UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

[Dan]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

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And one more time for emphasis. The new Goggin Ice Arena is an absolute freaking gem. Yet the program, since the final renovations, has gone from the Top-5 Nationally to an also ran in the NCHC...

• https://www.givetomiamioh.org/s/916/gradchamps/interior.aspx?sid=916&gid=1&pgid=8292
• https://elford.com/project/miami-university-goggin-ice-center-steve-cady-arena/
• https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ery1FTSpufw

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And here is the old one (which included locker rooms that were sub-par and gross even for intramural hockey) where they built the foundation for a successful program...

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[Snively65]

Yes, the 5x3 goal against Maine feature two forwards behind the net. One passinfbg the puck to Gildon for an initial scoring chance before he collected his own rebound and worked the top of the zone, before finding the other (Blackburn) sneaking across the goal line for an easy finish...

It's not a bad strategy of the players move - Switch places, back and forth from in front to behind, etc. it's the stationary positioning that is often the problem. As with any PP. If they move like they did in this instance I'm fine with it.

Thankfully you missed the WJC when the Swiss scored a couple 5x3 / PP goals using this strategy and many hockey pundits loudly exclaimed they'd been pushing for years for more of this strategy...

No, sorry that I missed these 5-3 PPG's; I need to see one PPG with this strategy to be convinced, as I have not seen even one SOG with two of our guys planted (i.e. hardly moving) behind the net, and I think that I did see one SHG on a stolen puck breakaway.

 

[Dan]

No, sorry that I missed these 5-3 PPG's; I need to see one PPG with this strategy to be convinced, as I have not seen even one SOG with two of our guys planted (i.e. hardly moving) behind the net, and I think that I did see one SHG on a stolen puck breakaway.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=aPjV1V3vNO4

You can see last weekend's at the 1:36 mark of this highlights package.

Again, I agree that they get too stationary on this approach at times - Which defeats the entire purpose of setting up this way. When they move, switch places, duck and dive above and below the goal line it gets the goalie moving and creates easy chances like this one.

Here the pass from behind the net creates a great chance - and then when the puck is up high the come above the goal line, then drop even, where Blackburn takes the pass and has a bunny...

This is what it's supposed to do. Though certainly, you are correct it doesn't always look this good...

 

[Greg Ambrose]

The size of the rink has been debated ever since the Whit opened. Never forget that Umile wanted the Olympic sheet. He saw it as advantage for the style of play he wanted to embrace. Yes, there were plenty of kids who probably came to UNH because the ice surface would give their speedy little legs an advantage. But let’s be honest, the biggest stars of the “golden era” of UNH Hockey (1996 to 2008 I would argue) could have played and be just as effective anywhere. Mowers had great wheels but Krog, Bekar, Haydar,, Hemingway, et al weren’t exactly speed demons coming up the ice.

The other argument heard ad nauseum about the size of the rink was it impeded our chances for success in the post season when all games are played on NHL size rinks. Well, I am here to say that UNH fortunes in the NCAAs had little or nothing to do about where they played their home games during the regular season. In the 70s when they were really good, they were capable of giving games away in their home rink (RPI, Harvard) or advancing to what was then called the Final Four. In the 90s and early aughts, when they again were pretty good, they could lose to Maine or Lowell at home, or make the Frozen Four four times in six years. UNH’s post season fortunes were dependent a lot more on the quality of the players and how they were employed by the coach than simplistic notions about the rink size.

Two weeks ago my good friend JetEye and I heard the noise about reducing the size of the rink when replacing the refrigeration system. A cursory glance at the current position of the boards and how moving them 7 1/2 feet on either side led to the conclusion that they would have to do a lot of digging to add two rows of seats closer. Money first, aesthetics second, and irrelevance to performance third make the idea a non-starter in my book.

 

[msprice]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

Very nice to watch a game in but only holds just over 3500.

 

[Snively65]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

My first visit to Hartford XL Center; apparently they are having problems with their refrigeration system also, so very soft choppy ice.

 

[NCAA watcher]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

My first visit to Hartford XL Center; apparently they are having problems with their refrigeration system also, so very soft choppy ice.

So, Olympic size ice for them next year?

 

[Snively65]

So, Olympic size ice for them next year?

Possibly. The bottom four rows on each side could certainly be torn up, but those seated near me said that the place should be imploded.

 

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

My first visit to Hartford XL Center; apparently they are having problems with their refrigeration system also, so very soft choppy ice.

How do you think we are playing? Awesome the PK is doing it's job; would like to see UNH manage the puck better....Second was better in that regard... Let's go 'Cats!

 

[Snively65]

How do you think we are playing? Awesome the PK is doing it's job; would like to see UNH manage the puck better....Second was better in that regard... Let's go 'Cats!

