I (still) Believe

Move over "Tebowing" because "Mosesing" has arrived.

Where UNH Stands:

The UNH men's hockey has found itself in unfamiliar territory. Towards the bottom of Hockey East looking up. At the moment the team sits at 8-11-2, which puts them at eighth in Hockey East, with just 13 games remaining to be played. Eight teams qualify for the Hockey East playoffs and the winner of that tournament receives an automatic bid to the national tournament. UNH has the second longest streak in the country for consecutive national tournament appearances and that streak will most likely end unless they win the Hockey East tournament. The national tournament has 16 teams qualify and the last teams in are usually a few games over the .500 mark depending on the automatic bids. 

Out of UNH's final 13 games, the next four will see their toughest competition. This weekend UNH plays a home and home series (meaning one game at both schools) with Merrimack, who sits in 3rd in Hockey East and 7th nationally. Next weekend UNH plays another home and home, this time against Boston College who is in 2nd in Hockey East (technically tied with BU for 1st , but with one more game played) and is 4th in the national rankings. While those games will be a huge four game stretch to determine UNH's talent and mental toughness, the remaining nine games will be even more important when it comes to the seeding for the Hockey East tournament.

Of those nine games, UNH plays Providence twice (a home and home series), Vermont twice (both home) and UMass twice (both away) with single games against Northeastern (home), a third game with Merrimack (away) and finally Maine (away). Northeastern and Vermont are currently the only two teams behind UNH in Hockey East. In their previous meetings UNH has split with Northeasten (a 4-0 loss and a 5-2 win) and tied Vermont 4-4 in Burlington. Those will be three very important games that UNH desperately needs to win as the favorite, especially with all three being played at the Whit, where UNH has played better than on the road. The series with Providence will also be huge. UNH won in Providence last week 1-0, ending a 5 game losing streak (the longest in Coach Umile's tenure). Providence is a surprising 5th in Hockey East, but they could very well drop as the season comes to a close. 

The UMass series could have the single biggest impact for UNH heading into post season play. UMass sits directly above UNH in Hockey East, but the Minutemen are only ahead of UNH by a single point. In their only meeting this year UNH beat UMass 7-3 at the Whit, which was followed by a win over Maine and marked the last time UNH won consecutive games until their wins over Providence and Dartmouth these last few days. 

What Needs to Happen? 

For UNH to make a strong push heading into the Hockey East playoffs, a few things need to happen. 

• First of all, they are not in a spot to lose games they are supposed to win. They currently sit in the final playoff spot with only a point on Northeastern (with a game in hand), but are six points up on Vermont (also with a game in hand). Vermont is all but done, which makes those four points very valuable to UNH when UVM comes to Durham in February. That being said, UNH needs to play tough over the next four games, to keep their confidence up and not play down to the level of their opponents in the games that follow.
• Secondly, Stevie Moses has to stay hot. Red Hot. Parting the Red Sea Red Hot. The alternate captain has five goals in their last two games (both wins) and he needs to have the hot hand for UNH to make things interesting. Everyone knows Moses is fast, but he has developed a great shot and can beat defenders in many ways.
• However, Moses can't do it all. Players like John Henrion, Kevin Goumas and Nick Sorkin need to keep scoring as well to keep some of the attention off Moses. Those four have been solid of late, but someone else will need to step up. Freshman Grayson Downing has shown signs of his scoring touch, but upperclassmen like Greg Burke or Austin Block need to produce more consistently. Burke had a bit of a hot streak going, but has been held pointless for a few games now. 
• Casey DeSmith needs to play like a veteran. DeSmith, a true freshman, has replaced struggling senior Matt Digirolamo in net and has exceeded expectations. DeSmith needs to have ice in his veins down the stretch because with high powered teams like Merrimack and BC coming to town he can't let his confidence be hurt when UNH plays lesser opponents.
• Defense, defense, defense. It's been the ugly of the ugly for UNH all year and it is the team's number one aspect that has to improve. Junior Brett Kostolansky, who started as a freshman, is currently skating at -10. Someone with his experience needs to be more effective.
• Will another freshman please stand up? Aforementioned DeSmith and Downing have been excellent at times this year, but another freshman (or more) may need to take on a bigger role down the stretch. TvR has been very solid from the blueline (also chipping in 12 points) and is second on the team with a +7. I'm looking for players like Casey Thrush (9 points and a team high +8) or Jay Camper to have a bigger impact down the stretch. 

