UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

[C-H-C]

Uno. After not playing in the three PC HE quarters games, nor the DU game in the NCAA regionals, he registered 1 SOG in the loss to UML in 2013.

Trivia quiz:
1) Who were the #2 and #3 stars of that 5-2 win over DU?
2) How many SOG did these two stars each register?
3) What were the final SOG totals for the two teams?

I don't remember who got the official stars but I gave Casey Thrush the #1 star (2 goals, 4 SOG), John Henrion the #2 Star (1 goal), and Casey DeSmith the #3 Star:

"UNH Eliminates Denver 5-2"

[Snively65]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

I don't remember who got the official stars but I gave Casey Thrush the #1 star (2 goals, 4 SOG), John Henrion the #2 Star (1 goal), and Casey DeSmith the #3 Star

http://unhhockeyblog.blogspot.com/20...r-5-2.html?m=0

Two negatives for Ref, although I agree with both you and Mike about Thrush deserving a star. But, Mike matched the source for the box score on Henrion for second star. Quentin Shore got first star. The third star's name came up not far above in this thread. I put the SOG questions in there for Chuck, of course.

That was a fine game write up, Mike. And, as noted earlier, the DU goon tactics on Downing, and especially Nick Shore on Goumas, who did not play the next night against UML, probably was responsible for preventing another FF appearance by UNH.

[catsfan]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

I don't think that players ever have the final say as to who the captains are. They have input, but this isn't Little League. If the player's choices were out in left field, I'm sure the coach would step in. But I doubt there is ever a need since the players and the coaches are pretty much on the same page when it comes to this stuff. That's why some years what seems to be an obvious choice doesn't happen, while in other years you get a choice like MacDonald. That leads me to believe that Umile has plans for MacDonald, like all seniors, to expand his role next season. As we all know, Umile is partial to his seniors so I fully expect that they all will be given ample opportunity to succeed or fail

Agree that it is not just up to the players. This isn't a democracy. I asked coach about this once and he gave me far from a direct answer.

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Uno. After not playing in the three PC HE quarters games, nor the DU game in the NCAA regionals, he registered 1 SOG in the loss to UML in 2013.

Great. One (1) career postseason game for your 2015/2016 UNH Men's Hockey Captain, Collin MacDonald.

Please, someone, tell me how this works, when your chosen leader lacks the gravitas as a player OR as a leader to get everyone in line and on the same page when the chips are down in the biggest games ... since said same chosen leader has virtually never been there in those settings before???

Really, honest to God, this is nucking futs. Pardon my French. And just when I thought the program was turning a corner, we get a Captain who's barely dressed 50% of his career, spent it entirely on the 4th line - AND with virtually zero postseason experience as the piece de resistance. Genius, I tellya. But screw that, he's wicked smaht, worked hard to come back from a serious injury, used to skate like JvR, and everyone likes him. Maybe he helps his teammates with their homework, too.

Back in the day, someone with those attributes would be chosen as honorary team manager. Now we stitch a "C" on their jersey. Wow. Simply wow. Only at UNH. And we wonder why the likes of UMaine, Union, Yale, Providence, etc. (you can probably add UMass Lowell to that list in the next 5 years) make the big jump, and UNH finds new and exciting ways to come up short.

At least when they made career back-up goalie Jeff Wyer an alternate captain two seasons back, it was only as an alternate. That was puzzling too, but maybe it was just foreshadowing for this latest beauty.

I guess making Kelleher a captain (even an alternate) a year "early" was just plain crazy thinking.

Somewhere down in the Carolinas, Brett Pesce is chuckling, knowing he made the right decision after all ...

[Snively65]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Great. One (1) career postseason game for your 2015/2016 UNH Men's Hockey Captain, Collin MacDonald.

Please, someone, tell me how this works, when your chosen leader lacks the gravitas as a player OR as a leader to get everyone in line and on the same page when the chips are down in the biggest games ... since said same chosen leader has virtually never been there in those settings before???

Really, honest to God, this is nucking futs. Pardon my French. And just when I thought the program was turning a corner, we get a Captain who's barely dressed 50% of his career, spent it entirely on the 4th line - AND with virtually zero postseason experience as the piece de resistance. Genius, I tellya. But screw that, he's wicked smaht, worked hard to come back from a serious injury, used to skate like JvR, and everyone likes him. Maybe he helps his teammates with their homework, too.

