UNH Wildcats 2013-14 Season Thread (Part 2)

[unh1982]

Major opportunity lost tonight. UVM made UNH look drastically "inferior" all night long really, with only a few stretches where UNH looked like they even belonged on the same ice with the Catamounts. Very disappointed with the lack of intensity and physical play virtually from the outset. Plus with the Downing re-injury ... afraid there are no "silver linings" in Durham tonight. Tomorrow night becomes a must win not only for UVM, but also for UNH now ... and unless UNH ramps up the intensity from tonight's landslide, UVM simply looks like the better team.

My argument is this intensity seems to frequent, not sure coach does enough to motivate his troops.This seems to be a common theme.After all, all athletes even professionals need to be energized..Im ****ed at their effort.

 

[sonar]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2013-14 Season Thread (Part 2)

"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be."

John Wooden

 

[scoreboard]

"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be."

John Wooden

Ouch! But true.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2013-14 Season Thread (Part 2)

"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be."

John Wooden

More mystical curmudgeonness. And truth be told, we've all seen this movie before. Frankly, way too often.

 

[Scott]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2013-14 Season Thread (Part 2)

Had hopes after last weekend's sweep of ND....but after tonight's game, I'm sticking by the prediction I made a month and a half ago: 6th place finish in HE, one and done in the HE playoffs.

If you can't take care of business at home, then there is something wrong.

 

[unh1982]

Had hopes after last weekend's sweep ND....but after tonight's game, I'm sticking by the prediction I made a month and a half ago: 6th place finish in HE, one and done in the HE playoffs.

If you can't take care of business at home, then there is something wrong.

ditto, change is indeed needed

 

[midge843]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2013-14 Season Thread (Part 2)

Dont understand, how can unh lay such a golden egg, against an inferior Vermont team and get blown out of the rink...now looking from outside in, especially with other teams, northeastern and Lowell stumbling.

Were you watching the right game? UVM is easily the superior team this season (with much more depth and elite talent up front (Christ McCarthy). UNH looked like they didn't even belong on the same ice as Vermont tonight. UNH has made a number of uncharacteristic turn overs in their defensive zone this season, and their passing has been far from crisp. They're just having a down year. Calling UVM the inferior team (this season at least) is ignorant.

 

[HockeyRef]

ditto, change is indeed needed

College hockey news pretty much sums up the night; Umile owning the loss "a lack of preparedness"...Again Knodel with the straight up analysis.

http://blog.collegehockeynews.com/2014/02/the-takeaway-uvm-dominates-unh-in-5-2-road-win/

 

[Snively65]

Major opportunity lost tonight. UVM made UNH look drastically "inferior" all night long really, with only a few stretches where UNH looked like they even belonged on the same ice with the Catamounts. Very disappointed with the lack of intensity and physical play virtually from the outset. Plus with the Downing re-injury ... afraid there are no "silver linings" in Durham tonight. Tomorrow night becomes a must win not only for UVM, but also for UNH now ... and unless UNH ramps up the intensity from tonight's landslide, UVM simply looks like the better team.

I agree, UVM looked like a much better team than UNH on Friday night, crashing the UNH net the entire game, playing the kind of game that I would like to see UNH teams play, but never do. UVM was a better defensive team than UNH coming into the game, which really showed. Other than the tic-tac-toe score 6 minutes in by the renewed first line, UVM thwarted UNH in the neutral zone all night long, and when UNH did manage to slip through, the UVM D-men collapsed inward and allowed very few second SOG. Speaking of SOG, UVM also destroyed Chuck's SOG theory on Friday night.

It was obvious to me that Sneddon had his team ready for this one, and the one thing that Umile's teams can never seem to do is make between period adjustments. I thought that DeSmith played great until his loss of focus in which he gave up the two quick ones midway through the third; the score easily could have been 5-1 through two.

UVM is now tied for 13th in PWR with Maine and Duluth at 45 points, dropping UNH all the way down to a tie for 18th in PWR with Clarkson and Colgate at 40 points. Amazing how one loss to the wrong team can make such a huge difference in the PWR, even at this time of year. As of Saturday morning, Hockey East has six teams in the top 16 PWR. I think that UNH needs a win or tie much more than does UVM on Saturday. I think that the UVM that I saw on Friday night can compete with both BC and Lowell down the regular season stretch. Not so sure about UNH match ups with BU and Mac.