Lucky that Naz did not get 5 minutes for contact to the head. Then, there were Vela's two stupid penalties. :-(

 

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

Lucky that Naz did not get 5 minutes for contact to the head. Then, there were Vela's two stupid penalties. :-(

Agreed....beautiful goal by Pierson...but we are hanging on here if you ask me.

 

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

8-8-8....school record on ties. Made it interesting in the OT. We'll take the point.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

Better yet still … with UVM's win tonight, UConn drops to within a point of last place in HE.

 

[Elbowing]

Better yet still … with UVM's win tonight, UConn drops to within a point of last place in HE.

When is the last time UNH beat UConn? Has UNH ever finished higher in Hockey East than UConn since they joined the league?

Lotta hockey left, good luck tomorrow night. Hope you bought a seat behind the UConn bench.

 

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

The last time the 'Cats beat UConn was the 14/15 season where we swept them in the regular season, and, swept them in the first round of the HE tournament. Tonight marks the first time since then that we haven't lost to them. As per the HE info, I believe UNH has finished ahead of UConn but would have to check thinking the same 2014/2015 season.

EDIT: Since UConn has joined HE, UNH finished ahead of them in the 2014/15 season. That changed the next 2 years with UConn finishing one spot ahead of UNH. Last year UConn ended up 5th in HE and we know where UNH ended up. Think I have that right. Let's bring it tomorrow night 'Cats!!

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

When is the last time UNH beat UConn? Has UNH ever finished higher in Hockey East than UConn since they joined the league?

It's kinda sad when your program is so bad that the only place you can talk about it is on the opposition's USCHO thread. I can't find any Men's Hockey coverage on the UConn site, much less the Courant. Your head coach (and I use that term loosely) has apparently been reduced to tapping out "statements" to gullible newbies at out-pf-state media sites, 'cuz no one anywhere within 50 miles of Storrs will pick up a phone to listen. Can't blame 'em, though, I'm sure they've caught onto his schtick by now.

Besides, Connecticut hockey fans needing a fix this year can just amble up the I-91 to catch UMass in action, and dream those big D-1 dreams of what it might be like some day if AD Dave Benedict can axe the current stiff, and drug some starving assistant long enough to get him to come to a school where his program gets less press and pub than pretty much everyone except the JV luge team. Tempting, yes. Or maybe not. No, definitely not.

Well, you're still in 10th place - not last. For now. I guess you've got that going for you.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

Do they do post-game pressers at The Mall these days? Or are their tenants shoo'ed out as quickly as possible? Can't wait to see Luce's comments after this one …

 

[Snively65]

The last time the 'Cats beat UConn was the 14/15 season where we swept them in the regular season, and, swept them in the first round of the HE tournament. Tonight marks the first time since then that we haven't lost to them. As per the HE info, I believe UNH has finished ahead of UConn but would have to check thinking the same 2014/2015 season.

EDIT: Since UConn has joined HE, UNH finished ahead of them in the 2014/15 season. That changed the next 2 years with UConn finishing one spot ahead of UNH. Last year UConn ended up 5th in HE and we know where UNH ended up. Think I have that right. Let's bring it tomorrow night 'Cats!!

Glass half full: Souza broke his 4+ year string of losses behind his own bench in UNH-Yukon games.

Glass half empty: Souza still winless in 4+ years behind his own bench in UNH-Yukon games. Can fix that tonight at 100 ft wide Lake Whitt.

But, UNH completely dominated the last five minutes of regulation and the entire OT, clanking their second post of the night.

All of these ties are making me nervous about the over/under 13.5 wins contest, and I hope not like the way ties sunk Dick's NRN last season.

Gildon No. 3 star at Hartford XL Center on Friday night; I think that he should have been No. 1 star. Played like a man among boys.

 

[d.gerry]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

Made the trek down for my first visit to the XL, ice appeared soft with tons of water left after the ice cleanings. Should have won it in OT, but at least it wasn’t a loss. Defense was pretty solid but did have trouble at times clearing the zone allowing UConn to cycle and create a lot of chances. Again, Gildon was the best player on the ice, nice to have him back. Offense looked good at times, but most of the night never really clicked with poor puck handling, poor passing, and weak shots. Thought they played like a team that thinks they are better than they actually are. We will take the point and hope for 2 more tomorrow, actually tonight.

 

[bakchk20]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

The other argument heard ad nauseum about the size of the rink was it impeded our chances for success in the post season when all games are played on NHL size rinks. Well, I am here to say that UNH fortunes in the NCAAs had little or nothing to do about where they played their home games during the regular season. In the 70s when they were really good, they were capable of giving games away in their home rink (RPI, Harvard) or advancing to what was then called the Final Four. In the 90s and early aughts, when they again were pretty good, they could lose to Maine or Lowell at home, or make the Frozen Four four times in six years. UNH’s post season fortunes were dependent a lot more on the quality of the players and how they were employed by the coach than simplistic notions about the rink size.

As a proud simpleton - and now contrarian - I'm sticking to my assessment...it's a factor.