Back in the day, someone with those attributes would be chosen as honorary team manager. Now we stitch a "C" on their jersey. Wow. Simply wow. Only at UNH. And we wonder why the likes of UMaine, Union, Yale, Providence, etc. (you can probably add UMass Lowell to that list in the next 5 years) make the big jump, and UNH finds new and exciting ways to come up short.

At least when they made career back-up goalie Jeff Wyer an alternate captain two seasons back, it was only as an alternate. That was puzzling too, but maybe it was just foreshadowing for this latest beauty.

I guess making Kelleher a captain (even an alternate) a year "early" was just plain crazy thinking.

Somewhere down in the Carolinas, Brett Pesce is chuckling, knowing he made the right decision after all ...

My hypothesis in post #624 is gaining more and more ice cred, I think.

[Greg A]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Great. One (1) career postseason game for your 2015/2016 UNH Men's Hockey Captain, Collin MacDonald.

Please, someone, tell me how this works, when your chosen leader lacks the gravitas as a player OR as a leader to get everyone in line and on the same page when the chips are down in the biggest games ... since said same chosen leader has virtually never been there in those settings before???

Really, honest to God, this is nucking futs. Pardon my French. And just when I thought the program was turning a corner, we get a Captain who's barely dressed 50% of his career, spent it entirely on the 4th line - AND with virtually zero postseason experience as the piece de resistance. Genius, I tellya. But screw that, he's wicked smaht, worked hard to come back from a serious injury, used to skate like JvR, and everyone likes him. Maybe he helps his teammates with their homework, too.

Back in the day, someone with those attributes would be chosen as honorary team manager. Now we stitch a "C" on their jersey. Wow. Simply wow. Only at UNH. And we wonder why the likes of UMaine, Union, Yale, Providence, etc. (you can probably add UMass Lowell to that list in the next 5 years) make the big jump, and UNH finds new and exciting ways to come up short.

At least when they made career back-up goalie Jeff Wyer an alternate captain two seasons back, it was only as an alternate. That was puzzling too, but maybe it was just foreshadowing for this latest beauty.

I guess making Kelleher a captain (even an alternate) a year "early" was just plain crazy thinking.

Somewhere down in the Carolinas, Brett Pesce is chuckling, knowing he made the right decision after all ...

My initial reaction upon learning that MacDonald was chosen captain was that it was a very curioius choice. I have been following UNH Hockey since 1970 and, honestly, I can't think of a captain that they have had that I know so little about. Mike's interview with MacDonald cleared up some of the mystery but, honestly, I am still puzzled. I had known that MacDonald had broken his leg, had missed the better part of one season but came back the next. The interview seemed to imply that MacDonald was not at full capacity and that the lingering effects from the injury restricted what he could do this past season. And now, it seems, he is fully healthy and that there is hope that he will be able to fulfill the promise that many had predicted for him. And on the basis of his tenacity in recovering from his injury, he became an inspiration for his teammates, so much so that they decided to elect him captain. I can buy that. And I can buy the fact that Umile was in agreement because the same scenario played out when Patrick Foley was awarded an A in his second year of play (redshirt sophomore) and third, then was captain as a senior. As we all know, Foley overcame serious injury as well to get back onto the ice. But he was a two year A before he was named captain, and having played a considerable amount, came into his role with plenty of experience. I don't want to criticize the MacDonald choice because, after all, the players and the coaches know the player better than any of us. I just want to register that it is a head scratcher at some level.

[Snively65]

Two negatives for Ref, although I agree with both you and Mike about Thrush deserving a star. But, Mike matched the source for the box score on Henrion for second star. Quentin Shore got first star. The third star's name came up not far above in this thread. I put the SOG questions in there for Chuck, of course.

Ok, quiz time is up. The third official star of the 5-2 win over DU in the regionals was none other than Austin Block, he of coming from nowhere during senior year fame. Austin and John Henrion each notched nine SOG in that game, as noted by Mike in his write up. Also, UNH outshot DU 41-33, back in the day when SOG mattered, right e.cat?

[JB]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Ok, quiz time is up. The third official star of the 5-2 win over DU in the regionals was none other than Austin Block, he of coming from nowhere during senior year fame. Austin and John Henrion each notched nine SOG in that game, as noted by Mike in his write up. Also, UNH outshot DU 41-33, back in the day when SOG mattered, right e.cat?

