UAH Hockey 2018-19

[UAHStatman]

This will be UAH's 34th season of varsity hockey and 40th (!) overall. This is the 26th season in Division I (21st since rejoining in 1998), and the sixth in the WCHA.

The 2018-19 schedule (home games in bold):

Oct. 6-7 at Miami
Oct. 12 at Colorado College
Oct. 13 at Denver
Oct. 19-20 vs. Arizona State
Oct. 26-27 vs. Lake Superior State*
Nov. 2-3 vs. Michigan Tech*
Nov. 16-17 at Alaska*
Dec. 1-2 vs. Bowling Green*
Dec. 7-8 at Bemidji State*
Dec. 14-15 at Michigan Tech*
Dec. 28-29 Catamount Cup (at Vermont, vs. Northeastern)
Jan. 4-5 vs. Ferris State*
Jan. 11-12 at Lake Superior State*
Jan. 18-19 vs. Alaska Anchorage*
Jan. 25-26 vs. Alaska*
Feb. 1-2 at Minnesota State*
Feb. 8-9 vs. Northern Michigan*
Feb. 22-23 at Ferris State*
March 1-2 at Bowling Green*

The roster: https://www.uahchargers.com/roster.aspx?path=mhockey
Additions: https://uahchargers.com/news/2018/9/...-19-squad.aspx

Roster breakdown:

Seniors: 8 (Dunn, Gorowsky, Gosselin, Knight, Öhrvall, Teets, Theut, Wilcox)
Juniors: 4 (Beaulieu, James, Rappleyea, Salerno)
Sophomores: 8 (Astorino, Dodson, Merkley, Rajic, Rotenberger, Sinclair, Wood, Wunder)
Freshmen: 8 (Allen, Chen, Finnson, Jeffers, Lennon, Neudecker, Newton, Thompson)

Forwards: 15
Defensemen: 10
Goaltenders: 3

Lost: 9 (Buri, Champagne, Kestner, Larson, McHugh, Parker, Poulsen, Saulnier, Uhelski). All but Poulsen (eligibility) and Larson (transfer) were seniors.
Transferred in: 2 (Öhrvall, from RPI; Theut, from Northeastern)

Last season, the Chargers were 12-23-2 overall and 10-16-2 in the WCHA. UAH finished in seventh place, losing to Northern Michigan in the WCHA quarterfinals in three games.

[gfmorris]

I think that the goaltending situation is the huge question for this team: Sinclair couldn't unseat Uhelski last year despite BCHL numbers (even as an overage player) that indicated that he would likely hold his own at this level. Before you give me the "Cam Talbot was awful his freshman year" speech, Sinclair isn't 6'3" and wasn't putting up .900+ SV% until he moved to the GOJHL. Astorino couldn't crack the lineup, and Theut didn't get in much time at Northeastern. We may have three fantastic guys, but we just don't know.

I like the progress that I've seen over the last few years, but those first few weeks could be tough. They need an identity by December when they get to that vBG - @Bemidji - @Tech run to finish the conference slate for 2018. If they're somewhere north of 16 points out of a maximum 36 by then, I feel really good about the second half.

Maybe I'll make a home game this year!

GFM

[UAHStatman]

Did a season preview thing: https://uahhockey.com/blog/2018/10/0...-next-step-up/

The offense is probably just a big a question mark as goaltending, but there are some potential go-to guys. (I'm a Gorowsky fan.)

It starts Saturday WHEEEEEE!

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

Watching these videos helps me get in the mood for Miami State week. Since they aren't on our schedule this year I will have to live vicariously through all y'all. Make it happen, Cap'n!

Regulation
OT

[UAHStatman]

Narrator: They did not make it happen.

https://uahhockey.com/blog/2018/10/0...-loss-at-miami

Watching these videos helps me get in the mood for Miami State week. Since they aren't on our schedule this year I will have to live vicariously through all y'all. Make it happen, Cap'n!

Regulation
OT

[UAHStatman]

Miami wins again, 4-0. It was bad. Theut did OK in net, I thought.

https://uahhockey.com/blog/2018/10/0...-shut-out-4-0/

[gfmorris]

That's ... not the best start. If there are positives here, it's that CC traveled to Anchorage and also played Sa-Su, so this will be a short week for them as well as plane legs.

GFM

[UAHStatman]

Mark Sinclair was amazing. That's about all.

https://uahhockey.com/blog/2018/10/1...-0-loss-to-cc/

[gfmorris]

My big questions about this team were who would score and if we'd get a goalie to step up. I had hopes for Sinclair. Now we need some of these guys that had some hype coming out of juniors (hello, Beaulieu) to start lighting the lamp. Losing 1-0 to CC sucks.

