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UNH Hockey 2023-2024 Season Thread - End Of The Cellar-Dweller Era??

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Snively65 said:
5-4-3-1-0 = goals in each of last five games. Now 23 goals in 8 games, or 2.97 GPG, which projects to about 100 goals for the season, which would be better than in recent years. But I agree that the trend over the past five games should be a concern, as it is asking too much of your goalies to steal you games when you only score 0.5 GPG like this weekend.
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...and when you consider that our only goal of the weekend was a shortie, then one has to have some concern. I'll give their goalie a lot of credit but last night, I honestly
think we had maybe 2 decent chances? That is not a good trend...Looking for coach's thoughts of this weekend of course what can you say other
than 'we have to put the puck in the net'.

That would be a good place to start!
 
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Just to get us on the front page the Nathan Davis era begins tonight in Syracuse...whom they've never played. Go 'Cats!! Might just have to check this one out...
 
Scott said:
Yes, it could indeed get messy, as well when they travel to UConn at the end of the month. But....they're money games, so that helps.
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Really these games are a "can't lose" proposition for a team like UNH. Nobody expects the 'Cats to even keep it close, so if they do make it a game or egad, the impossible were to happen, it only shines a light on a completely unknown program. And you're right, the money always helps soften the blow!
 
HockeyRef said:
...and when you consider that our only goal of the weekend was a shortie, then one has to have some concern. I'll give their goalie a lot of credit but last night, I honestly
think we had maybe 2 decent chances? That is not a good trend...Looking for coach's thoughts of this weekend of course what can you say other
than 'we have to put the puck in the net'.
Click to expand...

Your guys looked great against QPAC and NU earned/deserved respect. Small problem: By now other teams have enough tape on the New, New Hampshire that they have a better idea about how to defend against their offense. This past weekend, you had to deal with a PC team which is capable of boring the fans and opposition to sleep with their form of defense. If this were hoops, their style might be described as "taking the air out of the ball." Northeastern has to face PC twice next weekend after they have averaged 1 goal per game in league play (missing 3 top players). Good luck!
Still it's nice to see the great start your guys have had. You're more than just a soccer school:), as well as the most prolific (and literate) posters on this board.
 
Ryecheers said:
Your guys looked great against QPAC and NU earned/deserved respect. Small problem: By now other teams have enough tape on the New, New Hampshire that they have a better idea about how to defend against their offense. This past weekend, you had to deal with a PC team which is capable of boring the fans and opposition to sleep with their form of defense. If this were hoops, their style might be described as "taking the air out of the ball." Northeastern has to face PC twice next weekend after they have averaged 1 goal per game in league play (missing 3 top players). Good luck!
Still it's nice to see the great start your guys have had. You're more than just a soccer school:), as well as the most prolific (and literate) posters on this board.
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This isn't really a problem, every team has the same ability to watch teams and learn. UNH gave up 4.2 goals a game over the first three, and just 1.25 goals per game over the next four, so you could say UNH has been watching too. The more important thing is how UNH will adjust as the season progresses. Hopefully the underclassmen will continue to contribute and step up their production, especially with Devlin out for the foreseeable future.
 
I know Devlin is hurt, but I was not at the game where he was injured. Does anyone know the extent of his injury and how long is he expected to be out?
 
Scott said:
I know Devlin is hurt, but I was not at the game where he was injured. Does anyone know the extent of his injury and how long is he expected to be out?
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I'm kind of surprised we haven't heard more about this injury-I mean, they do happen and after evaluated its generally disclosed (most often). I believe we are
talking about a couple of broken fingers, and, no idea about a time table...says the grapevine.
 
Ryecheers said:
Your guys looked great against QPAC and NU earned/deserved respect. Small problem: By now other teams have enough tape on the New, New Hampshire that they have a better idea about how to defend against their offense. This past weekend, you had to deal with a PC team which is capable of boring the fans and opposition to sleep with their form of defense. If this were hoops, their style might be described as "taking the air out of the ball." Northeastern has to face PC twice next weekend after they have averaged 1 goal per game in league play (missing 3 top players). Good luck!
Still it's nice to see the great start your guys have had. You're more than just a soccer school:), as well as the most prolific (and literate) posters on this board.
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Hey thanks for the great post I really needed something like this after feeling kind of , well, not let down or disappointed but something
in between. I do feel that there was alot learned in those 2 games and I also felt we certainly competed well.