The season ain't over 'till the fat lady sings and with 13 conference games remaining anything can happen. I believe in UNH. And anything really can happen: 

Stay classy not UMassy... and keep believing in UNH.

10 Questions with UNH hockey player Justin Agosta

1. Why did you choose UNH? Since I was young I knew I always wanted to play in Hockey East and with how reputable UNH is as a hockey program it felt like a perfect fit... When I came on my visit it was white out the whit and that made it a very easy decision as well.. I committed the next morning.
2. Do you have any pre-game rituals or any teammates that have strange rituals? I am very superstitious so at the start of every season I'll do some random things and then when I have a good game I'll continue to do it.
3. What’s been your best hockey moment throughout your career? Even though it didn't happen yet, Fenway vs Maine will probably be the best moment of my career.
4. Who do you see as having a breakout year at UNH? Any freshmen you think could step in and make an impact this year? I think any of our forwards can have a break out year.. I think Burke will have the best chance at having a breakout year.. he was pretty unlucky last year with getting mono and then having some shoulder problems. I also think Nick Sorkin will have a big year.
5. What’s the best part about being a hockey player at UNH? The best part is with no question our fans. Everyone knows UNH is one of the most exciting places to play and thats because of the fans.
6. What’s your favorite non-hockey aspect at UNH? Spring time is awesome here.
7. If the student section were to hold up an “Easy button” after goals, do you think players would hit it? Hahah.. I'm sure someone would do it. I would like to see that.
8. What music is playing in the locker room before a game? Is there a team DJ? All types of music is playing... I'll have my headphones in most likely.
9.  This came from another fan, describe one teammate as a fruit or vegetable. Who, what and why? Hah, this is probably the hardest one on here.. have to compare Knodel to cauliflower.. kids whiter then casper.. can't come up with anything else.
10. Over the summer UNH strength and conditioning director Paul Chapman did the “Slapshot Challenge” at JP’s. What teammate do you think would have the best shot at beating the challenge? If Blake Kessel was still here he would probably beat Chappy.

10 Questions with UNH Goalie Tyler Scott

So the other night on a whim I go the idea to try and do some 10 questions with UNH athletes. So I tweeted hockey player Justin Agosta since he was the only hockey player to follow me back on twitter. I figured that meant he was familiar with the blog and he'd be a good person to start with. So he tweeted me back and said goalie Tyler Scott was also interested. So I emailed them each some questions and Scott was the first to reply back. Here's the 10 question interview. I really enjoyed doing this so if you're an athlete or you know some who are familiar with the blog, I'd love to do more of these. They don't take long and are done completely through email.

1. Why did you choose UNH?

The decision to come to UNH, for me, came down to three things:
competitive division 1 ice hockey, the coaching staff, and the campus.
I think it was the campus that really sealed the deal for me.

2. Do you have any pre-game rituals? Any teammates have any weird rituals?

For me, I like to re-tape both of my sticks and check my gear for
anything that I think needs adjustment. After I’ll warm-up with the
soccer ball and sit in the bleachers for a little before I get
dressed. For home games, I like to sit just before all of our student
fans come roaring down the bleachers to get the best seats. Besides
that, I have ritual handshakes with a few guys on the team as we line
up to go on the ice. As for some of the other guys, I know Damon Kipp
has to sit in the number four seat in the top row of whatever stadium
we are playing in after he warms up. It will be interesting to see if
he does it when we go to Fenway.

3. What’s been your best hockey moment throughout your career?

My favorite moment has to be my freshman year when we beat North
Dakota in the first game of Regionals. Thomas Fortney tied the game
with 0.1 seconds left followed by Peter Leblanc’s OT winner and his
pistol celebration. That’s a moment I’ll never forget.

