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

[norbert]

This is a game that should have been won. This is a coaching loss. Can't get a feel for the freshman goalie since the total shots was so low. Much better effort but more of the same. But we are on the board for points in HE.

On a side note, was talking to a guy who had tickets next to me who was with AD Rich tonight. There is a fundraising effort coming to continue Whit renovations. This is all back of the house stuff to make recruiting better, which I have heard was an issue from a trustee. Locker rooms, weight rooms, ect. Apparently from his mouth that recruits come in and love the rink and atmosphere (all 2000 people) but the other stuff is a deterrent. He through out a number of $14M which really does not seem like a big amount.

My thought is that the half a percent the governor reduced R&B tax this year would easily cover this amount.

Over under tomorrow when I turn the game off is 5 minutes into the 3rd. Who wants that action for a beer next Saturday upstairs?

And at 4:58 PC makes it 2-0 and ends the game. If you took the under your money has won

 

[Snively65]

Over under tomorrow when I turn the game off is 5 minutes into the 3rd. Who wants that action for a beer next Saturday upstairs?

“Over? Did you say ‘over’?”

 

[deltabravo62]

Sloppy play all game, no hustle, terrible turnovers. Not looking good rolling in to husky land next weekend.

 

[HockeyRef]

Sloppy play all game, no hustle, terrible turnovers. Not looking good rolling in to husky land next weekend.

Woof. Get it? Huskyland? Anyway I picked up the game in the second. Missed the goal heard it was abit of a misplay of sorts? Doesn't matter.

Positives: I liked the play of Kristaps Straskins. Felt he was making some plays. Looks like could be an effective two way player. Nice rip by Carfagna.

DB covered some of the other stuff adequately. Loss not on Fez and I felt we had decent enough goal tending all weekend. HR thinks both should play next weekend.

However it's still a 1 pt weekend felt we'd get more out of it. Onto NU (woof)

 

[Snively65]

Woof. Get it? Huskyland? Anyway I picked up the game in the second. Missed the goal heard it was abit of a misplay of sorts? Doesn't matter.

Positives: I liked the play of Kristaps Straskins. Felt he was making some plays. Looks like could be an effective two way player. Nice rip by Carfagna.

DB covered some of the other stuff adequately. Loss not on Fez and I felt we had decent enough goal tending all weekend. HR thinks both should play next weekend.

However it's still a 1 pt weekend felt we'd get more out of it. Onto NU (woof)

Yup, our D coughed up puck for first Friar goal late in first, but otherwise I thought that our Cats played good D the entire game. Chemalar’s snipe through lots of traffic early in third to put the Friars up 2-0 was matched by Carfagna’s about 4 minutes later with 12 or so minutes remaining. I thought that the Cats just might tie things up down the stretch before the ENG.

Only two minor penalties per team, and the one Too Many Men penalty was on the Friars, so good that MS7 stayed engaged and apparently was not distracted by his phone during the game.

Best bet for our next point(s) in Hippieland on 11-12 November.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Listening to the replay of last night's game on NESN+, heard the play-by-play guy describe UNH's coach as "legendary Mike Souza". My apologies to Captain Chase Stevenson, as now your description of Providence and NU as "unbelievable" opponents now seems almost sane by comparison. Yowzah.

Quick early-in-the-week topic for fun discussion ... who in the long line of UNH players and coaches has a legitimate stake to be referred to as "legendary"? For me, Coach Holt (definite) and Coach Umile (probable) ... players would include Gordie Clark, Ralph Cox, Rod Langway, Cap Raeder, Jason Krog, Mark Mowers, and Darren Haydar. There are probably lots of borderline, debatable candidates among players.

For criteria, I think you have to be at least arguably the best player on your team, stick around for most of your eligibility (if Langway is yes, can JvR be no?) and accomplish something worthwhile on your watch. Souza gets credit for the '98 and '99 FF trips, and for his four year stint ... but a guy like Steve Saviano measures up AT LEAST to Souza's level, plus was a prominent guy in the '02 and '03 HE Tourney wins and corresponding FF trips.

Thoughts?

 

[msprice]

Except Souza had about 50 more points in his UNH playing career.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Except Souza had about 50 more points in his UNH playing career.

Fair point. In my mind, the difference in career points between Souza and Saviano boils down to two key factors:

(1) Saviano struggled to find ice time in his frosh season at UNH, and then scored 115 points in 123 games after;
(2) Souza's best season (by far) was '98/'99 when he was on a line with Hobey Krog and frosh Haydar, racking up 65 points in 41 games. Over the other 3 seasons, Souza scored 91 points in 115 games.

