East Regional: #1 Denver v. #4 RIT; #2 Cornell v. #3 New Hampshire

[vizoroo]

Re: East Regional: #1 Denver v. #4 RIT; #2 Cornell v. #3 New Hampshire

I know very little about Denver but am excited that we will have the no. 1 seed here in town. I'd appreciate any comments describing their style and players to watch or any other insight.

I know very little about Denver but am excited that we will have the no. 1 seed here in town. I'd appreciate any comments describing their style and players to watch or any other insight.

Players to Watch:

WCHA Player of the Year Goalie Marc Cheverie has been DU's most valuable player all year.

Denver's top Line is Seniors Rhett Rakhshani, Tyler Ruegsegger and Sophomore Joe Colborne; All WCHA 1st Team, 2nd Team and 3rd Team respectively. Rakhshani (Rock) has 50 points this year and Ruegsegger (Ruegs) and Colborne( Big Joe or Jumbo) have 40 each. Colborne was the #1 draft pick of the Boston Bruins in 2008.

Cheverie and Rakhshani are finalists for the Hobey Baker Award.

Sophomore defenseman Patrick Wiercioch was also named 1st Team WCHA and has 25 points this season. He was Ottawa's 2nd round pick in 2008. Defensemen Chris Nutini and William Wrenn have been injured and may or may not be available for the Regionals. Dman John Ryder leads the team in hits.

Freshman Dman Matt Donovan was named to the WCHA All Rookie Team. He also played for gold medal winning Team USA at the World Juniors. He has 21 points this year. Drew Shore is a Freshman forward who actually grew up in Denver. He had 3 assists at the Final Five and has 19 points. Freshman forward Chris Knowlton had an unassisted goal against UND at the Final Five. His older brother, Patrick, plays for Sacred Heart.

Junior Anthony Maiani was injured this weekend and is highly doubtful for the Regionals. He played on the second line with Kyle Ostrow and Jesse Martin.

Tell us about RIT.

[Aerman]

Re: East Regional: #1 Denver v. #4 RIT; #2 Cornell v. #3 New Hampshire

Switzer also had something to do with it.

Switzer was robbed by the official scorer. He clearly deserved the primary assist.

[Tiger98]

Re: East Regional: #1 Denver v. #4 RIT; #2 Cornell v. #3 New Hampshire

So who will the Cornell/UNH fans in attendance be rooting for, DU or RIT? Do we have your support for an all Eastern final?

I wish to re-phrase my question as I don't believe anyone should root for any team but their favorite. It would be against my principles to root for anybody but RIT, but I would root against another team to create a desired matchup. So, who will the Cornell/UNH fans in attendance be rooting against?

[thecomicbookguy]

Re: East Regional: #1 Denver v. #4 RIT; #2 Cornell v. #3 New Hampshire

I wish to re-phrase my question as I don't believe anyone should root for any team but their favorite. It would be against my principles to root for anybody but RIT, but I would root against another team to create a desired matchup. So, who will the Cornell/UNH fans in attendance be rooting against?

This UNH fan will not be rooting one way or the other. I just want to see UNH play on Saturday.

[komey1]

Re: East Regional: #1 Denver v. #4 RIT; #2 Cornell v. #3 New Hampshire

RIT is arguably the most physical team in the AHA (not that that says much) but this year they have become smarter on taking penalties - dropping from one of the most penalized teams to closer to the NCAA average. They have been built around a very strong defense and goaltending.

The offense is probably on their best roll all year. The best forward on the team is Cameron Burt. He had 5 points in the AHA championship with a goal and 4 assists. He had 45 points on the year and is tough to knock off the puck when he has it. Andrew Favot had 41 points and has been very consistant throughout the year. He might pass more than some of us would like but he can score. Tyler Brenner is probably the best sniper on the team. He started slow, partially due to injury, but has done well lately. However, ther is plenty of scoring depth on the team. Some players who you might enjoy there are Scott Knowles and Mark Cornacchia. Cornacchia is especially dangerous short handed with 3 goals.

The defense is lead by 3 time all AHA 1st team defenseman and this year's AHA defenseman of the year Dan Ringwald. He usually keeps an eye on the best offensive player. He also had one of his best offensive years, scoring a career high 11 goals including a hat trick early in the year. He is paired with Chris Tanev - the AHA rookie of the year. He had a great +/- and was second among AHA rookies in scoring. The Tiger defensemen are certainly willing to shot and pinch. Most of the time they pick their spots and are not too agressive about it.

Jared DeMichiel has had a sensational year. He has been a rock in net. He isn't very flashy, but can make the great save. I think he relies more on his positioning. He has only had a couple "bad" games in net all year. He will have to have his best game in order for RIT to pull off the upset IMO.

