Friday, January 09, 2009

Git-R-Done: UNH 2 - UMass 2 Final

Game On

Also playing in Hockey East tonight are Merrimack vs. Northeastern and Boston College at Vermont for NESN's first Friday Night College Hockey game the latter doesn't start until 7:30.

After some initial pressure by UMass the cats create their first sustained pressure of the game with Moses' and Beck's names being mentioned often.

16:36 to play in the first.

LeCompte takes a penalty giving the Wildcats the first powerplay of the game.

Beck is going to take a scrub call to cover for the initial call on LeCompte with the call on Beck coming for a clean check.

4-on-4 hockey.

Foster is absolutely robbing UMass as they buzz around the open ice.

UMass out-shooting our 'Cats 4-2 at least.

11:25 to play in the first with a face-off coming in the UMass zone.

Kapstad takes a retaliatory penalty on another questionable call with another scrub call to cover for it against Marcou. Ugh.

Foster covering for mistakes with a couple great stops as the 'Cats continue to hand over the puck to UMass.

Quick powerplay. One brief chance and now back to even-strength.

Technically 0-for-2 on the powerplay with 47 seconds of total powerplay time.

Seems like our 'Cats are having trouble picking up on some juicy rebounds and now Meyers conveniently loses his helmet bringing a stop to play.

Some good pressure by Collins-Borisenok-Fortney but no pay-dirt.

4:38 to go in the first.

Shots are recorded as even at nine apiece but scoring chances are clearly tilted in favor of UMass.

DeSimone takes a penalty for some phantom roughing infraction, 'Cats on the penalty kill with 3:11 to go in the first.

Be sure to go vote for you favorite Wildcats (link below) during the intermission.

UMass goes 0-for-3 on the powerplay (and I use that term loosely)

:38 left in the first.

Before the end, yet another 'penalty' call on UMass with the UNH Powerplay probably looking to come back after the break but meanwhile UMass is all over our 'Cats and tempers are flaring now - we'll see what comes out of this when they return to action in the second.

End of First

Second Period

17:30 to play in the second with penalties coming as our Wildcats defend our goaltender after numerous instances of the Minutemen bowling into him.

More good chances for UMass off of interceptions (off of poor play)

UNH on the penaltykill.

Everything zeros around Hockey East.

Even-strength and some up and down play with UMass still getting the better of the chances.

So much for this game not looking like the first of the...

Butler from Kapstad off of a radical pass! Almost a hail-mary to Butler

1-0 'Cats!

Kapstad who they were discussing his impressive point totals before the game. Nice call.

Time of the goal 11:16.

van Riemsdyk now down deep in the offensive zone creating chances with shots from Fritsch and Sislo.

We're halfway there.

And suddenly ones sprout up everywhere. BC and Northeastern both take 1-0 leads.

Bad play by Dries and Krates at the offensive line leads to a UMass odd-man rush

1-1.

8:50 to play in the middle stanza.

Back on the penaltykill after Collins loses his stick and is whistled for an infraction.

6:39 to play in the second with one minute to kill on the penalty.

UMass picks up an interference call and now UNH will go on the powerplay.

And another exercise in futility. Dan is presenting an exciting call but it sounds like UMass is the better team right now and is certainly playing better hockey.

Fortney takes a high-sticking call and UMass goes back on the powerplay for what should just about close out the second period, 3:11 left.

Or not. Or more on the 'Cats. Delay of game on Dries - no idea why. 30 seconds of 5-on-3.

Sislo just out of the box (actually he came off the bench for the change with Fortney) walks in and scores his SECOND SHORTHANDED GOAL IN AS MANY GAMES with some great hustle!

2-1 'Cats!

Unbelievable. No question who takes Most Improved this season.

End of Second

Pete Webster must daylight as a fortune-teller as he was discussing the penalty-box placement next to the visitor bench in the Mullins Center which essentially led to the shorthanded goal.

Use the link below to vote for your favorite Wildcat players.

Foster has 22 saves after two.

Brian Foster gets an assist on the shorthanded goal!

