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UNH Wildcats v Bentley Falcons Can the 'Cats Trump the Birds? Saturday Nov. 29 2015

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  • UNH Wildcats v Bentley Falcons Can the 'Cats Trump the Birds? Saturday Nov. 29 2015

    Well gang it's the LONG ANTICIPATED game of the year with the Wildcats playing the Falcons for the first time in who knows how long! Welcome to the 'Whitt Falcon fans...be prepared to be caged! And enjoy our amenities like you know, a full sheet of ice, new jumbo tron...fun and games in the stands...raucous student section...2, count 'em, 2 mascots...I could go on!

    Please, have at it! Go 'Cats!!!
    Here we go 'Cats!!

  • #2
    Re: UNH Wildcats v Bentley Falcons Can the 'Cats Trump the Birds? Saturday Nov. 29 20

    No offense to Snively, but this should be and needs to be a walk-over - Even with this season's group, UNH just out talents Bentley and if they have plans of doing anything this year, these are teams you have to simply put away. The two wins over Northeastern are nice for the Falcons, but NU is a mess under Madigan. UNH is certainly not in a position to overlook anyone, but if they show up to play with the right attitude and effort they beat Bentley rather handily as Poturalski & Kelleher each notch 3+ points to lead the Wildcat attack...

    Makes the RPI game even more critical to get some confidence going into a six game stretch (Bentley, Maine, Maine, Dartmouth, Maine & Maine) where 5-1-0 should be the minimum expectation. While they should be clear favorites over that six-game stretch, executing and winning at least five games will be critical for this team's post-season hopes and psyche...
    Last edited by Dan; 11-23-2015, 05:17 PM.
    Live Free or Die!!
    Miami University '03

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    • #3
      Re: UNH Wildcats v Bentley Falcons Can the 'Cats Trump the Birds? Saturday Nov. 29 20

      Wow, i do like the boldness though. UNH doesn't out talent anybody this year and for a team that is mediocre at best in their last 5, 3 wins in 7 would definitely be a stretch. I see 2-4-1 to round out the year.

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      • #4
        Re: UNH Wildcats v Bentley Falcons Can the 'Cats Trump the Birds? Saturday Nov. 29 20

        Originally posted by Dan View Post
        No offense to Snively, but this should be and needs to be a walk-over - Even with this season's group, UNH just out talents Bentley and if they have plans of doing anything this year, these are teams you have to simply put away. The two wins over Northeastern are nice for the Falcons, but NU is a mess under Madigan. UNH is certainly not in a position to overlook anyone, but if they show up to play with the right attitude and effort they beat Bentley rather handily as Poturalski & Kelleher each notch 3+ points to lead the Wildcat attack...

        Makes the RPI game even more critical to get some confidence going into a six game stretch (Bentley, Maine, Maine, Dartmouth, Maine & Maine) where 5-1-0 should be the minimum expectation. While they should be clear favorites over that six-game stretch, executing and winning at least five games will be critical for this team's post-season hopes and psyche...
        Hard to disagree. Happy to see the alma mater's progress, but UNH should (and needs to) win handily.
        Sworn Enemy of the Perpetually Offended
        Montreal Expos Forever ...

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        • #5
          Re: UNH Wildcats v Bentley Falcons Can the 'Cats Trump the Birds? Saturday Nov. 29 20

          Originally posted by Ronnieb View Post
          Wow, i do like the boldness though. UNH doesn't out talent anybody this year and for a team that is mediocre at best in their last 5, 3 wins in 7 would definitely be a stretch. I see 2-4-1 to round out the year.
          UNH is far from a great team - but Maine, Dartmouth & Bentley are worse and a 2-4-1 record to finish 2015 would be a disaster. Poturalski & Kelleher will clearly be the top two players on the ice in those five games and, along with an improving Tirone and a healthy Clark, should get the job done for UNH. When the calendar turns and BU, BC, Providence, Lowell & Notre Dame, etc dot the schedule it will likely be a different story...

