UNH Wildcats - '10 Playoff Edition

[JB]

Re: UNH Wildcats - '10 Playoff Edition

thing that is a spot on analysis of Hardowa, but seen his skating has improved over the season and he has really turned up his psychical play to, he might match up well against Cornell, he didn't play the game in Jan so he will add some size that Cornell didn't see in that game, will take any little help we can get

The problem between UNH and Cornell is UNH's centers. I think the UNH D-man will be OK - not great but OK. DeSimone, LeBlanc, Borisenok and Manz are all undersized for dealing with Cornell large forwards down low. Manz plays with enough energy and I thinkLeBlanc plays with good leverage but the other 2 are going to have issues with the size mismatch.

I think you might see a winger pick up the "centers" defensive zone responiblities. There was part of the season where Burke played down low even if he didn't take the draws. I wonder if you could see a wrinkle by having Thompson, and Burke as wings on the 1st and 3rd lines that would play defense low in the zone to add size to stop the cycling. Might even see a guy like McCarey used in that sort roll as he plays big for his size. It would mean the normal center takes the draw but plays in a wingers spot on the ice.

I wouldn't think Umile would do this but I saw it in parts of a couple of games with Burke playing down low.

 

[Jacques Joubert]

Re: UNH Wildcats - '10 Playoff Edition

Good Luck you guys. I'm glad you got in. Bring home the hardware for Hockey East.

BC was certainly deserving of their spot as well.

UVM...Well...that's a story for another time. 17-14???

 

[WildShawn]

Re: UNH Wildcats - '10 Playoff Edition

Good Luck you guys. I'm glad you got in. Bring home the hardware for Hockey East.

BC was certainly deserving of their spot as well.

UVM...Well...that's a story for another time. 17-14???

Well if you're going to bring up record... UNH and UVM had identical 17-13-7 records after the quarterfinals, the only reason UVM got one more loss is because they got one more game by beating UNH....

UVM had an impressive non-conference record against some pretty good teams, including a victory over Denver, and I think Duluth and Yale, but I'm not sure offhand... UNH's non-conference was a joke, though they did have 4 games against top 3 teams, they tied one of those 4 and got destroyed in the other 3.

 

[jcarter7669]

Re: UNH Wildcats - '10 Playoff Edition

Well if you're going to bring up record... UNH and UVM had identical 17-13-7 records after the quarterfinals, the only reason UVM got one more loss is because they got one more game by beating UNH....

UVM had an impressive non-conference record against some pretty good teams, including a victory over Denver, and I think Duluth and Yale, but I'm not sure offhand... UNH's non-conference was a joke, though they did have 4 games against top 3 teams, they tied one of those 4 and got destroyed in the other 3.

You are correct, UVM beat UMD, Yale, DU, and BC twice. So they have 3 wins against the #1 seeds. And thank you for pointing out that UNH and UVM had identical records. As a UVM fan, the talk about UVM not being deserving is getting old. They were up and down all year but they won enough PWC to get in, more then Ferris and more then UMD.

Good luck to UNH against Cornell. I have faith that the WCats can beat them and move on.

 

[unhpuckfan2001]

Re: UNH Wildcats - '10 Playoff Edition

I am awfully tired of hearing, "they didn't deserve to be there," or "we deserved to be there."

There are clearly laid out guidelines for 'getting in'

1.) Autobids, given to conference tournament champions*
2.) The top teams in PwR (well, you know) after the autobids are given.

The PwR system is flawed, yes. The arguement can be made that KRACH is a better system, but that's a moot point until the NCAA Selection Committee wants to make a change.

Bottom Line: given the current selection criteria, each team that has made the NCAA Tournament 'deserves' to be there. Perhaps more importantly, making comments on these boards isn't going to change the field of 16 - I wish we had that sort of power!

*Perhaps the committee should have taken away the CHA autobid. It's an interesting point, especially if your team was #14 or 15 in the PwR -- that team can say they were screwed, and have an argument. But I mean, did anybody see that coming?

 

[JB]

Re: UNH Wildcats - '10 Playoff Edition

You are correct, UVM beat UMD, Yale, DU, and BC twice. So they have 3 wins against the #1 seeds. And thank you for pointing out that UNH and UVM had identical records. As a UVM fan, the talk about UVM not being deserving is getting old. They were up and down all year but they won enough PWC to get in, more then Ferris and more then UMD.

