UNH Hockey 2023 Off Season Thread Turn and Face the Strange

[HockeyRef]

Bummed to see Fessenden go. He may have been their best player this year.

On TV it looked like the Manchester regional was poorly attended :-(

Yes the place had tons of seats...I remember in 2013 it was packed with fans (prob most from UML if I'm guessing) for the title game. Maybe Saturdays' game
will be better attended. There were alot of Cornell fans there; wonder if more of them will show up for the title game.

Echo your thoughts about Fessenden. A few of the fans I talked to were 'meh' about it but I think its a pretty big deal if you ask me. Oh well, its done and here's hoping there's
something in the Wizard's black bag for us in that dept.

Let's Goooo Merrimack!!

 

[Robert Balin]

UMASS has a goalie in the portal Luke Pavicich pretty much same stats as Fessenden.It would be funny if he chose UNH, it would be like trading players. There's some nice players in the portal, Larson from N-michigan, Sam Colangelo Northeastern, And Isaac Howard Minn-Duluth. I have no idea if UNH has the $$ but one of them would be nice,but probably a pipe dream.

 

[HockeyRef]

UMASS has a goalie in the portal Luke Pavicich pretty much same stats as Fessenden.It would be funny if he chose UNH, it would be like trading players. There's some nice players in the portal, Larson from N-michigan, Sam Colangelo Northeastern, And Isaac Howard Minn-Duluth. I have no idea if UNH has the $$ but one of them would be nice,but probably a pipe dream.

...and more to come once the season ends. Not sure what the UNH situation is regarding money, space for players, etc. Surely with the 3 leaving (so far) you'd think there
would be funds? So interesting on the Fess to UMass; def a back story there seeing how they already had a goalie like him as you mention. He (Fess) certainly has made the most
of his college hockey career after what happened in 'bama-Huntsville. At least he gets to finish up in a place with a nice player lounge!

 

[Scott]

So now we're up to, what, four in the portal? Captain, DeVita, Messy Fessy and now Dunlap??

The Fessenden-to-Amherst thing seems quick and definitive, wonder what the backstory was there?

Hate to see Dunlap go, thought he had some real potential, shame it took the coaches so long to tap into it ...

Let's put this into perspective:

Three of the four players were likely out the door anyways (two seniors, one defenseman who saw very little action, and seems to be content to be a "college-hopper"). I agree, losing Dunlap was a surprise and is somewhat disappointing.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Let's put this into perspective:

Three of the four players were likely out the door anyways (two seniors, one defenseman who saw very little action, and seems to be content to be a "college-hopper"). I agree, losing Dunlap was a surprise and is somewhat disappointing.

Bingo.

Saw this in the Boston Herald sampled articles today from Howie Carr, with references to local sports talk radio wars, past and present, especially with WEEI and less so on Felgie's 98.5 The Sports Hub. An acerbic quick read ...

https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/03...urvival-guide/

 

[Darius]

Yes indeed on the Tin Palace, which came along a bit later after Dunfey’s closed. Jesse Gangwer was a wonderful person and family friend, lived to be about 90, passing only a couple years ago.

Ahh, that explains it. I worked at TP. There was a pinball arcade in the basement. I didn't know Jesse beyond saying Hi and chatting casually. He was always super friendly and, I think, owned the hardware store building where Dick Houghton owned and operated Houghton's Hardware. T&C sold any and everything you could need whether you lived in town or on campus. For students, it was like Staples before there was Staples. One of my roommates worked there. The Down Under "main" entrance a steep set of stairs down from Main Street and there was a side door which was almost a bulkhead. A stealthy entrance to a stealthy bar. DU was kind of mythic when I was a Freshman. The more older more seasoned professionals went there to drink hard liquor as an alternative to pounding mugs and pitchers at Scorpio's or the Keg Room.

 

[Darius]

This happened at least three times at the regional yesterday..almost the same convo as I walked around the arena or stood in line at consessions:

Random Fan: Whats up with UNH? You guys were always in these games

HR : How much time have you got?

Or...

UNH always had great teams but never seemed to be able to win when it really counted...

HR: Sigh.

Darius: Yeah, we've not been good for a bit.

Or...

Darius: We won some big games. Never the NCAA Championship, but some big games.

 

[Darius]

Yes the place had tons of seats...I remember in 2013 it was packed with fans (prob most from UML if I'm guessing) for the title game. Maybe Saturdays' game
will be better attended. There were alot of Cornell fans there; wonder if more of them will show up for the title game.

Let's Goooo Merrimack!!

There is literally one lower section seat available for Saturday on Ticketmaster right now. Four upper sections were made available last night, tickets are now maybe 1/3 sold.

 

[HockeyRef]

Let's put this into perspective:

Three of the four players were likely out the door anyways (two seniors, one defenseman who saw very little action, and seems to be content to be a "college-hopper"). I agree, losing Dunlap was a surprise and is somewhat disappointing.

