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

[Darius]

Is the real UNH 2023/2024 team the one that scored six goals? Or the one that gave up four

Doubtful. Half were special teams and BU committed some brutal turnovers that led to goals. The ‘cats were feeling good about themselves last night. How they respond to inevitable adversity is the test.

Coach had a few interesting comments during his pregame radio interview:
1. New/Freshman players are expected to make significant contributions.
2. The team has good class to class continuity.
3. Returning players must and will improve. He didn’t call anyone out by name, but came close.

Overall he was very candid. Sounded like he knows the team has to produce better results and the team knows it too.

Five NH players on the roster including the captain. I am SO happy. Jim Connelly on NESN said that you need to successfully recruit in your back yard before you can do so elsewhere. He also discussed facility improvements and how important they are to recruits.

 

[Darius]

Oh ... and what's with the second straight game with UNH allowing a 2-on-0 breakaway against?!?!?

That's usually a once, maybe twice per season glitch at worst. UNH has two already, and it's still early October.

Maybe MS7 has the boys returning to their "defense optional" high-scoring days of the '70's and mid-'90's???

Defense was sorely lacking for both teams.

Win or lose, I am all in on a return to the high scoring days

 

[Felger]

Oh ... and what's with the second straight game with UNH allowing a 2-on-0 breakaway against?!?!?

That's usually a once, maybe twice per season glitch at worst. UNH has two already, and it's still early October.

Maybe MS7 has the boys returning to their "defense optional" high-scoring days of the '70's and mid-'90's???

I was waiting for you to chime in on the Too Many Men on the Ice penalty 50 seconds into the season...

EDIT: I apologize, the correct term is now Too Many Players on the Ice...

 

[Snively65]

Oh ... and what's with the second straight game with UNH allowing a 2-on-0 breakaway against?!?!?

That's usually a once, maybe twice per season glitch at worst. UNH has two already, and it's still early October.

Maybe MS7 has the boys returning to their "defense optional" high-scoring days of the '70's and mid-'90's???

Huh? Gildon gave up a couple 2-on-1 breakaways per game when he was in his prime, typically on the PP.

 

[HockeyRef]

I was waiting for you to chime in on the Too Many Men on the Ice penalty 50 seconds into the season...

EDIT: I apologize, the correct term is now Too Man Players on the Ice...

Just curious what do they say at the Women's games for this penalty? Not trying to be snarky a real q. I will say it's a bummer penalty esp on your first line change of the season but what r ya gonna do?!?!

Dan / Watcher looking forward to your comments on the game?

 

[HockeyRef]

Huh? Gildon gave up a couple 2-on-1 breakaways per game when he was in his prime, typically on the PP.

Don't remind me...This has been an issue that was evident last season as I recall that hopefully will be addressed.

I will say that in the time we have been going to games at the 'Whit (our 10th season!) the place was really loud!! New sound system is great nice to actually understand whats being said. A few glitches here and there but major improvement.

I have 2 tix available for next Saturdays home game v QU if anyone is looking....

 

[NCAA watcher]

Dan / Watcher looking forward to your comments on the game?

I tuned in after the first, so missed some. Hard to know how much was BU related, but I was impressed by the skill level UNH showed up front. My view is scoring was the glaring hole, beyond the first line, so I particularly focused on Sardarian driving the second line. He showed a lot more skills than he could last year. Had one really great 1 on 1 move where he took it to the net even though I did not see the avenue. Had spot quarterbacking on pp, seemingly at point, though that may have just been rotation. (Of course, when I checked the box, he was minus 2). That Ring is on the second line is also suggestive that he has shown skill. (I speculate Blaisdell was injured, so not in the lineup)

Leclerc looks like a staple up front, Devlin continues to prove me wrong, and Comny on first line again suggests he is proving himself in practice.

Overall, they won a lot of one on one battles (not just on strength of digging out puck, but on stick skills, and tenaciousness).

And Muszelik played well.

So, with the caveat that BU seemed to really be off, the things that UNH needs to escape 10/11th place (scoring beyond the first line) obviously showed up. Let's see if they can replicate.

