UNH Recruits Update: Jan-28-2013

Tyler Kelleher (Photo: USA Hockey)

Player of the Week - Tyler Kelleher

Last week, 2013 UNH recruit Tyler Kelleher and the Under-18 team from the U.S. National Team Development Program continued their rigorous schedule of NCAA Division I and III games. So far this season, the NTDP team has been competitive, and then some, against some of the top college programs. They've tied Notre Dame, Minnesota, and UNH and defeated Michigan.

On Tuesday, Team USA visited Munn Ice Arena on the campus of Michigan State and shut the Spartans out 3-0. Tyler Kelleher and his linemates Evan Allen on left wing and Mike McCarron on right wing were on the ice for the game-winning goal. On Saturday, the U-18 NTDP team battled 2011 National Champions Minnesota Duluth. In the second period, Kelleher got the primary assist on a power play goal by McCarron, tying the game at 1-1. The Bulldogs pulled away in the third period winning 3-1. Kelleher had 2 shots on goal in the game.

So far this season, Team USA has played 15 games against Division I teams and has a record of 5 wins, 6 losses, and 4 ties. In these games, Tyler Kelleher has posted 4 goals and 4 assists.

Team USA has dominated the matchups against Division III teams winning 5 and losing none. On Sunday, Kelleher scored a hat trick as Team USA drubbed the University of Wisconsin-Superior 7-1. 2014 UNH recruit Shane Eiserman assisted on Team USA's final goal. In the 5 games against Division III teams, Kelleher has scored 7 goals and 4 assists.

Tyler Kelleher, who will enroll at UNH next fall, leads the U.S. National U-18 team in goals, assists, and points. In 39 games - 20 NCAA, 16 games against United States Hockey League teams, and 3 games in the Four Nations Tournament - Kelleher has scored at a point-a-game pace. He has posted 20 goals and 19 assists.

In USHL competition, Kelleher and his U-18 teammates have won 10 games and lost 6. Kelleher leads the team in scoring in the USHL games with 7 goals and 7 assists. Last season, Kelleher played on the U.S. National Under-17 team. The U-17 team plays half of Team USA's games against USHL teams while the U-18 plays the other half. In 36 USHL games, Tyler Kelleher was the leading goal scorer (17 goals) and scorer (30 points) on the NTDP U-17 team.

The last UNH player to lead a U.S. NTDP team in scoring was James van Riemsdyk. In the 2006-07 season, JvR scored 33 goals and 33 assists in 42 games for the U-18 team. UNH fans will recall that JvR was the second player drafted in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. Although Tyler Kelleher is the leading scorer on a team loaded with players projected to be drafted into the NHL this June, he is not currently on the NHL Central Scouting Service mid-term rankings. If not for Kelleher's below average height (5'6"), he, in all likelihood, would be a top round draft pick in the upcoming NHL draft.

Latest Statistics

NOTE: The statistics for the recruits, presented in the table, are categorized by the year the player and UNH coaches have targeted for enrollment in UNH. For example, the "2013 Recruits" have a target of the Fall of 2013 to begin playing for UNH.

Player	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM
2013 Recruits
Matias Cleland (D)	Waterloo	USHL	3	0	2	2	7
	Omaha Lancers	USHL	35	5	18	23	28
Tyler Kelleher (F)	USA U18 Team	USHL	16	7	7	14	8
	USA U18 Team	NCAA	20	11	8	19	16
Dylan Maller (D)	Tri-City Storm	USHL	37	1	3	4	33
Jordan Masters (F)	Jersey Hitmen	EJHL	15	2	5	7	27
Andrew Poturalski (F)	Cedar Rapids	USHL	28	6	12	18	21
2013 or '14 Recruit
Michael McNicholas (F)	Nanaimo Clippers	BCHL	35	10	22	32	6
2014 Recruits
Dylan Chanter (D)	Merritt Cents	BCHL	41	8	9	17	21
Adam Clark (G)	Salmon Arm	BCHL	27	13W	12L	2.57	.925
Shane Eiserman (F)	USA U18 Team	USHL	14	4	4	8	23
	USA U18 Team	NCAA	20	3	3	6	6
Cam Marks (D)	Coquitlam Express	BCHL	29	2	4	6	6
2014 or '15 Recruit
Jason Kalinowski (F)	Salisbury Prep	NEPSHC	13	7	15	22	-
2015 Recruits
Charlie Kelleher (F)	Junior Bruins U18	USEHL	38	9	10	19	8
Joseph Masonius (D)	Jersey Hitmen	EmpJHL	17	5	12	17	24
	Jersey Hitmen	EJHL	3	0	0	0	4
2015 or '16 Recruit
Liam Darcy (D)	Berwick Academy	NEPSHC	18	1	11	12	-
Patrick Grasso (F)	Des Moines	USHL	10	0	1	1	0
	Omaha Lancers U16	NAPHL	22	13	21	34	8
Brendan van Riemsdyk (F)	Jersey Devils U16	AYHL	21	13	11	24	50
	Christian Brothers	Jersey Prep	17	11	23	34	-

News & Notes

British Columbia Hockey League:

~ UNH's top goalie prospect, Adam Clark, continued his steady play for the Salmon Arm team in the BCHL. On Saturday, Clark stopped 33 out of 34 shots as the SilverBacks defeated the Chilliwack Chiefs 5-1. Clark earned the #2 Star of the Game. Adam Clark has the 4th best save percentage - .925 - among all BCHL goalies.

Eastern Junior Hockey League:

~ Last week, 15-year-old UNH recruit Joe Masonius played two more games with the Jersey Hitmen's EJHL team. Masonius turns 16 on February 17th. I'll post a "Recruit Profile" on the talented defenseman in the coming days.

Prep School Hockey:

~ 2015 or '16 recruit Liam Darcy added 3 assists to his scoring totals for Berwick Academy (8W-8L-1T) last week. In a 9-5 victory over Procter Academy, the future UNH defenseman posted 2 assists including one on the game-winning goal.

~ Last week, Brendan van Riemsdyk and the Christian Brothers Academy blitzed Howell 12-0 and Middletown South 11-1. BvR racked up 2 more goals and 5 more assists. He is now the 2nd leading scorer on CBA and has the most assists. CBA is currently in second place in the New Jersey Non-Public School Division.

UNH Recruits Update: Jan-21-2013

UNH Recruit Jason Kalinowski (Photo: Mike Lowry)

Player of the Week - Jason Kalinowski

UNH Recruit Jason Kalinowski (Photo: Mike Lowry)

DEERFIELD, MA - Last night, 6'0", 185 lbs. right winger Jason Kalinowski capped off a very productive week of prep school hockey with an exclamation point. Kalinowski and the Salisbury School Crimson Knights visited the classic hockey barn at Deerfield Academy and came away with a 2-1 overtime victory. Kalinowski, a senior, scored both Salisbury goals including the game-winner in overtime.

Kalinowski, who plays right wing on Salisbury's first power play unit, began the scoring early in the second period on a power play. He stole the puck from a Deerfield defender in the low slot and snapped a wrister beating goalie Adam Ellison (an Amherst College commit) over his right shoulder. It was Jason's 6th goal of the New England Prep School season, but he wasn't done yet.

