Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
Re: UNH Wildcats Official Wait til Next Year...14/15 thread
Woo-hoo - 9th place!! A few seasons ago, that would have been first (only) team out of the HE postseason.
Baby steps for sure, but UNH did take care of business, albeit against a souped up former AHA team that's seen the air going out of its balloon down the stretch. Some real honest-to-goodness momentum at last, and with a pair of home games next weekend against the slumping Warriors, that 7 out of 8 points finish does not seem to be such a stretch any longer. Given UNH's overall inexperience, there can't be any games overlooked OR assumptions being made - or else there will be a split AND heavy reliance upon Providence to sweep UMaine. But prospects of a UNH v. UMaine first round series now appear to be a 90% certainty, if not higher (and no, I'm not doing any numbers-crunching to support that
) and UNH has it largely under their control to keep playing home games for one more weekend.
I'm still not sure I agree with Coach Umile's abandonment of Clark in goal, but he's clearly made a decision to roll with Tirone that he intends to follow through to the end of this season (and quite possibly beyond into next), and the on-ice results are trending in a better direction, so who's to question him at this point? I guess the frustrating part for me is that seeing him capable of making such a tough call (albeit involving two frosh goalies) only begs the question as to why he can't make similar tough calls when it comes to playing frosh players elsewhere in more important game situations than lesser-talented but older players??
Anyway ... looking forward to a strong finish over the last weekend hosting Merrimack ... although I'll admit I do not expect the 'Cats to sweep, and if I had to bet the farm, I would say weekend after next would see UNH traveling to UMaine, instead of vice versa. Getting swept by the Black Bears will probably come back to haunt them when it comes to 8th ... but what better way to show the improvement this UNH team has shown since January than to go up to Orono and do some damage, and *maybe* even advance to the quarters?
With the return of Downing, the team is pretty much back to full strength, so let's see what they can do.
Woo-hoo - 9th place!! A few seasons ago, that would have been first (only) team out of the HE postseason.
Baby steps for sure, but UNH did take care of business, albeit against a souped up former AHA team that's seen the air going out of its balloon down the stretch. Some real honest-to-goodness momentum at last, and with a pair of home games next weekend against the slumping Warriors, that 7 out of 8 points finish does not seem to be such a stretch any longer. Given UNH's overall inexperience, there can't be any games overlooked OR assumptions being made - or else there will be a split AND heavy reliance upon Providence to sweep UMaine. But prospects of a UNH v. UMaine first round series now appear to be a 90% certainty, if not higher (and no, I'm not doing any numbers-crunching to support that
) and UNH has it largely under their control to keep playing home games for one more weekend.I'm still not sure I agree with Coach Umile's abandonment of Clark in goal, but he's clearly made a decision to roll with Tirone that he intends to follow through to the end of this season (and quite possibly beyond into next), and the on-ice results are trending in a better direction, so who's to question him at this point? I guess the frustrating part for me is that seeing him capable of making such a tough call (albeit involving two frosh goalies) only begs the question as to why he can't make similar tough calls when it comes to playing frosh players elsewhere in more important game situations than lesser-talented but older players??
Anyway ... looking forward to a strong finish over the last weekend hosting Merrimack ... although I'll admit I do not expect the 'Cats to sweep, and if I had to bet the farm, I would say weekend after next would see UNH traveling to UMaine, instead of vice versa. Getting swept by the Black Bears will probably come back to haunt them when it comes to 8th ... but what better way to show the improvement this UNH team has shown since January than to go up to Orono and do some damage, and *maybe* even advance to the quarters?
With the return of Downing, the team is pretty much back to full strength, so let's see what they can do.
about NU and it's awesome they have done so well considering their start this season; wish them well in the Beanpot!! And truth be told...UNH had one job to do with Maine but we won't go there mk? But isn't that something it comes down to that. Oh well. That was then, this is now! Right now the sense I get from this team is that they feel good about where they are, no use looking back. I think it will be their best hockey coming up. Carpe Diem 'Cats!