 

[Snively65]

JvR’s first goal as a Bruin, HR!

 

[HockeyRef]

JvR’s first goal as a Bruin, HR!

Saw him score one at the exhibition game!

 

[Snively65]

JvR’s first goal as a Bruin, HR!

Saw him score one at the exhibition game!

Make that two PPG’s for JvR tonight, who is getting pounded in front of the net.

 

[JB]

And Muszelik played well.

So, with the caveat that BU seemed to really be off, the things that UNH needs to escape 10/11th place (scoring beyond the first line) obviously showed up. Let's see if they can replicate.

For a game with 10 goals scored I though both goalies played well. I don't recall any really bad goals (from dreadful goalie play) or bad rebounds and both goalies had nice saves to steal goals. I think with bad goaltending there could have been at least another 5 goals (combined) scored.

I was impressed by UNH scoring a number of goals right down on top of the crease. These "dirty" goals have not been something regular for UNH in 40 years both the Holt and Umile teams were built for pretty goals. The question I have is when the competition is playing a structured team game will the space UNH found tonight be available. If the space isn't there will they have the grit to fight for it.

I ran into Umile and Parker in the mens room right before the game started, they were clearly there to watch the game together. We were all washing our hands at the same time. I asked them if they were lost in the wrong decade, and got a laugh from them both. As we all walked out I told Umile I hoped he and enjoyed the game and told Parker I hoped he hated it... another round of smiles and laughs, handshake from each. As always both were personable, they each always understood part of the job was political/marketing. It was a really amusing encounter.

 

[Snively65]

You'd think, after all these years now, I'd have seen this coming. Nope, not for a second. Fair play to MS7 and his 'Cats.

But you're gonna have to make this a regular thing. Here's my question:

Is the real UNH 2023/2024 team the one that scored six goals? Or the one that gave up four goals?

Leaning strongly towards the latter, but I'm Missouri - I'm here to be convinced. Show Me.

One thing's for certain, this early on ... if I'm a UMaine-iac, I'm reserving hotel rooms in Boston for mid-March.

What about Luce’s Yukon team? Do you not think that they also should make hotel reservations in Boston for the HEA tourney? Or, is Holy Cross that good?

 

[Chuck Murray]

What about Luce’s Yukon team? Do you not think that they also should make hotel reservations in Boston for the HEA tourney? Or, is Holy Cross that good?

I'm usually the biggest sap in the forest when it comes to taking the bait, but it's a little too early to crap on Luce.

But I have no doubt in my mind Ben Barr is gonna make a lot of people look foolish for their 9th place predictions.

And I also have no doubt 5-10 years from now, any comparison between Barr and Luce will be seen as laughable.

Roll on "Champions of October"

 

[Basement Bias]

Let me guess, Souza will have us winning this year to save his job and then back to below mediocrity again. Glad we upset BU but I'd like to see a new "hope" in the program.

 

[Snively65]

Let me guess, Souza will have us winning this year to save his job and then back to below mediocrity again. Glad we upset BU but I'd like to see a new "hope" in the program.

I am still thinking that the BU win was a fluke, more about BU lapses than UNH prowess, considering BU needed a PPG in OT to beat lowly Bentley a week earlier. But, if I am wrong and UNH continues to surprise me this season, they might continue to do so for the next couple of years as the team will be losing only Cafarelli up front and a couple solid blue liners to graduation. Of course, UNH could continue to lose promising young players to the portal, in which case I think that regression would be likely. Ha, ha, it seems so ludicrous to be talking about regression with this team.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Let me guess, Souza will have us winning this year to save his job and then back to below mediocrity again. Glad we upset BU but I'd like to see a new "hope" in the program.

... and therein lies the quandary that UNH fans find ourselves in these days. You always - always - want to see your team doing well, and even when you're convinced the guy in charge is not up to the task, you hope against hope that his players will somehow overcome his shortcomings. Or you hope that he learns on the job, and somehow turns those hard-knock early experiences into success later in his tenure (UNH Football HC Sean MacDonnell did this).