[JB]

Re: East Regional: #1 Denver v. #4 RIT; #2 Cornell v. #3 New Hampshire

Here are some stats:
Goalies Goals Agnst/Save %
Scrivens(C) 1.78 .937
Cheverie(DU) 2.08/.932
DeMichiel(RIT) 2.00/.922
Foster(UNH) 2.95/.910

I'll dig some additional numbers up as the week gtoes on but Foster's year long numbers don't tell the true story. UNH wasn't just bad early on they were horrible 2-6-2 out of the gate. Coaching staff continually said Foster's numbers were inflated and not because he was playing poorly, it was the team in front of him (see Denver vs Wisco Saturday, not Cheverie's fault). After that stretch Foster was around 4 GAA and .85 sv% (I'll put the exact numbers together). The team has not given up as many gold opportunities since. There is a reason goalie in hockey east with better numbers weren't on the first team.

I still think Cornell will beat UNH friday. I just hope the UNH team makes it a tough out. Problem is Cornell does everything UNH has a hard time with, big team, cycles low, and clogging the middle.

[Hopkinja]

Re: East Regional: #1 Denver v. #4 RIT; #2 Cornell v. #3 New Hampshire

Scrivens - ECAC Dryden Award top goalie (I couldn't find ECAC all star list, but I imagine if they have one, he's in it?)

Correct.

[i'zonprize]

Re: East Regional: #1 Denver v. #4 RIT; #2 Cornell v. #3 New Hampshire

There is a reason goalie in hockey east with better numbers weren't on the first team.

Hey I fast type a lot myself.. what was this supposed to say?

I think something about another goalie in HE w/ better #'s than Foster.. when you put your numbers together- C-H-C and I think CBG already had this discussion. make sure number of shots are compared. Foster saw about twice the amount of rubber as the other kid giving the nod to Foster.

[rvd5star69]

Re: East Regional: #1 Denver v. #4 RIT; #2 Cornell v. #3 New Hampshire

Cornell will again be split hoops or hockey will Denver fans travel? Will unh and rit drive 3 hours?

[Puck Swami]

Re: East Regional: #1 Denver v. #4 RIT; #2 Cornell v. #3 New Hampshire

will Denver fans travel?

No. Denver is a small private school with 5K undergrads that is 1600 miles away from Albany (3.5 hour flight) that costs $600 to fly there on short notice. Anything more than 100 Denver fans in the TUC for a regional would be a shock.

[unhpuckfan2001]

Re: East Regional: #1 Denver v. #4 RIT; #2 Cornell v. #3 New Hampshire

From the article about some of UNH's Hockey East awards, I found this one the most surprising. In postseason play, a LOT depends on special teams play. UNH's powerplay is abysmal, so it helps that they stay out of the box.

Full article:
http://www.unhwildcats.com/sports/mi...20100317o1abtc

"Hockey East proudly recognizes an entire team for its sportsmanlike play with the Charles E. Holt Sportsmanship Award, named after the former UNH coach. This award is given to the team which receives the lowest average penalty minutes per game over the course of regular season Hockey East play. The Team Sportsmanship Award was established by the league’s directors in 1992 and was renamed to honor Holt in 1998. The award is in the form of a shadow box with etched glass depicting the image of New Hampshire’s legendary coach. New Hampshire earns the award bearing the name of its former coach for the fifth time in program history and first time since the 1999-00 season. UNH’s 8.8 penalty minutes per game are the fewest ever for the winner of this award. The Wildcats are the least penalized team in all of Division I college hockey with just 9.6 pmpg."

I think teaching this team to stay out of the box is part of the reason Coach Umile won Co-Coach honors. Now, UNH must find a balance between clean, and physical, hockey. No more Lake Whittemore advantage.

[unhpuckfan2001]

Re: East Regional: #1 Denver v. #4 RIT; #2 Cornell v. #3 New Hampshire

No. Denver is a small private school with 5K undergrads that is 1600 miles away from Albany (3.5 hour flight) that costs $600 to fly there on short notice. Anything more than 100 Denver fans in the TUC for a regional would be a shock.

I will cheer for Denver on Friday afternoon, if you'll agree to roll over on Saturday if my team advances

Good hockey talk here. I also like that these forums also get used to discuss the area; I've never been to the TUCenter, nor Albany (except zooming through there on a bus trip to Oneonta - ugh). What am I looking for?

ALSO -- can't make the game on Saturday (EAGL Conference Tournament at UNH) and am also looking for some kind of 'watch party' since I don't get ESPNU.

[wildcatnation]

Re: East Regional: #1 Denver v. #4 RIT; #2 Cornell v. #3 New Hampshire

I'll be there, I took this day off work months ago.