4. Who do you see as having a breakout year at UNH? Any freshmen you
think could step in and make an impact this year?

Hard to say at this point. A lot of different guys, especially the
forwards, are capable of stepping up this season. The freshman will
definitely be an important factor to our team’s success.

5. What’s the best part about being a hockey player at UNH?

The best part by far is our fans and supporters. The fans we have
here at the university and in the area make playing hockey at UNH one
of the most exciting places to play in the country.

6. What’s your favorite non-hockey aspect at UNH?

Besides the campus and school environment, I would have to say the
location of our school. For hockey its great because we are pretty
much located in the middle of our conference traveling wise. As for
the non-hockey aspect of our school’s location, you have entertainment
in Portsmouth, Newmarket, and Dover, great local golfing, the beach,
and a train that takes you straight into Boston. In essence, there is
always something to do at UNH.

7. If you guys really are listening, what is your favorite or the
team’s favorite chant done by the student section?

Personally, I’ve always loved the sieve chants. There’s nothing
better than watching a rival goaltender get flustered after letting in
a goal and being called a sieve right after.

8. Tell us something about Coach Umile that a fan wouldn’t know.

He shows a lot of emotion and compassion in the locker room. You can
tell that our team means the world to him by either hearing one of his
pre-game speeches or watching him celebrate with the team after a big
win. It’s one of the reasons why we compete nationally every year.

9. This came from another fan, describe one teammate as a fruit or
vegetable. Who, what and why?

I guess I would describe Sorkin as celery; tall, skinny, and always
in some sort of vegetative state.

10. What other Hockey East schools have the most hostile student sections?

The Maine student section has always been a hostile environment when
we go up there. On that note, it makes the games that more
competitive. Nothing beats silencing a hostile student section after
we score in their arena.

Sometimes the Truth Hurts

I love UNH hockey with all my heart, mind and soul. For the past three seasons I have attended nearly every home game and I've made trips to Manchester and Boston to watch others. I still remember the first game I attended as a nine-year-old, when Jason Krog netted a few points in a 9-4 win over Providence. I remember the pain of the 1999 loss to Maine in the National Championship and again in 2003 to Minnesota. I remember screaming and running up and down the halls of Williamson when they tied North Dakota with less than a second left. I will always remember those games, just as I will remember the games this past weekend. The win over Miami-Ohio was as exhilarating as they come and the loss to Notre Dame hurt as bad as any other since I first watched the blue and white take the ice in the late 1990s.

Sunday night's performance against Notre Dame is a tough one to swallow. After UNH looked so good against arguably the hottest team in the country in Miami-Ohio, the team just did not seem to have the same fire in the second game. Every year it has been the same story. Early season promise, breakout players, great regular seasons followed by an early playoff exit. I love UNH hockey, but the truth hurts. I know I am not alone.

Following Sunday night's collapse, my Facebook, Twitter and text message inbox was full of similar reactions. Here are just a select few: "I hate reruns;" "Such is the life of a UNH hockey fan;" "UNH loses in disappointing fashion in March? Haven't we watched this episode before?" "They looked unmotivated until it was too late. Where was the team that shut down Miami?" "Can't believe UNH couldn't win a big game ... oh wait, yes I can." "Damn. UNH, can we win an important game for once?" "And the post season Umiliation of UNH hockey continues." "Still the University of No Hardware." "Now can we fire Umile? Please?" "$380,000 for what? Another early exit?"

Just like when every season ends, fans instantly brought up coach Umile's playoff history. I'll be the first to admit it is obviously not pretty. Let's face it, he has done a fantastic job, always fielding a highly competitive team. We rarely hear of UNH players having off-the-ice issues, and players develop extremely well during their UNH career. Recently, Bobby Butler and Paul Thompson are perfect examples of student athletes who have improved on and off the ice under Umile's watchful eye. But the truth hurts. UNH still has yet to win a national championship and like former Jets' coach Herm Edwards famously ranted, "You play to win the game." I mean no disrespect to coach Umile or the players, but facts are facts. For UNH to truly be considered a college hockey powerhouse, we need a national title.

