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UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part Two) - Managing Decreasing Expectations

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Snively65 said:
Thanks for link, watcher. So, there were three single-digit win seasons in a row from 1984-85 to 1986-87; yikes! Another bad one with only 12 wins in 1994-95 in Manch when the Whitt was being built. Three out of four of the recent seasons, db hockey apparently includes only HEA games, and not OOC games.
Click to expand...

Actually, the 12 win season came in 95-96 - UNHs first season at the Whitt. That was a team led by a stud junior (Bogey), a stud sophomore (Mowers) and some developing young talent but one that also had defensive issues and porous goaltending. Sound familiar? Happy 20th anniversary!!

We should be so lucky to have the current young talent develop like the young talent of the mid-90s...

Edit: the 95-96 senior class was Hall, Sullivan, Pleau, T O'Brien, Cavicchi and Norton. The juniors were Bogey, a solid defenseman (Murray) and very little else (I'm counting Nolan as a sophomore because he essentially missed all of the previous season AND it makes my comparison even stronger!). This also sounds familiar...

Maybe they'd get to 12 wins this year if there was a Todd Hall on the team, but I'm afraid there isn't....
 
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Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part Two) - Managing Decreasing Expectations

Snively65 said:
Thanks for link, watcher. So, there were three single-digit win seasons in a row from 1984-85 to 1986-87; yikes! Another bad one with only 12 wins in 1994-95 in Manch when the Whitt was being built. Three out of four of the recent seasons, db hockey apparently includes only HEA games, and not OOC games.
Click to expand...

You were surely right about one thing; replacing those goals by Willows, Downing has been a big challenge. Eiserman needs to get on it...was surprised to see he hasn't scored this season?!? Couldn't help but look at how WF is faring...pretty good I see.
 
Dan said:
Actually, the 12 win season came in 95-96 - UNHs first season at the Whitt. That was a team led by a stud junior (Bogey), a stud sophomore (Mowers) and some developing young talent but one that also had defensive issues and porous goaltending. Sound familiar? Happy 20th anniversary!!

We should be so lucky to have the current young talent develop like the young talent of the mid-90s...

Edit: the 95-96 senior class was Hall, Sullivan, Pleau, T O'Brien, Cavicchi and Norton. The juniors were Bogey, a solid defenseman (Murray) and very little else (I'm counting Nolan as a sophomore because he essentially missed all of the previous season AND it makes my comparison even stronger!). This also sounds familiar...

Maybe they'd get to 12 wins this year if there was a Todd Hall on the team, but I'm afraid there isn't....
Click to expand...

Thanks for correction; I should have not made that mistake as I was on campus that season as a visiting professor and saw a lot of games at the Whitt. Being the first year of play at the Whitt, I had to stand in line on Thursday mornings before the box office opened to get ticket(s) that had been returned for resale, so that is one big difference between then and now.

Reminds me that Boguniecki was only a freshman when he ended the final game at Snively with a rush the length of the ice deep into OT against BC; I and the other fans went wild. One of the better UNH alum pro careers that included a full and 40-point season with the Blues in 2002-03. Would have been my choice for next HC at UNH.
 
HockeyRef said:
You were surely right about one thing; replacing those goals by Willows, Downing has been a big challenge. Eiserman needs to get on it...was surprised to see he hasn't scored this season?!? Couldn't help but look at how WF is faring...pretty good I see.
Click to expand...

But, I was so, so wrong about our D, which I thought would develop from the potential I saw at the end of last season, and I thought goaltending would be our greatest strength. :-(
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part Two) - Managing Decreasing Expectations

Over/Under question of the day:

Who plays more games in 2016-2017 Danny Tirone or Peyton Manning?

And yes Chuck, I know I should probably post such questions over on the BC (or perhaps the BU?) thread.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part Two) - Managing Decreasing Expectations

Snively65 said:
Was 1985-86 the last one-digit win UNH team? Are these pre-USCHO.com season records archived somewhere online? Winning only one more game this season would be truly ignominious.
Click to expand...

No, they followed that up with an 8 win season (8-27-3) in Bob Kullen's first year as coach then the year after won 7 (7-20-3) under Dave O'Connor when Kullen had his heart problems. Those were very dark days for UNH Hockey. Should say that two years later they finished .500 (17-17-5) and the year after that won 20 games (21-11-2) for the first time in 7 years.
 
