UNH Wildcats Official Wait til Next Year...14/15 thread

[Snively65]

Camper had a nice game when he returned to the line up after sitting one or two games. Good for him. I am not saying anyone turned into an all American over night.

No question, Darius, probably Camper's best game of his UNH career, but as someone (you?) replied to my post that he was on the ice for all three BU goals in the third, "so, what you are saying is that it was the best of lines, it was the worst of lines." Camper's 2 points against BU increased his total to 11 over four years and 90 games at UNH. Sorry that I am into numbers, but here they are.

Year-Games-Goals-Assists-Points
Fr-13-1-1-2
So-24-2-4-6
Jr-27-1-0-1
Sr-26-1-2-3
Totals-90-5-7-12

So, if frosh are not going to red shirt their first year because of better talent ahead of them, I say McNicholas and Salvaggio should have played more than 11 and 10 games this season.

Listening on radio, as could not face 4 hours of driving on snowy roads tonight.

And, of course, before I have even finished writing this post, Camper scores the first goal tonight. So, I take all the credit for that, as I am certain he saw this post coming, so wanted to stick it to me.

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats Official Wait til Next Year...14/15 thread

Sweet sweep ''Cats!!!!! Top line 3 goals excellent work! Gonna come down to the last weekend... Onward 'Catssss!

[Darius]

Re: UNH Wildcats Official Wait til Next Year...14/15 thread

No question, Darius, probably Camper's best game of his UNH career, but as someone (you?) replied to my post that he was on the ice for all three BU goals in the third, "so, what you are saying is that it was the best of lines, it was the worst of lines." Camper's 2 points against BU increased his total to 11 over four years and 90 games at UNH. Sorry that I am into numbers, but here they are.

Year-Games-Goals-Assists-Points
Fr-13-1-1-2
So-24-2-4-6
Jr-27-1-0-1
Sr-26-1-2-3
Totals-90-5-7-12

So, if frosh are not going to red shirt their first year because of better talent ahead of them, I say McNicholas and Salvaggio should have played more than 11 and 10 games this season.

I wasn't the 3 goal/3rd period poster. The box score says he was on ice for 2 of the 3, the third line center matched up against the Eichel line in the 3rd period. Hey, a few years ago he'd have been a solid 4th line player every night so good for him.

McN. and Salvaggio should have played more minutes, but upper classmen did sit more than in years past so younger players could get more time than in the past. Not a lot more, but some.

And, of course, before I have even finished writing this post, Camper scores the first goal tonight. So, I take all the credit for that, as I am certain he saw this post coming, so wanted to stick it to me.

Whatever it takes. Keep up the good work.


Solid win Saturday. UCONN looks like their balloon has burst, but we took care of business. The standings are crazy. We've got a 3 game winning streak. Home ice is a decent possibility going into the final weekend. The Friars are my 2nd favorite college hockey team for a week.

[Snively65]

Re: UNH Wildcats Official Wait til Next Year...14/15 thread

Cats first sweep of the season; great effort this weekend! Need one more win than Maine gets next weekend for eighth and home ice, as Maine owns tiebreaker. Incentive for PC, as they will be on cusp of PWR postseason if they lose to Maine. UNH would come in 11th if swept by Mac and UConn wins their last game, but we would be spared the embarrassment of the basement.

Willows now has 84 points at UNH. Opportunity for him to reach century club if he and his line can lead us to the promised land. Will need Kelleher's line to continue production also. Kelleher and Cleland have been awesome this season.

[HockeyRef]

Cats first sweep of the season; great effort this weekend! Need one more win than Maine gets next weekend for eighth and home ice, as Maine owns tiebreaker. Incentive for PC, as they will be on cusp of PWR postseason if they lose to Maine. UNH would come in 11th if swept by Mac and UConn wins their last game, but we would be spared the embarrassment of the basement.

Willows now has 84 points at UNH. Opportunity for him to reach century club if he and his line can lead us to the promised land. Will need Kelleher's line to continue production also. Kelleher and Cleland have been awesome this season.

