2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

[Mosrite]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

Hogwash. They were 12th in the PWR going into today, and the Cornell loss shows just how important each win is. With eight games still to play against TUC's (5 at home), there are plenty of opportunities left for this team to redeem themselves. They were playing great going into the break, and regularly lose their first game after christmas. Let's not start jumping ship over one loss to a very good team.

It would be all well and good if UNH lost a close game to a very good hockey team. But they didn't; they were BLOWN OUT of their home rink by a very good hockey team. If come March UNH is a TUC, bad losses like this are going to bite them in the butt. Sorry, but after so many years of watching this team, the 2009-2010 edition has a long way to go before they should be considered NCAA worthy, in my humble opinion.

Not trying to jump ship, but the 'Cats still need a lot of work. A quote from Bobby Butler sums it up best:
“It’s tough coming back after three weeks, especially with 10 days off, but there’s no excuses; we didn’t come to play tonight.”

[thecomicbookguy]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

It would be all well and good if UNH lost a close game to a very good hockey team. But they didn't; they were BLOWN OUT of their home rink by a very good hockey team.

In the first game back after break (to a team that has had two games to shake off their rust). They almost never play well in this situation. Yeah, they beat Maine last year, but they looked pretty slow through the first two periods of that game, trailing 3-1 after 2 periods, and 4-2 with 7 minutes left in the third (when they finally wore down an overmatched Maine squad).

If they come out and play like this next weekend, then I'll be concerned.

[UNH09]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

Hogwash. They were 12th in the PWR going into today, and the Cornell loss shows just how important each win is. With eight games still to play against TUC's (5 at home), there are plenty of opportunities left for this team to redeem themselves. They were playing great going into the break, and regularly lose their first game after christmas. Let's not start jumping ship over one loss to a very good team.

How is losing 5-2 to the 21st ranked team in pairwise good for their chances of making the tourney???? Cornell didn't do much to help their PWR this week either with a loss to CC earlier in the week. Time to find the life raft...

[RockTheWhit]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

How is losing 5-2 to the 21st ranked team in pairwise good for their chances of making the tourney???? Cornell didn't do much to help their PWR this week either with a loss to CC earlier in the week. Time to find the life raft...

Re-read my post and tell me where I said the loss was GOOD. A loss is never good, Herm Edwards taught me that. My point was that UNH was playing very good hockey going into the break (seven unbeaten), and is only a big win or two away from being right back on the tournament bubble like they have been for the last 3-4 weeks.

[i'zonprize]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

It's the first game in Jan.. plenty of time and opps w/ TUC teams left. Before the game they were a 12 in the PWR.. "in".. keep winning and there is no reason to not make the tourney. Lots of parity this yr across the NCAA landscape. No time to panic.

Foster was fantastic for the most part.. Most lopsided shot totals I've seen against UNH in some time particularly on their home sheet of ice.

Rust aside, I'm more confused with the lines.. Burke LeBlanc Sislo had nothing really all night. Saw some individual efforts by each, but not a lot of chem. Burke I thought played well, and for a guy who is not fleet of foot, he's always moving. Thompson continues to be one gritty guy and it's fun to watch him out there mixing it up. I really don't like to admit but, Speelman was absent on the 3rd line tongiht and left Borisenok hanging with absolutely no help on the boards prior to the 3rd/4th goal. Borisenok was working his tail off with I think 2 guys and Speelman only waived his stick a few times when the play came up to his area. There is a missing link to that 3rd line.. IMO. HENRION!

Moses was Moses.. kid is explosive with the puck. Generated 2 Grade A's on his own.. first sailed wide on his first shift of the game, the second resulted in a goal in the second.

D men- Kessel, looked great carrying the puck into the zone. Hope the other guys were watching. He, Kostalansky and Campanale were all with the puck below the opponents red line at times.. Nice to see them have confidence to jump in, but, is that worth giving up 4 goals minus the ENG?

Back to the original thought here. Plenty of hockey left.. guys didn't play well, but they didn't quit either.

[bostonfan86]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

Postgame Video: UNH-Cornell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQeVz5SEIYQ

[unhpuckfan2001]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

guys didn't play well, but they didn't quit either.

I agree with the rest of your post, but . . . yes, they did quit. Our whole group commented that this was the first time this year we've really seen this team pack it in late in the third (as opposed to fighting to the last minute, a la the BC comeback game, for example).

When Cornell changed their offense strategy in the third period (everybody noticed it as "looking like UNH was on the PK"), and focused more on quick puck movements around the perimeter and slowly collapsing on net, UNH had no answer. You could see us get frustrated, take chances, and that lead to good scoring chances, and goals, for the Big Red. Rather than come up with an answer for this, the UNH forwards stopped fighting for loose pucks and the defense men quit moving their feet down low in the zone.