Blessed with Fridays off, I'm headed over with the fam and looking forward to it. It's going to be a great weekend of hockey and I have a good feeling about this draw for UNH. Just sayin'....

[komey1]

Re: East Regional: #1 Denver v. #4 RIT; #2 Cornell v. #3 New Hampshire

Cornell will again be split hoops or hockey will Denver fans travel? Will unh and rit drive 3 hours?

I know several people who are going.

[MagnessMan]

Re: East Regional: #1 Denver v. #4 RIT; #2 Cornell v. #3 New Hampshire

Denver has been going back and forth with Miami for much of the season as the top team in college hockey in the rankings. They won the WCHA MacNaughton Cup, which, in my view, is the hardest trophy to win in the sport because the WCHA is the deepest league in the country, and the travel for a team like Denver is long distance, the arenas they visit are usually hostile and large, and the season is a long one.

Denver is a team that is built around good goaltending, speed and skill. They are not terribly physical, but their speedy transition game and great skill down low makes them a difficult to defend when they are on their game. There are 14 NHL draft picks on the team, and most of them will play some level of pro hockey when they leave campus.

Players to watch:
Denver's top player to watch is goalie Hobey Candidate and WCHA Goalie of the Year Marc Cheverie, a junior. When he is on his game, in my view, he's the best goalie in the country. He's tall, and relies on positioning to make good saves, rather than flamboyance. His stats are amazing when you consider the calibre of schedule that DU plays. He can win games on his own, and outside of a bad weekend last weekend, he's been very consistent. Chevy is backed up by freshman Adam Murray, who is rounding into good form after a bad start to his college career.

Rhett Rakhshani is the senior captain, a Californian and a Hobey Finalist and WHCA first teamer who led the WCHA in scoring - great hands, good speed and a big heart. His linemates are Tyler Ruegsegger, a gritty yet skilled Colorado-born senior forward and Joe Colborne, a sophomore WCHA Third Teamer 6-5 winger and first round draft pick of Boston who has great reach, and strong skills. This is one of the best first lines in the country.

The second line is more skill led by Jesse Martin, Kyle Ostrow and Anthony Maiani, who got hurt last weekend and is probably gone for the season. They aren't big, but they are crafty with the puck and deceptively fast. We'll see who replaces Maiani on that line. Saturday, it was little used sophomore Nate Dewhurst, who did pretty well.

The third and fourth lines are more grinders who get occasional points. Third line is keyed by senior plugger Brian Gifford, who is paired with freshmen Drew Shore and Chris Knowlton. They have some size and can get the puck deep, and occasionally score on the forecheck. Shore is the most skilled of the bunch, but Knowlton is playing really well right now.

Fourth liners are Matt Glasser, Brandon Vossberg and Shawn Ostrow, younger brother of Kyle. These guys usually come out after goals, or to provide energy and their job is not to get scored on. Glasser is hard working and speedy, Vossberg is a big bodied PK guy and the younger Ostrow is a work in progress.

On defense, Denver is hurting. They lost a couple of regulars to injury (Chris Nutini and William Wrenn) and they are doing their best to fill the holes. Patrick Wiercioch is the most talented d-man - a first team all WCHA selection and second round draftee of Ottawa. He's a more offensive minded d-man with good range and a great shot. Lately, he's been paired with John Ryder, who is Denver's best pure hitter. The second pairing is Matt Donovan, who played on the US Junior team and is a talented offensive minded freshman, along with John Lee, a stay-at-home type. The third pair is freshman Paul Philips, an offensive d-man who is starting to come into his own, and senior Cody Brookwell, a big and bruising stay-at-home d-man. DU's defense may not be as talented as Wisconsin, but considering there is only one senior, they usually do a decent job in front of Chevy.

Great thread so far everyone. I coughed up the 600 and will be there in DU red. I'd only add a couple of things to Swami's summary. One is that DU is a slightly above average team with a super goal tender. Chevy has carried this team this season. If we make to it to the FF it will be because he is dialed in. We have a spotty D crew. #6 Chris Nutini has been out for about a five weeks (ankle) and will return Friday. He won't be 100% but his presence will help--he's a true thinking D man. Two, DU is fast and precise with the puck when they are in the groove. A sporadic weakness (especially on small ice) is the break out. If pressed the young D group gets sloppy with the puck. Lastly, this team was billed as an offensive powerhouse and has struggled to rise to hit that mark. In the first 2/3 of the season most of the production came from the top line. In the last third it started to spread out but our top forward on the second line broke his finger Friday night. They don't spend too much time in the sin bin--I think it's about an 4 P average. The kill is strong and the PP is average (although it's dropped off lately). If DU scores first they mainly win--maybe only one loss all year when scoring first.