          I also said 5-1-0 should be the expectation, but I would be willing to bet they drop a game they shouldn't - Maybe they finish closer to 2-4-1. But if that's the case than any thoughts of meaningful post-season play are out the window...
          Last edited by Dan; 11-23-2015, 11:13 PM.
          Live Free or Die!!
          Miami University '03

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: UNH Wildcats v Bentley Falcons Can the 'Cats Trump the Birds? Saturday Nov. 29 20

            Originally posted by Dan View Post
            UNH is far from a great team - but Maine, Dartmouth & Bentley are worse and a 2-4-1 record to finish 2015 would be a disaster. Poturalski & Kelleher will clearly be the top two players on the ice in those five games and, along with an improving Tirone and a healthy Clark, should get the job done for UNH. When the calendar turns and BU, BC, Providence, Lowell & Notre Dame, etc dot the schedule it will likely be a different story...

            I also said 5-1-0 should be the expectation, but I would be willing to bet they drop a game they shouldn't - Maybe they finish closer to 2-4-1. But if that's the case than any thoughts of meaningful post-season play are out the window...
            I'm with you Dan...no way UNH can afford to go 2-4-1 and I too expect them to do better than that down this stretch. All games coming up are 'winnable', especially this one in this game thread. Tonight think it will be a battle. But can we play a strong 60 esp in the 3rd period?? Sigh...these are the things they need to do. And we should beat these birds too....but now, RPI! Heard via a friend who's daughter is close to the team their bus broke down yesterday en route to RPI and they had to stay in some random hotel. Hope they are rested up for tonight coz that stretch starts NOW.

            hmmm 'someone' who shall remain nameless has YET to post on this game thread...you know who you are...
            Last edited by HockeyRef; 11-24-2015, 07:16 AM.
            Here we go 'Cats!!

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            • #7
              Re: UNH Wildcats v Bentley Falcons Can the 'Cats Trump the Birds? Saturday Nov. 29 20

              Originally posted by HockeyRef View Post
              hmmm 'someone' who shall remain nameless has YET to post on this game thread...you know who you are...
              Yes indeed, talk about notable by his absence.

              Maybe I've chided him too often about his eagerness to see this game come to pass ... ??
              Sworn Enemy of the Perpetually Offended
              Montreal Expos Forever ...

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: UNH Wildcats v Bentley Falcons Can the 'Cats Trump the Birds? Saturday Nov. 29 20

                Will post some of my perspectives after games tonight; heading into Agannis in a couple of minutes. Thanks for initiating this thread, HR. Will be great if both the Cats and Falcons can meet up at the Whitt on respective winning "streaks." :-)

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: UNH Wildcats v Bentley Falcons Can the 'Cats Trump the Birds? Saturday Nov. 29 20

                  Need to get three points from Poturalski and four from Kelleher to get them both to 26 points in 13 games. Win or lose...
                  Live Free or Die!!
                  Miami University '03

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: UNH Wildcats v Bentley Falcons Can the 'Cats Trump the Birds? Saturday Nov. 29 20

                    Both teams will be entering the Whitt with two-game losing streaks. The teams have had only two common opponents so far this season, with UNH having a 4-2 win and a 3-3 tie and Bentley having a 5-0 loss against Merrimack, and both losing by a goal to RPI (4-3 and 3-2, respectively). Bentley plays their first of four games against AIC on December 1st, you know, the Yellow Jackets that visited the Whitt at the beginning of the season.

                    Based on how the two teams played on Tuesday night, on paper UNH should beat Bentley on Saturday, also given that UNH is a lofty 34th in the PWR, whereas Bentley is lagging back at 42nd. However, I do not think that Bentley will get shut out, as they were against BU in a very lopsided SOG (47-15) differential and 3-0 loss last night. The Terriers simply kept the Falcons pinned in their own zone for most of first two periods when the Falcons only recorded 6 SOG. Bentley could neither pass nor skate the puck out of their end much until the third period when they finally mustered some offense; but, the Falcons also blew a 1:37-minute 5-3 PP in the third.

                    Saturday might be the first game on a large sheet for the Falcons, so perhaps they will be able to use some of their speed to get around the UNH D-men. The Falcons senior backup goalie Gabe Antoni has played well the past 10 periods and two OTs, but some of his D-men too often leave him exposed to forwards skating in all alone for point blank shots; sound familiar?

