of the night. They dominated overtime, with Ring coming inches away twice from ending it. The power play showed real promise with better puck movement and more creativity, while the penalty kill was strong and aggressive.

Lavins hit was clean but brutal. I hope that kid is ok.

If they play the way they did against Merrimack, they'll win more games than they lose. The result was frustrating, but the performance was a significant step forward from opening night. (Cautiously Optimistic).

Agree with all of this esp the connections made that arent always there. We had a couple of players take some hard hits as well. Even the MC fans behind us felt the Lavins hit on Lalonde was clean. Echoing your thoughts of good will towards him...

Just the fact we stood up to a ranked team who had a big night celebrating their HE title shows promise. Esp after last weeks disaster.

We will see. Glad my 5-2 prediction was all for naught (like most of them )

 

[norbert]

So for anyone who watched the game last night what were your thoughts? Talked to a long time supporter who felt we 'tired them out'.

I'd give Borek props for his teams ability to be dangerous as they moved the ouck quickly..only way to play in that space. Like a pin ball game but felt the 'Cats were up to the task. That 3rd goal was tough but glad we could find some offense for ourselves.

Much better defensive coverage and Fitzy (nice goal) had a great game compared to his Q start. Which if course they all did I mean the improvement was night and day. Not sure we would beat them if we played them again but doubt it would be 10-2.

Not sure what Colgate has but it will be a good test with 2 games. Already mentioned perhaps going with a goalie rotation to see what we have in net. MS7 is probably going with Smpson who had a busy night. MC had quite a few shots that just missed...

With no games this weekend guess I will see how the Q stacks up against the Black Bears. Not thrilled we arent playing what's a girl to do hahaha.

It was moments of good hockey then sloppy for most of the game. Simpson let in 2 he should have stopped.

The biggest problem is no puck possession. It’s hot potato. Once they get the puck up off the glass.

Also the Lavins his is legit.

 

[HockeyRef]

It was moments of good hockey then sloppy for most of the game. Simpson let in 2 he should have stopped.

The biggest problem is no puck possession. It’s hot potato. Once they get the puck up off the glass.

Also the Lavins his is legit.

At that arena holding onto the puck spells disaster if you ask me. MC got rid of it immediately and sent it to the net. I dont think you get anything other than sloppy play in that place! One mistake and you are paying for it.

I've seen just about every game there in the past 5 seasons (or more) and it was one of their better games...

You have to admit they looked a heck of alot better than the weekend before. I mean..how could it get worse?!? Lol I'll be sorry I said that...

Ps UNH field hockey won their 2nd AE game in a come from behind OT game over arch rival Maine yesterday woo!

 

[Chuck Murray]

THE MS7 FAREWELL TO MEDIOCRITY TOUR 2026/2027

As promised ... during this landmine landmark season, I'll be chipping in periodically with remembrances of the grate great moments we've experienced over the last decade, just to let Coach know how much he'll be missed. And with a trip scheduled to beautiful Hamilton NY and hosts Colgate University set for the coming weekend, what better time to revisit the start of The Grate Great One's amazing UNH coaching career, which began eight memorable years ago with two games against the Red Raiders. After being named the head coach of his alma mater, MS7 head coached his first official career game on the road at Colgate on Friday, October 12, 2018.

Perhaps as a sense of foreshadowing on what lay ahead for the UNH Men's Hockey program, earlier in the week, Hurricane Michael (!) made landfall as a Category 5 storm, and by October 12, 2018, the US death toll had officially risen to 17 people across four (4) states, with entire coastal towns in the Florida Panhandle (like the aptly named Mexico Beach) virtually erased, leaving hospitals completely pummeled and scrambling to evacuate patients. Not to be deterred, the Wildcats dove into their two game road series nonetheless, and in the Friday night opener, with expectations running high for the long-awaited return of winning D-1 hockey to Titletown, UNH struck first in the second period with a power-play goal scored by Jackson Pierson to boost hopes for a win in MS7's debut ... but that was not to be the case, as the Rouge Raiders responded in the third period with two straight goals from Tyler Penner and Jared Cockrell to take the lead, and despite a valiant late push from the Wildcats, Colgate would seal the 2-1 victory.

The teams played again the very next night, October 13, 2018, and while weather events on the other side of the world gave us Sumatran monsoons, floods and landslides at a toll of 27 lives, and at a much higher elevation, a sudden violent snowfall wiped out a Nepalese base camp at the cost of five more lives, MS7's Wildcats were out to wreak their own kind of devastation and havoc as they sought revenge at the Class of 1965 Arena. Future NHL forward Bobby McMann opened the scoring for Colgate at 11:29 of the first period, assisted by Adam Dauda, and in the second period, Colgate capitalized on a power play when Dauda netted at 10:34, assisted by McMann in a nice piece of role reversal to extend the hosts' lead to 2-0. In true UNH fashion, UNH heavily outshot Colgate 15-8 in the second period and 13-6 in the third period (outshooting them 36-24 overall), but struggled to solve Colgate goaltender Mitch Benson, who was making his collegiate debut in the game. Eventually, BvR would break his shutout with just over a minute left, and with UNH goalie Ty Taylor sitting on the bench as UNH chased the game in vain - more foreshadowing of an emerging feature trait of future UNH teams under The Grate One's guidance.

Following the shopworn adage of "good things (eventually, maybe) come to those who wait" ... worry not, MS7 would eventually secure his first career win as a head coach two weeks later on October 27 in a 3-2 overtime victory against UVM, which raised the Wildcats' record to a suitably mediocre 1-3-1.

Stay tuned for future editions of ... THE MS7 FAREWELL TO MEDIOCRITY TOUR 2026/2027