It's fair to say that both guys were big game players ... Souza assisted Mowers' SHG vs. BU in '98 in Albany to punch their ticket to the FF in Boston, and scored the equalizer in the '99 FF Final in Anaheim. Saviano scored a huge 3rd period goal in the '02 HEA Tourney Finals to beat UMaine, and I believe he also scored in the '03 FF semis against Cornell in Buffalo, and was a huge factor in all of UNH's biggest wins in that era.

Anyone want to vouch for the likes of Ty Conklin and/or Michael Ayers instead of Cap Raeder?

This is the kind of discussion where we really miss a guy like Greg Ambrose and some of the other old timers ...

 

[Snively65]

Fair point. In my mind, the difference in career points between Souza and Saviano boils down to two key factors:

(1) Saviano struggled to find ice time in his frosh season at UNH, and then scored 115 points in 123 games after;
(2) Souza's best season (by far) was '98/'99 when he was on a line with Hobey Krog and frosh Haydar, racking up 65 points in 41 games. Over the other 3 seasons, Souza scored 91 points in 115 games.

It's fair to say that both guys were big game players ... Souza assisted Mowers' SHG vs. BU in '98 in Albany to punch their ticket to the FF in Boston, and scored the equalizer in the '99 FF Final in Anaheim. Saviano scored a huge 3rd period goal in the '02 HEA Tourney Finals to beat UMaine, and I believe he also scored in the '03 FF semis against Cornell in Buffalo, and was a huge factor in all of UNH's biggest wins in that era.

Anyone want to vouch for the likes of Ty Conklin and/or Michael Ayers instead of Cap Raeder?

This is the kind of discussion where we really miss a guy like Greg Ambrose and some of the other old timers ...

True dat Steve Saviano scored not just one but two goals, including GWG, in 3-2 win over Cornell at Buffalo FF in 2003.

As for Cap Raeder, what did legendary Robbie Ftorek say to his legendary Needham goalie when Mike Milbury’s Walpole Rebels went up 3-1 with less than two minutes remaining in 1970 Massachusetts school boy championship game in Braintree?

 

[NCAA watcher]

msprice replied
Yesterday, 06:45 PM
Except Souza had about 50 more points in his UNH playing career.

Not sure any UNH player will even reach 50 career points

Sr.Kalle Eriksson has the most on the team, with 37
So.Liam Devlin 23
So.Huard 22
Sr.Stevenson 19
So.Cronin 17
Jr.Cafarelli 17
Jr.Reid 16

 

[Whalers]

As for Cap Raeder, what did legendary Robbie Ftorek say to his legendary Needham goalie when Mike Milbury’s Walpole Rebels went up 3-1 with less than two minutes remaining in 1970 Massachusetts school boy championship game in Braintree?

Cant remember the exact quote, but along the lines of "How many do you need? And then he went out and scored 3 or 4 goals to win the game. Now THAT is confidence.

 

[Whalers]

Just went to Ftorek's wikipedia page and how are these for high school stats? This is Division 1 MA high school in the late 60's, Needham HS, not division 5 in NH. Hockey was just beginning to explode in MA with the Big Bad Bruins so the competition probably wasnt quite up to par with later years, but still pretty formidable I would believe.

68-69 - Jr Yr 18 games - 38g 36a = 74 points (4.11 avg)
69-70 - Sr Yr 23 games - 54g 64a = 118 points (5.13 avg)

 

[Chuck Murray]

Ftorek skipped the whole college hockey thingie, and after a stint with the '72 US Olympics Team, he signed as an undrafted player with none other than the Detroit Red Wings, scuffled around in that organization for a few years, and then went to light up the WHA for a few years prior to returning to the NHL with the Quebec Nordiques - I believe after the WHA merger's dispersal draft?? Robbie Ftorek is now 70 years old. Wow ...

 

[teez]

This trip down memory lane got me thinking about how many good to great goalies UNH had in their heyday. A good diversion from the 0-4-1 conference start yielding 1 point in 5 games.

Teez's Mount Rushmore:

1. Mike Ayers - Netminder for back to back conference tournament championship teams and a National Championship game, UNH's high water mark. All time leader in shutouts (13), and single season wins (27)
2. Ty Conklin - Lowest career GAA in UNH history (2.18) and played in a national championship game. Third in all time wins (57)
3. Kevin Regan - Statistically speaking, the best goalie in UNH history. All time leader in wins (70) and highest save percentage (.928). 2nd lowest career GAA (2.27)
4. Sean Matile - 4th all time in wins (53)

Honorable mention

5. Jeff Pietrasiak - A very reliable backup to Ayers and Regan who had a monster year in '05-'06.

 

[NCAA watcher]

Ftorek skipped the whole college hockey thingie, ... ...