And yes, there are some prolific writers on here! I've learned so much about the sport from all of them / friendships/ this is my 10th
year following the 'Cats excited to see what it will bring. So far, very impressed and hopeful for them.

As for the NU v PC game (s) this should be a very interesting watch. Echo your sentiments about the Friars D, they definitely
work within a definite system. I think we matched up well (as we usually do) and like I said, they were great games.

Keep coming back (as they say)...
 
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Ryecheers said:
Your guys looked great against QPAC and NU earned/deserved respect. Small problem: By now other teams have enough tape on the New, New Hampshire that they have a better idea about how to defend against their offense. This past weekend, you had to deal with a PC team which is capable of boring the fans and opposition to sleep with their form of defense. If this were hoops, their style might be described as "taking the air out of the ball." Northeastern has to face PC twice next weekend after they have averaged 1 goal per game in league play (missing 3 top players). Good luck!
Still it's nice to see the great start your guys have had. You're more than just a soccer school:), as well as the most prolific (and literate) posters on this board.
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It's easier to coach a team on how to prevent goals, and much harder to coach a team on creating goals. Fact.

Even in our US version of football, it's not hard to decipher the pattern of (1) offensive genius coach comes up with new scheme; (2) offensive scheme starts to spread to other teams/programs/levels; (3) defensive genius coach(es) get film and lots of opportunities to test their schemes to counter the attacking schemes, (4) defensive counter-schemes take root, which in turn (5) sends offensive geniuses back to the drawing board to hatch new wrinkles. Fill in "Chip Kelly" as "offensive genius" for a UNH slant to this theory. Sometimes rule changes are added to the mix, usually in favor of more offense/less defense. But the defense invariably catches up, one way or the other.

The two toughest things to accomplish in team sports IMO are (1) to score a goal in soccer, and not far behind is (2) to score a goal in hockey when a team is set up to prevent goals. This is why post-season games are usually lower scoring than regular season games, even when talent on postseason teams is clearly higher than on non-postseason teams. Which, of course, begets the adage, "Defense wins championships".

Ironically, Leaman won his only HC championship when he got the biggest slice of luck in recent D-1 hockey memory ...
 
Coach Hubbard's Soccer 'Cats will face NJIT at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday) night at The House That Blue Skies Built. NJIT pulled an upset and knocked out UVM in the AE quarterfinals, so the well-rested defending AE champs will face a decisive underdog in the semifinal. UNH (#11 nationally) probably doesn't need to win to get an NCAA invite, but you gotta think #16 UVM's invite would be in jeopardy if anyone other than UNH gets the autobid as AE tourney winners. If the weather is decent and work schedule cooperates, I'm hoping to be there ...
 
Chuck Murray said:
Coach Hubbard's Soccer 'Cats will face NJIT at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday) night at The House That Blue Skies Built. NJIT pulled an upset and knocked out UVM in the AE quarterfinals, so the well-rested defending AE champs will face a decisive underdog in the semifinal. UNH (#10 nationally) probably doesn't need to win to get an NCAA invite, but you gotta think #16 UVM's invite would be in jeopardy if anyone other than UNH gets the autobid as AE tourney winners. If the weather is decent and work schedule cooperates, I'm hoping to be there ...
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Fixed your post! They just went to #10...and I'll catch the game online too cold to venture to the House That Blue Skies Built.

Dan...today your Red Hawks play the America East winner California- they are on I believe an 8 game streak upsetting #2 UAlbany in that tourney...this was their last
stint in the AE not sure where they are headed next season (FWIW dept).
 
Georgios Koliniatis scores only goal in NJIT game so that UNH now hosts the tourney championship game this Sunday at 2 pm.
 