Fans looked for other things to blame following the game. Many pointed out the fact that a lobster was thrown and not a fish. As soon as I saw the lobster I thought it might have been a bad omen. The fish is tradition; you cannot change tradition, especially with a trip to the Frozen Four on the line! At times the team looked flat, unmotivated and deflated up until the late goal. What else is there to say? That was a hell of a season that provided hours of entertainment for UNH fans, and although it ended with a sour taste in our mouths, I cannot help but still feel proud for this team and especially the senior class. Entering the season no one really knew what to expect. We had lost our leading scorer and had a virtually untested goalie. For most of the season, the team came up big and up and down the lineup, with different players of each class stepping up when the team needed them. It didn't end the way we wanted because "most of the time" is not the same as "always."

Looking back on the entire season, I think we can all say it was one of the most entertaining seasons in a long time. Maybe that's why this loss hurt so badly. I cannot end this without thanking our senior class. For the last four years Greg Manz, Mike Beck, Phil DeSimone, Paul Thompson, Matt Campanale, and Mike Sislo represented UNH extremely professionally on and off the ice. Thank you for the memories and best of luck with your future careers. I don't know any of them personally, but I'm proud to call them my fellow students.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Talking Puck

The first month of school always feels empty, like something is missing. That something is UNH hockey. Since my freshman year I have been to almost every home game with the same group of people, and we always sit in the same area. It is our own little tradition, and I would not want it any other way. Needless to say, we were in the same section as always at the Whittemore Center Saturday night to watch UNH tie St. Francis Xavier in an exhibition game. As a lifelong UNH hockey fan, a few things really jumped out at me throughout the course of the game.

Almost immediately after taking our seats, I noticed that the Whitt featured new boards, which I heard were being replaced. No big deal, right? The surprising thing was that the corners are now about three feet shallower, which is strange because the Whit has always been known for its ice size. Although the dimensions are the same, the shallower corners may help the team adjust for smaller rinks at opposing arenas. This could be important because UNH is hosting NCAA Northeast Regional rounds at the Verizon Wireless Center in Manchester, which has a smaller ice surface.

The next thing that I noticed was the lack of enthusiasm from many student fans, most of whom were probably freshmen. Now, I understand that Saturday night was simply an exhibition game, but standing emotionless, refusing to take part in any cheers or even clap, is down right unacceptable. Attending UNH hockey games is a privilege; nobody is too cool to cheer. Leaving after the first period? Unforgivable. Say what you want, but UNH is a hockey school; it has been forever and it probably always will be. Hockey games are not social events that you attend to take self-portraits with your friends. Hockey games are for watching the best college hockey players battle it out for a chance to win a championship. Hockey games are about passion, tradition and pride for your school.

One of my closest friends goes to Maine (yeah, I know…). Maine also had an exhibition game this weekend. You know what their student section was like? There were students lining up around the building two hours before game time, the section was fully packed and the students treated the game like any other. I am issuing a challenge right now for my fellow UNH students. There should never be an empty seat in the student section. There should never be a silent moment from the time the puck is dropped until well after the final whistle. We want opposing players to fear the Whit. For the past few years, UNH has led Hockey East in average attendance, but that is not good enough. We need to be loud, rowdy and make the building shake to truly have the best fans in the conference.

If you are asking yourself: "Why should I care about college sports so much? It's not like they're pro." Then think about this: as a UNH student you are more a part of the "team" then any professional team. Every single full-time UNH undergraduate pays a mandatory "Student Athletics" fee of $882 a year. That fee, which is $300 more than any other mandatory fee, is described on UNH's website as "admittance to all home games of organized sports at UNH and financial support for athletes and athletic teams." (Later this week I will have a post on more of these mandatory fees.) You are, in part, paying for the athlete's scholarships; you better cheer for them to do well. Also, it shows that we really do not get free tickets to the home games. UNH home games for all sports are as free as every meal you eat at the dining hall. Just because you don't pay to enter doesn't mean you're getting in for free. Also, it really shows that UNH athletes should be nice to the student fans. We're paying for you to go here. You're welcome.