Deerfield tied the game early in the third period. Salisbury's Head Coach Andrew Will sent out senior forwards Kalinowski, Liam McDermott, and Jacob Hand to begin the overtime. A half-minute into overtime, Kalinowski battled for a loose puck in the low slot and lifted a backhander over goalie Ellison's glove. It was Kalinowski's 3rd goal over a 4-game stretch last week. Since Jan. 14th, Salisbury had defeated Choate and Trinity-Pawling, tied Kent, and finally, beat Deerfield. Kalinowski also added 3 assists in these games including a helper on the overtime, game-winning goal against Choate.

In 11 regular season games, Jason Kalinowski has scored 7 goals. Though he missed 4 games early in the season, he is Salisbury's second-leading goal scorer (tied with Neil Robinson). So far, Jason has posted 20 points on 7 goals and 13 assists. He leads the 7th-ranked Salisbury team in assists and points. Kalinowski is the 7th leading scorer in New England Prep School hockey with an average of 1.82 points per game.

This is the first time I've seen Kalinowski play this season. I watched him play a few times last season on the Salisbury team and the Mid-Fairfield Midget team. Jason is noticably stronger and has grown into his 6-foot frame. Kalinowski is unlike any UNH forward in recent memory in that he plays a very physical game and loves to camp out all around the goalie's crease. His skill set includes:
~ He has a low-to-the-ice skating style and can really scoot.
~ Jason throws body checks along the boards and in open ice. Once he commits to a check, he stays with it until the opposing player has been taken out of the play.
~ In the offensive zone, he carries the puck strong to the net. When teammates are moving the puck around the perimeter, Jason often hovers in front of the goalie.
~ Once he is in the low slot, he bangs with his body and stick to maintain his position and is very difficult to push around.
~ Using his physicality, Jason is effective in one-on-one battles along the boards and in the corners.
~ On a couple occasions, Jason set up prime scoring opportunities with a perfect pass from behind the net.
~ Jason also plays on the first penalty kill unit for Salisbury.

Because the Salisbury School is located in northwestern Connecticut, the hockey team usually does not play games within easy driving distance of UNH. On Sunday February 10th at noon, Salisbury will play 6th-ranked Cushing Academy at UMass Amherst. Last year, this annual matchup was well attended by Division I coaches.

Latest Statistics

NOTE: The statistics for the recruits, presented in the table, are categorized by the year the player and UNH coaches have targeted for enrollment in UNH. For example, the "2013 Recruits" have a target of the Fall of 2013 to begin playing for UNH.

Player	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM
2013 Recruits
Matias Cleland (D)	Waterloo	USHL	3	0	2	2	7
	Omaha Lancers	USHL	33	5	17	22	24
Tyler Kelleher (F)	USA U18 Team	USHL	16	7	7	14	8
	USA U18 Team	NCAA	17	8	7	15	4
Dylan Maller (D)	Tri-City Storm	USHL	35	1	3	4	28
Jordan Masters (F)	Jersey Hitmen	EJHL	13	2	3	5	25
Andrew Poturalski (F)	Cedar Rapids	USHL	26	6	12	18	21
2013 or '14 Recruit
Michael McNicholas (F)	Nanaimo Clippers	BCHL	35	10	22	32	6
2014 Recruits
Dylan Chanter (D)	Merritt Cents	BCHL	37	8	8	16	19
Adam Clark (G)	Salmon Arm	BCHL	25	12W	11L	2.53	.926
Shane Eiserman (F)	USA U18 Team	USHL	14	4	4	8	23
	USA U18 Team	NCAA	17	3	2	5	6
Cam Marks (D)	Coquitlam Express	BCHL	27	2	4	6	6
2014 or '15 Recruit
Jason Kalinowski (F)	Salisbury Prep	NEPSHC	11	7	13	20	-
2015 Recruits
Charlie Kelleher (F)	Junior Bruins U18	USEHL	38	9	10	19	8
Joseph Masonius (D)	Jersey Hitmen	EmpJHL	17	5	12	17	24
	Jersey Hitmen	EJHL	1	0	0	0	2
2015 or '16 Recruit
Liam Darcy (D)	Berwick Academy	NEPSHC	15	1	8	9	-
Patrick Grasso (F)	Des Moines	USHL	10	0	1	1	0
	Omaha Lancers U16	NAPHL	22	13	21	34	8
Brendan van Riemsdyk (F)	Jersey Devils U16	AYHL	21	13	11	24	50
	Christian Brothers	Jersey Prep	15	9	18	27	-

News & Notes

United States Hockey League:

~ For his outstanding performance for the Tri-City Storm two weeks ago, 2013 recruit Dylan Maller was named the USHL Defenseman of the Week.

British Columbia Hockey League:

~ In the recently released, NHL Central Scouting Service "Midterm Rankings", 2014 recruit Adam Clark was #32 among North American goalies.

Eastern Junior Hockey League:

~ Last week, 15-year-old UNH recruit Joe Masonius was called up by the Jersey Hitmen to play in his first game in the EJHL. I had a chance to watch Masonius play in the Empire Junior Hockey League All-Star game on Monday. I'll post a profile on the talented defenseman in the coming days.

Prep School Hockey:

~ The BvR scoring train continues to roll along. During three wins for the Christian Brothers Academy last week, Brendan van Riemsdyk scored 3 goals and 3 assists. BvR scored the game-winning goal against Manalapan and assisted on the GWG against Don Bosco.

UNH Comeback Falls Short - Providence Wins 6-5

DURHAM, NH - Saturday evening was a golden opportunity for UNH and Providence College. With a win, UNH (Overall: 14-5-2; Hockey East: 9-4-1) might have improved their 3rd in the nation ranking as #2 BC was beaten by UMass 5-2 on Friday night.

PC (Overall: 10-9-3; Hockey East: 8-5-2) was coming off a 2-1 loss to a resurgent UMass-Lowell team on Thursday night. They needed a win to maintain a position in the top 4 of Hockey East. More importantly, PC wanted to move to within 1 point of UNH and to expunge a 17-game winless streak against UNH dating back to 2007.

Over the first 2 periods, UNH's trademark strengths - shutdown team defense and outstanding goaltending - were notably absent. PC smoked UNH for 4 unanswered goals. Casey DeSmith, the #1 goalie in Hockey East action in both save percentage and goals against, gave up 4 goals on only 15 shots on goal.

After the 4th PC goal, DeSmith was pulled from the game and replaced by Junior Jeff Wyer. The situation was eerily similar to the UNH-Denver game in which DeSmith was replaced by Wyer after giving up 3 goals on 8 shots on goal. Wyer backstopped UNH's come from behind, 6-4 win over Denver, allowing only 1 goal on 19 shots. This time around, Wyer kept UNH in the game but UNH's comeback fell one goal short as PC won 6-5.

