official thread of the UNH wildcats

[Grandaddy]

Having seen the DC/UNH game yesterday, DC is not any better than UNH. UNH didn't have it yesterday, they came out flat, and played flat, but I wasn't impressed by Dartmouth as one of the top teams in the nation (Obviously no one's going to be impressed by UNH as one after this past weekend, and I don't blame them, they were overrated in the top 5, IMHO).

UNH just looked exahusted, and save for a few bursts, didn't seem like they had 'it'. The power play was frustrating to watch. The first one, they moved the puck really well, but didn't get the shots on net. It seems like with a cannon like Thomas on the point, she ought to get the puck on net, and set up for deflections/rebounds more. It seemed like that's how they were looking, but she was too hesitant to pull the trigger, and DC didn't have an extremely aggressive kill... UNH was let to move the puck around the perimiter most of the time, but was too hesitant making the next pass/shot. They had a TON of man up play in the 2nd period (and conversly man down in the third), and they probably got out shot on their own power play....

Huggon played well for the most part... the play where she got injured, it looked like she got to the puck befor Apps, but poked it into her instead of away... that's a chance that you take I guess... Apps made a great play as she was falling down and got the puck on the empty net... The goal right after that was the back breaker....

[lyla33]

yea so has anybody herd anything on the Huggon situation?? i need to know n i also noticed that Vicki Davis was back is she ok??

[Da Big Bad Cow]

Originally posted by lyla33
yea so has anybody herd anything on the Huggon situation?? i need to know n i also noticed that Vicki Davis was back is she ok?? considering huggon played the rest of the game and davis was playing i would assume they are both fine

[Grandaddy]

Originally posted by lyla33
yea so has anybody herd anything on the Huggon situation?? i need to know n i also noticed that Vicki Davis was back is she ok??

Huggon supposedly just had a badly bruised forearm and it was really swolen after the game. Davis played both games this weekend, and I thought she and her line looked the best of the three on Sunday at Dartmouth...

[ClOuD 9]

The night before and still no mention of Brown. Anyone?

[interestedobserver]

What is the site for the broadcast? Thanks

[candianhockey]

http://www.shoutcast.com/directory/index.phtml

Under search put UNH, then click on UNH sports. 3-1 for UNH in the second period

[Reggie]

Final 3-1. The broadcast mentioned Thomas and Butt not playing but no reason. This is a good start to the new year.

[leo and c]

Thomas and Butt not playing??????

[interestedobserver]

Thomas has a shoulder injury. Butt may be out for the remainder of the season.

[interestedobserver]

Did anybody see the game? The announcers try hard and seem supportive of women's hockey, but haven't troubled themselves to learn many of the players names and I couldn't get much of a feel for the game from their calls. Huggon worked hard and played well from the reports, but given the two absences, it would have been nice to at least know the lines Coach Mac put together and who played PP and PK. The announcers were really impressed with the refs. Any comments? And where the heck are the name bars? Don't the men have them?

[erin]

I didn't make it up to Durham early enough today to catch this game..... so I can't really comment..... just glad they got the win.

I'm not sure why the women's team doesn't have their names on their jersey's this season, but it's bothered me at the games I've been to. The UNH men's team does indeed have their names on their home and away jersey's.

Thomas hurt her shoulder again? Anyone know if it's the same one she had surgery on before? And what happened to Butt?

[ClOuD 9]

Was at the game, but didn't really take notice of the lines. UNH came out strong at the start of the first, but then Brown came back to carry play near the end of the period. When I was having a cigarette after the first period I met Deb Bernhard's dad, very nice guy, didn't have too many good things to say about Karen Kay, had nothing but praise for McCloskey, seemed optimistic about UNH making it to the post-season (and not just the HE tourney). Brown got pretty psychical from the 2nd period on, lot of cheap shots at the end of the game. All in all a good game for the Cats, lets see what they can do against Northeastern. Will be pretty empty for the 25th celebration, with the mens fans traveling to Providence and the students still on break (I believe).

[Da Big Bad Cow]

this game was totally dominated by UNH. the quality shots were slanted considerably in favor of UNH, in spite of the total shots being within 5 or 6. brown didnt have much puck possession and was relegated to dump ins on goal or weak shots from the outside. huggon made a few decent saves, but never faced more than sporadic pressure from the brown forwards.

steph jones was unbelievable this afternoon. could have probably scored 4 or 5 goals, and just as easily could have had a few assists if players were able to convert rebounds of her chances. i cant count how many times she used her size to outmuscle her check in the corner and walk right out around the top of the crease...or to blow by a defender wide, and cut across the front of the net. dreyer made a couple of beautiful saves, most all of them on jones, to even keep the game close.

was a bit surprised to see insalaco playing D for brown...i thought she was a forward?

also, while i am far from in a position to criticize coach murphy...i am a bit surprised that she still has her team playing the defensive system where she pulls one of the wings out of the defensive zone and hangs them at the far blue line to pull one of the offensive D off of the blueline and prevent them from holding the puck in. against a team like UNH that cycles the puck real well down low, it just seems to me that brown is conceeding more space for the team to move the puck in the offensive zone. in past years i think this may have worked well for brown because they were always so big, strong, and relatively quick. this year they arent nearly as big, strong, quick or otherwise talented (though still a pretty good team) as they have been in the past...i know there are a few brown fans that post here, im a bit curious about their opinions on that.

these were the UNH lines (i too heard that butt is done for the season, but no word on how severe thomas' injury is)

LW 15 Stephanie Jones C 10 Randi MacMaster RW 8 Carolyn Gordon
LW 12 Jaime VanMassenhove C 16 Annie Fahlenbock RW 9 Debbie Bernhard
LW 7 Lindsay Hansen C 25 Vicky Davis RW 26 Chandy Kaip
LW 2 Liz Adams
LD 27 Janine Goulet RD 5 Allison Edgar G 1 Hillary Ensor
LD 4 Randi Hickox RD 13 Nicole Stefanilo G 30 Jen Huggon
LD 3 Laura Lankton RD 19 Alexis Silvestri

[Da Big Bad Cow]

fosters article on the game

http://www4.fosters.com/News2003/January2003/Jan_05/Sports/sp0105h.asp

mccloskey singles out allison edgar and steph jones for their excellent play

also mentions thomas seperated her shoulder playing in the USA camp, butt was ruled academically inelgible and shaw was dismissed for personal reasons...but it doesnt mention if the last event is a temporary or extended one, nor does it give a timetable on thomas' return.