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Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part Two) - Managing Decreasing Expectations

Dan said:
Actually, the 12 win season came in 95-96 - UNHs first season at the Whitt. That was a team led by a stud junior (Bogey), a stud sophomore (Mowers) and some developing young talent but one that also had defensive issues and porous goaltending. Sound familiar? Happy 20th anniversary!!

We should be so lucky to have the current young talent develop like the young talent of the mid-90s...

Edit: the 95-96 senior class was Hall, Sullivan, Pleau, T O'Brien, Cavicchi and Norton. The juniors were Bogey, a solid defenseman (Murray) and very little else (I'm counting Nolan as a sophomore because he essentially missed all of the previous season AND it makes my comparison even stronger!). This also sounds familiar...

Maybe they'd get to 12 wins this year if there was a Todd Hall on the team, but I'm afraid there isn't....
Click to expand...

"Not much else"? The freshmen class had Krog, Bekar, Bragnalo, and O'Brien among others. I always thought that there was enough talent to win more than 12 games that season but Cavicchi was unable to duplicate his prior success and the upperclass dmen, outside of Hall, were pretty pedestrian. I remember it took weeks after it was obvious for Umile to stick Brian LaRochelle in goal. BTW, they also had a 12 win season in 1988-1989 season, thanks to the influx of two decent classes in a row. The moral of the story is that, rebounds can happen, it can be done. We'll see.
 
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Greg Ambrose said:
"Not much else"? The freshmen class had Krog, Bekar, Bragnalo, and O'Brien among others. I always thought that there was enough talent to win more than 12 games that season but Cavicchi was unable to duplicate his prior success and the upperclass dmen, outside of Hall, were pretty pedestrian. I remember it took weeks after it was obvious for Umile to stick Brian LaRochelle in goal. BTW, they also had a 12 win season in 1988-1989 season, thanks to the influx of two decent classes in a row. The moral of the story is that, rebounds can happen, it can be done. We'll see.
Click to expand...

When I said, "very little else" I was referring to the rest of the junior class. Yes, that team had amazing underclass men but their upperclasses, aside from Bogey, Murray and Hall, had very little impact - which is why can see some comparison to this years team. This year it's Kelleher (Bogey) and Cleland (Murray) and very little else...

As good as he was, freshman Krog only had 20 points.

O'Brien and Bragnalo had great careers, but they were defensively vulnerable as frosh and Johnson, Fitzgerald and McCready were liabilities. Bragnalo is my all-time favorite so that's not easy for me to say - Haha, I remember thinking Watcher used to CRUSH him!

If I sold guys short it would be Bekar, who had a big freshman year, and Nicklaus (a SO) who had 26 goals. The team should have been better, but they weren't. It's seems to me that the reason for that teams struggle was the very thin upperclasses, just like this season...

Obviously, the 95-96 team was better and it's an extreme long shot that this years young guys match the careers of those guys, but given the similarities maybe there are some reasons for optimism...
 
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Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part Two) - Managing Decreasing Expectations

Snively65 said:
Reminds me that Boguniecki was only a freshman when he ended the final game at Snively with a rush the length of the ice deep into OT against BC; I and the other fans went wild. One of the better UNH alum pro careers that included a full and 40-point season with the Blues in 2002-03. Would have been my choice for next HC at UNH.
Click to expand...

Bogey didn't rush the length of the ice (at least not with the puck) for the GWG in that one ... my namesake Tim Murray carried the puck into the BC zone down the left wing, and put a perfect cross-ice pass to Bogey steaming in at the far post for the winner. :)

Hard to believe it's almost been 22 years since that magic evening ... :o
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part Two) - Managing Decreasing Expectations

Felger said:
Over/Under question of the day:

Who plays more games in 2016-2017 Danny Tirone or Peyton Manning?

And yes Chuck, I know I should probably post such questions over on the BC (or perhaps the BU?) thread.
Click to expand...

To say the BU-related gambling issue(s?) threw me for a loop would be an understatement. But sure enough, there was a BC guy deep in the background. Some things never change ... but I'm waiting patiently to see if/when the next shoe drops on that one.

To your proposition bet ... I'll go with Tirone, as it would be unlike Coach Umile to drop him entirely. Manning will be done if they somehow beat Carolina, and is probably done regardless.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part Two) - Managing Decreasing Expectations

Dan said:
Haha, well, I can't be certain - I was JUST 14 years old back then...
Click to expand...