Willows had a great game last night as did that entire line! Lots of incentives for next weekend for sure but we must give a full 60...esp against their GK who can be lights out. Happy for Cleland and Camper who had outstanding weekends.

Speaking of Tyler K believe he hit the 'half'century mark last night? Like Darius I'm a Friar fan this week although I will admit they are my HE "go to" team if all else fails 😉 (even tho they have a bizarre mascot)

Had to watch it on NESN thank God TC was not announcing! Pat Foley had warm comments about Coach U (as you'd expect) . Hope our top line keeps it up. Onward 'Cats!!
Ps NU: you had one job 😚

[Chuck Murray]

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.

[e.cat]

Re: UNH Wildcats Official Wait til Next Year...14/15 thread

I'm very happy to admit I was wrong!! The prediction of 4 wins in the last 10 games has been shattered by the weekend sweep of P/UCONN!! Next weekend looks to be very compelling and I hope to make it down to Durham for the Saturday game. Cleland is my new favorite player. Love his game! Kelleher, Camper and Poturalski aren't too shabby either.

How 'bout that Wildcat BBall team? Apparently they are getting a home playoff game at Lundholm. Nice job!!

We're on to Merrimack!

[Darius]

Re: UNH Wildcats Official Wait til Next Year...14/15 thread

Willows had a great game last night as did that entire line! Lots of incentives for next weekend for sure but we must give a full 60...esp against their GK who can be lights out. Happy for Cleland and Camper who had outstanding weekends.

Speaking of Tyler K believe he hit the 'half'century mark last night? Like Darius I'm a Friar fan this week although I will admit they are my HE "go to" team if all else fails �� (even tho they have a bizarre mascot)
Had to watch it on NESN thank God TC was not announcing! Pat Foley had warm comments about Coach U (as you'd expect) . Hope our top line keeps it up. Onward 'Cats!!
Ps NU: you had one job ��

Having PC as your #2, how cool is that?

Gotta cut NU a break, they went up to Orono and split which isn't easy, especially with one of their biggest games in decades just around the corner and this:

Getting swept by the Black Bears will probably come back to haunt them when it comes to 8th

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Wildcats Official Wait til Next Year...14/15 thread

"UNH Sweeps UConn: Goal-by-Goal Video Highlights"

[Darius]

Re: UNH Wildcats Official Wait til Next Year...14/15 thread

Woo-hoo - 9th place!!

Finally you have seen the light! We're number 9! We're number 9! We're number...

I'm still not sure I agree with Coach Umile's abandonment of Clark in goal...

We've been in agreement on this one all along. I'd like to think Coach is sharing his reasoning with Clark, at a minimum not leaving him hanging. One thing based on limited in person viewing of the team is that our play seems to reflect the goalie's style. Perhaps coincidence but we've been more active and aggressive with DT in goal.

... 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??

He can and does, just not the decisions many want.

... if I had to bet the farm, I would say weekend after next would see UNH traveling to UMaine, instead of vice versa.

My 3 week superstition is holding so I can't post my MC prediction. My farm bet would be home ice because we get help from Ref's Friars.

[NCAA watcher]

Re: UNH Wildcats Official Wait til Next Year...14/15 thread

While we are in 9th place, we are actually just where you would expect with the player development, particularly the freshmen forwards. On Defense, Furgele is better than I expected, and Chanter more raw than expected. Going forward, the defense and puck skill back there, is going to be critical, so Masonius will be a very good upgrade.

