2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

[Snively65]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

Though I live 15 minutes from the Mullins Center, I only visit when UNH is in town. Do folks have any impressions of watching hockey at the Mullins Center (e.g., as it compares to the Whit)?

For me, nothing equals the excitement of watching UNH at the Whit, but the Mullins Center is a nice facility.

I like attending games at Mullins Center, and would have been there this past weekend, had it not been for the leaves that needed raking before the rains came. So, I attended the Bentley - Sacred Heart game in Watertown on Saturday evening instead.

My all-time most exciting, albiet disappointing, game at Mullins was the Cats loss to the Denver in the 2005 NCAA regionals; that game had everything, including a penalty shot score by Dan Winnik, yet the Pioneers, Gabe Gauthier (3 goals), and Peter Manino prevailed over the Cats and Kevin Regan 4-2 (ENG) and went on to win their second NC in a row. Yes, the Cats could have been there in that FF!

I still get to a few games each season at the Whitt, but they do not excite me like they did a few years ago. So, I am content to watch the Cats games at Conte, Tsongas, Lawlor, and sometimes Mullins instead, as they are closer to me with much cheaper tickets. Fire Marty!

[RockTheWhit]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

This weekend was my first trip to Mullins, and I am happy to announce I have now visited all ten Hockey East arenas .
The venue was nicer than I expected. The UMass student section was loud and the students were into the game for most of the weekend. I agree that the f-bombs are unfortunate, but nothing unexpected.

[UNHhockey29]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

This weekend was my first trip to Mullins, and I am happy to announce I have now visited all ten Hockey East arenas .

It's about time!

[Gibber]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

This weekend was my first trip to Mullins, and I am happy to announce I have now visited all ten Hockey East arenas .

Technically there are 12 arenas still used in Hockey East

(Walter Brown and whatever the UConn IceBox is called )

[JB]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

All and all I was very satisfied with the team's play this weekend. Although our record in Amherst isn't bad over the past few years, UMass is always a tough place to play it seems. Going forward I see us getting better, I think we should considering all the young guys we have playing. I don't think we'll be a great team this year but given the state of the league where this is no dominant team, I can see UNH having the ability to get home ice. Whether that translates into an NCAA bid, I think it is foolish at this point to speculate. We'll just have to see how it goes.

I am amazed how fast Hockey East has fallen. Last year I think H.E. was probably the best of leagues. This year gak! Other than Lowell is anybody even NCAA worthy?

If not for a wacky play at the end of the game Friday UNH is 4-1-1 in league this morning and even at 3-2-1 not in bad shape. On the other side UNH has yet to win a non league game and was absolutely pasted at Wisco.

How bad is Hockey East this year?

[UNHhockey29]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

Technically there are 12 arenas still used in Hockey East

(Walter Brown and whatever the UConn IceBox is called )

Boy's Hockey East and women's Hockey east are different.

[i'zonprize]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

I am amazed how fast Hockey East has fallen. Last year I think H.E. was probably the best of leagues. This year gak! Other than Lowell is anybody even NCAA worthy?

If not for a wacky play at the end of the game Friday UNH is 4-1-1 in league this morning and even at 3-2-1 not in bad shape. On the other side UNH has yet to win a non league game and was absolutely pasted at Wisco.

How bad is Hockey East this year?

Have you been watching other Conferences? Wisco was an impressive beating.. no two ways about it. I've been watching a few games in the CCHA and WCHA. My take right now is that if UNH can stay with #1 for a weekend, then there is an awful lot of parity accross college hockey this yr. ECAC has been gaining a little 'mo' in the recruiting area as well. They will factor come tourny time as well.

Not ready to count UNH out. Anyone can get on a hot streak. If UNH can contnue to stay out of the sin bin, then they'll do ok.

[Greg Ambrose]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

Though I live 15 minutes from the Mullins Center, I only visit when UNH is in town. Do folks have any impressions of watching hockey at the Mullins Center (e.g., as it compares to the Whit)?