 

[jcarter7669]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2013-14 Season Thread (Part 2)

Fun fact : In HE play UVM has won the Friday game of a two game set 3 times this season, twice that led to a sweep...(and the other time they choked big time blowing a 2 goal third period lead to ND in the season opening season )

Heading into the weekend UVM was 3-4-0 on the friday of two game set and 5-2 on the Saturday game. We usually play better the second night...

 

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2013-14 Season Thread (Part 2)

Oh hey, thanks for sharing that fun fact...! Here's hoping UNH puts on different skates tonight. Giving UVM a ton of credit for the solid 60 minute effort last night; getting it done...
Speaking of fun facts, didn't realize that we've not been able to come back after being down a couple: UNH is 0-12-0 this year when trailing after two. Welp..round two tonight.

 

[skyraider0609]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2013-14 Season Thread (Part 2)

I think this thread should be renamed. Let's go with UNH Wildcats 2013-2014 One Step Forward, One Step Back Thread. Or maybe UNH Wildcats 2013-2014 I've Seen This Movie Before And I Already Know The Ending Thread. Maybe you all have some better thread titles.

After last week's two wins I thought okay, this team has a chance to make a little noise moving forward as the regular season winds down. After last night's "turd in the punchbowl" effort, what do we have? Dickie again completely perplexed as to how the team could have been so flat and not ready to play. Hmm, that sounds so familiar.... I just shake my head. If there's ever a statue of Dickie erected in front of the Whitt in another 20 or 25 years when he's finally retired, it will be with his arms crossed over his chest, one hand under his chin and just scowling.

Maybe the Wildcats come out and play better tonight. Who knows, maybe they'll play well enough to win. In the end though, they are what they are, a .500 team that will whither against better competition.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2013-14 Season Thread (Part 2)

After last week's two wins I thought okay, this team has a chance to make a little noise moving forward as the regular season winds down. After last night's "turd in the punchbowl" effort, what do we have? Dickie again completely perplexed as to how the team could have been so flat and not ready to play. Hmm, that sounds so familiar.... I just shake my head.

Maybe the Wildcats come out and play better tonight. Who knows, maybe they'll play well enough to win. In the end though, they are what they are, a .500 team that will whither against better competition.

It's usually stuff like this that some folks criticize me for being "too negative" ... but truthfully, I suspect anyone who's followed the program for more than a year or two comes to the point where they eventually feel this way.

Losing games happens. Two teams play, and at least one is usually going to leave the game unhappy. And sometimes it's going to be your team that's unhappy. That's unavoidable.

What is entirely avoidable is a perceived lack of effort ... at home ... in February ... in a key game ... against a league opponent ... and with an opportunity to begin to solidify an important home ice foundation for the postseason within their grasp.



As Lucy van Pelt holds it in place, Charlie Brown optimistically begins his charge towards the football ...

 

[Scott]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2013-14 Season Thread (Part 2)

What is entirely avoidable is a perceived lack of effort ... at home ... in February ... in a key game ... against a league opponent ... and with an opportunity to begin to solidify an important home ice foundation for the postseason within their grasp.

Which is exactly why this team is going nowhere at the end of the season. "Good" teams ("good" coaches??) recognize the importance of winning key games at critical times during the season. UNH just isn't that good. Don't get me wrong....they're great guys and decent hockey players, this team just isn't that good against the 2013-14 competition. Feel free to point your finger at the root cause.

Hope always springs eternal.

 

[sonar]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2013-14 Season Thread (Part 2)

I think this thread should be renamed. Let's go with UNH Wildcats 2013-2014 One Step Forward, One Step Back Thread. Or maybe UNH Wildcats 2013-2014 I've Seen This Movie Before And I Already Know The Ending Thread. Maybe you all have some better thread titles.