GFM

[UAHStatman]

My big questions about this team were who would score and if we'd get a goalie to step up. I had hopes for Sinclair. Now we need some of these guys that had some hype coming out of juniors (hello, Beaulieu) to start lighting the lamp. Losing 1-0 to CC sucks.

GFM

Sinclair had by far his best game, which is great. Now he needs to put another good game together (hopefully not requiring 40 saves or more).

I guess we'll really see in conference play, and I know these can be tough road games, especially to start, but being outshot an average of 43-15 is concerning.

[UAHStatman]

Shut out again. My gosh. Hope home cooking helps next week against Arizona State.
https://uahhockey.com/blog/2018/10/1...oss-to-denver/

[AKSWF]

Tough start, chins up.

[UAHStatman]

Let's not dwell on the past...let's talk about the past!

Jerseys, that is.

I had a lot of fun putting this together:
https://uahhockey.com/blog/2018/10/1...-other-colors/

It occurred to me that I have no real favorite home white jersey. There aren't many that I flat-out dislike, but each has something that prevents me from enthusiastically saying "This is the best!" And yes, that includes the red-accented Division II '90s era (mostly because I don't think red is a neutral accent when the school colors are blue and white).

Our current blue jersey is flat-out the best, however.

[gfmorris]

I like the first UAH jerseys, honestly, although the horse would need to be re-drawn.

When I interviewed Dr. Altenkirch a few weeks back, he told me that a logo re-design is not in the cards. We've been using a crappy font around the Denver Broncos' logo for TWENTY YEARS. I find this unacceptable.

GFM

[UAHStatman]

I like the first UAH jerseys, honestly, although the horse would need to be re-drawn.

When I interviewed Dr. Altenkirch a few weeks back, he told me that a logo re-design is not in the cards. We've been using a crappy font around the Denver Broncos' logo for TWENTY YEARS. I find this unacceptable.

GFM

The first one is rather good...I've actually come around on our current home jerseys, although the numbers and "UAH" should still be blue with black outline instead.

Yeah, I figured the logo wasn't changing any time soon when they used they re-did the floor at Spragins. It's also used on a lot of new and re-furbished areas. It's embossed on the chairs in the film room, I believe. My guess that it's fear of the costs of replacement more than the actual change.

[gfmorris]

The first one is rather good...I've actually come around on our current home jerseys, although the numbers and "UAH" should still be blue with black outline instead.

Yeah, I figured the logo wasn't changing any time soon when they used they re-did the floor at Spragins. It's also used on a lot of new and re-furbished areas. It's embossed on the chairs in the film room, I believe. My guess that it's fear of the costs of replacement more than the actual change.

At some point you make the choice to just replace things over time though, right? I'd be fine with the official university logo, to be honest.

GFM

[Revs89.2]

Hello! I was really hoping to make it down for the series this weekend, but work got in the way. I enjoyed chatting with your fans at our place last season. I did purchase a monthly Flo pass to watch the games this weekend. Does UAH put on a good video presentation?

We have had two decent weekends of play so far, so will be interested to see how it translates on the road.

[sgt_brass]

Hey Chargers faithful. I'm a Michigan Tech band alumnus coming down for the series in a few weeks and I wanted to see if I can get a recommendation for the best place a visiting fan should sit. I can't make out which end the visitor attacks twice from the seat charts of Von Braun. Looking forward to visiting yet another WCHA barn.

[UAHStatman]

Hello! I was really hoping to make it down for the series this weekend, but work got in the way. I enjoyed chatting with your fans at our place last season. I did purchase a monthly Flo pass to watch the games this weekend. Does UAH put on a good video presentation?

We have had two decent weekends of play so far, so will be interested to see how it translates on the road.

UAH's video presentation has been pretty bare bones in the past, unfortunately. The VBC arena holds about 6,000 for hockey, with the majority of seats on the sides that go pretty high up, and the one camera they've been using for the action is placed near the back. Last season, they used a second camera that was always pointed at the UAH bench for whatever reason.

This is our home opener with a new system, so maybe, hopefully, it'll be a little better. Maybe use that second camera from one of the ends, where it doesn't go high up, to follow action like during power plays.

Don't expect anything spectacular is what I'm saying.

We've had two weekends of not-so-good play against NCHC foes on the road, so we're interested to see if UAH starts to play better at home.

[UAHStatman]

Hey Chargers faithful. I'm a Michigan Tech band alumnus coming down for the series in a few weeks and I wanted to see if I can get a recommendation for the best place a visiting fan should sit. I can't make out which end the visitor attacks twice from the seat charts of Von Braun. Looking forward to visiting yet another WCHA barn.

Cool! Hope you have a safe trip and a fun time!

You'd want the end with sections 211-214 if you're planning on getting reserved seats. UAH shoots twice toward the other end with the risers/bleachers (or, as I call it, the end with the big door). If you get general admission, you can pretty much sit anywhere in the upper sections.