UNH Wildcats 2016-17 -- We're Going to Have a Hockey Season Here!!

[deltabravo62]

The seating map at Alfond was a bit misleading as I ended up with seats directly behind the UNH bench so I couldn't see a lot of the game. I thought I was further into the corner, but oh well, lesson learned. Anyway it was a pretty sloppy win but a win so I can't complain too much. I think a lot of our problems in the third were a factor of mixed up defensive pairings as Dylan Maller hurt his left leg on the first shift of the third and never saw the ice again except to serve TK's minor at the end.

 

[e.cat]

you can Zapruder it here, at the 29 second mark. Weird that he loses the top hand glove without contact just as he goes down low.

http://www.foxbangor.com/sports/item/17697-black-bears-swept-on-the-ice-by-rival-unh

Haha. Conspiracy theories galore; )
Thanks for the hard evidence!

 

[e.cat]

I watched the replay late last night and it was immediately obvious to me (and instantly agreed upon by the Maine color commentator) that Kelleher - after shooting the puck through a screen - did not realize the puck went in. He jabbed at what he thought was a rebound. There was nothing cheap about the play and I'm sure McGovern will be OK after taking a simple poke to the absolute fluffiest part of his right pad...

Yeah agreed. What gets lost in this also is that the goal was sweet by a very crafty TyK going five hole on Hamilton and five hole on McGovern!

 

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 -- We're Going to Have a Hockey Season Here!!

Haha. Conspiracy theories galore; )
Thanks for the hard evidence!

The game was rigged...HA! (sorry...couldn't help myself as usual )

 

[Aerman]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 -- We're Going to Have a Hockey Season Here!!

Winning is fun ... and our friend Walrus seems to see things pretty much as they are ... but I'm not getting too excited yet.

These are two bad teams. We have a couple kids that will finish occasionally, Maine seems to have none. Tirone made some excellent saves, more than usual over the weekend. But he did not look good (to me). There were a LOT of open chances, especially last night. Maine couldn't bury anything.

So I will smile all week - it was UMO after all - and I will be hopeful for the next game up, but I'm not drinking any kook-aid just yet.

 

[e.cat]

The game was rigged...HA! (sorry...couldn't help myself as usual )

You'll just have to accept the results and move on snowflake! Haha

 

[wildcatdc]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 -- We're Going to Have a Hockey Season Here!!

In the FWIW department...

I know there is a prevailing stream of thought that has HEA in a down year. Seems the records don't bear that out. Of the 12 teams, only UConn has a sub-.500 record OOC (if I'm not mistaken). In fact, we, along with BC, have a couple of the worst OOC records - and we are currently 1-2 in the league. On top of that, HEA has 5 of the top 20 PWR teams (which starts to mean something at this point).

Wish we could revisit the ASUs and other assorted teams we gacked against, but we can't. I'd like to think that the team's trajectory has us picking up a few wins later in the meat of the schedule, which might point to more clear evidence of real rebuilding occurring.

 

[Snively65]

In the FWIW department...

I know there is a prevailing stream of thought that has HEA in a down year. Seems the records don't bear that out. Of the 12 teams, only UConn has a sub-.500 record OOC (if I'm not mistaken). In fact, we, along with BC, have a couple of the worst OOC records - and we are currently 1-2 in the league. On top of that, HEA has 5 of the top 20 PWR teams (which starts to mean something at this point).

Wish we could revisit the ASUs and other assorted teams we gacked against, but we can't. I'd like to think that the team's trajectory has us picking up a few wins later in the meat of the schedule, which might point to more clear evidence of real rebuilding occurring.

UNH 3-5-1 OOC, which seems sub-0.500 to me, unless I am missing something?

 

[e.cat]

In the FWIW department...

I know there is a prevailing stream of thought that has HEA in a down year. Seems the records don't bear that out. Of the 12 teams, only UConn has a sub-.500 record OOC (if I'm not mistaken). In fact, we, along with BC, have a couple of the worst OOC records - and we are currently 1-2 in the league. On top of that, HEA has 5 of the top 20 PWR teams (which starts to mean something at this point).

Wish we could revisit the ASUs and other assorted teams we gacked against, but we can't. I'd like to think that the team's trajectory has us picking up a few wins later in the meat of the schedule, which might point to more clear evidence of real rebuilding occurring.

