UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

[bomberhockey]

The D wasn't great last year either - but they had a red hot goalie playing behind them. Tirone just isn't the same goalie this year. The more I watch him the more I believe in my Digi comparison. Fortunately, unlike Digi, he still has time to turn things around. Unfortunately, when our D can't break out of the zone or makes a lazy turnover he isn't able to bail them out this year.

The D, especially Boyd, made quite a few lazy outlets and turnovers against Merrimack, but fortunately Clark was on his game.

You can also tell, after how the MSU weekend ended that Tirone is not only struggling physically but he is a wreck mentally. Hopefully he can regroup and rebuild his confidence asap...

A big part of defensive end play starts with the center, usually the top forwards because they can contribute more in the defensive end. JVR is a wing who played center here for that reason. Downing, Desimone etc...

 

[Dan]

A big part of defensive end play starts with the center, usually the top forwards because they can contribute more in the defensive end. JVR is a wing who played center here for that reason. Downing, Desimone etc...

While I think there have been too many blind or hopeful clearing attempts, I won't argue with you there. Most of UNHs center options lack the defensive skills and two-way mind sets of the players of the past.

Vela is that type of two way center prospect, but it's going to take him a year to grow into that role...

 

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

While I think there have been too many blind or hopeful clearing attempts, I won't argue with you there. Most of UNHs center options lack the defensive skills and two-way mind sets of the players of the past.

Vela is that type of two way center prospect, but it's going to take him a year to grow into that role...

Dan a question for you (and anyone else) is this something that a player like Downing, Vela (eventually) does instinctually or is it taught? Downing made such a diff on the pk...this is where we are def hurting....agree, we are missing guys like Thrush / Camper for this kind of thing.

 

[sonar]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

Posted Apr. 3, 2002 at 2:00 AM
Updated Jan 31, 2011 at 10:17 PM

Seacoast Online
Roger Brown

http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20020403/SPORTS/304039986

"I'm think that at 60 I'll be done coaching, so you're talking six years," Umile said.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

Dan a question for you (and anyone else) is this something that a player like Downing, Vela (eventually) does instinctually or is it taught? Downing made such a diff on the pk...this is where we are def hurting....agree, we are missing guys like Thrush / Camper for this kind of thing.

Defensive commitment from your forwards is absolutely something that can (and should) be taught. It's all about discipline and effort, which is why the team's early season form in their own end is so alarming. And it's something most UNH teams of recent vintage have done reasonably well, dating back to at least the last 15 seasons of Coach Umile's time in charge. Earlier in his tenure, it seemed the teams played a little more wide open hockey ... but then again, that was more prevalent at the time, and as the game transitioned to more and more defensive systems play, UNH was at least "keeping up with the Joneses" on that larger trend.

You can teach a Sergei Fedorov to check like Kris Draper (and he did) ... but you cannot teach Fedorov's high level offensive skills to a 3rd/4th line prototype checking line center like Draper.

Kudos to DRW legends Fedorov and Nick Lidstrom on their inductions into the Hockey Hall of Fame!!

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

Posted Apr. 3, 2002 at 2:00 AM
Updated Jan 31, 2011 at 10:17 PM

Seacoast Online
Roger Brown

http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20020403/SPORTS/304039986

"I'm think that at 60 I'll be done coaching, so you're talking six years," Umile said.

Insightful read. Interestingly enough, it was at about the "six year" mark that the program's gradual slippage began to become a wee bit more evident. The 2008 team was probably the last one that arguably had legit national title hopes. Thanks for digging that out of the way back machine, sonar.

 

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

Looking forward to watching Brett Pesce tonight on Game Center:

http://hurricanes.nhl.com/club/m_news.htm?id=787268

haha turns out the team sent him out alone for warm ups skated two full laps before they joined him...welcome to the NHL Brett!! Awesome...

 

[Felger]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

I really liked the part where the coaching staff offered their pointed critiques of what went wrong last weekend.

I like this part even more:

"It’s still kind of early,” MacDonald said. “We’ll focus on that. It’s important to win our conference games. It stinks that we didn’t advantage of our opportunities out of conference, but you can’t dwell on it, especially if you want to move forward."

So I guess all that talk about getting off to a good start was just that - talk.

Already moving the goalposts

 

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

I like this part even more:

"It’s still kind of early,” MacDonald said. “We’ll focus on that. It’s important to win our conference games. It stinks that we didn’t advantage of our opportunities out of conference, but you can’t dwell on it, especially if you want to move forward."

So I guess all that talk about getting off to a good start was just that - talk.

