UNH Recruits Update: Oct-29-2013

Shane Eiserman
2014 UNH Recruit

Player of the Week - Shane Eiserman

In his final season of junior hockey, power forward Shane Eiserman is off to a fast start. As he completes his senior year in high school, Eiserman is competing for the Dubuque Fighting Saints - the defending USHL Champions. Last Friday, Shane assisted on Dubuque's game-winning goal in a 6-2 win over the Chicago Steel. He also assisted on the first goal of the game. On Saturday, Eiserman scored an unassisted goal to put the Fighting Saints ahead 3-1 against the Indiana Ice. He also assisted on the second goal. The Ice stormed back to win 5-3.

Dubuque is also off to a fast start with a record of 7 wins and 1 loss, good enough for the best winning percentage in the USHL. Eiserman's 2 goals and 4 assists in 8 games ties him for the lead in scoring on a talented Fighting Saints' squad.

Last season, Eiserman wore the USA uniform as a member of the U.S. National Team Development Program Under-18 team. Shane is from West Newbury, Massachusetts, just 30 miles south of the UNH campus. Next week, Shane will represent his country once again in the 2013 World Junior A Challenge in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. The Challenge is organized by Hockey Canada. Team USA will compete against two Junior A teams from Canada as well as teams from Russia, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland. The U.S. team won the 2012 World Junior A Challenge.

A number of current and former UNH players have represented their country in previous World Junior A Challenges. Former UNH captain Damon Kipp played for Canada West in 2006, the inaugural year of the tourney, and 2007. Junior Grayson Downing represented Canada West in 2009 and 2010. Former UNH players Blake Kessel and Greg Burke played for Team USA in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Nick Sorkin played in the 2009 event.

In the 2010 World Junior A Challenge, Team USA fell behind 1-4 to Canada East. Current UNH goalie Casey DeSmith, who played for the Indiana Ice of the USHL at the time, replaced the USA's starting goalie 5 minutes into the second period. DeSmith backstopped a come from behind victory as he stopped all 8 shots he faced and Team USA charged back to win 6-4.

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 "2014 Recruits" have a target of the Fall of 2014 to begin playing for UNH.

Player	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM
2014 Recruits
Dylan Chanter  (D)	Dubuque Fighting Saints	USHL	1	0	0	0	0
Adam Clark  (G)	Salmon Arm SilverBacks	BCHL	11	5W	4L	3.03	.908
Shane Eiserman  (F)	Dubuque Fighting Saints	USHL	8	2	4	6	17
John Furgele  (D)	Jersey Hitmen	USPHL	13	3	7	10	6
Cameron Marks  (D)	Coquitlam Express	BCHL	17	1	7	8	2
Michael McNicholas  (F)	Vernon Vipers	BCHL	19	7	12	19	10
Andrew Poturalski  (F)	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders	USHL	7	5	8	13	4
Jason Salvaggio  (F)	Indiana Ice	USHL	8	1	1	2	4
2015 Recruits
Rich Boyd  (D)	Cushing Academy	NEPSHC	-	-	-	-	-
Warren Foegele  (F)	St. Andrews College	CISAA/MPHL	-	-	-	-	-
Jason Kalinowski  (F)	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders	USHL	7	3	9	12	18
Charlie Kelleher  (F)	Junior Bruins 18U	USPHL 18U	9	1	1	2	2
Joseph Masonius  (D)	USA U17 Team	USHL	5	0	0	0	10
Danny Tirone  (G)	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders	USHL	2	2W	0L	2.00	.927
2015 or '16 Recruit
Liam Darcy  (D)	Berwick Academy	NEPSHC	-	-	-	-	-
Patrick Grasso  (F)	Des Moines Bucs	USHL	10	2	2	4	2
Aaron O'Neill  (F)	Green Bay Gamblers	USHL	5	0	1	1	0
Ara Nazarian  (F)	Malden Catholic	Mass HS	-	-	-	-	-
Nick Nonis  (D)	Governor's Academy	NEPSHC	-	-	-	-	-
Brendan van Riemsdyk   (F)	Jersey Hitmen 18U	USPHL 18U	1	0	1	1	0
2016 Recruits
Marcus Vela  (F)	Langley Rivermen	BCHL	17	1	2	3	10

2016 UNH Recruit Marcus Vela
(Photo: Garrett James Photography)

News & Notes

British Columbia Hockey League:

~ UNH's newest recruit, Marcus Vela (DOB: 3-3-1997) scored his first BCHL goal last Thursday. Vela scored the 6th goal of the game for the Langley Rivermen in a 12-2 victory over the Coquitlam Express.