This year's team has the talent to be a national title contender. With a little time for the lines to gel together and the best home ice advantage, UNH could easily win Hockey East. All of the eyes in Hockey East are on the defending NCAA champions Boston College and the high-powered offense of Maine, so UNH has the potential to sneak up on a few teams this season. Any year can be our year; let's make it one to remember.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

UNH/St. Francis Xavier (Delayed) Reactions

Something I want to do this year is write more about UNH sports on the blog. The big three are obviously men's hockey, football and more recently, men's basketball. Hopefully, I'll find time to make it to more games for all different teams. I know I've dropped the ball on the two home football games so far (I only made it to the opener) but I will try to do better. As for hockey, I have been to almost every home game going back to my freshman year. In fact, I've only missed two that I was actually on campus for.

Here are some of my thoughts on the exhibition game verse St. Francis Xavier. (Sorry for the long delay, usually I'll get these up right after or the day after games.)

The Whit featured shallower corners, by about 3 or 4 feet. (The ice used to cover where the steel grate is in this photo.) I'm not too sure what to think of this. The Whit has always been known for it's massive ice size and deep corners. Could this be strategy for adjusting to small away arenas? Or just more foot room for the front row spectators?

-UNH outshot St. Francis 44-14, but tied 3-3. Throwing the puck on net is good, but they got to find more high quality scoring opportunities.
-3 goals on 14 shots didn't mean goalie Matt DiGirolamo had a poor game. St. Francis capitalized on three great scoring chances. Turnovers and uneven rushes can put the goalie in bad situations.
-Paul Thompson looks like he's ready to continue from where he left off last year, scoring two goals. One came on a redirection from a Blake Kessel snipe.
-The second line of Stevie Moses - Mike Borisneok - Greg Burke might be the most entertaining line to watch. They didn't record any points Saturday, but they are three excited players and if they gel they will do great things. The top line of Thompson-Phil DeSimone-Mike Sislo will get the attention, but don't sleep on that second line.
-The third line, which was Dalton Speelman-Austin Block-John Henrion is also fun too watch. Speelman is an undersized scrapper who isn't afraid to do the dirty work. Block is all over the ice and Henrion has shown that he can score when he gets the opportunity.
-Defensively, Brett Kostolansky started the game with Kessel, but later in the game Matt Campanale played on the top defensive line with Kessel.
-UNH seemed a little out of synch. The lines didn't seem to be on the same page for the entire game and they allowed the less talented X-Men to hang around and eventually tie the game.
-UNH seemed to lack the "killer instinct." Towards the end of the second period UNH scored two goals and finally seemed to take control, but they came out flat to start the third. They also came out flat to start the second and didn't seem to be highly motivated. Hopefully their poor performance will motivate them to step their game up against tougher opponents.
-Forget the shot advantage, UNH did not play well or up to their expectations.
-STFX player Mark Louis is a total hack. Kid was scruffing it up after every play and following a 5 minute major for contact to the head he was also slapped with a game misconduct. That came late so he was most likely running his mouth to the ref.
-Speaking of the ref's, they missed several calls both ways. Not gonna complain because it didn't appear to be one sided, but one of the referees was my old buddy Scott Hansen, of course there would be missed calls.
-STFX did not have one shot on either of their power plays.
-UNH recorded 1 power play goal on 6 shots.
-The stick figure made his glorious return, but was not up long enough for the crowd to react.
-Freshman suck. Too many students refused to cheer, or even clap, some left after the first period. Weak showing. (More on this tomorrow in my Like a Pro column).
-The new Wild E. Cat sucks. Sorry, I'm nostalgic.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Are you Ready?

I give you some of the best UNH hockey clips off YouTube. Let's do this!

The best 10 minutes on YouTube. UNH scores with .3 seconds left in the opening round of the NCAA tournament to tie the game and win it in the first minute of OT:

Colin Hemingway at the Whit a few years back. B-E-A-U-Tiful!:

JVR! 

