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

[Snively65]

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

Chestnut Hill Boys?

vs CAFs (Comm Ave Fanboys)

 

[Chuck Murray]

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

Chestnut Hill-Billies

 

[HockeyRef]

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

Chestnut Hill-Billies

Ahhh...now it all makes sense.

 

[Snively65]

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

I forgot to ask earlier if the USCHO attendance of 6003 at the Whitt was close for this past Saturday night. If so, I think that 90% capacity is pretty good for these days. And, how was the noise level? And, any new antics related to Jumbotron?

 

[HockeyRef]

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

I forgot to ask earlier if the USCHO attendance of 6003 at the Whitt was close for this past Saturday night. If so, I think that 90% capacity is pretty good for these days. And, how was the noise level? And, any new antics related to Jumbotron?

Depends on who you read...one blogger said it was a 'morgue' during the 3rd period. We sit near the student section and they were loud enough. As per the 'tron, they are adding stuff like the Simpsons and other little short 'fun' video blurbs etc no 'kiss cam' yet. (Thank God but it's prob coming For instance when they were reviewing a goal they had some thing where Homer Simpson says "we're waiting". Using the student reporters to interview the 'fan of the game' and that kind of thing. After UNH scores they do the player looking down/looking up thing. At the FOMH meeting someone asked Souza if he could bring back the clapping to O Fortuna before the game he said "I have nothing to do with that" as you'd expect. I think a lot of fans miss that, plus the "Your Wildcats" they would say before they would skate out between periods. Personally the video before the game is cool and all but I still long for the other intro. Ooops I promised I'd let that go.

 

[Darius]

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

Depends on who you read...one blogger said it was a 'morgue' during the 3rd period. We sit near the student section and they were loud enough. As per the 'tron, they are adding stuff like the Simpsons and other little short 'fun' video blurbs etc no 'kiss cam' yet. (Thank God but it's prob coming For instance when they were reviewing a goal they had some thing where Homer Simpson says "we're waiting". Using the student reporters to interview the 'fan of the game' and that kind of thing. After UNH scores they do the player looking down/looking up thing. At the FOMH meeting someone asked Souza if he could bring back the clapping to O Fortuna before the game he said "I have nothing to do with that" as you'd expect. I think a lot of fans miss that, plus the "Your Wildcats" they would say before they would skate out between periods. Personally the video before the game is cool and all but I still long for the other intro. Ooops I promised I'd let that go.

Judge Smails. Also brought back an "old friend".

 

[sonar]

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

I forgot to ask earlier if the USCHO attendance of 6003 at the Whitt was close for this past Saturday night. If so, I think that 90% capacity is pretty good for these days. And, how was the noise level? And, any new antics related to Jumbotron?

1. Attendance looked like 6000+
2. Bring back the old clapping intro
3. The occasional "spike" in the sound level from the jumbotron is absolutely, undoubtedly, and without a doubt way too loud. A look around me often found some fans actually cringing with hands over ears.

As we left the Whitt my wife said , "that was a fun game to watch - kind of like the old days." I asked what she meant and she said, "i don't know, it just was." i agreed.

 

[Snively65]

1. Attendance looked like 6000+
2. Bring back the old clapping intro
3. The occasional "spike" in the sound level from the jumbotron is absolutely, undoubtedly, and without a doubt way too loud. A look around me often found some fans actually cringing with hands over ears.

As we left the Whitt my wife said , "that was a fun game to watch - kind of like the old days." I asked what she meant and she said, "i don't know, it just was." i agreed.

Sounds promising. Similar energy at Alfond on Friday night.

 

[Nick Papagiorgio]

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

As the CHB's used to say when UNH fans got excited about some meaningless triumph ... "Hang a Banner!!"

Glad we finally got someone to admit those past UNH triumphs were "meaningless." Better (10 years) late than never Chuck!

 

[wildcatdc]

1. Attendance looked like 6000+
2. Bring back the old clapping intro
3. The occasional "spike" in the sound level from the jumbotron is absolutely, undoubtedly, and without a doubt way too loud. A look around me often found some fans actually cringing with hands over ears.