Already moving the goalposts

Given the fact things aren't exactly going 'as planned' can't help but be a little irritated these players in this article seem to be left to talk about this weekend...just sayin'. I hope they have moved on. harrumph. Kind of sorry I posted it in the first place. New game 'Cats...

 

[Snively65]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

Defensive commitment from your forwards is absolutely something that can (and should) be taught. It's all about discipline and effort, which is why the team's early season form in their own end is so alarming. And it's something most UNH teams of recent vintage have done reasonably well, dating back to at least the last 15 seasons of Coach Umile's time in charge. Earlier in his tenure, it seemed the teams played a little more wide open hockey ... but then again, that was more prevalent at the time, and as the game transitioned to more and more defensive systems play, UNH was at least "keeping up with the Joneses" on that larger trend.

You can teach a Sergei Fedorov to check like Kris Draper (and he did) ... but you cannot teach Fedorov's high level offensive skills to a 3rd/4th line prototype checking line center like Draper.

Kudos to DRW legends Fedorov and Nick Lidstrom on their inductions into the Hockey Hall of Fame!!

Very clever the way that you slipped three Red Wings players into this thread, Chuck.

 

[sterlippo1]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

IThe 2008 team was probably the last one that arguably had legit national title hopes.

i think you nailed it. the loss to BC in the HE tourney blowing a 4-1 lead IIRC and losing in double OT i believe. doesnt seem its been the same since

 

[Snively65]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

i think you nailed it. the loss to BC in the HE tourney blowing a 4-1 lead IIRC and losing in double OT i believe. doesnt seem its been the same since

Triple OT, I think. But, we still should have met you at the Pepsi Center in the FF, if we had not lost to NICC 7-3 in Colorado Springs the next weekend.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

Given the fact things aren't exactly going 'as planned' can't help but be a little irritated these players in this article seem to be left to talk about this weekend...just sayin'.

Maybe the coaches are away on a busy recruiting week? They do seem to have gone into radio silence lately ...



... definitely something Coaches Bowman and Babcock would be handling differently, right Snively65??

 

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

Maybe the coaches are away on a busy recruiting week? They do seem to have gone into radio silence lately ...



... definitely something Coaches Bowman and Babcock would be handling differently, right Snively65??

Here's hoping and expecting the work has gone into the ice this week rather than press conferences. ...I have, however, been in touch with a few insiders (not the UNH one, tho) who know about presser info. Maybe today? Honestly I don't need to hear about last week..I know what went down. Doubt the intention was to leave the players to answer for the weekend, still, didn't like it. Whatevs I guess!

Let's get back to what's really important...win some hockey games!! Looking forward to the 'Mack game and for when the team gets back home next week!!! Feels like forever; weird schedule. Major HE points up for grabs; can we stay undefeated? Go 'Cats!!

 

[NCAA watcher]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

Maybe the coaches are away on a busy recruiting week? They do seem to have gone into radio silence lately ...

Today is the first day of the early singing period to sign letters of intent. In the halcion days when UNH was proud of their recruits, they usually issued an announcement during the early period. A lot of teams will begin announcing theirs tomorrow or the following days. Nowadays it is incumbent on C-H-C to ferret out information from the kids themselves. It will be interesting whether Fregona signs.

 

[Dan]

Today is the first day of the early singing period to sign letters of intent. In the halcion days when UNH was proud of their recruits, they usually issued an announcement during the early period. A lot of teams will begin announcing theirs tomorrow or the following days. Nowadays it is incumbent on C-H-C to ferret out information from the kids themselves. It will be interesting whether Fregona signs.

I've always wondered if that's a Umile directive or laziness on the part of the UNH SIDs. In general, I find the athletic communications department at UNH to be woefully inadequate and far behind the times. If my memory is correct the departments production for hockey really slipped when Souris left for HE...

 

[mookie1995]

Maybe the coaching staff had a tee time over at Pease and didn't want to be late ...

brrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

brrrrrrrrrrrr

Hey, they're all hockey guys - they're tough, they can handle it. Easier than Lansing last weekend anyway.

Waiting on pins & needles for the uplifting news from the recruiting wars ...

 

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

Patrick Grasso signed his NLI according to a tweet sent out by our UNH men's hockey blogger and friend C-H-C!!! Who's next?!?

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??

Today is the first day of the early singing period to sign letters of intent. In the halcion days when UNH was proud of their recruits, they usually issued an announcement during the early period. A lot of teams will begin announcing theirs tomorrow or the following days. Nowadays it is incumbent on C-H-C to ferret out information from the kids themselves. It will be interesting whether Fregona signs.

Another of the small but incremental drop-offs throughout the program that have left us where we currently stand. Seems like something our hero BS35+3 should be all over ... but hey ho, what me, worry??