No need to jump ship, but it was a very frustrating loss, because the 'Cats looked like they could skate with Cornell through 2 periods. I was reasonably hoping for a 3-3 tie. Oh well . . . as my friend said, can we please just play Hockey East teams?

[C-H-C]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

Watching on TV is no substitute for being there in person but from what I saw on ESPNU, I largely agree with i'zon and upf01. I think the team worked hard and didn't pack it in until the end of the third period.

(1) Cornell deserves a lot of credit for superb strategy and execution. We UNH fans often discuss the challenge of the team playing on a smaller rink (i.e., UNH's speed and style are well-suited for the olympic sheet at the Whitt). With that in mind, Cornell did an amazing job adapting to the larger ice surface. Their ability to move the puck and create space in the UNH zone was reminiscent of last year's BU team.

(2) I realize there is some uncomfortable history between Hockey East and the ECAC but I would like to see more interleague play between the top teams in both conferences. It's hard to gauge just how good teams like Yale, Quinnipiac, and Harvard are when we don't see them during the regular season.

(3) It's a good thing to have Nick Krates back in the lineup but I think his presence was a net minus yesterday. He looked really rusty and the defensive pairings had to be juggled to make room for him. The D-men looked way out of synch in their own zone.

(4) The silver jerseys are still ugly and I think UNH's record while wearing them isn't too good (stats anyone?).

3 or 4 points this weekend against Lowell and Amherst and the boys will be back on track.

[unhpuckfan2001]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

(3) It's a good thing to have Nick Krates back in the lineup but I think his presence was a net minus yesterday. He looked really rusty and the defensive pairings had to be juggled to make room for him. The D-men looked way out of synch in their own zone.

I agree, but perhaps Coach had the thought that whenever he was brought back this was going to happen, perhaps the first game back from break was as good a time as any to do this. Gives them as many games as possible, especially Krates, to get things figured out. He is absolutely a player you're going to want out there for whatever stretch run UNH has in them (our only senior dman, I think?) so what better time than now?

(4) The silver jerseys are still ugly and I think UNH's record while wearing them isn't too good (stats anyone?).

I think there was a a stretch when UNH was something like 6-0-2 in them, but that could be the beer and nyquil combination I just drank. I'm sure somebody will correct me I still maintain that UNHs 3rd jersey should be something using the "old wildcat" on the front, rather than the new cat; a style, similar to the women's road jerseys, with the tie in the front, and using the OLD UNH font, something like this:

http://www.logoserver.com/college/NewHampshire.GIF

[UNHhockey29]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

I think there was a a stretch when UNH was something like 6-0-2 in them, but that could be the beer and nyquil combination I just drank. I'm sure somebody will correct me I still maintain that UNHs 3rd jersey should be something using the "old wildcat" on the front, rather than the new cat; a style, similar to the women's road jerseys, with the tie in the front, and using the OLD UNH font, something like this:

http://www.logoserver.com/college/NewHampshire.GIF

We were unbeaten in them for a few years when we first got them. I have no idea how long, your numbers seem to be correct so I'll go with that. It seems recently though we don't win so often in them. I've never been a fan of the 3rd jersey. You have a home jersey and you have a road jersey. Perfect. You are either the home team or the road team. No need for another jersey.

[thecomicbookguy]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

We were unbeaten in them for a few years when we first got them. I have no idea how long, your numbers seem to be correct so I'll go with that. It seems recently though we don't win so often in them. I've never been a fan of the 3rd jersey. You have a home jersey and you have a road jersey. Perfect. You are either the home team or the road team. No need for another jersey.

What about neutral-site games (like the Riverstone Cup)? Then you're not really the home or the road team. (Yes, I am being a little facetious, but only a little).

I think the team tends to wear the thirds in games that they don't normally play well in anyway, like games after winter break, home games vs BU, and games at the Verizon (and this year, out of conference games). That, coupled with simple chance, makes it seem like they never win in them.

[RockTheWhit]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

I like the idea of the third jersey, but the UNH silvers are hideous. Puckfan's idea of the throwback cat on a blue jersey seems really cool.

[C-H-C]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

How about these beauties?

http://www.unh.edu/news/news_release...914team300.jpg

[TimU]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

How about these beauties?

http://www.unh.edu/news/news_release...914team300.jpg

I just want to know how that guy in the back row managed to pull the sweater over his head.

[Gibber]

Re: 2009-2010 UNH Wildcats Season

I like the idea of the third jersey, but the UNH silvers are hideous. Puckfan's idea of the throwback cat on a blue jersey seems really cool.

I still think the new cat on black would look killer, or even on blue...

I'd go for a throwback to 98-99, I dug those sweaters a lot more than the ones now, though I don't mind what they have now really...