UNH 2018-19: Souza The Opportunity

[Dan]

I do not know if there is much that you can install in 16ish hours. Hopefully they could review and find something to exploit within that time to go after in tonight's game. It will be interesting to see what, if any, adjustments will be made for round 2.

I am hoping for something more along the lines of an attitude and effort regarding possessing pucks, playing physical and dictating pace. I doubt they'd scrap their system after one night - but I think they should be angry about getting outplayed 5x5 by a team they probably expected to beat and want to do something about it. Systems aside, how they bounce back should tell us a lot...

I think they will show some fight - and they'll win.

[deltabravo62]

Re: UNH 2018-19: Souza The Opportunity

Agreed on the hope that they come out looking at better execution with both puck possession and general offensive awareness. Hopefully it comes through for them. Board battles, puck possession, faceoffs, all fundamentals that can be improved on to yield better results. So here's hoping that they can get it done tonight.

[Dan]

Agreed on the hope that they come out looking at better execution with both puck possession and general offensive awareness. Hopefully it comes through for them. Board battles, puck possession, faceoffs, all fundamentals that can be improved on to yield better results. So here's hoping that they can get it done tonight.

Exactly. As has been stated it's about the long road ahead. Last year they raced out to a hot start and limped along the rest of the year. Getting beaten outright yesterday (or early in the season) may be the best thing to happen to them if they react in the right way. We'll see...

But I'd still prefer a win tonight and coming to CO with some confidence and attitude...

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH 2018-19: Souza The Opportunity

Just a reminder gang game 2 is at 4:00!!

[deltabravo62]

Re: UNH 2018-19: Souza The Opportunity

Taylor getting the start today

[Dan]

Taylor getting the start today

Cippolone and Cefalu in, Sato and Boyd out.

[JAB]

Re: UNH 2018-19: Souza The Opportunity

Anyone know if game is on any radio station? Not on the usual feed out of Dover and not on Colgate's station. Couldn't find a commercial station in the Hamilton area that carries the game. I do have the "live stats" from Colgate. Thanks.

[Dan]

1-0 Colgate as UNH fails to clear the zone on TWO very high percentage chances leading to an in alone chance for the Raiders. Taylor with a big stop on the first chance but the rebound is converted by McMann with a UNH penalty, to boot...

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Penalty killed. UNH first PP chance coming up...

Strong PP but no goals - first unit of Gildon, Pierson, Grasso, Kelleher and Crookshank pressed Colgate on the zone for 1:40 but couldn't connect.

End of one, 1-0 Colgate. Shots 10-8 Raiders.

[Dan]

Re: UNH 2018-19: Souza The Opportunity

Another PP to start the second period - Crookshank with three grade A chances and Grasso with another but nothing finds the back of the net. UNH outshooting Colgate 5-0 to start the period.

It looks like the strategy is to stick the first PP and let them play nearly the entire two minutes. It's a solid group that moves the puck well, just has yet to finish today.

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Colgate scores on a PP rebound midway through the game. 2-0. UNH had held a 10-1 second period shot margin until that chance.

[deltabravo62]

Re: UNH 2018-19: Souza The Opportunity

Whole lot of nothing going on today. Mostly perimeter play with some shots but nothing of great quality. Getting outplayed 15/20 minutes each of the first two periods. If this continues they will be lucky to get a single goal today.

[iowabasedtraveler]

Re: UNH 2018-19: Souza The Opportunity

Sweep by ‘a Colgate team not exactly overflowing with talent.’

[Dan]

UNH scores late (BVR from Vela and Gildon) but falls 2-1 for the second night in a row...

As noted by DB this team could not have been more non-threatening in even strength play. They didn't score a five on five goal all weekend and I'm not sure they ever really were close. Very few, if any, Grade-A chances, very few, if any, odd-man rushes (despite a supposed emphasis on transition and speed) and very little sustained offensive zone time. It looks like another long year trying to score goals...

The PP was solid - and had more than a few chances, but couldn't bury anything today (you could get excited about the chances or you could wonder about the finishing ability). They don't look like a dangerous shifty team that's going to be drawing a lot of penalties.

Do give credit to Colgate for being the same defensively sound team they were for much of last year.

The D and both young goalies looked steady and played well - but Colgate is hardly an offensive dynamo. We'll see how they fair on big ice against a team that wants to get up and down and puts a lot of pucks on net, next weekend, at CC...

[Dan]

Sweep by ‘a Colgate team not exactly overflowing with talent.’

Yeah they're still not. UNH is not a team to sweep and get excited about right now - so congrats on your wins. Don't be so sensitive. So far you've proven to be a mediocre team that's better than a bad one.

I'm honestly not sure how you could follow a 2017-18 team that scored 2.1 goals per game and finished .500 solely because they had the best goalie in college hockey (1-5-1 otherwise) - who is gone - and take such offense to that statement. So much that you'd come to the other teams thread (a team that swept you, but still finished just 10-20-6, last year) to refute it...

[deltabravo62]

Re: UNH 2018-19: Souza The Opportunity

Congrats on your first sweep as head coach Mike SoUmile. Now can we get serious and try to go somewhere with this team? Same old tried and failed systems plaguing the team early on. Defense looks good, goaltending looks decent, the offense couldn’t score in the red light district with a pocket full of 100s

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH 2018-19: Souza The Opportunity

Obviously not the weekend we expected....2 goals on the weekend...but am glad that our new players got their feet wet this weekend and we got to see both goalies. Onto CC.