It is funny. Look at out of conference records and boy UNH sucks. Look at in conference and 8th seed UVM boy they suck. Well fortunately for both teams the criteria looks at the entire record so ta-da they both earned their way in. Either could have been knocked out if other teams had, blah, blah, blah. Yup but those teams didn't so they are in based on the defined rules the coaches agreed to last April/May.

I like that hockey is defined, if this had beeen squeaky ball Yale would have been penalize because a player got hurt. I like objective not subjective. Michigan made there 20th straight not because they are Michigan but because they earned it 20 straight years.

Personally I don't like KRACH for one reason, it is complex and by that nature not clear to everybody exactly what is going on.

 

[WildShawn]

Re: UNH Wildcats - '10 Playoff Edition

. Yup but those teams didn't so they are in based on the defined rules the coaches agreed to last April/May.

Serious question because I don't know, but do the coaches actually 'agree' to the selection criteria? Do they have any say at all?

 

[Jacques Joubert]

Re: UNH Wildcats - '10 Playoff Edition

Well if you're going to bring up record... UNH and UVM had identical 17-13-7 records after the quarterfinals, the only reason UVM got one more loss is because they got one more game by beating UNH....

UVM had an impressive non-conference record against some pretty good teams, including a victory over Denver, and I think Duluth and Yale, but I'm not sure offhand... UNH's non-conference was a joke, though they did have 4 games against top 3 teams, they tied one of those 4 and got destroyed in the other 3.

Fair enough. I just had an issue with the 8th place team in HE getting in. OOC record counts. And I guess 3rd and 8th were only separated by a couple points. Maybe I just don't like the center ice trap...

 

[unhpuckfan2001]

Re: UNH Wildcats - '10 Playoff Edition

Hoping for a little luck:

I can't leave Manchester, NH until 2:45pm on Friday. Anybody going to be headed towards Albany at that time? I know it's late, but still able to make the 6:30pm game.

Please private message me . . .

 

[JB]

Re: UNH Wildcats - '10 Playoff Edition

Serious question because I don't know, but do the coaches actually 'agree' to the selection criteria? Do they have any say at all?

My last understanding was that any and all changes to the PWR system are discussed at the coaches convension at the end of the year. If the coaches say no then it doesn't happen.

I remember this from when they dropped the last 16 PWR criteria. I heard Umile talk about it the next year and he said something about how the coaches discussed the change and agreed that due to unbalanced schedules it was an unfair criteria and that is why they "approved" the change.

I will admit to not having any FACTS on this just an understanding and statements I have heard coaches make.

 

[e.cat]

Re: UNH Wildcats - '10 Playoff Edition

last time i was in albany unh beat wisco in a very exciting game to watch. i remember talking with Gagnon before the game(the players just happened to be sitting where i was watching the first game) and i told him to just go out and have some fun. so unh, just go out and have some fun, leave it all on the ice and see what happens

that 7-4 win over WISCO in 1998 was a breakthrough for UNH. UNH had lost to WISCO on three previous occasions in the ncaa's including a 4-3 (OT) loss in 1977 in UNH's first ever appearance in the tournament. i was bummed about that 1977 game because i was trying to listen to the game on radio and the reception was terrible. i was living in north hampton, nh at the time and you would think there would have been a station where i could get better reception but oh no

 

[snively]

Re: UNH Wildcats - '10 Playoff Edition

that 7-4 win over WISCO in 1998 was a breakthrough for UNH. UNH had lost to WISCO on three previous occasions in the ncaa's including a 4-3 (OT) loss in 1977 in UNH's first ever appearance in the tournament. i was bummed about that 1977 game because i was trying to listen to the game on radio and the reception was terrible. i was living in north hampton, nh at the time and you would think there would have been a station where i could get better reception but oh no

Remember that 1977 one so well -- puck with laser vision drilled just inside the near post, by Eaves, directly off the drop of an OT faceoff in our end.

I was listening to WTSN's feed, which somehow made it all the way down to Cambridge at night if you were lucky.

What a great/fun 'Cats squad that '77 one was, eh? Wish it had all ended just two wins better.

Not a bad showing, though, for our first trip ever to the NCAA's. Heck -- it was even our first trip to the ECAC's at the Garden (two games, 33 goals, both close battles!)...

 

[JB]

Re: UNH Wildcats - '10 Playoff Edition

Remember that 1977 one so well -- puck with laser vision drilled just inside the near post, by Eaves, directly off the drop of an OT faceoff in our end.

I know people who were at that game that still say the goal should not have counted as Eaves shot the puck before it hit the ice...

 

[snively]

Re: UNH Wildcats - '10 Playoff Edition

I know people who were at that game that still say the goal should not have counted as Eaves shot the puck before it hit the ice...