Also in the FWIW dept. I've noticed that UNH steps up the intensity in league games versus OOC games. It's undeniable that they are off to a good start in the league. Say what you will about the SOS!

 

[wildcatdc]

UNH 3-5-1 OOC, which seems sub-0.500 to me, unless I am missing something?

You are correct, suh!! My fuzzy math had us at 4-4-1. Point stands, though - the top teams (for now) have some of the worst OOC results. Some of the teams we beat actually have decent OOC records, and it's hard to get a clear take on whether HEA is up or down, when taken as a whole. Strange year when we stand two positions behind Michigan in the PWR, but those positions are 31 and 33!!

 

[Drew S.]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 -- We're Going to Have a Hockey Season Here!!

When did you guys get so thin-skinned? I gave Tirone a lot of credit and he was very good. He has improved exponentially over last season. McGovern on the other hand had a very poor showing and that cost Maine the game. Three goals should have been enough when factor that he should have saved UNH's second and fourth goals.

The refereeing was absolutely horrible last night. The PP's at one point were 7-1 in favor of UNH with UNH getting two 5X3's that setup all their first three goals. In a game where the teams are evenly matched there never should be more than a difference of two or three PP's between the teams. There is no doubt some of the penalties Maine were legitimate but there were others where there was nothing there and I really don't think UNH was deserving of either of the 5X3's. As I said before the refereeing did not cost Maine the game but it was incredibly frustrating and I hope Hockey East takes a close look at the tape.

 

[wildcatdc]

Also in the FWIW dept. I've noticed that UNH steps up the intensity in league games versus OOC games. It's undeniable that they are off to a good start in the league. Say what you will about the SOS!

Agreed, e.cat. Looks like two different speeds

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 -- We're Going to Have a Hockey Season Here!!

Walt is a great guy, a very successful entrepreneur, focused at the task at hand. And he happened to,have a son who captained UNH Hockey in his senior year. He was approached about making a donation to make the Jumbotron a reality and, weighing the pros and cons, he decided to come through.. To equate him with a person whose description is almost hermit like, a person whose passion in life was helping others in their quest for knowledge is, frankly, a disrespect to both of them. Chuck we both know how poorly UNH is viewed and supported by the state. How well does the University's pleas for money go over with those in Concord who get to decide when they see an unrestricted gift from a research librarian, who spent his entire career at the Dimond Library, used for a football scoreboard? You tell me. Defend the optics of that decision.

I've never defended the optics of the decision, and I've been derisive of the fairy tale narrative they created as a defense mechanism to justify the allocation of the money to the football scoreboard. The "tale", well ... actually tells the tale.

I kind of expected we'd hear about "Concord" at some point in this discussion. And I'm 100% sure it didn't play well in Concord, but please tell me ... do you think the Borisenok Jumbotron somehow eluded the attention of the same folks at the State House? And why would their reaction to it have been any different?



Big bucks spent to advance a non-academic function, either way. In neither case did UNH seek the money from Concord, and in both cases the money came from private donors. One was solicited, the other allocated - the only difference, really.

Do you really think the pols in Concord care if UNH said "pretty please?" or not to the donors in question?

And would you be surprised if the powers that be at UNH gauged the (non-)response from Concord to the 'Tron installation, and then decided to push the boat out a little further this summer in funding the football board?

If you're going to get torqued about the football board ... where was the indignation against the 'Tron?

Again, for the record ... I'm fine with both the 'Tron and the football board. I don't think either was "necessary" from my point of view, but others did. Cool. There's yet to be an answer to clarify why one is "fine" and the other "beyond the pale".

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 -- We're Going to Have a Hockey Season Here!!

When did you guys get so thin-skinned? I gave Tirone a lot of credit and he was very good. He has improved exponentially over last season. McGovern on the other hand had a very poor showing and that cost Maine the game. Three goals should have been enough when factor that he should have saved UNH's second and fourth goals.

The refereeing was absolutely horrible last night. The PP's at one point were 7-1 in favor of UNH with UNH getting two 5X3's that setup all their first three goals. In a game where the teams are evenly matched there never should be more than a difference of two or three PP's between the teams. There is no doubt some of the penalties Maine were legitimate but there were others where there was nothing there and I really don't think UNH was deserving of either of the 5X3's. As I said before the refereeing did not cost Maine the game but it was incredibly frustrating and I hope Hockey East takes a close look at the tape.