[empire2000]

Cow - One point you make that I agree with - Brown should abondon the system, at least for a while. Six Brown skaters were at the recent Lake Placid camp and that doesn't include Turner who played with Canada's U22 team. Simplify and play hockey. The talent is there. I don't agree that the talent or quickness is down this year. They lost Zamora and Ostrander who are great players but neither was exceptionally quick. They gained two extremely quick freshmen in Thatcher and Ramsey and got McLaughlin back on D (she was injured and out most of last year). I can't explain why it worked last year and not this year. But keep in mind that at this time last year Brown was 6-6-1 and out of the top 10 and the system wasn't working. Still I think they should get away from it for a while. Also, try to reserve the phrase total domination for those times when it actually applies. If UNH totally dominated Brown what phrase is left to describe what Harvard did to UNH.

[Grandaddy]

Originally posted by empire2000
Cow - One point you make that I agree with - Brown should abondon the system, at least for a while. Six Brown skaters were at the recent Lake Placid camp and that doesn't include Turner who played with Canada's U22 team. Simplify and play hockey. The talent is there. I don't agree that the talent or quickness is down this year. They lost Zamora and Ostrander who are great players but neither was exceptionally quick. They gained two extremely quick freshmen in Thatcher and Ramsey and got McLaughlin back on D (she was injured and out most of last year). I can't explain why it worked last year and not this year. But keep in mind that at this time last year Brown was 6-6-1 and out of the top 10 and the system wasn't working. Still I think they should get away from it for a while. Also, try to reserve the phrase total domination for those times when it actually applies. If UNH totally dominated Brown what phrase is left to describe what Harvard did to UNH.

Harvard outclassed, dominated, and kicked the *****es of UNH. UNH definitely dominated the flow of the game, and most facets of the game yesterday. I don't see anything wrong with saying that. He was pretty clear that UNH had a lot more high quality scoring chances than Brown did. Brown didn't sustain any pressure all afternoon.

[lyla33]

ok yea i herd that thomas will be back after this weekend she hurt her shoulder in lake placid and butt is out for academics but she is getting it taken care of

[phb]

Originally posted by empire2000
Also, try to reserve the phrase total domination for those times when it actually applies.
It did apply.

Brown goalie played very, very well to keep her team in touch. She stopped many quality chances.

[delree]

Originally posted by Da Big Bad Cow
was a bit surprised to see insalaco playing D for brown...i thought she was a forward?

also, while i am far from in a position to criticize coach murphy...i am a bit surprised that she still has her team playing the defensive system where she pulls one of the wings out of the defensive zone and hangs them at the far blue line to pull one of the offensive D off of the blueline and prevent them from holding the puck in. against a team like UNH that cycles the puck real well down low, it just seems to me that brown is conceeding more space for the team to move the puck in the offensive zone. in past years i think this may have worked well for brown because they were always so big, strong, and relatively quick. this year they arent nearly as big, strong, quick or otherwise talented (though still a pretty good team) as they have been in the past...i know there are a few brown fans that post here, im a bit curious about their opinions on that.


Insalaco played defense during her sophomore year. With the infusion of new, young forwards like Thatcher, Ramsay, and Zucker, I suppose Coach Murphy simply wanted to strengthen her blue line. She did the same last year with Ostrander to amazing results, and in 1999 with Jordan Jiska. From what I've heard, though, Insalaco perfers playing forward . . . and from what I've seen, she's far better in that position. Insalaco actually did start the year as a forward. It wasn't until the second or third week that she was moved back to the blue line. With Brown anemic offense this year against strong teams, I wouldn't be surprised to see Coach Murphy put LaFleur back on defense and put Insalaco back at forward.

As for Brown's flyer system. . . Personally, I'm not a fan of it at all. It makes sense on the surface. Brown is usually a defensive-minded team (that usually leads the country in penalty kill percentage) who has problems scoring. Therefore they should be all right with only four skaters in their defensive zone, leaving that fifth to cherry pick, giving them more quality offensive changes through breakaways, etc. However, it hasn't worked that way at all.

The below is from my USA College Hockey Magazine article on the subject:

It was Assistant Coach Jon Guiffre who first implemented the flyer system at Brown. Three years ago, Guiffre had discussed the system he was currently employing at North American Hockey Academy in an interview with Coach Murphy. While he didn't get the job that time around, with the staff's next opening he was quickly pulled on board. "I immediately thought of Jon because I wanted to play the system," Murphysaid. "As a coach I didn?t have the courage to play it without someone who really played it before."

"It paid off last year, but it was kind of ugly at the beginning," Coach Digit Murphy laughed when asked about the flyer system of play they implemented last year. "It's fun to play and fun to watch. The kids really love playing the system. When it tic-tac-toes through the neutral zone that's the beauty of it."

Coach Murphy seems to have a lot of confidence in her system, so I'll definitely defer to her.

:)