UNH Men’s Hockey 22-23: the start of something new, or more of the same?

[d.gerry]

Here we go. The first game is right around the corner, any predictions for the weekend? My take, 4-1 loss to Clarkson on Friday with a 3-3 tie at St. Lawrence on Saturday.

 

[Chuck Murray]

More of the same, unfortunately.

I'll predict a split weekend; it would be pretentious to guess which of the two games UNH might win.

 

[d.gerry]

More of the same, unfortunately.

I'll predict a split weekend; it would be pretentious to guess which of the two games UNH might win.

Are you calling me pretentious?!? Seriously though, if a split is in the cards, I think a road win in the first game of the season is the less likely result, thus my prediction. I’m firmly in the “more of the same” camp too, but I guess we can all hold out a little hope (or more likely wishful thinking).

 

[Chuck Murray]

Are you calling me pretentious?!? Seriously though, if a split is in the cards, I think a road win in the first game of the season is the less likely result, thus my prediction. I’m firmly in the “more of the same” camp too, but I guess we can all hold out a little hope (or more likely wishful thinking).

LOL. No, and I can't disagree with your logic on the 2nd game likely being the better outcome - especially since there was no exhibition game to ease the guys into the competitive action where the results count. I'm just not paying close attention yet, and I couldn't tell the Knights from the Larries right now (except for their very different uniforms) if my life depended on it.

If the polls have any relevance, UNH's first ten games of the season look like a minefield. Two or three wins through the first weekend of November might be all we see. It would be surprising to see the 'Cats at .500 at that juncture, so let's settle in, see how they fare, and if things might indeed be different this time around. Hoping to be surprised, but expecting very little TBH.

 

[Whalers]

Remember the days when UNH would race out of the gate with a boys of October/early November record? We wanted UNH to start off slower by playing the freshmen for game experience but finish faster and playoff ready, with a deeper and more experienced team? Dickie always chose the "play my seniors who wont make mistakes" lineup. Now we just hope they can split series early in the year until the sophomore's, let alone the freshmen, can blossom.

 

[d.gerry]

Remember the days when UNH would race out of the gate with a boys of October/early November record? We wanted UNH to start off slower by playing the freshmen for game experience but finish faster and playoff ready, with a deeper and more experienced team? Dickie always chose the "play my seniors who wont make mistakes" lineup. Now we just hope they can split series early in the year until the sophomore's, let alone the freshmen, can blossom.

Sure do, "Champions of October"! Seemed to happen year-after-year with an obvious exception or two ('98-'99 and '02-'03 IIRC). Go like gangbusters right out of the gate, then back into the playoffs hoping to find those winning ways again!

 

[Dan]

Ill be disappointed if they lose to SLU and surprised if they beat CLK...

Instagram promotion for football makes it appear that the team is wearing throwback jerseys and helmets from the Bill Bowes era. They look sharp. I've always wanted to see a UNH hockey alternate jersey with the interlocking NH on the front.

 

[d.gerry]

Ill be disappointed if they lose to SLU and surprised if they beat CLK...

Instagram promotion for football makes it appear that the team is wearing throwback jerseys and helmets from the Bill Bowes era. They look sharp. I've always wanted to see a UNH hockey alternate jersey with the interlocking NH on the front.

That would be great, I've always wondered why they've never done it (had the silver third jersey for awhile). Also, didn't they have one with a wildcat head (old school, not the current one) on the front, and another with WILDCATS going diagonally across the front? I would expect an old throwback replica jersey could be a good money.

 

[HockeyRef]

If I remember correctly we defeated Clarkson (5-1) (St. Lawrence game was cancelled) among string of five straight wins. But seeing they're ranked thinking it might be a tough one. Just want to see what we've got; will take what we get. HR's predictions:

Friday: Clarkson 4 UNH 2
Sat: UNH 2 St. Lawrence 1

Here we go 'Cats!!