You're the one complaining about the officiating - not us. How does that make UNH fans "thin-skinned"?

Also, you're gonna have to show me where in the rulebook the highlighted part of your post is ...

 

[wildcatdc]

You're the one complaining about the officiating - not us. How does that make UNH fans "thin-skinned"?

Also, you're gonna have to show me where in the rulebook the highlighted part of your post is ...

I'd also like to know how the blatant elbow to our point man's face while we were on a 5x4 doesn't merit us going to a 5x3. But maybe I'm crazy.

 

[Drew S.]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 -- We're Going to Have a Hockey Season Here!!

You're the one complaining about the officiating - not us. How does that make UNH fans "thin-skinned"?

Also, you're gonna have to show me where in the rulebook the highlighted part of your post is ...

You guys are the ones complaining about me complaining I tried to make it clear that I wasn't trying to take anything away from UNH, and in particular Tirone. He had a wonderful game and Maine's goalie wasn't at the races. I thought Maine controlled the game but part of that was Maine being behind for 2/3 of the game and having to chase it.

As far as the officiating, do you or any other UNH fan honestly think the referees had a good night? I'm sure it has happened at some point before, but I don't ever remember having the PP's 7-1 against Maine. The penalty when Michel hit Kelleher to setup the second 5X3 looked completely clean to me and I was sitting only about 25' from where it happened. If someone has a video of him using his elbow I would love to see it.

I'll post this one final time in all caps UNH DESERVED TO WIN. The result of the game isn't the reason I'm irritated by the referees. If Maine had won I would still be very irritated.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 -- We're Going to Have a Hockey Season Here!!

WIS Productions brings you the penultimate '16 edition of "Umile's Last Stand - The _____ for 600".

"Umile's Last Stand - The Quest for 600"

Coach Umile's current career wins total: 579
Wins Remaining to the next round number: 21
*Games Remaining (Next 2 Seasons - Min.): 56
Win Pct. Required to Hit Target: 37.5%
WIS Estimated Likelihood of Success: 67%
2016/2017 Cupcake Conversion Ratio (CCR): 7/12 (58.3%)

* - minimum games remaining assumes 34 regular season games, and at least 2 games in the MBPBEGAM "playoffs"

Terrific week all around for the UNH Hockey program, what with some encouraging news (finally) emerging from the recruiting trails, and then a sweep of the home-and-home HE series against archrivals UMaine. WIS predicted a split in this space last week, and is thrilled to be wrong about the key Saturday road win at Alfond Arena, which has so often been a burial ground for UNH teams in the past. And while the 'Cats have left way too many cupcakes on the shelf in their OOC games, they've been downright omnivorous with their HE CCR, as the likes of the Black Bears, Minutemen and Warriors would be quick to admit. An 8-6-2 record SO easily could (and should) already feature a 10 win haul, with better performances against just two of Bentley, Colorado College, Sacred Heart and ASFU. But a 5-1-1 HE record has the 'Cats riding unexpectedly high in 2nd place in the conference.

Looking at the big picture ... WIS experts' projection that Coach Umile's Wildcats would amass at least 10 wins in the opening 18 game stretch of the season is still alive and kicking, although the 'Cats will need to sweep next weekend's road game on the other side of the state, and then the non-conference meeting after the break against UMaine at Manchester. We've seen what UMaine looks like already; as far as in-state rivals Dartmouth are concerned, they stand at 3-5-2 with one win in their last 7 games (against mighty Robert Morris on the back end of a two game road series), so they've earned their cupcake status as well. The 10 win target in 2016 for UNH is still doable.

As a result of taking a pair of wins against their archrivals, including a tough road win up in the Downeast, WIS has upgraded its forecast for a happy ending to The Quest to 67% - basically a two-in-three chance. As the numbers above reflect ... UNH now needs to win only 37.5% of its games for the rest of the season and next season combined to get Coach Umile to the next round number, and with 8 wins in 16 games (50%) so far - albeit during what is clearly the cupcake section of the schedule - a 2016/2017 UNH win total in the mid-teens is no longer unrealistic. Getting these last two W's was important, and another win or two should maintain some "breathing room" in reaching the goal. WIS continues to bank heavily on UNH recapturing its past "Champions of December" top form as 2016 comes to a close.