Mike Radja:

Bobby Butler through the net:

TNH season preview video:

Stay classy, not UMassy.

It's that time of year again!

Go Cats! Woooooooooo!

Come on, if you get that GIF it is hilarious. For those of you who don't know what is going on, that is my interpretation of the animation they started showing at hockey games last year. I made that in about 3 minutes (including scanning it) which is probably the same amount of time it took for the real one to be made. I don't know if I have ever seen a worse animation for a sporting event, but I hope the infamous stick figure makes his return this year. I even think it deserves a name for the student section to refer to it.

Anyways, the first home hockey game (it is an exhibition) is Saturday night against St. Francis Xavier who has played here a few times over the past few years. I remember they came two years ago and it was a surprisingly physical game despite UNH blowing them out on the scoreboard. 

UNH enters the season ranked 8th in USA Today's College Hockey poll, behind only Boston College (1) and Maine (7) in Hockey East. This should be a entertaining year for UNH, who returns most of their team. They will be without top scorer Bobby Butler and goalie Brian Foster, but I think this year's team will have more depth and a stronger defense, which is good for first year starting goalie junior Matt DiGirolamo. I am predicting a strong Hockey East finish (definitely top 3) although Hockey East has proven to be the strongest conference in all D1 Hockey. It is true, the last three National Champions have come from Hockey East (BC, BU and BC again). This year Merrimack has a much stronger team, Maine may have the best offense in the country and BC returns several key players from their championship team.

Hockey East Predictions:

1. BC
2. UNH
3. Maine
4. Merrimack 
5. BU
6. Vermont
7. Northeastern
8. UMass 
9. UMass Lowell
10. Providence 

I really think teams 4-7 could find them selves in any position by the end of the year, maybe even crack the top 3. I feel that BC, UNH and Maine are clearly the best three teams this year. Providence/UMass/UMLowell are at the bottom but there is strong parity between 4-7. Merrimack could actually be closer to the top 3 then the 4-7 teams. Merrimack's Stephane Da Costa, a sophomore, may challenge Maine's Gustav Nyquist and BC's Cam Atkinson for the leading point total in the league. Nyquist's line, for the Black Bears along with UNH's top line (guessing it will be Thompson, DeSimone, Sislo) could both be one of the best in the country. Watch for one of UNH's seniors to have a breakout season like Bobby Butler last year. I like Sislo, but I'd put my money on Thompson or DeSimone.

UNH Predictions:

I was going to make predictions for the team awards, but instead I will share a few thoughts and notes:

Blake Kessel is going to be the team's backbone from the blue line. He showed last year that he has a powerful shot, especially on the power play and is the team's best defensive player. Team captain and forward Mike Sislo had 5 less goals last year then the previous year, probably suffering from losing line mate James van Riemsdyk to the NHL, but I see him putting up better numbers this year. Paul Thompson is the team's top returning scorer (19-20-39) and he is great at doing the dirty work in front of the net, he could be this year's breakout senior. I expect a breakout year for speedster Stevie Moses, who was bothered by a hamstring issue last season despite playing in all 39 games. Sophomores Greg Burke and Dalton Speelman, who showed glimpses of their potential last year, could also have breakout years. Burke could be a top playmaker if he continues to develop. Senior Phil DeSimone is a great playmaker and will probably be the team's top line center (possibly with Thompson and Sislo on the wings). UNH returns it's top defensive line with Kessel and sophomore Brett Kostolansky, as well as assistant captain Matt Campanale who is another solid defenseman. Center Mike Borisenok is a solid defensive forward who can play well on both ends of the ice.

It is safe to say this will be a fun season to watch and hopefully the 'Cats can get that playoff monkey off their shoulder! Also, be sure to brush up on all your chants before the season starts!

Stay classy, not UMassy.

