UNH Wildcats 2021/2022 - Return of the Champions of October?

[Scott]

Hey Chuck - Did you put a bug in someone's ear tonight at the Whitt? ELO's "Mr Blue Sky" was blaring between the first and second periods.

Fitting, considering UNH's 6-1 defeat.

 

[Scott]

This is why bye weekends suck. This team is back to it's sh*tty early season form, from the goaltending and on out.

 

[HockeyRef]

This is why bye weekends suck. This team is back to it's sh*tty early season form, from the goaltending and on out.

No truer words my friend. Almost inhumane to leave Mike in...That said lots of great play in the first...

Man that Turnbull kid is excellent...reminds me of TyK.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Hey Chuck - Did you put a bug in someone's ear tonight at the Whitt? ELO's "Mr Blue Sky" was blaring between the first and second periods.

Fitting, considering UNH's 6-1 defeat.

LOL

Everything you wrote tonight is spot on, Scott. Start the national search yesterday.

 

[d.gerry]

Great crowd tonight to watch an entirely embarrassing performance. Souza’s days are numbered.

 

[norbert]

This is why bye weekends suck. This team is back to it's sh*tty early season form, from the goaltending and on out.

Its not a bye weekend issue, it is a bad team issue. They were awful last night and continued tonight. MacAdams with his "A" should be taken away after last night, didn't even know if he was there tonight. This was statement weekend an 0-2. I am just happy I won't have to pay for playoff tickets.

 

[HockeyRef]

This is why bye weekends suck. This team is back to it's sh*tty early season form, from the goaltending and on out.

Scott sent you a 'visitors message' not sure how those work...

 

[Darius]

So much for our game in hand in the race to the much coveted first round playoff home ice.

 

[HockeyRef]

The hubs and I were driving home once again lamenting, going over, ruminating, whatever ya wanna call it, about the game (a familiar thing). Came down to this realization: zero consistency over the years. Not able to sustain decent play. Not to mention the errant passes going to nowhere. I wasn't happy with MacA obviously with his penalties the night before and I am sure he got an earful from the coach(es) about it but agree he was a non factor out there. This is not on him tho.

Wasn't for lack of trying by the part of the team. I think we saw excellent play in the first period last night. It was a treat for the fans; back and forth, dramatic goalie saves. Best crowd in recent history (this has been mentioned by d.gerry) You can't deny we had our chances. Then the wheels fell off....Fan base sounding off abit today on Facebook first I've seen that but...UConn always manages to have an excellent forward group and decent goal tending. They are a strong and consistent team and I'd hate to face them on any given night.

Give Fess a start at UVM. Mike needs a break. Really cannot hurt at this point.

 

[NCAA watcher]

Came down to this realization: zero consistency over the years.

I'd argue there is tremendous consistency.

UNH is currently in 9th place. For Coach Souza, his 11th season of coaching is unlikely to replicate his career best 7th place finish, 9 years ago. (Not counting the one season in the non-major Atlantic Conference.)
* With 12 wins so far, and three games against 10th and 11th place Vermont and Maine still on the radar (plus the HE playoff games) he is within striking distance of the 16 wins in that 2012-13 season, and likely to match the 15 wins at UNH in 16-17 and 19-20.
* At 12 wins and 13 losses, Coach Souza also has a chance to attain his second career season with a team over .500 (Brown was 16-14-6 in 2012-13.)

Souza coaching career
11-12 Brown 12th place ECAC 9 wins
12-13 Brown 7th place ECAC 16 wins
13-14 U.Conn 3rd place Atlantic 18 wins
14-15 U.Conn 9th place HE 10 wins
15-16 UNH 10th place HE 11 wins
16-17 UNH 10th place HE 15 wins
17-18 UNH 11th place HE 10 wins
==========HEAD COACH====
18-19 UNH 8th place HE 12 wins
19-20 UNH 9th place HE 15 wins
20-21 UNH 10th place HE 6 wins
21-21 UNH 8th/9th place in HE 12 wins

 

[HockeyRef]

I'd argue there is tremendous consistency.

UNH is currently in 9th place. For Coach Souza, his 11th season of coaching is unlikely to replicate his career best 7th place finish, 9 years ago. (Not counting the one season in the non-major Atlantic Conference.)
* With 12 wins so far, and three games against 10th and 11th place Vermont and Maine still on the radar (plus the HE playoff games) he is within striking distance of the 16 wins in that 2012-13 season, and likely to match the 15 wins at UNH in 16-17 and 19-20.
* At 12 wins and 13 losses, Coach Souza also has a chance to attain his second career season with a team over .500 (Brown was 16-14-6 in 2012-13.)