HockeyRef said:
Dan...today your Red Hawks play the America East winner California- they are on I believe an 8 game streak upsetting #2 UAlbany in that tourney...this was their last
stint in the AE not sure where they are headed next season (FWIW dept).
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Smoked ‘em. Miami shuts out Cal for the second time this season, winning an NCAA Tournament game for the third straight year. None sweeter than that thumping of Maine in 2021…
 
Dan said:
Smoked ‘em. Miami shuts out Cal for the second time this season, winning an NCAA Tournament game for the third straight year. None sweeter than that thumping of Maine in 2021…
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Here, here! And it was Maine that spoiled UNH's great season in the AE qtrs...sigh.
 
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Snively65 said:
Georgios Koliniatis scores only goal in NJIT game so that UNH now hosts the tourney championship game this Sunday at 2 pm.
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About 1,200 hardy (and loud) souls were on hand. Really wasn't a close match, despite the score, and after UNH scored midway through the first half, it never looked like NJIT had a road back into the contest. Only surprised that UNH didn't pad their margin, but they looked like the team that's "been there before" and were very comfortable playing in the cold conditions. For NJIT ... not so much, but they weren't supposed to be there.

UNH men's soccer team beats NJIT 1-0, advances to tournament final (yahoo.com)

It looks like Bryant (#19) will provide the opposition on Sunday afternoon in the league title game. UVM will be watching with a vested interest, and given how close they are to Bryant nationally, it's possible that even if Bryant loses Sunday, they may overtake UVM in securing an NCAA bid if they can keep it close, or force extra time. So UVM finds itself in the unenviable position of not only having to root for their archrivals, but also for their archrivals to hang a big crooked number on Bryant, as I don't see the NCAA taking 3 AE teams into the tourney. With only one loss this season (to Cornell, recently knocked out of Ivy League postseason), UNH has to think their slot is locked in - even with a loss - while Bryant has to see this as a win-or-go-home situation. UVM Soccer at least has an NCAA history, Bryant has none that I'm aware of in soccer, so if selectors are going to go with a second AE (at-large) bid, it's probably gonna be UVM unless Bryant really pushes (or beats) UNH. Should be interesting ...
 
Chuck Murray said:
About 1,200 hardy (and loud) souls were on hand. Really wasn't a close match, despite the score, and after UNH scored midway through the first half, it never looked like NJIT had a road back into the contest. Only surprised that UNH didn't pad their margin, but they looked like the team that's "been there before" and were very comfortable playing in the cold conditions. For NJIT ... not so much, but they weren't supposed to be there.

UNH men's soccer team beats NJIT 1-0, advances to tournament final (yahoo.com)

It looks like Bryant (#19) will provide the opposition on Sunday afternoon in the league title game. UVM will be watching with a vested interest, and given how close they are to Bryant nationally, it's possible that even if Bryant loses Sunday, they may overtake UVM in securing an NCAA bid if they can keep it close, or force extra time. So UVM finds itself in the unenviable position of not only having to root for their archrivals, but also for their archrivals to hang a big crooked number on Bryant, as I don't see the NCAA taking 3 AE teams into the tourney. With only one loss this season (to Cornell, recently knocked out of Ivy League postseason), UNH has to think their slot is locked in - even with a loss - while Bryant has to see this as a win-or-go-home situation. UVM Soccer at least has an NCAA history, Bryant has none that I'm aware of in soccer, so if selectors are going to go with a second AE (at-large) bid, it's probably gonna be UVM unless Bryant really pushes (or beats) UNH. Should be interesting ...
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I was at a field hockey game last night (shocker) but I did watch alot of the game while doing so. Might go Sunday...I mean, what else is there to do this weekend
except watch some soccer and see UNH have a shot at a championship??

All eyes on the NU v PC series this weekend...to bring it back to hockey for a sec!
 
Tip o the cap to James VanRiemsdyk getting his 600th point (on an assist) against the Islanders. Congrats JvR! More where that
came from...
 
HockeyRef said:
Tip o the cap to James VanRiemsdyk getting his 600th point (on an assist) against the Islanders. Congrats JvR! More where that
came from...
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Two nice primary assists on the night. JVR seems to be fitting in well with the team, doing many of the little things right.
 
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