 

[SNHUPenman]

I feel like a split is our best bet. But with how down this program feels - a weekend sweep feels like it would best represent what is to come.

 

[deltabravo62]

I have a 2-2-1 first five. Losses to Clarkson and BC (road). Wins against BC (home) and Army. Tying at SLU. They have pulled off the home win against BC for a few years now and it's early enough in the season that I can see them pulling it off again.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Instagram promotion for football makes it appear that the team is wearing throwback jerseys and helmets from the Bill Bowes era. They look sharp. I've always wanted to see a UNH hockey alternate jersey with the interlocking NH on the front.

Put me down as another fan of the interlocking NH logo that used to feature on the football helmets.

The new AD would get me on her side quickly actually if she decided to ditch the current 20+ year logo. The logo is no longer fresh, and others like it at other schools were subsequently ditched.

 

[Darius]

Insider Report: Picking Up the Pace:
https://unhwildcats.com/news/2022/10/6/mens-ice-hockey-insider-report-picking-up-the-pace.aspx

 

[HockeyRef]

Put me down as another fan of the interlocking NH logo that used to feature on the football helmets.

The new AD would get me on her side quickly actually if she decided to ditch the current 20+ year logo. The logo is no longer fresh, and others like it at other schools were subsequently ditched.

Perfect idea...add it to the list! (am being serious here not snarky) I think that would be really cool on a hockey jersey. Seriously, things like this fans can have alot of input into...it's all about the appearance, no?? In fact I've started a google doc and this will go in there. It's labeled "Constructive Concerns of a Hockey Fan" (um, well haven't started it yet..but I will! I'm up for other names for the doc (oh that would be interesting)...

Psyched about the venture tomorrow; hope we can get to puck drop ontime. Looking forward to seeing Massena NY as well as Canton and Potsdam. d.gerry I appreciated your words of wisdom and POV about the place. And of course the games!!! Woot!

 

[NCAA watcher]

Seems the theme this season is "we finally have speed." (Per WMUR and Union Leader story on season preview)

Stevenson, a senior forward, said the Wildcats are extremely fast and will play hard and more freely in their new systems. With new skilled freshmen and transfer forwards, Stevenson hopes UNH's scoring woes from last season will not continue.

UNH scored the third-fewest goals (76) in the 11-team Hockey East over its 14-19-1 season last year.

"I think teams are going to struggle with our speed and with the way we play, but we still have a long way to go, too," Stevenson said. "I feel like we're in a really good place going into this weekend but it's going to be a constant learning curve for all of us."

Portsmouth Herald

Senior defensemen Kalle Eriksson pointed to increased team speed as one of the things he’s noticed in the early-going of practice as the Wildcats head into a long road-trip to open the season.

“I feel like we’re all good skaters and the pace has been really high compared to other years,” Eriksson said in a preseason media conference Wednesday.
Senior forward Chase Stevenson is in full agreement with Eriksson on the team’s outlook.

“I think people are going to see a different look from us this year,” Stevenson said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who are fast. I think we’re going to be a team that plays extremely fast and I think we’ve got a lot of new guys that can make plays.”

Nice to see Mike Souza finally valuing that more than size and grit. Better late than never.

Dan replied to UNH Commits & Recruiting: 2016 and Beyond
in Men's Division I
02-27-2016, 10:09 PM
Re: UNH Commits & Recruiting: 2016 and Beyond