As we left the Whitt my wife said , "that was a fun game to watch - kind of like the old days." I asked what she meant and she said, "i don't know, it just was." i agreed.

100%. Most engaged, complete crowd I've seen in years. Student section was excellent (few new chants thrown in - good stuff). Very few empty seats, with the majority of the empty ones in the corners at the non-student section end of the ice.

It did feel like the old days, in many ways. Hope a few wins in December get some fan interest chugging along. I'm wondering how these ticket "mini-packs", or whatever they're called, are driving some new demand. Certainly looked like a mixed crowd (long-timers and newer joiners, hardcore and more casual).

I was in a section with a couple who graduated in 1965, and the woman was a RABID fan. Funny as heck. She kept ignoring her hubby (who had much less interest in the game) and was as intense as anyone in the stadium, save for our beloved HR!

(By the way, HR, great to see you and your husband, and thank you so much for the wedding gifts!!)

 

[HockeyRef]

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

100%. Most engaged, complete crowd I've seen in years. Student section was excellent (few new chants thrown in - good stuff). Very few empty seats, with the majority of the empty ones in the corners at the non-student section end of the ice.

It did feel like the old days, in many ways. Hope a few wins in December get some fan interest chugging along. I'm wondering how these ticket "mini-packs", or whatever they're called, are driving some new demand. Certainly looked like a mixed crowd (long-timers and newer joiners, hardcore and more casual).

I was in a section with a couple who graduated in 1965, and the woman was a RABID fan. Funny as heck. She kept ignoring her hubby (who had much less interest in the game) and was as intense as anyone in the stadium, save for our beloved HR!

(By the way, HR, great to see you and your husband, and thank you so much for the wedding gifts!!)

It was wonderful to catch up to you guys too! See you at the Verizon! No idea the section we are in yet and most likely will move as our seats last year were yuck. I would much rather select my OWN seat thank you very much. Sadly, I lost my pom pom at that game somehow but I'm hopeful to get another one We really needed that win regardless of who we were playing. Is it Friday yet?

 

[HockeyRef]

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

1. Attendance looked like 6000+
2. Bring back the old clapping intro
3. The occasional "spike" in the sound level from the jumbotron is absolutely, undoubtedly, and without a doubt way too loud. A look around me often found some fans actually cringing with hands over ears.

As we left the Whitt my wife said , "that was a fun game to watch - kind of like the old days." I asked what she meant and she said, "i don't know, it just was." i agreed.

I'd like to circulate a petition of sorts to get that back; glad to see others feel the same! Cat Pack Captains are also working on it. Why take something away that is so integral to the 'fan experience'?? It's almost anti climatic when the team skates out. hey I wrote the powers that be about it at the beginning of the season and got back a very nice 'we will look into it thank you for being a fan' type of email that you'd expect...maybe if more people spoke up. Guess I haven't let it go...sigh.

 

[wildcatdc]

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

By the way, for those (rightfully) bemoaning the declining interest in UNH hockey, as manifested in our attendance, take a gander at the Mariucci thread. Gophs fans, IMO, are about as dedicated as they come. And yet, they have seen a huge drop-off in attendance, and it seems the fans are ascribing this to the quality of the product on the ice. If the GOPHS can't get people to attend during a poor season, I think it makes our situation a bit more understandable. No amount of marketing was going to make the "New Coke" a winner back in the day.

Again, I hope that a few wins, combined with some new ticket sale tactics, have the effect we all want. Bring the old-timers back, and generate some new interest.

 

[Greg Ambrose]

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

1. Attendance looked like 6000+
2. Bring back the old clapping intro
3. The occasional "spike" in the sound level from the jumbotron is absolutely, undoubtedly, and without a doubt way too loud. A look around me often found some fans actually cringing with hands over ears.

As we left the Whitt my wife said , "that was a fun game to watch - kind of like the old days." I asked what she meant and she said, "i don't know, it just was." i agreed.