Between The Lines
The Forward Lines & Defensive Pairings
~ NOTE: On the pregame gamesheet, UNH's 1st line of Speelman-Downing-Block was matched up against PC's first line of Jankowski-Schaller-Demopoulas. However, when the starting lineups were announced prior to the National Anthem, both teams' 2nd line had been moved up to start the game.
Since the home team has the final say on line changes, I assume PC head coach Nate Leaman tried to keep his 1st line away from UNH's 1st line but Coach Umile countered by also shifting his 1st two lines.
~ Starting Lineup: Maxim Gaudreault (LW) - Kevin Goumas (C) - John Henrion (RW); Brett Kostolansky (LD)- Connor Hardowa (RD); Casey DeSmith (Goalie)
~ Forward Lines: Speelman-Downing-Block; Correale-Camper-Willows; Sorkin-Pavelski-Thrush; Defensive Pairings: van Riemsdyk-Pesce; Knodel-Agosta.
~ This was the second game in a row with the reconfigured defensive pairings. It was the second game ever that the offensively gifted TvR and Pesce were together.
~ Junior Nick Sorkin returned to the lineup after breaking a bone in his hand in the Bemidji State game. Sorkin missed three games. He was playing with a cast on his hand.
~ Sorkin played left wing on the 4th line, Casey Thrush was shifted to right wing, and Scott Pavelski centered. Junior Jeff Silengo did not play.


Game Summary
First Period:
16:20 - Best UNH Opportunity of 1st Period:

On their first shift of the game, the Sorkin-Pavelski-Thrush line generated an excellent scoring opportunity. Thrush stole the puck from a defenseman in the UNH end, skated down the right wing of the neutral ice and into the PC zone. Thrush snapped a wrister from the top of the faceoff circle to the left of PC goalie Jon Gillies. The shot went just wide and bounced off the backwall.

Nick Sorkin gathered the puck off the backwall and backhanded a pass to Thrush behind the PC net. Thrush laid a centering, backhand pass to Scott Pavelski parked in the low slot.

Pavelski one-timed a wrist shot low to the ice. Gillies, who was sprawled on his stomach, managed to redirect the shot to the corner. At that point, UNH held a 4-2 advantage in shots on goal.

14:32 - PC Goal: Shane Luke (3rd goal of the season).

The Correale-Camper-Willows line, along with TvR and Pesce were on the ice. Correale gathered the puck along the halfwall and began to move the puck out of the UNH end. Correale attempted a backhand pass to Camper but it was intercepted by Ross Mauermann.

Luke collected the puck off the halfwall to the right of DeSmith and took it low toward the goalline. Freshman Brett Pesce looked like he would stay with Luke but Nick Saracino impeded Pesce's progress. An interference call on Saracino might have been justified but no call was made.

Meanwhile, DeSmith was hugging the right post, deep in his net. Luke shot a quick wrister from the hashmarks on the sidewall side of the faceoff circle. The shot beat DeSmith high on his glove side. Both Luke and DeSmith looked surprised by the outcome of a fairly innocent shot. PC 1, UNH 0.

8:10 - False Alarm:

UNH was on its first power play of the game. Demopoulas won a faceoff against John Henrion to the left of Gillies and the puck went into the corner. Parisi tried to clear the puck behind the PC net but freshman Maxim Gaudreault intercepted it and made a soft pass to Henrion at the top of the crease.

Henrion fired a one-timer at Gillies who was hugging the post with his left side. The shot actually hit the side of the net several inches from the post but the foghorn signalling a goal started to blare.

After a stoppage in play nearly 2 minutes later, the play was reviewed (the first of many referee reviews in the game) and, of course, the "no goal" was confirmed.

00:01 - A Near Miss by UNH:

In the final two minutes of the 1st period, UNH was on its second power play of the game. With the clock ticking down to the final few seconds, Trevor van Riemsdyk blasted a slap shot from the left point.

The shot glanced off PC defenseman Alex Velischek's skate and drifted to the low slot to Gillies' left. A wide-open Grayson Downing sent a forehand shot that slid directly across the crease behind a sprawling Gillies.

The puck may have glanced off the far post but it did not go in.

Shots on Goal at the end of the 1st period: UNH 13, PC 8.

Second Period:
The first 10 minutes of the second period was one of the worst stretches of play for UNH all season.

19:11 - PC Goal: Brandon Tanev (3rd goal of the season).

The puck was tapped across the redline in the direction of the UNH end. Luke and Senior Captain Connor Hardowa were in a footrace to reach the puck along the sidewall. Luke won the race.

Having gotten around Hardowa, Luke poked the puck into the corner to the right of DeSmith. Luke collected the puck and skated around the net behind DeSmith. Luke was still maintaining a full stride advantage over Hardowa.

Luke centered a pass to Tanev skating down the slot. Senior Alternate Captain Brett Kostolansky was protecting the crease in front of DeSmith and tried to intercept the pass but it got past him.

Tanev sent a forehand, one-timer between DeSmith pads. DeSmith was down on his knees in the butterfly position. PC 2, UNH 0.

During the entire game, Connor Hardowa was uncharacteristically off his game and usual skating pace. One wonders whether Hardowa was 100% healthy.

16:35 - PC Goal: Nick Saracino (3rd goal of the season).

With the Gaudreault-Goumas-Henrion line plus Hardowa and Kostolansky on the ice, Nick Saracino carried the puck across the UNH blueline. Hardowa, Kostolansky, and Goumas were in a solid backchecking position.

Saracino blew around Hardowa along the sidewall to the right of DeSmith. Kostolansky tried to skate over to cover Saracino but he was already at the bottom of the faceoff circle.

Saracino knived to the front of the crease, all alone, and beat DeSmith over his right leg pad and blocker. Again, DeSmith was on his knees in the butterfly position. PC 3, UNH 0.

11:31 - PC Goal: Derek Army (9th goal of the season).

At 13:08, Grayson Downing was penalized for holding an opponent's stick. That put one of UNH's most effective penalty killers in the penalty box.

UNH killed off the first minute and 1/2 without allowing a PC shot on goal.

After the puck went out of play, there was a faceoff to the right of DeSmith. Derek Army won the draw and tapped the puck to Saracino to his right. Saracino passed the puck back to Parisi at the left point.

Parisi passed cross-ice to Shamansky at the right point who skated the puck to the top of the faceoff circle to the left of DeSmith. Goumas came out to challenge him and Shamansky made a perfect pass to Army at the faceoff dot to the right of DeSmith.

Brett Pesce tried to block Army's wrist shot by falling to his knees but it went past him. DeSmith tried to slide from his left to right as the pass crossed the slot but Army beat DeSmith over his blocker. PC 4, UNH 0.

DeSmith was replaced by Jeff Wyer following the 4th goal.

A sidenote: Junior Derek Army, who is the leading goal scorer for PC is the son of former PC Head Coach Tim Army. Derek played for his father in his freshman season but Tim Army was fired at the end of that season and replaced by Nate Leaman.

9:08 - UNH Goal: John Henrion (8th goal of the season).
Assists: Kevin Goumas (20th assist of season), Justin Agosta (8th assist of season)

UNH finally got on the scoreboard halfway through the second period. The teams were playing 4-on-4 after matching penalties. Henrion, Goumas, Knodel and Agosta were on the ice for UNH.

Goumas and Henrion entered the PC zone. A galloping Goumas carried the puck along the halfwall gaining a step on the PC defender and skated it behind Gillies and the PC net.

Goumas came out the other side of the net and backhanded a terrific pass across the crease to Henrion at the bottom of the opposite faceoff circle. Henrion blasted a one-timer over the glove of Gillies. PC 4, UNH 1.

7:59 - PC Goal: Derek Army (10th goal of the season).

The teams were still playing 4-on-4. Block, Correale, Hardowa and TvR were on the ice.

TvR made an end-to-end rush into the PC zone but was bumped off the puck behind the PC net. He was trapped down low and PC broke out on a 4-on-3 rush.

