UMass Lowell 17/18 Season Thread: 21 Year Old Freshman Eating BU's Lunch

[boblav1]

Re: UMass Lowell 17/18 Season Thread: 21 Year Old Freshman Eating BU's Lunch

Roads down south are fine.

BC 2-1 final.

[Palphen]

Re: UMass Lowell 17/18 Season Thread: 21 Year Old Freshman Eating BU's Lunch

According to Facebook Lowell Burger Company is giving a free "gift" to anyone that comes in wearing UML gear before Fridays game.

[UMLFan]

Re: UMass Lowell 17/18 Season Thread: 21 Year Old Freshman Eating BU's Lunch

According to Facebook Lowell Burger Company is giving a free "gift" to anyone that comes in wearing UML gear before Fridays game.

Never been there...

[boblav1]

Re: UMass Lowell 17/18 Season Thread: 21 Year Old Freshman Eating BU's Lunch

The Friday night game at Lowell will be on NESN.
https://nesngo.nesn.com/


The Saturday night game at BC can be seen on ESPN3.
http://www.espn.com/watch

[tape]

Re: UMass Lowell 17/18 Season Thread: 21 Year Old Freshman Eating BU's Lunch

Nice little story from Wisconsin local news about Jake Suter saving his now-fiancée's life last year: http://www.wkow.com/story/37345052/2...cardiac-arrest

[leswp1]

Re: UMass Lowell 17/18 Season Thread: 21 Year Old Freshman Eating BU's Lunch

I was just coming here to post that. Scary. And pretty cool!

[RHawkobserver]

Re: UMass Lowell 17/18 Season Thread: 21 Year Old Freshman Eating BU's Lunch

A big factor this coming weekend going into games against a faster and more skilled BC team will be the Hawk's puck management and eliminating turnovers. In the first game and first period against Vermont last weekend, I counted 19 turnovers and that wasn't including any ones below the dots in the offensive zone. In the first shift alone they had 4 turnovers and got hemmed in their own zone for almost 2 minutes. Gearing up for the last stretch of the season, this team has to do a better job of managing the puck off the breakout and through the neutral zone and being connected on the attack so they have good puck support, options and numbers on the entry. Too often we see the puck carrier on entering the offensive zone be isolated and then make a soft play turning the puck over or dumping it to an area where they get outnumbered and there is no opportunity to win a puck battle for retrieval. Rarely do we see a forward leave the wall and take open ice to create options or draw a defensive player to them and then make a play to a breaking forward in the open ice that was created. Rather we see no look or soft passes that get intercepted, soft dumps that do not get behind the defence or Hawks attempting to stick handle and lose the puck.In the last 6 games against some very weak teams, we did see a few shifts where the Hawks were able to cycle the puck and create some zone time but for the most part did not attack the net from the cycle and create many second chance scoring opportunities. I never really get a sense that this team attacks and hunts the net with a purpose and thus the reason why they are mostly one and done in the offensive zone. It is also well into the season where we need to start having some composure and not merely just blasting the puck and getting it blocked or missing the net. We need to be able to make a play in tight spaces, change a shooting angle to get shot through and if necessary make a play in a tight space to an open man rather than just shooting in a hurry.

Injuries have really impacted the team at times this year and especially the defensive corps. Coach Bazin said this week that they are trying to finalize their playoff lineup and players are vying for spots. It is very clear to me that when healthy, having # 2, 4, 7, 19, 26, 27 give this team the best opportunity for success and allow the coaching staff to spread the minutes both 5 on 5 and on specialty teams to ensure the defense are fresh and more effective. Any other combinations result in many more minutes for the top 4 and that really effects their game especially on the second night. Unfortunately the lack of depth up front really limits the ability to move players in and out of the lineup and creates a situation where only the 11th or 12th forward can be rotated. I still think that there is opportunity to move up and down the depth chart and we need to see some secondary and more consistent offensive scoring from the forward group if this team is to have any playoff success.

I feel the recent handling of the goaltenders of the coaching staff has created a situation where both now are playing with shaken confidence. Saying this, I will say that a goaltender needs to be ready when his number is called and needs to be able to play at his best regardless of the opposing team or whether it is the first or second night. However, #31 has earned the right to start and it should have been his net to lose.In the previous years, the coaching staff allowed both Boyle and Wall to start almost every game and go the distance regardless of who they were playing and whether it was the first or second night. The back-up goalies never got an opportunity and #31 was one of the back-up goalies. This year, Hernberg was playing with great confidence. Based on his play he deserved the start in the first game vs Arizona and also the first game vs Vermont.Knowing that the team has struggled on Sat nights, I question why it was not his net to lose. As a result, starting the second game, he has struggled his last 2 outings and you can see that his confidence has been shaken. Because of this, I believe it is going to be difficult for him to regain his form and get back to the level he was playing at.Certainly he or Wall need to to take the ball and run with it because this team is going to need to have a definite #1 goalie if it has any hope of playoff success. It will be interesting to see who gets the start Friday night.