The game is "fun to watch" because they won. And not only did they win, but they had a couple quick strikes in the first period which gets the crowd into the game. Things leveled off in the third because UNH was comfortably in the lead. It's hard to remember when games like this was a common occurrence but I do recall times during the heyday where the boys would put their stamp on a game early on and coast to victory. Fans back then had that same "follow the leader" kind of approach that you saw Saturday night. Not wrong, not right, just the way it is.

 

[Darius]

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

1. Attendance looked like 6000+
2. Bring back the old clapping intro
3. The occasional "spike" in the sound level from the jumbotron is absolutely, undoubtedly, and without a doubt way too loud. A look around me often found some fans actually cringing with hands over ears.

As we left the Whitt my wife said , "that was a fun game to watch - kind of like the old days." I asked what she meant and she said, "i don't know, it just was." i agreed.

BRUTAL. Ear plug brutal.

 

[Snively65]

The game is "fun to watch" because they won. And not only did they win, but they had a couple quick strikes in the first period which gets the crowd into the game. Things leveled off in the third because UNH was comfortably in the lead. It's hard to remember when games like this was a common occurrence but I do recall times during the heyday where the boys would put their stamp on a game early on and coast to victory. Fans back then had that same "follow the leader" kind of approach that you saw Saturday night. Not wrong, not right, just the way it is.

I also remember when the Cats would get an early big lead, and then sit back and cough up, or nearly cough up, the game. That was also when the Cats frittered away one PP opportunity after another by dinking around with the puck for two minutes looking for the perfect shot. In those ways, and in those ways only, I like this team better, playing from behind, and throwing everything but the kitchen sink on net.

 

[Greg Ambrose]

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

I also remember when the Cats would get an early big lead, and then sit back and cough up, or nearly cough up, the game. That was also when the Cats frittered away one PP opportunity after another by dinking around with the puck for two minutes looking for the perfect shot. In those ways, and in those ways only, I like this team better, playing from behind, and throwing everything but the kitchen sink on net.

I think of that as mostly a 70's thing. Charlie was a great coach for the offense, but defense was a sometime thing. I seem to recall a lot of 6-5, 8-7 games back then. The heyday I was talking about was the late 90's into the aughts. The defensive end of things was much more structured then. And while we should feel good about the game Saturday, just remember that Maine had the way better of the play the night before. Defense is still a sometime thing these days and, unfortunately, the offense isn't complete enough to withstand it.

 

[Chuck Murray]

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

I also remember when the Cats would get an early big lead, and then sit back and cough up, or nearly cough up, the game. That was also when the Cats frittered away one PP opportunity after another by dinking around with the puck for two minutes looking for the perfect shot. In those ways, and in those ways only, I like this team better, playing from behind, and throwing everything but the kitchen sink on net.

So you're the masochistic sort - spot the other guys a 1-2 goal lead ... and sweat it out from there?

You must have loved the 'Cats back in the mid-'80's. Lots of desperate, catch-up hockey back then ...

 

[Darius]

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

So you're the masochistic sort - spot the other guys a 1-2 goal lead ... and sweat it out from there?

You must have loved the 'Cats back in the mid-'80's. Lots of desperate, catch-up hockey back then ...

... and you've got 'em right where you want 'em.

 

[sonar]

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

As we left the Whitt my wife said , "that was a fun game to watch - kind of like the old days." I asked what she meant and she said, "i don't know, it just was." i agreed.

At lunch today I told my wife that her "fun game to watch .. and old days" comment had initiated a few responses in the Fan Forum. She said, "Well I've been watching them since 1968 and know a fun game when I see one - win or lose."

I tried again, and asked her if she now knew what she had meant by the comment what she meant.

She said, "Well I'm still not sure but maybe it has something to do with "caring." You know there was even just enough chipiness after the whistles to indicate the players actually cared, and you could tell that most of the fans cared, even the coaches seemed to be into it. It was kind of like watching our daughters and grand-daughters play ice hockey - it was only "fun" for me when I thought they cared, gave it their best shot, and if they won it was even better. She came back a few minutes later and said:

"I just thought of this - remember the first game at the Whitt. Well I think that was a night when everyone, and I mean everyone, in the building seemed to care, showed how much they cared, and gave it their best shot."

I meekly said, "Not bad, not bad at all."