Like the Whit, there isn't a bad seat in the house plus all the seats have backs. General admission tickets are only $15. The two Jumbotrons at either end of the arena are entertaining and informative. Ever notice how players instantly look up at the replays? At Friday's game, there appeared to be more UMass students in attendance than what you typically see of UNH students at the Whit. They were also, dare I say, more consistently noisy throughout the game than I've experienced at the Whit.
For me, nothing equals the excitement of watching UNH at the Whit, but the Mullins Center is a nice facility.

The Mullins Center is nice but there are couple of things that I picked up on right away. First off, there is no leg room when you sit down. It's not a problem for me since I am the size of an elementary school point guard, but my cousin, a UMass season ticket holder who graciously hosted us all weekend (thanks again John), is 6' 4" and he was stuffed in like a sardine can. And I'm not a big fan of the concourse being outside the view of the rink. Like it much better at the Whit and Tsongas where you can see the game as you walk back to your seat.

As far as UMass having more students attending the games, it might have to do with the fact that the school has more students total than UNH. I think the ratio now is somewhere around 25,000 to 15,000. Might have the numbers wrong but UMass has always been a bigger school than UNH, and always will be. And, as stated, I'd rather have fewer fans than have the potty mouth ones that were in attendance this weekend. Unlike UVM, I guess UMass is more tolerant of this stuff since I heard no PA announcements admonishing them to tone it down. But that's Zoo Mass, no different that decades ago when my friends went there. Wonder if kids still dive out of Southwest anymore.

[bostonewe]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

If one was planning to come up to the BU/UNH game at Durham on Friday, is it worth getting a ticket ahead of time or can I pick one up at 6:30 when I get there?

[RockTheWhit]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

If one was planning to come up to the BU/UNH game at Durham on Friday, is it worth getting a ticket ahead of time or can I pick one up at 6:30 when I get there?

Isn't that what boyfriends are for?

[UNH09]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

If one was planning to come up to the BU/UNH game at Durham on Friday, is it worth getting a ticket ahead of time or can I pick one up at 6:30 when I get there?

How bad is it at the Whitte-morgue these days??? UNH v. BU isn't completely sold out on a Wednesday night???

Marty please build a stadium for your flagship program, so I don't have to drive to Southern Illinois in the future...

[C-H-C]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

Watching the game on NESN, it looked to me like Foster made a number of outstanding saves throughout the game. As for the second goal, the slow motion replays showed that the BU kid pirouetted around the backchecking UNH forward and was then 1-on-1 with Foster. The UNH defender did not pick him up as he moved across the crease. It looked like the BU kid made a terrific shot over Foster's right shoulder.

Is there any coach more effective than Parker at getting inside the refs' heads? He p*sses and moans about the lack of penalties called on the opposing team and often gets a call in his favor before the game ends. The replay of the Hardowa "penalty" in the third period showed that there was no infraction. He and the BU player simply got their skates caught together and they both fell. On the positive side, UNH did a good job at minimizing penalties.

Over the last two weekends, UNH has played solid and consistent hockey. The defensive core is gaining in confidence and the team defense looks real good. Butler's star is rising as he looks like the best undrafted player in the league. He clearly would like to take his game to the next level next season.

[Carmine Scarpaglia]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

Watching the game on NESN, it looked to me like Foster made a number of outstanding saves throughout the game. As for the second goal, the slow motion replays showed that the BU kid pirouetted around the backchecking UNH forward and was then 1-on-1 with Foster. The UNH defender did not pick him up as he moved across the crease. It looked like the BU kid made a terrific shot over Foster's right shoulder.

I was partially paying attention to that while checking on BC's game but it seemed like an awful goal by Foster. I feel like BU guy just shot it from the wide angle and it was going to go straight past the net and it hit Foster's glove (or something else in front) and got behind him into the net. Nice effort to spin around and make some room for himself, though.

[Terrierbyassociation]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

BU's second goal hit Kipp and deflected in. Nothing Foster could have done.

[C-H-C]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

I was partially paying attention to that while checking on BC's game but it seemed like an awful goal by Foster. I feel like BU guy just shot it from the wide angle and it was going to go straight past the net and it hit Foster's glove (or something else in front) and got behind him into the net. Nice effort to spin around and make some room for himself, though.

That was an impressive spin move by the BU guy. I should have taken the time to find out who it was. Credit where credit is due - it was Vinnie Saponari.