I'm sure this will give way to some good-natured ribbing in the locker room as Brian gets his first point of the season before Jamie Fritsch and Damon Kipp! As well as a handfull of players who have only played a few games - wonder if they'll make him skate the gauntlet for that? Ha ha!

Pete and Dan are still talking and chuckling over Kapstad's play as befitting Tom Brady to Randy Moss.

Start of Third

Here we go. Down in the UMass end.

UMass fighting for it and rushing well still but stopped by the Wildcat defense and Foster.

Umass still controlling the play and negating Wildcat chances.

15:10 to play.

Little tighter play by the 'Cats and it translates into a chance for Moses from DeSimone.

To 4-on-4 play on hitting after the whistle calls.

Sislo makes a nice deke, dragging the toe, for a shot and save by Meyers.

9:53 to play and it is back to full-strength.

Shots are 28-25 UMass.

A chance for Thompson and the fourth line - saved by Meyers.

8:12 to play.

More back and forth play, just under 7 minutes to play.

Thompson hunting for his first goal tonight and draws the penalty but not the goal. It will come.

They're going with four forwards and Kessel, who was a converted forward to defenseman at one time, on the powerplay.

They are going to call an NHL-style interference penalty on Kapstad for standing up a UMass player after he dumped the puck.

4-on-4 to UMass powerplay.

4 minutes to play.

Shots now showing in favor of the 'Cats and UMass goes offside, 2:23 to play.

I've got to say that if this was a UFC fight the crowd would be booing as these two tough guys appear to just feel each other out and not really engage for fear of making a mistake.

Just over a minute to play.

Looking for the empty-net at the UMass end with :50 to play and a neutral zone faceoff at the UNH blueline after the Minuteman timeout.

UNH end faceoff with :37 to play.

Empty net.

with just a handful of seconds and UMass ties it with 4 seconds remaining off of a bad Kapstad clear.

2-2

End of Third

Stay tuned for overtime.

Overtime

Umass getting the early chances.

2:00.

Seems like our 'Cats have already settled for the tie which it seems they will be lucky to get.

1:00.

2-2.

Further proof that college hockey needs to adopt the shootout.

'night, Nation.


========================

Pre-Game

Dan and Pete are live streaming (link below) and should be announcing the starting lineup soon - I'll post it as soon as I hear it.

Thanks to Dan running it down one last time!

Pollastrone-van Riemsdyk-Sislo
Collins-LeBlanc-Butler
Dries-DeSimone-Moses
A.Thompson-Borisenok-Fortney

Kapstad-Kessel
Fritsch-Beck
Krates-Kipp

Brian Foster

----------------

Friday always comes on faster than you think and slower than you want!

Happy Friday game-day, Nation. Time to git-r-done.

Pluses and Minuses.

James van Riemsdyk and Blake Kessel doff the Red but keep the Blue and White after their stint representing America at the International Ice Hockey Federation's World Under 20 Championship. But senior Co-Captain, Joe Charlebois, will definitely be missed after it was announced Wednesday that he has been placed on academic suspension.

What Not to Expect.

As the Wildcats and the Minutemen finish off their season series this weekend we certainly can't take much from the preliminary match-up which proved to be just one more reason for college hockey to adopt the shootout. That game saw the contestants trade lone special teams' goals, a powerplay marker for UMass followed by a shorthand tally by James van Riemsdyk just over three minutes apart as the initial period waned which would mark the extent of the scoring.

So, Where's Waldo?

Look for quick skating and lots of shooting from two defense-first minded squads. With both teams vying hard for these crucial four points up for grabs this weekend I expect we will see plenty of scoring and maybe even some good, tough, old time hockey.

The Web Stream Media.

No main stream media this weekend. There are a couple options through the UMass Athletics page and their UNH counterparts tomorrow night which most have found less than satisfactory. I'll be turning to Dan Parkhurst and Pete Webster to illuminate the game for us through the UNH Sports Network. I find this live online stream to be the most convenient and hassle-free online audio.

Links.

College Hockey News' Tale of the Tape

Official Site of UNH Men's Hockey

Vote for your favorite Wildcats!

'Cats, Minutemen. Git-R-Done.

Go 'Cats!

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