Shamanski carried the puck to the top of the faceoff circle to the left of Jeff Wyer and made a cross-ice pass to a trailing Tom Parisi.

Parisi fired a wrister from the top of the slot and Wyer made an outstanding left pad save. However, Army and Kyle Murphy were left uncovered in front of Wyer and Army poked it home. PC 5, UNH 1.

2:57 - UNH Goal: Maxim Gaudreault (2nd goal of the season).
Assists: John Henrion (7th assist of season), Justin Agosta (9th assist of season)

UNH was on a power play with the Gaudreault-Goumas-Henrion line plus Agosta and Knodel on the ice. Goumas controlled the puck along the halfwall and sent a pass out to Knodel in the high slot.

Knodel teed up one of his patented slap shots and an unfortunate Stefan Demopoulos blocked it with his left hand. Demopoulas immediately dropped to the ice in severe pain but the play continued.

Knodel gathered the blocked shot and passed it to Agosta at the right point. Agosta made a nifty cross-ice pass to Henrion low in the faceoff circle to the right of Gillies.

Henrion one-timed the pass across to Gaudreault parked on the doorstep to the left of Gillies. Gaudreault banged it into the open net behind Gillies. PC 5, UNH 2.

Shots on Goal at the end of the 2nd period: UNH 27, PC 20.

Third Period:
UNH whittled away at PC's lead throughout the third and made it exciting at the end. Coach Umile moved Nick Sorkin from the 4th line up to left wing on the 1st line. Dalton Speelman was dropped down to the 4th line. The juggling lead to some UNH chances.

17:07 - UNH Goal: Dalton Speelman (5th goal of the season).
Assists: Casey Thrush (7th assist of season), Scott Pavelski (2nd assist of season)

The Speelman-Pavelski-Thrush controlled the puck in the PC end with effective cycling. Pavelski passed the puck from the corner out to Hardowa but he did not control the puck. It went over his stick and into the neutral zone.

Hardowa gathered it at the redline and made a cross-ice pass to Thrush at the left point. Thrush skated to the top of the faceoff circle to the right of Gillies and shot the puck into a cluster of players in front of Gillies.

Gillies made a save but the rebound went right back to Thrush who backhanded it toward Gillies. Gillies made another save but left the rebound in the crease.

Dalton Speelman batted at the puck twice and it went past Gillies. PC 5, UNH 3.

16:13 - PC Goal: Kyle Murphy (3rd goal of the season).

Less than a minute after UNH got to within 2 goals, PC regained a three-goal lead. Murphy head-manned a pass to Tanev at the UNH blueline. Tanev passed to Shamansky coming down the right wing.

Shamansky got around a back-checking Brett Pesce and fired on Wyer. The UNH goalie made the initial save but the rebound went out to an uncovered Murphy at the top of the crease. PC 6, UNH 3.

5:56 - UNH Goal: Casey Thrush (Unassisted. 3rd goal of the season).

Deep in the UNH zone, Derek Army sent a pass back up toward the blueline. It went by everybody and landed on the stick of Casey Thrush who had just jumped onto the ice.

Thrush raced down the left wing, waited for Gillies to go down, and lifted a wrister over Gillies blocker. PC 6, UNH 4.

00:13 - UNH Goal: Kevin Goumas (10th goal of the season)
Assists: Justin Agosta (10th assist of season), Eric Knodel (3rd assist of season)

UNH continued to pressure PC until the bitter end. With 1:52 left in the game, Jeff Wyer was pulled from the net for an extra UNH attacker. UNH controlled the puck for the remainder of the game and rattled off 4 more shots on goal.

With the remaining seconds ticking away, Knodel, who was positioned at the middle of the blueline, fed a pass to Agosta at the top of the faceoff circle to the right of Gillies.

Agosta made a spin move and backhanded a pass across the slot to a wide-open Kevin Goumas to the side of the net. Goumas poked it into the open left side of the net. PC 6, UNH 5.

Final Shots on Goal: UNH 42, PC 27.

Video highlights of some of the goals are available courtesy of UNHAthletics.

UNH's Brett Pesce Emerges as a Top NHL Prospect

UNH Defenseman Brett Pesce (Photo: College Hockey Inc.)

According to the Central Scouting Service (CSS) of the National Hockey League, UNH freshman defenseman Brett Pesce has advanced to the upper echelon of draft eligible players. Yesterday, the CSS released it's Midterm Rankings for the 2013 NHL draft to be held in the home of the New Jersey Devils on June 28th. Brett Pesce has risen all the way to #36 among all North American born skaters eligible for the draft. He is the top-ranked player currently playing in NCAA Division I.

The 2013 NHL Draft will involve 7 rounds with 30 players drafted in each round. Draft-eligible skaters and goalies from North American and Europe will be selected by the 30 NHL clubs. If the draft was held today, Pesce's 36th ranking would likely translate into a selection in the 2nd or 3rd round.

Ever since the regular season began in an early October series against St. Cloud, UNH has been drawing big crowds both home and away. Sprinkled among the fans have been numerous NHL scouts intent on evaluating the progress of potential draft picks. Before the season began, Brett Pesce was on the Central Scouting's radar but further out on the periphery. In September, the CSS preliminary "Players to Watch" rated Pesce as a "C" prospect meaning he was a candidate to be drafted somewhere in the 4th to 7th round.

Coach Umile has shown confidence in Brett Pesce's ability from the outset of the season. Though Pesce was still only 17-years-old - up until November 15th - he was a regular in UNH's six-man defensive rotation. In my game report following the preseason match against St. Francis Xavier, I noted a number of Pesce's strengths:

"Showing adept skating and agile stickwork, Pesce brought the puck into the offensive zone on a few occasions. Early in the 3rd period, Pesce rushed through the neutral zone and around the back of the St.FX goal before making a soft pass. In the defensive end, Pesce relied on his quick feet and stick in 1-on-1 situations - he didn't throw his body around."

Paired with second-year defenseman Eric Knodel, a 5th-round draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pesce played solidly through mid-November. Up until the trip out west to Colorado, Pesce had a +/- rating of 0 and had registered two shots on goal. On November 20th, the CSS released its "Preliminary Rankings" for the 2013 draft. Pesce was still listed as a "C" prospect.

After a tie against Colorado College and a dramatic come-from-behind win over 2nd-ranked Denver, UNH gained recognition on the national stage. Pesce's poised play was also being noticed. He posted his first assist in the NCAA against Colorado College and began to consistently register a shot on goal in each game. He scored his first college goal in UNH's third win of the season over UMass-Lowell.

Brett Pesce's confidence in his offensive abilities at the college level has grown throughout the first half of the season. When the opportunity arises, he doesn't hesitate to carry the puck out of the defensive zone and into the offensive end. When he is playing defense, Pesce demonstrates an uncanny ability to steal pucks and intercept passes with his stick. As Pesce continues to grow into his 6'3" frame, he is likely to become more of a physical player - just the type of prospect NHL teams covet.