Bingo, JB. He literally swatted it out of the air on the drop (how's that for eye hand coordination?).

Trulu bizarre way for a classic season to end...

 

[e.cat]

Re: UNH Wildcats - '10 Playoff Edition

Remember that 1977 one so well -- puck with laser vision drilled just inside the near post, by Eaves, directly off the drop of an OT faceoff in our end.

I was listening to WTSN's feed, which somehow made it all the way down to Cambridge at night if you were lucky.

What a great/fun 'Cats squad that '77 one was, eh? Wish it had all ended just two wins better.

Not a bad showing, though, for our first trip ever to the NCAA's. Heck -- it was even our first trip to the ECAC's at the Garden (two games, 33 goals, both close battles!)...

agreed. not bad for some hay shakers from new hampshire i wish i could have heard it better. the audio was fading in and out and crackling to boot. i managed to figure out it was a close game but that was about it. so it was wtsn huh? not sure why i couldn't pick it up better but i tried awfully hard believe me. you don't happen to remember who scored for us do ya? can't believe it was eaves who got the game winner. figures his kid would go to bc, eh?

yeah those were the good ole days snively. some good players on that team

 

[unhpuckfan2001]

Re: UNH Wildcats - '10 Playoff Edition

Bingo, JB. He literally swatted it out of the air on the drop (how's that for eye hand coordination?).

Trulu bizarre way for a classic season to end...

This goes back to something somebody mentioned somewhere else; UNH never seems to score on the puck batted in out of the air. They seem to struggle with bouncing / loose pucks.

I didn't catch much of the Maine / BC HE final, but I did see Nyquist bat the puck out of the air into the goal. I NEVER see UNH players do that. That poster was on to something, there . . . (and yes, Nyquists goal was called off for High Sticking, I believe, but it was still impressive hand-eye).

 

[snively]

Re: UNH Wildcats - '10 Playoff Edition

agreed. not bad for some hay shakers from new hampshire i wish i could have heard it better. the audio was fading in and out and crackling to boot. i managed to figure out it was a close game but that was about it. so it was wtsn huh? not sure why i couldn't pick it up better but i tried awfully hard believe me. you don't happen to remember who scored for us do ya? can't believe it was eaves who got the game winner. figures his kid would go to bc, eh?

yeah those were the good ole days snively. some good players on that team

Loved the line about Eaves' kid and BC.

Wish I could tell you who scored for us, but that's gone from my mental hard drive.

But yes, that was quite a squad. How's this for just a handful?:

Forwards:
Ralph Cox (126 goals in 127 college games!)
Bruce Crowder
Barry Edgar
John Fontas
Bobby Gould
Bob Miller

Defensemen:
Frankie Roy
Tim Burke
Sean Coady
Jim Harvie
Rod Langway
Paul Powers

Yikes!

 

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Wildcats - '10 Playoff Edition

Forwards:
Ralph Cox (126 goals in 127 college games!)
Bruce Cowder
Barry Edgar
John Fontas
Bobby Gould
Bobby Miller

Defensemen:
Frankie Roy
Tim Burke
Sean Coady
Jim Harvie
Rod Langway
Paul Powers

What a team! Even the lesser known players had skills. As I recall, Paul Powers was a small defenseman who could shoot either right or left-handed.

 

[JB]

Re: UNH Wildcats - '10 Playoff Edition

This goes back to something somebody mentioned somewhere else; UNH never seems to score on the puck batted in out of the air. They seem to struggle with bouncing / loose pucks.

That would be me. I think it is one of the reasons (the other is very rarely is somebody going to the net) that UNH scores so few "dirty" goals on rebounds or even deflections. There was a beautiful goal last weekend (in one of the college games) that was in the old Soviet style - puck wasn't even on net but at a forward who just redirected it behind the goalie.

As for the goal of the face-off I am fairly sure the puck must hit the ice to be a "legal" face-off. Then again there is the hockey adage; the best way to win a face-off is cheat.

 

[snively]

Re: UNH Wildcats - '10 Playoff Edition

What a team! Even the lesser known players had skills. As I recall, Paul Powers was a small defenseman who could shoot either right or left-handed.

Paul's listed as 5' 7" and 175 lbs. (soaking wet?) -- imagine that for a d-man? But he was a flat out terrific player.

His brother Scott went to/played at Harvard, where I got to know him a bit (I was a Resident Tutor at Kirkland House while doing grad work there). Also a great guy, and also tough as nails. Figures Harvard would go on soon after to win an NCAA title!