UNH Hockey East Regular Season Champs

Last night the UNH Men's hockey team came from 3 goals down in the final period to tie BC and clinch the regular season title. Regular season titles are really nice, but now the real fun begins with the Hockey East tourney and hopefully the NCAA's, which UNH would really have to choke to miss. I have never been a big fan of Umile, and he is definitely overpaid, but I would like to think that he said the right things before the 3rd period last night. UNH wraps up the season tonight at BC, before shifting all their focus to their first round opponent, which depending on the final games tonight could be Vermont, Northeastern, UMass or Merrimack.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

van Riemsdyk back in Durham

Here is a great interview with former UNH standout and NHL rookie of the year candidate James van Riemsdyk. JVR has been practicing with UNH a few times this week while the NHL is off for the Olympics.

Stay Classy, Not UMassy.

Bobby Butler scores goals. Period.

Vote Bobby Butler for the Hobey Baker award. The Hobey Baker is the MVP award for college hockey. He has been unstoppable all year and once again proved he is worthy for the prestigious honor tonight with a four goal effort against PC. Seriously, spread the word and vote here: http://hobeybaker.com/voting/. Any true Wildcat knows that he deserves it and would vote and tell everyone they know. Help bring Hobey back to Dirty Durham!

Bobby Butler scores goals and fist pumps. Period.

If there was an award for best celebration it would hands down go to Butler for his beautifully executed fist pump after each goal he scores. He puts Tiger Woods to shame.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Like a Fuckin' Pro: A Guide to UNH Hockey Fandom

The lights go low as two spotlights begin to circle the Whittemore Center Arena. The roar of the crowd, thunder sticks and cowbells makes it nearly impossible to hear “O Fortuna” blaring out of the arena’s speakers. The crowd is on their feet and the intensity begins to grow as the song progresses. As the orchestral song finishes, it blends into “Two Step” by the Dave Mathews Band and at the climax the UNH hockey team takes the ice to a defining roar of the crowd.

UNH hockey season has arrived.

Fans got a taste of the team this past weekend after the exhibition game versus Acadia, but as awesome as that game was it simply does not compare to the regular season. It is that time of the year again for UNH hockey fans to head over to the Whittemore Center for some good old-fashioned, and semi-clean, cheering.

For those of you who are freshmen, UNH hockey is a way of life. All students are expected to stand up the entire game and participate in every chant. If that is not your style then do not bother getting a ticket because there are plenty of students who bleed blue. If you do not leave the game with a sore throat, then you did not do your job as a student fan.

This will be the 10th year I will be attending UNH hockey games. (*A couple of my friends and I are actually in that video at the 1:25 mark, but due to the poor quality my face can't be seen!) When I was younger, I could not wait for the day when I could be a member of the student section. That way I could get away with shouting semi-inappropriate things at the top of my voice. I remember the first game I ever attended, future Hobey-Baker-award-winner Jason Krog scored two goals in a 9-4 win over Providence College. That was the same year UNH made it to the national championship game, something I have since tried to erase from my memory (UNH lost to Maine 3-2 in overtime). Even though it has been 10 years since that 1999 season and I was only nine years old, I still remember it like it was yesterday. I guess that is my version of Billy Buckner and his infamous error that cost the Red Sox the 1986 World Series.

But it is not the time to live in the past, for another season is upon us. Even though the Wildcats return a lot of talent and have a terrific freshmen class, they were unranked in the preseason polls.

The offseason is a very quiet time for a UNH hockey fan like myself. I spend most of my time thinking up new chants and trying to find the best players of Hockey East on Facebook. That way I can make embarrassingly personal signs about opposing players. I also don’t speak for two days prior to every home game. Then, about an hour before the puck drops I do vocal exercises. This way I can clearly be heard when I inform an opposing player who commits a penalty that it is time for them to sit down.

At the game on Saturday night I realized that not every student fan in attendance knows as much about hockey as I do, so I would like to explain a few things. The term “offsides” is not a penalty. It means that an attacking player is in the offensive zone (past the blue line) before the puck crosses the line. It results in a face-off outside the zone. It is perfectly legal to check another player, even if an injury ensues, although there are specific ways to make a clean hit. The penalty boxes are located on the side next to UNH’s bench, not the booths behind the nets. A goal is worth one point no matter how far away it is scored from. There is not an actual body of water below the ice surface; therefore a player cannot fall through the ice.