In the sense that Keith Yandle "skipped" the whole college thingie

The news on Robbie Ftorek and his best friend defesman Chuck Lambert still has not materialized. Currently the two are undecided between college, prep school, or college and Junior A hockey in Canada. However, in an exclusive Heights telephone interview, it was learned that BC has the inside track of the three area colleges after them only they have not het been accepted by the admissions office. Anothe; Needham flash, Tom Polato, the left wing of Ftorek's line is headed this way. He is credited with helping Ftorek to his great season. Joe Fitler of Maiden Catholic who won three straight overtime playoff games is also coming. The finest player the North Shore league has seen in years, he was all over the ice in the playoffs, plus possessing a fantastic shot, among the hardest in schoolboy hockey. In goal, Waltham's Ned Yetten has the ability to do a fine job as he made every all-scholastic team in the area and was by far the outstanding netminder in Eastern Mass.

My wife is from Needham, and Ftorek and Lambert's academic prowess was well known. Sort of the Yandles of their time.

 

[Snively65]

Cant remember the exact quote, but along the lines of "How many do you need? And then he went out and scored 3 or 4 goals to win the game. Now THAT is confidence.

Yup.

Robbie: poking Cap in the chest, “How many do you want?”

Cap, dejected: “Huh?”

Robbie: “I said how many goals do you want?”

Cap: “How about two to get us into OT?”

Ftorek and his line mates then scored four goals in 52 seconds for a 5-3 win.

Many of the great UNH speedy forwards noted above, like Ftorek who probably should have played in Div 1 just to set some all-time scoring records, were too small to make much of a mark in the NHL. I think that the most successful UNH forwards in the NHL were bigger, if not the fastest skaters, like Bogie, the aforementioned Mark Mowers, Dan Winnik, and the “third line plodder” JvR.

 

[Snively65]

Not sure any UNH player will even reach 50 career points

Sr.Kalle Eriksson has the most on the team, with 37
So.Liam Devlin 23
So.Huard 22
Sr.Stevenson 19
So.Cronin 17
Jr.Cafarelli 17
Jr.Reid 16

Seems that Devlin is on track to score 50 career points, and maybe Cronin and Huard, too. I think that our best chance for a winning record and some possible postseason play beyond the MBPBEGAM round will be in two years when these three are seniors, assuming some incoming recruits over the next couple of years beat expectations and our frosh goalie develops into the next Mike Ayers.

 

[HockeyRef]

Seems that Devlin is on track to score 50 career points, and maybe Cronin and Huard, too. I think that our best chance for a winning record and some possible postseason play beyond the MBPBEGAM round will be in two years when these three are seniors, assuming some incoming recruits over the next couple of years beat expectations and our frosh goalie develops into the next Mike Ayers.

Assuming and hoping that they all stay of course! Yes, I would agree as well with your summation. And would also like to say that I am very glad you are back posting sir!

 

[Snively65]

Assuming and hoping that they all stay of course! Yes, I would agree as well with your summation. And would also like to say that I am very glad you are back posting sir!

Yup, it is all hands on deck, as we are not only in a competition to stay out of the HEA basement, but also in a competition with Maine’s Raise the Barr and Vermont’s New Jersey’s threads.

Moreover, BU has upped the ante with complaints about Agganis concessions (hot dogs) on their thread.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Saw Ned Yetten getting a name drop in 'Watcher's post this afternoon. Former BC goalie from the Snooks Era.

Snives, I'm sure the name is familiar to you, more so for Bentley's long-time football coach ... Ned's brother Peter, who coached Bentley's National Club Football Champions when I was a student, gradually moved the program up through D-III to D-II I believe? Also part of BU's '71 National Champions in ECAC D-1 hockey, along with three teammates who were future D-1 HC's at HEA schools - Steve Stirling, Toot Cahoon and Ron Anderson.

Found this article on the Northeast 10 website, fascinating read and a real slice of life with Coach Yetten ...

Boston Globe: 'He has been a coach for all their seasons; Bentley football enters 26th year under Yetten' - Northeast 10 Athletics

"Peter was a tremendous motivator," recalled Kevin Lucey, a Bentley Athletic Hall of Famer and the team's first varsity quarterback 16 years ago out of Wakefield High. "He had complete hold of our team and an uncanny knack of, by Wednesday or Thursday, building you up emotionally for Saturday's game. By Friday, you'd be so fired up, you were ready to pounce on your little brother."

Lucey said Yetten would tell the Bentley squad that "the other team was coming in to get the little Bentley accountants with their pocket protectors, and he made you believe it."