More than anything, this team needs to have a consistent effort this weekend and be able to play at a level where they can put a series of shifts together and consecutive periods together to remain in both games. In the last 6 games, we saw periods where Lowell was completely dominated by some very weak teams and yet managed to win a couple of those games. BC is not one of these teams and the game will quickly get away from Lowell much like the BU game in Boston if they don't play with any type of urgency, consistency and eliminate turnovers to neutralize the skill and speed of the BC team. I keep hearing that Lowell wants to play hard, fast and disciplined but you need to be able to make plays and execute while doing so. Time is running out for this team to get some good habits and consistency engrained into their game.

[Middle Street]

Re: UMass Lowell 17/18 Season Thread: 21 Year Old Freshman Eating BU's Lunch

I feel the recent handling of the goaltenders of the coaching staff has created a situation where both now are playing with shaken confidence. Saying this, I will say that a goaltender needs to be ready when his number is called and needs to be able to play at his best regardless of the opposing team or whether it is the first or second night. However, #31 has earned the right to start and it should have been his net to lose.In the previous years, the coaching staff allowed both Boyle and Wall to start almost every game and go the distance regardless of who they were playing and whether it was the first or second night. The back-up goalies never got an opportunity and #31 was one of the back-up goalies. This year, Hernberg was playing with great confidence. Based on his play he deserved the start in the first game vs Arizona and also the first game vs Vermont.Knowing that the team has struggled on Sat nights, I question why it was not his net to lose. As a result, starting the second game, he has struggled his last 2 outings and you can see that his confidence has been shaken. Because of this, I believe it is going to be difficult for him to regain his form and get back to the level he was playing at. Certainly he or Wall need to to take the ball and run with it because this team is going to need to have a definite #1 goalie if it has any hope of playoff success. It will be interesting to see who gets the start Friday night.

Excellent post, I really enjoy reading your analysis. I still think Norm is in a tough spot with Wall. If he doesn't play him, Wall may decide to transfer knowing Hernberg will be back with one more year of eligibility. The last time I brought this up it was suggested this would be the worst thing for Tyler to do given he would need to sit out a year, however since Tyler was born in 1998, he's still eligible to play in the USHL next season. He can transfer to another school, get plenty of playing time next season, and maintain two more full years of NCAA eligibility.

Yes USHL is a step down, but if he's struggling anyways and wants to play, it may make sense for him. This is my theory on why Norm keeps giving him chances we would otherwise think he doesn't deserve.

[boblav1]

Re: UMass Lowell 17/18 Season Thread: 21 Year Old Freshman Eating BU's Lunch

BC with a late PP goal, 1-0 after one. BC carrying the play.

Wall in the net again tonight. Edwardh and Evingson out, Berisha and Paskus in.

[leswp1]

Re: UMass Lowell 17/18 Season Thread: 21 Year Old Freshman Eating BU's Lunch

Was listening in an area I couldn't hear well. Didn't hear there were 2 goalies sounding like Wall. I thought we never left the zone

[UMLFan]

Re: UMass Lowell 17/18 Season Thread: 21 Year Old Freshman Eating BU's Lunch

BC with a late PP goal, 1-0 after one. BC carrying the play.

Wall in the net again tonight. Edwardh and Evingson out, Berisha and Paskus in.

Wonder if the injury that Edwardh took last night had symptoms show up post-game. Evingson I thought looked good again, but once again, doesn't get back to back nights.

[boblav1]

Re: UMass Lowell 17/18 Season Thread: 21 Year Old Freshman Eating BU's Lunch

Wonder if the injury that Edwardh took last night had symptoms show up post-game. Evingson I thought looked good again, but once again, doesn't get back to back nights.

BC with 3 quick goals, 4-0. Hernberg in, Wall out.

Edit: 5-0 BC

[boblav1]

Re: UMass Lowell 17/18 Season Thread: 21 Year Old Freshman Eating BU's Lunch

5-0 BC after two. Just another Saturday night.

[UMLFan]

Re: UMass Lowell 17/18 Season Thread: 21 Year Old Freshman Eating BU's Lunch

Hey look, it's the Saturday night River Hawk team.

[leswp1]

Re: UMass Lowell 17/18 Season Thread: 21 Year Old Freshman Eating BU's Lunch

THey are the understudies?

ANd a Major penalty with serious goonery if the Radio guys are to be believed.