United States Hockey League:

~ 2014 UNH recruit Andrew Poturalski scored two goals to lead the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders to a 4-3 victory over the Youngstown Phantoms last Friday. Poturalski is now tied for 5th in scoring in the USHL. His +/- rating of +13 is the best in the USHL.

~ 2015 Recruit Jason Kalinowski added two assists to his totals last week. His 9 assists leads all Cedar Rapids' players and places him in a tie for 4th in the USHL.

~ In the Cedar Rapids' 4-3 win over Youngstown, 2015 recruit Danny Tirone made 32 saves in his second start of the season. Tirone is undefeated so far in his rookie season with a 2.00 goals against average and .927 save percentage.

United States Premiere Hockey League:

~ 2015 UNH recruit Charlie Kelleher is on the Junior Bruins 18U's injured reserve list.

UPDATED: UNH Digs Early Season Hole - Loses to RPI

13th Ranked UNH Loses to #12 RPI 2-4 

TROY, NY - A mere 38 seconds after the opening faceoff last night at RPI's Houston Field House, UNH began digging a hole - actually two holes. The first ditch was giving up 4 unanswered goals over the first 23 minutes of the game. The second, and more troublesome pit, is a lackluster record in nonconference games, but more about that later.

Although UNH won the initial faceoff and registered the first shot on goal of the night, RPI quickly counterattacked. Senior goalie Jeff Wyer made an initial save on a shot from RPI's Matt Tinordi, but the rebound went out to the low slot to an uncovered Johnny Rogic. He snapped the puck over Wyer's glove into the top corner.



Last season, UNH rose to the rank of #1 in the country by December on the strength of smothering team defense and great goaltending. The defensive core, lead by seniors Connor Hardowa and Brett Kostolansky, were adept at covering players in the scoring zone in front of the net and minimizing followup shots on goal. Last night, UNH struggled in this aspect of the game.

Midway through the first period, with RPI leading UNH in shots on goal 8-4, Zach Schroeder and Jake Wood lead a rush through the neutral zone on a 2-on-2 break against senior captain Eric Knodel and sophomore Brett Pesce. Knodel was positioned to cover the puck carrier Schroeder rushing down the right wing. Pesce left his position and skated diagonally to challenge Schroeder, which gave Wood an opening down the left wing. Schroeder made a tape-to-tape pass to Wood in full stride and Wood beat Wyer over his glove.



RPI outshot UNH by a 3-to-1 margin (14-5) in the first stanza. UNH had difficulty carrying the puck into the RPI zone as the Engineers played a soft forecheck in the neutral zone and concentrated on attacking the puck along their own blueline. This defensive strategy is similar to the one executed with great success by Providence College in the Hockey East quarterfinals last season. It inhibits UNH's quick transition game and forces the Wildcats to dump the puck into the opponent's zone and give chase.

Less than a minute into the second period, UNH almost got back into the game as junior Grayson Downing tipped a shot by senior Kevin Goumas, clanging the post. Downing's frustration must be building as he has hit several posts over the first few games and has yet to register his first goal of the season.

RPI's third goal came a couple minutes later as Mike Zalewski eluded UNH defenders behind the UNH goal and fed Milos Bubela at the top of the crease. Senior center Jeff Silengo was effective at tying Bubela up after his quick shot on goal but the rebound went to an open Matt Neal to Wyer's right.



Less than a minute later at the 17:00 mark, Knodel broke his stick as RPI was pressuring UNH in their own end. Shortly after, Knodel was penalized for roughing. The frustration must have been building in the typically calm UNH captain as RPI was ahead 3-0 and outshooting UNH 16-7. 30 seconds into the power play, RPI made UNH pay again as junior Ryan Haggerty - one of nation's leading goal scorers with 6 goals - cleaned up another rebound off Wyer's initial save.