After last week's two wins I thought okay, this team has a chance to make a little noise moving forward as the regular season winds down. After last night's "turd in the punchbowl" effort, what do we have? Dickie again completely perplexed as to how the team could have been so flat and not ready to play. Hmm, that sounds so familiar.... I just shake my head. If there's ever a statue of Dickie erected in front of the Whitt in another 20 or 25 years when he's finally retired, it will be with his arms crossed over his chest, one hand under his chin and just scowling.

Maybe the Wildcats come out and play better tonight. Who knows, maybe they'll play well enough to win. In the end though, they are what they are, a .500 team that will whither against better competition.

Umile says …… “I take responsibility because obviously we weren’t ready to play.”

Snively says …… “It was obvious to me that Sneddon had his team ready for this one, and the one thing that Umile's teams can never seem to do is make between period adjustments.”

Both of these gentlemen are correct and it has been a tiresome scene for many, many, many years.

 

[HockeyRef]

Umile says …… “I take responsibility because obviously we weren’t ready to play.”

Snively says …… “It was obvious to me that Sneddon had his team ready for this one, and the one thing that Umile's teams can never seem to do is make between period adjustments.”

Both of these gentlemen are correct and it has been a tiresome scene for many, many, many years.

Both are astute commentaries. It's been said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results! (And boy do I know this on a personal level but this forum aint the place!) Guess its enough to be happy about the individual achievements of the team like the positive season Nick Sorkin is having after last years injury...I'm sure there are others that could come to mind. Being the sensitive sort that I am it pains me to read the tones of resignation from you long time Cat fans but surely understand! Think I "get it" about the situation and also echo the "hope springs eternal" mantra. Hey...that could be the name of our thread! Somehow sounds better than 'Been there, Done that, Bought the Tee Shirt'. Sigh. The boys deserve better!

 

[sonar]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2013-14 Season Thread (Part 2)

Both are astute commentaries. It's been said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results! (And boy do I know this on a personal level but this forum aint the place!) Guess its enough to be happy about the individual achievements of the team like the positive season Nick Sorkin is having after last years injury...I'm sure there are others that could come to mind. Being the sensitive sort that I am it pains me to read the tones of resignation from you long time Cat fans but surely understand! Think I "get it" about the situation and also echo the "hope springs eternal" mantra. Hey...that could be the name of our thread! So.mehow sounds better than 'Been there, Done that, Bought the Tee Shirt'. Sigh. The boys deserve better!

Your absolutely correct ... "The boys deserve better."

They certainly deserve better in-game adjustments then .... calling a time out with minutes to go and your team down 5-2.

Lets see now .... If I am not ready for an important meeting and I can't make valid spontaneous comments during the meeting .... then all I have left is strategic withdrawal. Nothing wrong with "strategic withdrawal" .... as long as it does not become the norm. All those people who left the game early last night are familiar with norm .... and he doesn't sit at the end of the bar called Cheers.

 

[unh1982]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2013-14 Season Thread (Part 2)

New thread named " get rid of status quo".....ok raise your hands if you are suck of hap hazard efforts....ok if its the NHL and you play 82 games, I get it....but there is no excuse for lack of motivation...you can't always rely on the player's to make the adjustments themselfs. yes Mr Umile its your job to recognize and fix during the week if you feel your team is not up to speed.

 

[Snively65]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2013-14 Season Thread (Part 2)

What I want to "see" (I will not be at game 2) tonight is a plan for the UNH D-men to get the puck through UVM's clogging of the neutral zone; they really miss TVR right now. UNH has one of the top four first lines in Div 1 when Goumas-Sorkin-Willows are together (only BC, St Lawrence, and Bentley have higher scoring first lines). But, need to get them set up in the UVM zone, and dumping and chasing the puck into the corners is a sure failure strategy. Second, Sorkin needs to be set up in front of the UVM net, all of the time, not on the perimeter or behind the net. UVM has a tenacious D, but UNH must find a way to score more than two goals tonight.

 

[freak]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2013-14 Season Thread (Part 2)

I often wondered why UNH never made more of a concerted effort to recruit Euro-mercenaries?

My guess would be recruiting budgets. The women have had a few Swedes, Swiss and Fins recently (and one Scot), but they certainly haven't banged down that door like Duluth. And most of those players either left school or transferred anyways.