Souza coaching career
11-12 Brown 12th place ECAC 9 wins
12-13 Brown 7th place ECAC 16 wins
13-14 U.Conn 3rd place Atlantic 18 wins
14-15 U.Conn 9th place HE 10 wins
15-16 UNH 10th place HE 11 wins
16-17 UNH 10th place HE 15 wins
17-18 UNH 11th place HE 10 wins
==========HEAD COACH====
18-19 UNH 8th place HE 12 wins
19-20 UNH 9th place HE 15 wins
20-21 UNH 10th place HE 6 wins
21-21 UNH 8th/9th place in HE 12 wins

Well obviously 'Watcher, if you are going to put up stats about consistency of losing, etc...then, sure. I'm talking about sustaining play. That...has always been an issue since I think since I've been following. And of course, your sarcasm is not lost on me...Your point is well taken and the facts do not lie. Have always believed in this quote by Henry Ford and I think it speaks to the situation at 128 Main Street:

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”

Ps..should have just posted "I see what you did there"

 

[Felger]

So much for our game in hand in the race to the much coveted first round playoff home ice.

Schedule favors UNH and if they can't take advantage probably don't deserve home ice.

That said, it appears that BC-UNH matchup is almost assured for the first round.

 

[After the Whistle]

A couple of thoughts after last nights nightmare! They played a much better game however with the same outcome. First period really should have ended 3-1 UNH. Very real opportunities, not chances. Definitely deflating for the team. The second saw some goals that a great goalie stops. Plus watching that near goal on the overhead video, real quick. Why didn’t MS ask for a review. It was only close and would not have been overturned you say. Correct.
what it does is make a positive statement to the team that the coach has their back. Think Jerry York or Jack Parker. It isn’t always about winning the review it is about supporting your team. We all said we had a confident team before this weekend and then MC brought us down to earth again. You don’t want another lose for this team!
So why pull the goalie with 3 minutes to go. It certainly didn’t have the feel of a night for a miracle so why make it 5-1? And then a totally spent team suffers a real soft number 6. That was as dejected a team as I can remember leaving the ice.
If you can’t manage the game, manage the kids emotions! Trust me it matters.

 

[Felger]

we had a confident team before this weekend

One could argue overconfident. It seems like the worst thing that happened to this team was scoring some goals. Got them away from what their identity had been that delivered success.

 

[HockeyRef]

A couple of thoughts after last nights nightmare! They played a much better game however with the same outcome. First period really should have ended 3-1 UNH. Very real opportunities, not chances. Definitely deflating for the team. The second saw some goals that a great goalie stops. Plus watching that near goal on the overhead video, real quick. Why didn’t MS ask for a review. It was only close and would not have been overturned you say. Correct.
what it does is make a positive statement to the team that the coach has their back. Think Jerry York or Jack Parker. It isn’t always about winning the review it is about supporting your team. We all said we had a confident team before this weekend and then MC brought us down to earth again. You don’t want another lose for this team!
So why pull the goalie with 3 minutes to go. It certainly didn’t have the feel of a night for a miracle so why make it 5-1? And then a totally spent team suffers a real soft number 6. That was as dejected a team as I can remember leaving the ice.
If you can’t manage the game, manage the kids emotions! Trust me it matters.

oh ATW sooo agree with your sentiments. (on the opportunities in the first especially; a better word for them than 'chances' to be sure). We talked about how Mikey just wasn't himself and it seemed like torture for him. Yeah, why not challenge that goal? So what? I can't see MS7 anymore as we don't sit in CIce like we once did so I can't vouch for how he reacted to the game. Also thought he should have been pulled at 4-1. Read one complaint on FB about how he said literally nothing to the team tho. Of course it has to be frustrating to him as well. Get something going and then what. None of us know the inner workings of the team chemistry but we aren't stupid either and can see when things just aren't working kind of thing tho. Oh well.

You could see the team looked as defeated as ever in their salute to the fans...sigh...that bothers me. Hate seeing that! They just gotta pick up the pieces and skate forward.

 

[Chuck Murray]

One could argue overconfident. It seems like the worst thing that happened to this team was scoring some goals. Got them away from what their identity had been that delivered success.