UNH Recruits Update: Jan-14-2013

Player of the Week - Dylan Chanter

Last season, UNH recruit Dylan Chanter was one of only three 16-year-old defensemen to play the entire year in the British Columbia Hockey League. Chanter finished his rookie season with a very respectable 2 goals and 11 assists in 53 games. Now, at the ripe old age of 17, the 6'3", 195 lbs. member of the Merritt Centennials has become the leading goal scorer among all defensemen in the BCHL. To date, Chanter has posted 8 goals and 8 assists in 35 games. He is the second youngest player on the Cents' squad.

Dylan Chanter (Photo: Merritt Centennials)

Chanter moved to the top of the list of goal scorers last Friday night in a barn-burner between the Cents and the Coquitlam Express. Chanter scored his first goal of the night in the first period as the Cents went ahead 2-0. Coquitlam caught up and went ahead 4-3 early in the third period. With 9 minutes left in regulation, Chanter tied the game with his second goal of the game. The Cents lost the game in double overtime on a penalty shot goal. Chanter was awarded the #2 Star of the game. Merritt is currently in second place in the Interior Division of the BCHL.

Dylan Chanter is in his senior year in high school. When he made his verbal commitment to UNH last February, U.S. Hockey Report indicated that his target date for admission was the Fall of 2014.

Latest Statistics

NOTE: The statistics for the recruits, presented in the table, are categorized by the year the player and UNH coaches have targeted for enrollment in UNH. For example, the "2013 Recruits" have a target of the Fall of 2013 to begin playing for UNH.

Player	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM
2013 Recruits
Matias Cleland (D)	Waterloo	USHL	3	0	2	2	7
	Omaha Lancers	USHL	30	5	16	21	22
Tyler Kelleher (F)	USA U18 Team	USHL	14	7	7	14	8
	USA U18 Team	NCAA	17	8	7	15	4
Dylan Maller (D)	Tri-City Storm	USHL	33	1	2	3	24
Jordan Masters (F)	Jersey Hitmen	EJHL	11	2	2	4	25
Andrew Poturalski (F)	Cedar Rapids	USHL	23	6	9	15	19
2013 or '14 Recruit
Michael McNicholas (F)	Nanaimo Clippers	BCHL	35	10	22	32	6
2014 Recruits
Dylan Chanter (D)	Merritt Cents	BCHL	35	8	8	16	19
Adam Clark (G)	Salmon Arm	BCHL	25	12W	11L	2.53	.926
Shane Eiserman (F)	USA U18 Team	USHL	12	4	3	7	23
	USA U18 Team	NCAA	17	3	2	5	6
Cam Marks (D)	Coquitlam Express	BCHL	24	2	3	5	6
2014 or '15 Recruit
Jason Kalinowski (F)	Salisbury Prep	NEPSHC	8	4	9	13	-
2015 Recruits
Charlie Kelleher (F)	Junior Bruins U18	USEHL	38	9	10	19	8
Joseph Masonius (D)	Jersey Hitmen	EmpJHL	16	4	11	15	22
2015 or '16 Recruit
Liam Darcy (D)	Berwick Academy	NEPSHC	14	1	8	9	-
Patrick Grasso (F)	Des Moines	USHL	10	0	1	1	0
	Omaha Lancers U16	NAPHL	17	12	19	31	8
Brendan van Riemsdyk (F)	Jersey Devils U16	AYHL	21	13	11	24	50
	Christian Brothers	Jersey Prep	12	6	15	21	-

News & Notes

British Columbia Hockey League:

~ 2014 recruit Cam Marks returned to the Coquitlam Express' lineup on January 4th. The defenseman had missed 15 games with a broken bone in his foot.

United States Hockey League:

~ In the first of back-to-back games between the Tri-City Storm and Fargo Force, 2013 recruit Dylan Maller scored his first goal of the season in a 3-5 losing effort. The next night, Maller posted an assist and a +/- rating of +3 as Tri-City won 5-2.

~ 2013 recruit Andrew Poturalski of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders has scored 2 goals over his last 3 games.

Prep School Hockey:

~ Liam Darcy, a 2015 or '16 recruit, scored his first goal of the season as Berwick Academy defeated North Yarmouth Academy 10-0. The goal came on a power play. Darcy added 2 assists including the set-up for the game-winning goal.

~ Brendan van Riemsdyk had another big week. Playing for his high school team, the Christian Brothers Academy, BvR scored 2 goals and 2 assists in a 13-3 win over Freehold. Against CBA's arch rivals Delbarton, BvR scored the game-tying goal with less than 2 minutes remaining in regulation (see this video highlight). BvR also scored a goal and assist for his Midget U-16 team, the New Jersey Devils Youth in a5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Little Flyers.

UNH Complete Game Victory Over BC: Update

DURHAM, NH - On Saturday evening, patience and determination paid off for both UNH and sophomore winger Matt Willows. UNH defeated the Boston College Eagles 2-1 in an electrified Whittemore Center filled to the promenade walls with college hockey fans. Willows scored the first goal of his college career, faking BC goalie Parker Milner with a hesitation move and lifting the puck into the net. The goal put UNH ahead 1-0 with 47 seconds remaining in the second period.

BC tied the game midway through the final period, capitalizing on a misplayed clearing pass in the UNH zone. Senior John Henrion potted the game-winning goal on a power play with 4:48 left in the game. Henrion buried a rebound off a blast from the blueline by second-year defenseman Justin Agosta.

With the split in the home-and-home series, UNH (Overall: 14-4-2; Hockey East: 9-3-1) and BC (Overall: 13-4-2; Hockey East: 10-3-1) ended the weekend with nearly identical records. BC's loses in Hockey East have come against Northeastern, BU, and UNH. UNH has lost to UMass, BU and BC.

Between The Lines
The Forward Lines & Defensive Pairings
~ Starting Lineup: Dalton Speelman (LW) - Grayson Downing (C) - Austin Block (RW); Brett Kostolansky (LD)- Connor Hardowa (RD); Casey DeSmith (Goalie)
~ Forward Lines: Gaudreault-Goumas-Henrion; Correale-Camper-Willows; Thrush-Pavelski-Silengo; Defensive Pairings: van Riemsdyk-Pesce; Knodel-Agosta.
~ In Friday night's game against BC, senior Alternate Captain absorbed a big hit in the second period. He was out of the lineup tonight with a reported head injury.
~ Kevin Goumas returned to the familiar position of center, between Gaudreault and Henrion, on the second line.
~ Junior Jeff Silengo joined Casey Thrush and Scott Pavelski on the 4th line.
~ One interesting change in the defensive pairings - senior Alternate Captain Brett Kostolansky joined Captain Connor Hardowa on the first pairing. Presumably, the UNH coaches wanted the defensive-minded Kostolansky on the ice against BC's first line of Gaudreau-Mullane-Whitney.
~ Kostolansky's move set up an intriguing pairing of sophomore Trevor van Riemsdyk and freshman Brett Pesce. Both are known for their offensive skills.
~ Eric Knodel and Justin Agosta were reunited. They have played together in numerous games over their first two seasons with UNH.

Game Summary
First Period:
Although there was no scoring in the opening period, each team had a prime scoring opportunity.

15:50 - BC's Best Opportunity:

BC defenseman Michael Matheson picked up a loose puck in the slot in front of BC goalie Parker Milner and made a long-distance pass across the BC blueline and redline to Johnny Gaudreau. Gaudreau has a tendency to be the first BC player out of the BC zone on breakouts.

Gaudreau gathered the puck just before crossing the UNH blueline. He was a stride ahead of Kostolansky on one side of him and Hardowa on the other.