Predictions:

Saturday: UNH 2 Dartmouth 1

NEXT CUPCAKE ON THE SHELF: 12/30/16 vs. UMaine @ ManchVegas

IS BS35+4 PAYING ATTENTION YET?

With UNH Football's blowout season-ending loss to "don't call them D-2" behemoths James Monroe - er, no - James Madison University this past weekend, the new fangled light thingies at the inaugural season for Wildcat Stadium will be switched off until the Spring rolls around after a long, hard New Hampshire winter comes and goes. And BS35+4 will look at the Men's Hockey team enjoying a winning record, and only one spot off the top of Hockey East. This is hardly a new scenario in these here parts, so there's no reason to think things aren't going just swimmingly at this point. I can almost hear our boy whistling "Blue Skies" from here, as he skips through the Fox Run Mall during an impromptu Christmas - oops, I mean "Holiday" shopping trip to pick up some gifts for his family. He may even have gotten news from his fellow (more notable) "whistler" about how his anointed successor has finally found his recruiting mojo after a long absence. Knowing that Hockey will enter the 2017 schedule at or above .500, the decision - or maybe "The Decision" - may prove to be a genius move after all. BS35+4 is tempted to take his poodle for a walk while visiting friends in Effingwoods, and letting the little critter urinate on the WIS Estate. Payback, as BS35+4 might point out, can be a ... well, you know.

 

[Dan]

You guys are the ones complaining about me complaining

As far as the officiating, do you or any other UNH fan honestly think the referees had a good night? I'm sure it has happened at some point before, but I don't ever remember having the PP's 7-1 against Maine. The penalty when Michel hit Kelleher to setup the second 5X3 looked completely clean to me and I was sitting only about 25' from where it happened. If someone has a video of him using his elbow I would love to see it...

Nobody complained about anything you said. All that happened in this thread was a clarification on your perception of the Kelleher slashing penalty. In watching the replay there is no doubt that he was simply swiping at the rebound of a shot he had no idea went in. He poked McGovern square in the pad - hardly the cheap shot of the century - and that's all that anyone here said. Just clarification on further review. I don't think anyone had any issue with a penalty being assessed or Michel stepping up to defend his goalie? And no one had any issue with your in the moment, but mistaken, take. But those who didn't see the play deserved to hear about what actually occurred...

As for Michel's first penalty on Kelleher - his forearm extended straight through TK's face. Clearly unlucky, and due only to their size differential, but also clearly a penalty...

And finally, since I like to deal in facts and not anecdotal evidence - let's look at the numbers....

Maine currently averages 18.65 penalty minutes, while UNH averages merely 11 minutes per game. Now, let's remove the two ten-minute Maine penalties this weekend as they are nothing more than supplemental discipline. That leaves us with the following average penalty minutes in this weekends series...

Maine - 17.5
UNH - 11

 

[Greg Ambrose]

Here's the difference Chuck. UNH did a specific fundraiser for the Jumbotron and were successful getting people (and there were others besides Walt) to support it. UNH also attempted to fund raise for the football scoreboard and were not as successful, at least in the timetable that they envisioned. But then, like a comet streaking toward earth, this unrestricted donation falls out of the sky and, voila, all of sudden this research librarian morphs into a rabid follower of Wildcat football and we use his money for a scoreboard. And why? Because they couldn't find anybody else.

I will remind you Chuck that when the Whit first opened they used the same scoreboards that they used at Snively. It was only after the tax cheat Kozlowski came up with the Tyco money that we got the half *** scoreboard which was the standard for, what, 15 years. These days it seems any semblance of Yankee frugality is gone at UNH. Parents and students pay and major gifts go to frivolous projects.

Btw, now 'bout those Wildcats?

 

[Dan]

I will remind you Chuck that when the Whit first opened they used the same scoreboards that they used at Snively.

I, for one, very much liked the old Snively scoreboards and was extremely disappointed when they ceased to grace each end of The Whittemore Center Arena along with the new boards. It was a nice touch...