                    Like UNH, the Falcons have one dangerous line, which until last night at BU consisted of Sr Andrew Gladiuk (#12, 5+4=9pts in 11ga), Jr Max French (#16, 7+4=11pts in 7 ga), and Soph Kyle Schmidt (#20, 4+7=11pts in 11ga); against BU, Soph Andrew McDonald (#13, 3+0=3pts in 4ga) replaced Schmidt on this line. Gladiuk was near the top of Div 1 in PPG during his sophomore and junior seasons, but that was when he had Steve Weinstein feeding him the puck from the point. French missed the first four games of the season with a lower body injury, I think.

                    Best Bentley D-pair is Sr Matt Blomquist (#21, 1+6=7pts in 1ga) and Fr Tanner Jago (#4, 0+9=9pts in 11ga); two other Bentley D-men to watch are Fr Alexey Solovyev (#24) from Moscow (Russia, not Idaho) and Sr Billy Eiserman (#19) from Newburyport, a junior year transfer from UML and older bro of UNH So Shane Eiserman.

                    Sr Gabe Antoni got the nod in net after So Jayson Argue (2.378 GAA and 0.941 SV%) pulled his groin late in second period of first of two 3-2 OT wins at RIT on Friday the 13th. Not sure when Argue will return, as those injuries can nag.

                    So, I see far more similarities than differences in these two teams at the moment.

                    Other interesting factoids: Bentley coach Ryan Soderquist was youngest Div 1 coach in nation when he took the reins in 2002 after setting most of Bentley’s individual scoring records in the late 1990s, some since surpassed by Brett Gensler and others the past few seasons. Bentley assistant coach Ben Murphy was a freshman on the Maine Black Bears team that knocked UNH out of the St Paul FF in April 2002.

                    I am thinking that one team or the other wins 5-3 (an ENG) at the Whitt, but I have no idea which one. If Bentley wins, it will happen because they make good use of extra width and test Tirone from the sides.
                    Last edited by Snively65; 11-26-2015, 12:10 PM.

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                    • #11
                      Re: UNH Wildcats v Bentley Falcons Can the 'Cats Trump the Birds? Saturday Nov. 29 20

                      Happy post Thanksgiving! See that Dave and Jim have us winning this one but at 0-4-2 and 1-3-1 at the 'Whitt one never knows. But it's time for a win so I'll go with the 'Cats 4-2 over the upstart Falcons. Gotta be hungry for a win esp at home. Go 'Cats!!

                      Ps nice overview Snively65!! See you there if I can recognize you 😉😳
                      Last edited by HockeyRef; 11-27-2015, 07:52 PM.
                      Here we go 'Cats!!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: UNH Wildcats v Bentley Falcons Can the 'Cats Trump the Birds? Saturday Nov. 29 20

                        UNH breaks out with a decisive 5-0 win. Tirone posts the shutout, earning some much-needed confidence. Vela and Eiserman score their first goals of the season. Hopes are raised for an acceptable finish to the 2015 schedule.
                        Sworn Enemy of the Perpetually Offended
                        Montreal Expos Forever ...

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by HockeyRef View Post
                          Happy post Thanksgiving! See that Dave and Jim have us winning this one but at 0-4-2 and 1-3-1 at the 'Whitt one never knows. That being said I'll go with the 'Cats 4-2 over the upstart Falcons. Gotta be hungry for a win esp at home. Go 'Cats!!

                          Ps nice overview Snively65!! See you there if I can recognize you 😉😳
                          Ha, ha, ha; I will be incognito. :-)

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: UNH Wildcats v Bentley Falcons Can the 'Cats Trump the Birds? Saturday Nov. 29 20

                            No way Falcons shut out in this one, but ends in a tie. That makes UHN zip for November and on to 2-2-1 in December to land on my prediction of 2-4-1 to end the year. Sorry ( Maine 4 times in Dec., really!)

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Chuck Murray View Post
                              UNH breaks out with a decisive 5-0 win. Tirone posts the shutout, earning some much-needed confidence. Vela and Eiserman score their first goals of the season. Hopes are raised for an acceptable finish to the 2015 schedule.
                              Will be interesting to see how many shifts the Eiserman brothers play against one another. I agree with Ronnieb, sadly my alma mater will not be shutting out anyone this year.
                              Last edited by Snively65; 11-28-2015, 04:46 AM.

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