Gaudreau (given the nickname "Johnny Hockey" on the NESN coverage the night before) carried the puck down the throat of the slot toward UNH goalie Casey DeSmith.

After the game on Friday night, I noted that Gaudreau appears to have a tendency to bring the puck to his backhand when passing or shooting on goal. That's what happened on this breakaway rush. Just past the hashmarks on the faceoff circles, Gaudreau drew the puck from his forehand to his backhand and attempted to lift a backhand shot over DeSmith's glove.

On this occasion, DeSmith was ready for Gaudreau's maneuver. He quickly gloved the puck which was headed for the top corner of the net. A Grade A scoring opportunity and A+ save by DeSmith.

4:40 - UNH's Best Opportunity:

Kevin Goumas pressured BC defenseman Patrick Wey below the BC goalline. Wey attempted a breakout pass to Brendan Silk at the BC blueline.

Senior John Henrion, who had just jumped onto the ice on a line change, stole the puck from Wey and launched a slap shot from the top of the faceoff circle to the right of Milner.

Milner had difficulty making the save with his right leg pad. The puck got past him and dribbled just wide of the post to his right. At that juncture, UNH had 8 shots on goal while BC had 5.

Shots on Goal at the end of the 1st period: UNH 9, BC 10.

Second Period:
As soon as the puck dropped to begin the period, UNH sent a message that they'd be applying offensive pressure. On the first shift, Kostolansky stole the puck along the halfboards in the UNH zone and laid a perfect pass to Austin Block just over the redline.

Block carried the puck over the BC blueline and made a nifty backhand, behind-the-back pass to Dalton Speelman rushing down the left wing.

Speelman zipped through the faceoff circle to the right of Milner and snapped a wrist shot which hit the post over Milner's left shoulder.

6:43 - The Blind-Sided, Cheap Shot by Michael Matheson

The turning point in the game happened just after UNH had completed a power play which resulted from a hitting from behind penalty to freshman BC defenseman Michael Matheson. Entering the game, Matheson was the most penalized player on the BC squad with 11 penalties in 18 games. Kevin Goumas had helped UNH move the puck crisply while Matheson was in the penalty box.

Up until that point, the game had been played fairly evenly with UNH holding a slight SOG advantage of 12-11.

Immediately after leaving the penalty box, Matheson took 2 strides, raised his left elbow up, and hit Goumas in the right-side of his head from behind. Goumas had just made a touch pass to Maxim Gaudreault in the neutral zone and was looking toward the center of the ice.

Goumas spun around, with his legs flying out, and dropped forward onto the ice. On his knees, Goumas bent over, and held his head with both hands. After being attended to by the UNH trainer for several minutes, Goumas shakily got up and slowly walked to the bench.

Matheson was penalized with a 5-minute major and kicked out of the game.

The trainer continued to work on Goumas on the bench. Goumas was holding and rubbing the right-side of his neck where it meets the right shoulder.

One minute into the UNH power play, Goumas returned to action. With 2 and 1/2 minutes left on the man-advantage, Goumas was playing the puck along the half-wall and was hit from behind by Kevin Hayes. UNH gained a 2-man advantage.

With a minute and a half left on the 5-on-3, Austin Block fired a quick slapshot from the bottom of the faceoff circle to the right of Milner. The shot hit Milner squarely in the chest and he was obviously in pain. A few seconds later, he covered up a loose puck in the crease then laid on his stomach for about a minute. He appeared to be winded.

Immediately before the 2-man advantage expired, Agosta sent a pass from the top of the slot to Henrion deep in the faceoff circle to the right of Milner. Henrion fired a one-timer which hit the post to Milner's right.

Though the 5-minute major ended without UNH scoring, they reeled off 11 shots on goal.

00:47 - UNH Goal: Matt Willows (1st NCAA goal).
Assists: Dan Correale (5th assist of season), Brett Kostolansky (4th assist of season)

The energy line of Correale-Camper-Willows has generated productive shifts for UNH ever since they were created in the victory over Bemidji State. This time out, they provided the biggest lift so far this season.

The play began with Correale poking the puck up the halfwall in the BC zone to Willows. He skated the puck over the redline and chipped it along the boards in front of the UNH bench to Correale.

Correale won the 1-on-1 battle for the puck against defenseman Patrick Wey and skated around him in the corner to the left of Milner. Correale skated along the goalline and dropped a perfect backhand pass to Willows who was wide open at the top of the crease.

Willows dragged the puck laterally to Milner's right, waited for him to go down, and lifted the puck into the upper right corner of the net. UNH 1, BC 0.

Shots on Goal after two periods: UNH 30, BC 13.

Third Period:
12:03 - BC Goal: Brooks Dyroff (1st goal of the season).

The C-C-W line, along with Agosta and Knodel, controlled the puck in the BC end for an extended period. When BC finally gained the puck, they dumped it into the UNH end to the right of Casey DeSmith.

Agosta sent the puck around the dasher behind the net and around the corner to DeSmith's left. Correale stopped the puck along the halfwall; there were no BC players near him.

Correale nonchalantly laid a backhand pass behind him toward the top of the faceoff circle. The puck went behind Jay Camper who was heading out of the zone. The puck lazily floated to an unsuspecting Dyroff near the middle of the slot and he smashed a slapshot over DeSmith's glove. UNH 1, BC 1.

4:48 - UNH Goal: John Henrion (7th goal of the season).
Assists: Justin Agosta (7th assist of season), Kevin Goumas (19th assist of season)

With 5 minutes left in the game, Kevin Hayes was penalized for tripping Austin Block who was flying in alone on Milner. Coach Umile sent out the Gaudreault-Goumas-Henrion line along with Agosta and Knodel.

Henrion won the faceoff to the left of Milner. Goumas picked up the puck at the side of the faceoff circle and passed it back to Agosta at the right point.

Agosta passed the back along the blueline to Knodel who returned it to Agosta. He passed the puck to Goumas near the outside hashmarks of the faceoff circle.

Goumas one-timed the pass back to Agosta at the top of the slot and he unloaded a slap shot. Milner made the initial save but left the rebound in the crease. Henrion banged it home for the game-winning goal.

Final Shots on Goal: UNH 39, BC 23.

Points of Interest
~ This is the first game this season that all three members of the starting line of Gaudreau-Mullane-Whitney have been held scoreless.

~ UNH returns to action next Saturday night against Providence College at the Whittemore Center. Providence is currently only 3 points behind UNH in the Hockey East Standing.

~ Video highlights of last night's game courtesy of UNHWildcats.com.

UNH Complete Game Victory Over BC

DURHAM, NH - This evening, patience and determination paid off for both UNH and sophomore winger Matt Willows. UNH defeated the Boston College Eagles 2-1 in an electrified Whittemore Center filled to the promenade walls with college hockey fans. Willows scored the first goal of his college career, faking BC goalie Parker Milner with a hesitation move and lifting the puck into the net. The goal put UNH ahead 1-0 with 47 seconds remaining in the second period.

BC tied the game midway through the final period, capitalizing on a misplayed clearing pass in the UNH zone. Senior John Henrion potted the game-winning goal on a power play with 4:48 left in the game. Henrion buried a rebound off a blast from the blueline by second-year defenseman Justin Agosta.