Agree 100% again. This is where having that week off in-between hurt the most. The team had finally stumbled upon a playing style that was bearing some fruit, i.e. playing disciplined defensive hockey starting at the front, and capitalizing on opponent's mistakes. But with two weeks between games, the group clearly lost track of the recipe. To dumb this down to the most basic elements ... UNH decided to run before they'd solved the walking thingie, and as a result they did a collective face-plant. Ugh.

I've coached groups of players in similar scenarios, and I've even played on Over-50 teams who you would think should know better, but don't/didn't. Winning the way UNH had been winning takes discipline and patience, and from the bits and pieces I saw of this weekend's games, both were in short supply at UNH. Never underestimate the power of wanting to score goals.

UConn always manages to have an excellent forward group and decent goal tending. They are a strong and consistent team and I'd hate to face them on any given night.

Last week, we're worried about the fearsome might of Scotty Borek's Warriors, and now we're mooning over the powerhouse that apparently is Luce Canaan's Huskies. Y'know, the same mediocre program hovering at or around .500, which has been their high-water mark in the almost-decade they've been in HEA now. And still awaiting their first ppst-season victory, too.

I remember when we used to worry about whether Coach Umile's best teams would stack up against the UMaine's or BU's or BC's of HEA, or against fill-in-the-blank in the NCAA's. Now we sweat bullets over facing up to mediocrity. How far we have fallen where .500 seems "successful" *sigh* ...

 

[Felger]

Last week, we're worried about the fearsome might of Scotty Borek's Warriors, and now we're mooning over the powerhouse that apparently is Luce Canaan's Huskies. Y'know, the same mediocre program hovering at or around .500, which has been their high-water mark in the almost-decade they've been in HEA now. And still awaiting their first ppst-season victory, too.

I remember when we used to worry about whether Coach Umile's best teams would stack up against the UMaine's or BU's or BC's of HEA, or against fill-in-the-blank in the NCAA's. Now we sweat bullets over facing up to mediocrity. How far we have fallen where .500 seems "successful" *sigh* ...

If the team could play defense as well as its fans can play the victim it would be a powerhouse.

 

[Whalers]

We are not playing the victim. We are asking why Blue skies/New AD and the administration, if they dont do anything after this year, wants to victimize us with hockey mediocrity. We DEMAND these powers hold the coach accountable for the middling results.

Back in the 90's when Audi (UNH) was battling Mercedes (BC) and BMW (BU), their CEO said that it costs the same amount of money to design an ugly car as it does a beautiful one. UNH is paying 2 assistant coaches for not only their hockey knowledge, but also their SALES KNOWLEDGE. They are ones who get on the road to get recruits excited and build the base. Then the head coach comes in to seal the deal. Coady, McCloskey, Norton, they were the ones getting out to track down the recruits and get them pumped up about Durham. The MS7 teams have been crafting old, stodgy Audi Foxes and 100's. Time to find a coaching/sales team to start designing stunning TT's and RS7's on the same budget.

 

[HockeyRef]

Re-cap of the weekend via TNH You know what they say...it's not how you go down, it's how you get up again!

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re-cap of the weekend via TNH You know what they say...it's not how you go down, it's how you get up again!

Unfortunately, the road ahead does not get any easier for UNH. They’ll take on the University of Vermont (5-18-2, 3-10-2) before returning to Durham to host No. 14 UMass Lowell (16-6-3, 12-5-1) to close out next weekend. The following weekend, they travel to Orono for a two-game road series against the University of Maine (4-16-4, 2-12-2).

While Vermont and Maine are currently the bottom feeders of the Hockey East, UNH has played its worst hockey of the season away from the Whitt with a 3-9-0 road record. Conversely, two of Vermont’s five wins and all four of Maine’s victories have come on their home ice. In other words, the Wildcats must overcome their greatest weakness to find their stride.

Maybe this is what Felger was pointing at ... can you imagine, in the TNH recap of this lost weekend, the conclusion is "the road ahead does not get any easier"?!?!? That's three games out of 4 against the only two teams you're ahead of in the frickin' HEA standings, and it "does not get any easier"???? The road ahead will absolutely not get any easier than 3 of these 4 games, and even the UML game is on home ice.

The Cardinal rule of Cupcakes ... if you can't spot cupcakes on your schedule, then YOU are the cupcake.

Sometimes it feels like I'm living in some strange parallel universe these days ...