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by NCAA watcher View Post
Maine recruited to get bigger and stronger, but couldn't put the puck in the ocean and is below UNH. Providence is smaller and more skilled. BC and BU are more skilled, regardless of size as they get the most talented from 5'6 Gaudreau to 6'4 Tuch. LOok at the d they are bringing in 5-10 McInnis, Moore and Mantilla. Forwards are 5'7 Tortela, hutsko, 5'8 Grando, 5'8 Moynihan, 5'9 Walsh, 5'11 Graham. BU has 5'10 Tkachuk, 5'8 Cockrill, 5'8 Harper, 5'8 Crone, 5'8 Farabee, 5'7 Mastrosimone, 5'10 Doyle, 5'11 Weiss. PC Scott Conway 5'11, Jay O'Brien Josh Wilkins 5'10 John Mulera 5'7, Chase Zieky 5'10 Jordan Kawaguchi 5'8 Ben Mirageas 5'10 Ryzek 5'10, Vimal Sukumaran 5'10 Jacob Bryson 5'8 Riley Prattson 5'8 Matt Allen 5'11 Matt Alvaro5'8 Spenser Young 5'10. These top 4 hockey east team teams realize its not about getting bigger, its that about getting more skilled.

Its schools that can't compete for real talent, like Lake Superior, Merrimack, or Lowell that chose to go for big teams to wear down the opposition. Please don't go down that road of thinking you can't compete for skill against the good teams.

UNH loses puck battles because the cannot control pucks when they have them or d that can create a second in which to make good break outs, or forwards on whom the other teams d can collapse because they are not a threat to break into the clear because they lack size (senior line which has size but no puck skills). Building a team to defend means you will defend more.

Someone please send Souza a 98-99 roster reminding him that his line mates were 5-8 Haydar and 5-10 Krog 5-11 Mowers and the d was led by 5-11 Stafford
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AMEN.

I hope that size is only part of the strategy - because this is NOT the NHL. Skill, puck-possession and ability are what matters at the college level. The slow pace to recruiting and the apparent strategy are raising some serious doubts for the Souza era to come. Its time for Mike to really kick it in the *** and get some TALENT. Tall statuesque defensemen with stones for hands and a bunch of grinding upper-class forwards will get you tenth place in Hockey East. He just watched it happen, we can only hope he was paying attention...

BTW Mike, you may have been the biggest forward on your 98-99 line - but you were MADE by your munchkin line-mates...

 

[Chuck Murray]

Insider Report: Picking Up the Pace:
https://unhwildcats.com/news/2022/10...-the-pace.aspx

So, just to make sure I'm reading this article correctly, and not overlooking/misreading anything:

(1) UNH is hoping to have its fastest-skating team in recent memory this season ...
(2) ... and to exploit that trait, they've reduced the size of their ice sheet by 10%

Genius. Pure unadulterated genius, I tellya.

Where do I sign up for my season tickets? UNH ticket office, call me at 1-800-IAM-ASAP ...

 

[HockeyRef]

So, just to make sure I'm reading this article correctly, and not overlooking/misreading anything:

(1) UNH is hoping to have its fastest-skating team in recent memory this season ...
(2) ... and to exploit that trait, they've reduced the size of their ice sheet by 10%

Genius. Pure unadulterated genius, I tellya.

Where do I sign up for my season tickets? UNH ticket office, call me at 1-800-IAM-ASAP ...

haha Chuck, we saps out here really know how to take one for the team! Listen even with my limited (yet better than it was, ask mr. HR) knowledge of the game I knew enough to say, "wait, isn't speed the big draw for UNH and they are shrinking the rink"? Welp...irony is dead I guess. I'm glad to hear the team feels optimistic that is always a good thing. By the end of the weekend we'll have more to chew on.

 

[ClOuD 9]

So, just to make sure I'm reading this article correctly, and not overlooking/misreading anything:

(1) UNH is hoping to have its fastest-skating team in recent memory this season ...
(2) ... and to exploit that trait, they've reduced the size of their ice sheet by 10%

 

[Darius]

Fast paced skating is good. Putting the puck in the opponent’s goal is better. Obviously winning is the best, however I will take faced paced shoot out losses over recent season tractor pulls.

 

[HockeyRef]

'Cats down early on a 5 on 3 but Fezzie keeping them in the early going. Yep fast it is and decent puck handling..but need to make better decisions clearing it out.