I'll provide more details of UNH's convincing win tomorrow. For now, here are the video highlights courtesy of UNHWildcats.com.

#4 UNH Falls to #2 BC

For the opening 13 minutes of their first matchup of the 2012-13 season, UNH (Overall: 13-4-2; Hockey East: 8-3-1) got the better of Boston College (Overall: 13-3-2; Hockey East: 10-2-1) in territorial play, shots on goal (7-3), and on the scoreboard (1-0). However, 5 unanswered goals by BC over the remainder of the first period and in the second period put the game out of reach. BC's top two lines, including former Northeastern University recruit Johnny Gaudreau, generated the bulk of the offense. Breakdowns in UNH's defensive coverage were costly.

Between The Lines
The Forward Lines & Defensive Pairings
~ Starting Lineup: Dalton Speelman (LW) - Grayson Downing (C) - Austin Block (RW); Trevor van Riemsdyk (LD)- Connor Hardowa (RD); Casey DeSmith (Goalie)
~ Forward Lines: Goumas-Burke-Henrion; Correale-Camper-Willows; Thrush-Pavelski-Gaudreault; Defensive Pairings: Kostolansky-Agosta; Knodel-Pesce.
~ The UNH lineup was nearly identical to the RPI game. The first two forward lines remained in tact as did the three defensive pairings.
~ The Correale-Camper-Willows line moved from the fourth line up to the third line
~ Freshman Maxim Gaudreault replaced Jeff Silengo on the line with Casey Thrush and Scott Pavelski.

Scoring Details
First Period:
11:06 - UNH Goal: Jay Camper (2nd goal of the season).
Assist: Matt Willows (4th assist of season).

Freshman defenseman Brett Pesce initiated the scoring play. He carried the puck from the UNH blueline through the neutral zone, weaving his way around BC defenders. Just before crossing the BC blueline, Pesce backhanded the puck around the dasher to the right of BC goalie Parker Milner.

BC defenseman Patrick Wey gathered the puck in the corner and skated it behind the BC net. Matt Willows forechecked Wey, stole the puck and quickly fed Camper at the top of the crease. Camper one-timed the puck just over Milner's left pad. UNH 1, BC 0.

6:31 - BC Goal: Kevin Hayes (6th goal of the season).
Assists: Bill Arnold, Destry Straight.

UNH had its first serious defensive breakdown of the game. Hayes carried the puck across the center of the UNH blueline. Both Pesce and Eric Knodel were in position in front of Hayes. Knodel attempted to poke check the puck away from Hayes which allowed Bill Arnold to slip into the UNH zone along the right wing. Hayes passed to Arnold who gained a step on Pesce and carried the puck behind the UNH net.

Some of the goals UNH has allowed since the Dartmouth game have come in similar situations with an opposing forward controlling the puck behind the UNH net. Once again, the UNH defense was not able to effectively cover a player left open in the low slot.

Arnold circled around the net to the right of goalie Casey DeSmith, then centered a pass intended for Straight in the low slot. Knodel and a back-checking Grayson Downing sandwiched Straight, preventing him from banging home the pass. However, that left Hayes wide open as he entered the low slot. Dalton Speelman might have been in a position to cover Hayes but was moving away from the net apparently preparing to break the puck out of the UNH zone.

The centering pass by Arnold slipped past the covered Straight but went right to Hayes who beat DeSmith with a one-timer high over DeSmith's glove. Game tied UNH 1, BC 1.

2:18 - BC Goal: Pat Mullane (9th goal of the season).
Assists: Johnny Gaudreau, Steve Whitney.

UNH's second line of Goumas-Burke-Henrion did an effective job of pressuring BC deep in the BC end but got caught too deep when Henrion tried to bang home a rebound left by Milner. The puck bounced to Mullane who quickly head manned the puck to Whitney breaking out of the BC zone on the right wing. This lead to a 3-on-2 BC break through center ice. All 3 UNH forwards were behind the play and unable to catch up.

Whitney flipped a pass just over the stick of a back-checking TvR to Gaudreau. He broke between TvR and Connor Hardowa through the faceoff circle to the left of DeSmith.

Hardowa tried to reach out and poke check the puck away from Gaudreau but could not reach it. Without looking behind him, Gaudreau flipped a back-hand pass just over Hardowa's stick to a trailing Pat Mullane. Greg Burke had nearly caught up to Mullane but was a stride behind him. Mullane beat DeSmith to the stick side with a one-timer from the hashmarks of the faceoff circle. BC 2, UNH 1.

Shots on Goal for the 1st period: UNH 11, BC 9.

Second Period:
14:59 - BC Goal: Johnny Gaudreau (12th goal of the season).
Assists: Destry Straight, Parker Milner.

BC goalie Parker Milner caught UNH on a slow line change. He passed the puck up to Straight at the BC blueline. Gaudreau was hovering around the redline. Eric Knodel had come onto the ice on a line change and was in position but Brett Pesce was just coming off the UNH bench.

Straight advanced the puck to Gaudreau breaking into the UNH zone behind Knodel. Pesce was several strides behind Gaudreau and very nearly caught up to him. Gaudreau carried the puck down the slot and lifted a backhand shot just beyond the reach of Pesce.

Casey DeSmith was, uncharacteristically, slightly out of position leaving a small opening between himself and the post to his left. Gaudreau's backhand beat DeSmith high to the glove side. BC 3, UNH 1.

4:17 - BC Goal: Pat Mullane (10th goal of the season).
Assists: Johnny Gaudreau, Steve Whitney.

The Greg Burke line with Knodel at left defense and Pesce at right defense were controlling the puck in the BC zone. Burke dug the puck out behind the BC net and tried to center a backhand pass. The puck deflected off the back of the net. Mullane gathered the puck behind the goal line and threaded a pass between Henrion and Goumas to Gaudreau who was breaking out of the zone. Gaudreau touch-passed the puck to Whitney.

Whitney on the right wing and Gaudreau up the middle advanced through center ice with Knodel and Pesce in position in front of them. Whitney tried to break around Knodel at the faceoff circle to the left of DeSmith but Knodel effectively poke checked the puck to the backboards.

Whitney fell down and Gaudreau gathered the puck in the corner. Kevin Goumas, who was backchecking, was a few strides away from Gaudreau and that was all the room he needed. Gaudreau centered a pass to Mullane who had snuck in behind John Henrion. Mullane beat DeSmith over his blocker with a one-timer. BC 4, UNH 1.

:15 - BC Goal: Bill Arnold (9th goal of the season).
Assist: Kevin Hayes.

With the final seconds of the second period ticking away, Kevin Hayes harmlessly dumped the puck into the UNH corner to the left of DeSmith. Knodel back-handed the puck off the end boards to Hardowa who advanced the puck to Camper near the UNH blueline.

Hayes stole the puck from Camper and skated into the faceoff circle to the right of DeSmith. Hayes broke around Knodel and started to skate behind the UNH net. Hayes centered a pass to Arnold in the low slot. Arnold was slightly out of the reach of a back-checking Camper. Arnold knocked the puck up over DeSmith's left shoulder. BC 5, UNH 1.

Shots on Goal at the end of two periods: UNH 20, BC 17.

Third Period:
Junior UNH goaltender Jeff Wyer replaced Casey DeSmith who had made 12 saves on 17 shots over the first two periods.