While there's certainly another goalie in our horizon, and not that this is a 4 alarm fire in Durham, the goalie situation is concerning. What if Muszelik continues with a .88 ave?
Look, I think he has a ton of potential, and now with a year of D1 under his glove, he's gotta be better this coming season. Will be interesting to see what UNH has in store for this
as it unfolds.

 

[HockeyRef]

Darius: Yeah, we've not been good for a bit.

Or...

Darius: We won some big games. Never the NCAA Championship, but some big games.

Well of course, I did not put into detail in that post the ENTIRE conversation, which did include, yeah, we have done many good things over the years. Obviously I was not a
follower 'back in the day' when those big wins happened so I have no personal reference. I think its interesting that people DO NOTE that UNH has been 'missing' from the
'big games' of the NCAA. There was a fan from Maine that sat behind us and he remarked how he wished both Maine/UNH were back on the ice for these games.

All I know is it's been a long, long time for the UNH faithful and geeze we aren't asking for much...a team that contends. Perhaps we are on the cusp of that? (incoming)

 

[Darius]

Well of course, I did not put into detail in that post the ENTIRE conversation, which did include, yeah, we have done many good things over the years. Obviously I was not a
follower 'back in the day' when those big wins happened so I have no personal reference. I think its interesting that people DO NOTE that UNH has been 'missing' from the
'big games' of the NCAA. There was a fan from Maine that sat behind us and he remarked how he wished both Maine/UNH were back on the ice for these games.

All I know is it's been a long, long time for the UNH faithful and geeze we aren't asking for much...a team that contends. Perhaps we are on the cusp of that? (incoming)

Several years ago I was chatting with a random person at a neutral, likely a HEA or NCAA tournament, game. I had to convince them that UNH had never won the national championship. They wouldn't believe me. That's how "in it" we were.

 

[Felger]

Fessenden turns 25 next month.

Muzelik will still be 18.

 

[HockeyRef]

Several years ago I was chatting with a random person at a neutral, likely a HEA or NCAA tournament, game. I had to convince them that UNH had never won the national championship. They wouldn't believe me. That's how "in it" we were.

That random fan would not have been from Maine (haha- we got two, how 'bout you and of course, University of No Hardware) ....that train is never late ha!

 

[HockeyRef]

Oh my Harvard...4 zip Ohio State

 

[Snively65]

Fessenden turns 25 next month.

Muzelik will still be 18.

Age discrimination!

 

[Snively65]

Oh my Harvard...4 zip Ohio State

Make that 8-1. Maybe reason why Jake wants to join his bro Joe there? Joe got a goal and assist tonight from the third line on which Michael Gildon got an assist on Joe’s goal. Michael two years younger than Max (who?); Jake two years younger than Joe.

 

[Snively65]

Ahh, that explains it. I worked at TP. There was a pinball arcade in the basement. I didn't know Jesse beyond saying Hi and chatting casually. He was always super friendly and, I think, owned the hardware store building where Dick Houghton owned and operated Houghton's Hardware. T&C sold any and everything you could need whether you lived in town or on campus. For students, it was like Staples before there was Staples. One of my roommates worked there. The Down Under "main" entrance a steep set of stairs down from Main Street and there was a side door which was almost a bulkhead. A stealthy entrance to a stealthy bar. DU was kind of mythic when I was a Freshman. The more older more seasoned professionals went there to drink hard liquor as an alternative to pounding mugs and pitchers at Scorpio's or the Keg Room.

The DU (Down Under) was less mythic in the late 60s / early ‘70s, mostly pounding 10-oz glasses (lots!) of Bud - bleh now.

 

[zoofer]

Just for nostalgia sake, back in the early 70’s there was a gas shortage (remember?), and UNH shutdown for a month between semesters, but the hockey team, having to stick around, freshman and those still living in campus were moved into Babcock, with all of us living in a lounge area, sleeping on cots!! There were about 12 of us in the lounge, with Barney Buppert, a backup goalie in charge(a mistake in itself)….we spent most nights Down Under during the break, which at that time had all the peanuts you could eat for free, with shells, with permission, going onto the floor! Beers were $.10 for Happy Hour!! Honest to God!
One night DU, somehow both hockey and football teams,(enough football players to even the numbers) got into it, quite intensely! Captain Mike Burkhart grabbed my arm and was screaming that we had to get out quick, for any hockey player caught, Coach Holt would surely boot his butt from the team! Sounds innocent enough now but we had had a few other incidents that winter elsewhere….(something about a fire extinguisher thrown down onto a police car….a mailbox run over…)
Remember, only athletic teams were living on campus….so we had a lot of excess time on our hands! “Idol hands….!” ‍‍

 

[zoofer]

FYI, those male symbols should be the shoulder shrug emoji!!

 

[Chuck Murray]

Make that 8-1. Maybe reason why Jake wants to join his bro Joe there? Joe got a goal and assist tonight from the third line on which Michael Gildon got an assist on Joe's goal. Michael two years younger than Max (who?); Jake two years younger than Joe.

Doesn't take a ton of imagination to see the potential difference a credibly capable coaching staff could make, eh?