I'm still waiting for some unknown kid-turned-grown-up I may have P.O.'ed back in the day to show up at the WIS Estate packing heat to resume some long-forgotten *debate* with extra ammo (so to speak). :eek: Part of the reason we moved to Effingwoods. ;)
 
Chuck Murray said:
Bogey didn't rush the length of the ice (at least not with the puck) for the GWG in that one ... my namesake Tim Murray carried the puck into the BC zone down the left wing, and put a perfect cross-ice pass to Bogey steaming in at the far post for the winner. :)

Hard to believe it's almost been 22 years since that magic evening ... :o
Click to expand...

My recollection is that the puck was dished over to Bogey in the neutral zone, but whatever, it was a fitting end to a storied hockey venue. I did not get to Woodstock because I thought that it would be a bust, but glad that I got to see the finale in Snively.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part Two) - Managing Decreasing Expectations

Chuck Murray said:
Bogey didn't rush the length of the ice (at least not with the puck) for the GWG in that one ... my namesake Tim Murray carried the puck into the BC zone down the left wing, and put a perfect cross-ice pass to Bogey steaming in at the far post for the winner. :)

Hard to believe it's almost been 22 years since that magic evening ... :o
Click to expand...

I was at that game, pretty neat way for the old barn to go out. There is a tape of that game out there somewhere. In it you can see Bogie's father, who was standing behind the net, jumping up and down after his kid scored. Bogie was not only an electric player but an electric personality. At the end of season awards banquet after his senior season, he hung out and talked to everybody who wanted to get a word with him. I remember a bunch of kids following him out as he got in a car to go off with his parents. He was like a rock star. One of a kind.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part Two) - Managing Decreasing Expectations

Greg Ambrose said:
I was at that game, pretty neat way for the old barn to go out. There is a tape of that game out there somewhere. In it you can see Bogie's father, who was standing behind the net, jumping up and down after his kid scored. Bogie was not only an electric player but an electric personality. At the end of season awards banquet after his senior season, he hung out and talked to everybody who wanted to get a word with him. I remember a bunch of kids following him out as he got in a car to go off with his parents. He was like a rock star. One of a kind.
Click to expand...

It's nice that you have those kinds of memories. I hope some of those kids grew up to be hockey players who found their way to the Whitt.:)
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part Two) - Managing Decreasing Expectations

HHound said:
It's nice that you have those kinds of memories. I hope some of those kids grew up to be hockey players who found their way to the Whitt.:)
Click to expand...

I have seen a few little kids with players names on the back of their jersey's and have seen pics of them skating with their fav player at 'Skate with the 'Cats' events. Love reading about these former players and their antics that made everyone so happy to be a fan. I'd like to think we have stories like this on current players...in future years.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part Two) - Managing Decreasing Expectations

Greg Ambrose said:
I was at that game, pretty neat way for the old barn to go out. There is a tape of that game out there somewhere. In it you can see Bogie's father, who was standing behind the net, jumping up and down after his kid scored. Bogie was not only an electric player but an electric personality. At the end of season awards banquet after his senior season, he hung out and talked to everybody who wanted to get a word with him. I remember a bunch of kids following him out as he got in a car to go off with his parents. He was like a rock star. One of a kind.
Click to expand...

That was our eldest daughter's first (and obviously only) game at Snively - she was barely 4 years old, and fast asleep after regulation. I believe that game featured Pat Norton's first (and perhaps only?) UNH goal, on a deflection off his ... err, posterior. :o

I never realized that Bogey's dad was the guy caught on video celebrating behind the goal. That had to be in the old empty space behind the goal at the far end of the arena (closest to what is now the lobby area).

We were seated between the face-off dots and the goal at that end of the rink, about halfway up on the side furthest away from Main St. So we were right there to see it. I don't think the noise even woke our kid up.

The tape of that goal I *think* featured prominently in the old Channel 11 TV pre-game intro sequence for some years. IIRC after Bogey scored, he danced a little, and went into the boards to celebrate ... and I never realized until today it was probably because his dad was right there on the other side of the boards! :) Game was probably on NESN too? Great goal to celebrate a memorable (if not bittersweet) occasion. The Whitt was a great development for the program, the school AND the region ... but Snively was a great venue, still miss it lots.
 
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