We are UNH, and this year is another great opportunity for the ‘Cats to claim the elusive National Championship. That being said, the UNH student section has to be loud to make it difficult for opposing teams. We want other players to tremble when they step on the ice. The Whittemore Center is one of the few Olympic sized rinks in the country. Factor that in with the high ceilings of the building, and it can be difficult for fans to make it personal with opposing players. I want you to be loud, but also remember that when you are in the student section you are representing the University of New Hampshire. So, I ask you now to do your best, scream as loud as you can and make other teams fear the Whitt!

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Text-Tattling: Fuck that Shit

Incase you missed the article in today's TNH I will fill you in. Apparently the UNH athletic department is considering creating a text messaging service for fans at UNH athletic events to report inappropriate behavior. In the article the Associate Director of Athletics Steve Metcalf said, "We get a lot of complaints from parents about students being drunk and bad language" in reference to UNH hockey games.  

What the fuck!

 One of the best parts of attending UNH is getting shit-faced and yelling belligerent things at hockey games; I already outlined that in a previous post. And as for inappropriate chants try going any of the other major DI hockey schools. Remember "We're classy, not UMassy." The Boston schools and Vermont are much worse than UNH. First they took away Black Betty and now they don't want us to swear! 

Fuck that! This is college, kids get drunk. It happens. You can't prevent it. 

Hey parents, if you want to take your kids to a game go out to Manchester and watch the Monarchs. Then you wont have to worry about drunk ass college kids teaching your innocent children bad words. Also, you wont have to explain to your six year old son what an "orgy" is. Its really a better situation for us all. What type of parent thinks that any type of college sporting event is appropriate to take their kids to anyway? 

Players from the team admit that they like the rowdy atmosphere and that it helps them perform better. One player, Damon Kipp,  even said that a rowdy crowd will help attract more recruits. So apparently the athletic department is full of nazis who want the hockey team to fail. No wonder why Umile hasn't been fired yet! 

When UNH scores a goal, even on not as pretty as this one, I'm going to let the other team know about it! I will be drunk. And I will be belligerent, because it is my duty as a UNH hockey fan.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

UNH Hockey Season Comes To A Close

Last night our beloved Wildcats fell to the Boston University Terriers 2-1. It was a hard fought game that went down to the wire. BU scored the winning goal with just 15 seconds left in the third and final period. The Wildcats advanced to the game by upsetting North Dakota the previous night in a great comeback. The win over North Dakota gave UNH yet another 20 win season and possibly saved coach Dick Umile his job. Umile has been on the hot seat, at least in the eyes of the fans, for a few seasons now because of the inability for our 'Cats to win the big game. Athletic Director Marty Scarano has always supported Umile and has made it clear several times that he has no intention in firing Umile. Personally, I have been annoyed with the teams ability to win games in the National Tournament, but Umile has done great things with the program. After the way the team played the final two games, he deserves at least one more season at the helm of one of the most prestigious hockey programs in the country. Come on Dick, it's time to end the "University of No Hardware" comments. 

In other hockey news, top UNH recruit Ryan Bourque has backed out of his commitment. Bourque, the youngest son of Bruin great Ray, has decided to put off playing at UNH to compete at the junior level in Canada. Bourque plans to play for the Quebec Remparts, a team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.  Good luck Ryan, but we would have much rather have you come to UNH!

Speaking of UNH hockey commitments... Hey James vanReimsdyk , how about another season or two at UNH? JVR is easily one of the best and most naturally talented players in college hockey. The former number 2 pick of the Philadelphia Flyers lead the Wildcats in scoring this year and the fans would love to see him return. Most likely JVR will be leaving UNH to play professionally, but he would definitely help out Umile if he returned for his junior season. 

It was a great season guys, hold your heads up high. The team played tremendously when it mattered most. They took the best team in the country down to the wire, which is nothing to be ashamed about.

Well that is all I have to say about that. Hopefully next year the team can quiet all the nay sayers and win the big game! Go Wildcats!

Until next time.

yours truly,

The New Hampshirite