You are killing me with the SOG nonsense. I know it is done tongue in cheek for Chuck but IMO it has gone on too long now.

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Ok, quiz time is up. The third official star of the 5-2 win over DU in the regionals was none other than Austin Block, he of coming from nowhere during senior year fame.

I'm going to be honest here, I feel like it is a Umile staple lately to get some seniors to really make a nice jump and have a nice season 40 point+ season. The good news is that kept them afloat for a long time when some folks (choo choo) predicted their demise to the bottom. The not so great news is that there just weren't enough impact type of guys in the lower classes to be able to put them in the serious contender category.

Doing some quick research on considerable junior to senior jumps of recent forwards:

Thompson 39 to 52
Butler 30 to 53
Goumas 42 to 52
Sorkin 17 to 41
Sislo 29 to 48

Not bad. All good progressions.

[HockeyRef]

You are killing me with the SOG nonsense. I know it is done tongue in cheek for Chuck but IMO it has gone on too long now.

Almost like the Collin MacD stuff. 😉

Seriously guys totally get where you're coming from but believe he will make a great captain. Gotta support the kid I believe he's good for it...

[Snively65]

You are killing me with the SOG nonsense. I know it is done tongue in cheek for Chuck but IMO it has gone on too long now.

Not entirely tongue in cheek, as two of the three "official stars" of that game were the two UNH 9 SOG guys, rather than Thrush, who Mike ranked as first star, for which I would not disagree.

Good observations by Nick, which we really need to see repeated by multiple seniors this coming season. Austin Block really is a great example of the trajectory that we seek for goals scored:

'09-10, 25 games, 1 G + 2 A = 3 Pts
'10-11, 36, 4+5=9
'11-12, 36, 5+10=15
'12-13, 39, 15+8=23

[e.cat]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

You are killing me with the SOG nonsense. I know it is done tongue in cheek for Chuck but IMO it has gone on too long now.

Couldn't agree more JB!!

Ok, quiz time is up. The third official star of the 5-2 win over DU in the regionals was none other than Austin Block, he of coming from nowhere during senior year fame. Austin and John Henrion each notched nine SOG in that game, as noted by Mike in his write up. Also, UNH outshot DU 41-33, back in the day when SOG mattered, right e.cat?

SOG doesn't matter?? Who knew??

BTW, I like the MacDonald pick. SOG might be irrelevant but ya know what? sometimes goals are irrelevant when it comes to choosing a Captain. Other factors arguably are more important ie. leadership and work ethic. The players know him better than we do and I respect that. Carry on!!

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

You are killing me with the SOG nonsense. I know it is done tongue in cheek for Chuck but IMO it has gone on too long now.

Yup.

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

BTW, I like the MacDonald pick. SOG might be irrelevant but ya know what? sometimes goals are irrelevant when it comes to choosing a Captain. Other factors arguably are more important ie. leadership and work ethic. The players know him better than we do and I respect that. Carry on!!

It's awfully hard to build up a leadership reservoir when you've spent 50% of your career as a scratch (healthy or otherwise), and then spend the rest of the time skating 10 minutes or less on the 4th line. Not to mention you're not getting selected to play in the post-season games, which to me is huge.

I'm sure he's a great kid with an interesting *story* ... but generally you need more than that to earn captaincy at a high profile D-1 program. Besides the gruesome broken leg, can anyone really recall a special stand-out moment in his career to date? I can't.

A few years ago, a kid named Greg Manz was the first UNH player to earn Phi Beta Kappa. 4th line kid, 32 games as a junior ... no talk about GPA or captaincy, then about a half-dozen games as a senior.

Just to be clear, my intent is not to criticize or belittle MacDonald here. I'm criticizing those responsible for his selection - be it the players and/or Coach Umile. Likely both.

I have to assume MacDonald emerged as first choice of the players, and Coach Umile ultimately gave their decision his blessing and support.

IF however this was Coach Umile's idea initially - and I want to believe it wasn't - then I have to question whether he is seriously losing his marbles.

Ask yourself this question ... IF the kid was such a superior leader and so highly respected within the program ... then how did he only play more games among fellow forwards than Collin Bourque and Mike McNicholas?? I mean, Jamie Hill played more games than MacDonald. High motor kids with leadership intangibles are shoe-ins for regular 3rd/4th line duty. Something still just doesn't add up.

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Would like to see an end to dumping on this young man, a start to respecting the decision of the players and coaches, and a step toward moving on.