Going all hockydad with the "I told you sos" before the season is done (and ignoring where I am incorrect):
I think Clark's credentials never made him a great option, and although he is not the "5 games a year backup" like Wyer, Tirone always was the go to recruit:
http://board.uscho.com/showthread.ph...=1#post5931900

As for goaltending, my read is that Adam Clark will minimally push DeSmith, but I wouldn't count on him to be a regular. He's more talented than Wyer, but hasn't clearly elevated himself to be a presumptive starter at UNH -- I think Tirone in 2015 will be more likely to carry the load when DeSmith graduates.

http://board.uscho.com/showthread.ph...=1#post5936726
Eiserman

I didn't go with Winnik because he had a more finese than Eiserman, who is pretty limited. I agree that Radja is not a great comp, size wise, but I figure skill/production might be similar (20 points his first two years). Morrow was 6'2, with offensive skills, so more the body type.

McNicholas

Aikins was a left shot (hockeydb is incorrect), and his game was like McNicholas, setting up plays more than finishing. McNicholas may be taller, has a similar slight frame, and Aikins took 2 years to get good production -- I suspect McNicholas will have similar struggles his freshman year. Also, McNicholas is not a big scorer, only 12 goals in midgets, and a high of 23 in juniors this year.

Foegele

A though Gare was solid but was more heady than physical skills. I think of Foegele as having better tools, a mix of Winnik and Leblanc. As you say, better skater, not as large a frame. Leblanc came is as a true freshman, and I think Foegele will have greater playing time, but maybe a year ahead in scoring so that he has 15 points as a frosh (that Leblanc had as a soph), and 20-25 points as a soph.

Salvaggio

Salvaggio, probably similar in type to Josh Ciocco -- a good fifth forward recruit, with more skill than just a filler (like our other classes have been rounded out with). Ciocco became a top 2 line guy his senior year, and Salvaggio has the skill to do that, if needed, though you'd hope he is needed only for the 3rd line.

Shane Eiserman - MIKE RADJA/SCOTT MORROW
Warren Foegele - DANIEL WINNIK/PETER LEBLANC
Michael McNicholas - JUSTIN AIKINS/PHIL DESIMONE
Andrew Poturalski - MATT FORNATARO
Jason Salvaggio --.............................-JOSH PRUDDEN
Dylan Chanter - HARDOWA/JOE CHARLEBOIS
Cam Marks --..........................TYSON TEPLISKY/KEVIN KAPSTAD
John Furgele-..........................MATT CAMPANALE
Adam Clark - SEAN MATILE

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats Official Wait til Next Year...14/15 thread

God I'm depressed now. 'Watcher has posted his like-for-likes below, and nowhere do I see our next Conklin, Ayers, Stafford, O'Brien, Krog, Bekar, Mowers, Collins or Saviano. Maybe those guys are incoming next season.

[NCAA watcher]

Re: UNH Wildcats Official Wait til Next Year...14/15 thread

Well, if it helps, if you could recreate this post for when Saviano was recruited, I'd have said "Scott Brown" - undersized Mass walk-on, recruited solely to get his best friend/teammate (Steve Leach/Mike Rossetti)

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats Official Wait til Next Year...14/15 thread

Having PC as your #2, how cool is that?

Gotta cut NU a break, they went up to Orono and split which isn't easy, especially with one of their biggest games in decades just around the corner and this:

Oh, just being snarky 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!

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats Official Wait til Next Year...14/15 thread

It was also nice to see former Wildcat (and current UConn assistant coach) Mike Souza interviewed between periods last night. I'll always remember big #7 as the left wing on the potent '99 line of Souza/Krog/Haydar that came up a goal short of the D-1 title. If memory serves, that line dug the 'Cats out of a 2-0 hole to UMaine with two goals to send the game to OT. Before that, Souza made an earlier impression with UNH as part of the "S" Line with RW Jason Shipulski and C John Sadowski.

IIRC Souza was another local HS kid who made the step up directly to D-1 (as would Collins and Saviano in the years that followed), a rarity these days (and not too common even back then). He was another guy who probably got the most out of his talent at UNH, and while he was a middle round NHL draft pick (Chicago?) I don't think he ever quite made it to the show, despite some pretty decent AHL seasons. Decent size and good hands, but his skating was suspect (at least at the next level).

Another "way back flashback" brought to you by the old school staffers at WIS Productions.