Souza has been stubborn in not changing his approach, and he's been FAR too willing to accept excuse-making to justify his program's chronic mediocrity. Being a D-1 head coach is a demanding job, no doubt. It's why they generally get paid more than most of the slobs like us who go to their games, and debate stuff on this message board. There's no doubt a smidge of politics involved, certainly more so than in a professional organization, where wins and losses are the measuring stick (unless you're in the minors, where player development probably trumps wins), so if you've got the gift of gab and self-promotion, maybe you can cover over a relatively poor W-L record for awhile IF you're doing everything else right (player graduation, generating donations from alums, etc.). If the recent largesse from Key Auto/DiLorenzo is tied in the slightest to MS7 - and I don't know that it is, but let's say it is - for better or worse, you know that's gonna buy MS7 some extra time and leniency. At least until that largesse has been applied to the program and expended. It may be "education" but it's also a (very big) business.

But at the end of the day, if you're a D-1 head coach of a program that's experienced consistent success under your predecessors, you can't expect to keep your job if the best you can do is produce mediocre results. So unless there are some major intangibles involved (as hinted at above), it's gonna take more than just a .500 season or a (barely) winning record to keep his job. And wins in October aren't even close to the value of wins in March. There's a lot of road left to travel this season, so just be a fan, enjoy the wins, and the rest will take care of itself ...

 

[d.gerry]

... and therein lies the quandary that UNH fans find ourselves in these days. You always - always - want to see your team doing well, and even when you're convinced the guy in charge is not up to the task, you hope against hope that his players will somehow overcome his shortcomings. Or you hope that he learns on the job, and somehow turns those hard-knock early experiences into success later in his tenure (UNH Football HC Sean MacDonnell did this).

Souza has been stubborn in not changing his approach, and he's been FAR too willing to accept excuse-making to justify his program's chronic mediocrity. Being a D-1 head coach is a demanding job, no doubt. It's why they generally get paid more than most of the slobs like us who go to their games, and debate stuff on this message board. There's no doubt a smidge of politics involved, certainly more so than in a professional organization, where wins and losses are the measuring stick (unless you're in the minors, where player development probably trumps wins), so if you've got the gift of gab and self-promotion, maybe you can cover over a relatively poor W-L record for awhile IF you're doing everything else right (player graduation, generating donations from alums, etc.). If the recent largesse from Key Auto/DiLorenzo is tied in the slightest to MS7 - and I don't know that it is, but let's say it is - for better or worse, you know that's gonna buy MS7 some extra time and leniency. At least until that largesse has been applied to the program and expended. It may be "education" but it's also a (very big) business.

But at the end of the day, if you're a D-1 head coach of a program that's experienced consistent success under your predecessors, you can't expect to keep your job if the best you can do is produce mediocre results. So unless there are some major intangibles involved (as hinted at above), it's gonna take more than just a .500 season or a (barely) winning record to keep his job. And wins in October aren't even close to the value of wins in March. There's a lot of road left to travel this season, so just be a fan, enjoy the wins, and the rest will take care of itself ...

Waxing philosophical, I like this side of you Chuck!

 

[Chuck Murray]

Waxing philosophical, I like this side of you Chuck!

The new meds must finally be kicking in. ;-)

Actually, 'Watcher's been recommending that I take this approach for over a year now.

So it's not just MS7 who is a stubborn old goat ...

 

[HockeyRef]

Have heard that MS7 has brought in 3 donors for the project (rumor mill)...so Chuck you have a point about how that could influences 'things' down the pike. I don't really care about any of that to be honest I just want the team to do as well as they can- this upcoming weekend is huge if you ask me.

Fun to see 'everything college hockey' which, isn't 'USCHO' polling give UNH a 19th spot/ranking albeit way to small a sample size. I am curious tho,
how does BU get a first place vote (USCHO) even after their, shall we say, less than stellar beginning? (on any give day BU beats UNH I get that)

And, just like how many donors a coach can bring should influence whether they stay or go, polls don't mean much either!?! We'll see...

 

[Robert Balin]

UNH gets it's first verbal commitment from a 07 birth date. George Mccaffrey from Ridgefield CT, will play for Westminister prep this year.