Coach Umile also sent out a new, second line combination with Kevin Goumas at center, Maxim Gaudreault at left wing and Henrion on right wing. Goumas had not played center in the previous game against RPI. Before that, Goumas seemed to thrive at center which gave him plenty of room to maneuver the puck in the offensive zone.

19:23 - UNH Goal: Kevin Goumas (9th goal of the season).
Assists: Brett Pesce (2nd assist of season), John Henrion (6th assist of season)

UNH capitalized on a fortunate bounce just seconds into the final period. The Goumas line was on the ice with Pesce at right defense and Knodel at left defense. Henrion won a faceoff at the dot to the left of goalie Milner. Henrion drew the puck back to Pesce at the right point. Pesce skated the puck to the middle of the blueline and sent a wrister toward the net.

Pesce's shot deflected off the right hand of Gaudreault who had raised his stick and hand as a shield against the rising shot. The puck dropped in front of Goumas who snapped a wrister over Milner's glove hand. BC 5, UNH 2.

UNH outshot BC 13-8 in the final period and got back to playing a tighter team defense. However, they were not able to get another one past Milner.

Final Shots on Goal: UNH 33, BC 25.

Points of Interest
~ In the first half of the season, UNH's team defense was among the best in all of NCAA Division I. During the middle portion of the first matchup against BC, UNH forwards were less effective at back-checking and covering plays down low in the UNH zone. Look for defensive play to tighten up in the rematch at the Whittemore Center.

~ Johnny Gaudreau, who seriously considered committing to UNH, is obviously a unique talent. His performance so far this season with BC and with Team USA in the World Junior Championship has been excellent. If last night's game is any indication of Gaudreau style, then he seems to have a preference for passing and shooting the puck with his backhand. He's extraordinarily proficient at this but it also might telegraph a strategy for defending against him. He may be like the elite basketball player who tends to drive and shoot to one side. Perhaps UNH would be more effective defending against Gaudreau if they focused on his backhand.

~ UNH star goalie Casey DeSmith was a little bit off his game last night. He, along with the UNH defense, gave up the most goals in a single game this season. Look for DeSmith to bounce back, as he often does.

~ The rematch between UNH and BC at the Whittemore Center Saturday night has been sold out for days - even with the students on semester break. The Whitt will, no doubt, be rocking.

~ Video highlights from last night's game.

UNH Recruits Update: Jan-7-2013

Player of the Week - Joe Masonius

2015 UNH recruit Joe Masonius is a month shy of his 16th birthday yet he is excelling in a league made up primarily of 17 and 18-year-old players. Over the weekend, the 6'0", 170 lbs. defenseman for the Jersey Hitmen of the Empire Junior Hockey League posted impressive numbers at the 2013 Winter Showcase in Marlborough, MA. On Friday, Masonius scored a goal and an assist in the Hitmen's 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Juniors. On Saturday, he scored another goal as the Hitmen tied the Atlanta Knights 3-3 in regulation. The Hitmen when on to win the shootout.

In 14 games with the Hitmen's Empire League team, Masonius has scored at a point-a-game pace. He is the team's 5th leading scorer with 4 goals and 10 assists. Masonius has been chosen for the Empire League All-Star Event which will be held on January 20 and 21 at the Tri-Town Ice Arena in Hooksett, NH. It's an opportunity for UNH fans to hop over and watch one of UNH's youngest recruits.

In the press release announcing Masonius' selection to the Empire All-Stars, Jersey Hitmen head coach Chris Barling described his star defenseman:

"Masonius, a ’97 born defenseman from Spring Lake, New Jersey, is the team’s youngest player, and one of the most vital to the team’s success. With a hockey IQ beyond his years the University of New Hampshire recruit has posted a 2-9-11 line in ten games played this season. Defensively solid and offensively gifted, Masonius has established himself as one of the top pro prospects in the area."

Latest Statistics

NOTE: The statistics for the recruits, presented in the table, are categorized by the year the player and UNH coaches have targeted for enrollment in UNH. For example, the "2013 Recruits" have a target of the Fall of 2013 to begin playing for UNH.

Player	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM
2013 Recruits
Matias Cleland (D)	Waterloo	USHL	3	0	2	2	7
	Omaha Lancers	USHL	28	5	16	21	18
Tyler Kelleher (F)	USA U18 Team	USHL	14	7	7	14	8
	USA U18 Team	NCAA	15	8	6	14	4
Dylan Maller (D)	Tri-City Storm	USHL	31	0	1	1	24
Jordan Masters (F)	Jersey Hitmen	EJHL	9	2	2	4	23
Andrew Poturalski (F)	Cedar Rapids	USHL	21	5	9	14	19
2013 or '14 Recruit
Michael McNicholas (F)	Nanaimo Clippers	BCHL	35	10	22	32	6
2014 Recruits
Dylan Chanter (D)	Merritt Cents	BCHL	34	6	8	14	19
Adam Clark (G)	Salmon Arm	BCHL	23	12W	9L	2.40	.928
Shane Eiserman (F)	USA U18 Team	USHL	12	4	3	7	23
	USA U18 Team	NCAA	15	3	1	4	6
Cam Marks (D)	Coquitlam Express	BCHL	20	2	3	5	4
2014 or '15 Recruit
Jason Kalinowski (F)	Salisbury Prep	NEPSHC	6	3	9	12	-
2015 Recruits
Charlie Kelleher (F)	Junior Bruins U18	USEHL	38	9	10	19	8
Joseph Masonius (D)	Jersey Hitmen	EmpJHL	14	4	10	14	20
2015 or '16 Recruit
Liam Darcy (D)	Berwick Academy	NEPSHC	12	0	5	5	-
Patrick Grasso (F)	Des Moines	USHL	10	0	1	1	0
	Omaha Lancers U16	NAPHL	17	13	17	30	8
Brendan van Riemsdyk (F)	Jersey Devils U16	AYHL	20	12	10	22	50
	Christian Brothers	Jersey Prep	10	3	13	16	-

News & Notes

British Columbia Hockey League:

~ 2013 or '14 recruit Michael McNicholas broke a bone in his lower leg in Nanaimo's game against Prince George. Following surgery and rehabilitation, he may return to the Clippers' lineup in as little as 6 weeks. McNicholas has been having an outstanding season posting 32 points in 35 games. Prior to his injury, he was the third leading scorer on the Clippers. His 22 assists put him in 8th place among all BCHL players.

~ 2014 recruit Adam Clark has won his last 3 games with the Salmon Arm SilverBacks allowing a total of only 5 goals. In those games, Clark made 30, 30, and 37 saves. He now has the 6th best goals against average (2.40) among BCHL goalies and is tied for 2nd in save percentage (.928).

United States Hockey League:

~ 2013 recruit Andrew Poturalski played one of his most productive games of the season on Saturday night in a 6-1 win over the Waterloo Black Hawks. Poturalski had a goal and 2 assists.

Team USA:

~ Tyler Kelleher, Shane Eiserman, and the U.S. National Team Development Program U-18 team defeated the Michigan Wolverines 5-3 on Friday night. Both scored an assist in the big victory. The next night, Team USA beat the Milwaukee School of Engineering 7-2. Kelleher scored 2 goals and an assist. In their last 10 games against NCAA Division I and III schools, U.S. Under-18 team has won 7 and tied 3.