UNH began to gain some momentum shortly after RPI's 4th goal. Junior Casey DeSmith replaced Jeff Wyer and made a couple big saves with just over 15 minutes left in the second period. The offense was sparked by an outstanding shift by the all-sophomore, 4th line of Collin MacDonald-Kyle Smith-Jamie Hill. They brought high energy to the forecheck, kept the puck in the RPI zone, and fired at least 3 shots at RPI goalie Scott Diebold.

UNH got on the board at 10:03 of the 2nd when senior center Jeff Silengo tipped an Eric Knodel wrist shot from the left point.



Seconds later, Kevin Goumas rushed into the slot and drew an interference penalty. On the power play, senior Dalton Speelman made a nice, cross-ice pass to senior defenseman Justin Agosta who hit the post on a one-timer. As the remaining seconds of the power play ticked away, Dalton Speelman and Nick Sorkin set up Matt Willows for his 2nd goal of the season.



UNH dominated the third period outshooting RPI 11-1 and had several quality scoring bids including:
~ Slap shot by sophomore Harry Quast 4 minutes into the period.
~ Slap shot by Trevor van Riemsdyk at 11:26
~ Shot by Dalton Speelman off a pretty feed from Tyler Kelleher at 10:22
~ Shot by Matt Willows on the doorstep at 3:27 on a powerplay
~ Another Dalton Speelman shot in close at 2:55
RPI goalie Scott Diebold, who bobbled a few shots early in the game, came up big in the final stanza.

And about that other hole that UNH has dug. They began the season with one of the toughest out-of-conference schedules in Division 1 hockey. After playing 5 games against Clarkson (current record: 6-1-1), Minnesota (4-0-1), Michigan twice (4-1-1) and RPI (4-1-0), UNH has only managed a win against Clarkson and a tie with Michigan. Last season, UNH's early season success against St. Cloud State (2 wins), Colorado College (tie), and Denver (win) was a key to earning an invitation to the NCAA Tournament.

UNH will have additional opportunities for nonconference wins, later this season, against Colorado College (2 games), Nebraska-Omaha (2 games), Union College (2 games), and against Ivy-Leaguers Cornell (at the Florida College Classic), Brown, Harvard, and Dartmouth (1 game each). However, they are now in a position where they must achieve an exceptional record in Hockey East play in order secure a bid to the NCAA Tournament.

With only 11 goals in 5 games so far this season, UNH has the lowest goals-per-game average of any Hockey East team. Look for the UNH coaching staff to juggle the forward lines in the near future. In the third period last night, Kevin Goumas and Dalton Speelman swapped places for a couple of shifts. Also, with Casey DeSmith pulled over the final 1:41, Matt Willows was on the ice with the first line of Goumas-Downing-Kelleher. Kelleher and Willows make for an intriguing combination.

Defensively, look for sophomore Harry Quast to play a regular shift in future games. So far, UNH has gone with a 5-defensemen rotation - veterans Knodel, Agosta, TvR and Pesce plus freshman Matias Cleland - for large portions of these early season games. That's in sharp contrast with last season when the 3 defensive pairs played together regularly and UNH was one of the stingiest teams in the nation. Quast played with increasing confidence and poise as the game progressed last night against RPI (2 SOG, +0 +/- rating) and last Saturday against Michigan (1 SOG, +0).

Finally, it will be interesting to see if the platooning of Jeff Wyer and Casey DeSmith will continue. 4 goals got past Wyer last night but that was, in part, due to UNH's failure to cover players around the net. DeSmith looked sharp in relief saving all 9 shots he faced. DeSmith's stats (2.05 GAA, .914 Save%) are now slightly better than Wyer's (2.42 GAA, .923 Save%).

UNH Digs Early Season Hole - Loses to RPI

13th Ranked UNH Loses to #12 RPI 2-4 

TROY, NY - A mere 38 seconds after the opening faceoff last night at RPI's Houston Field House, UNH began digging a hole - actually two holes. The first ditch was giving up 4 unanswered goals over the first 23 minutes of the game. The second, and more troublesome pit, is a lackluster record in nonconference games, but more about that later.

Although UNH won the initial faceoff and registered the first shot on goal of the night, RPI quickly counterattacked. Senior goalie Jeff Wyer made an initial save on a shot from RPI's Matt Tinordi, but the rebound went out to the faceoff circle to an uncovered Johnny Rogic. He snapped the puck over Wyer's shoulder into the top corner.

Last season, UNH rose to the rank of #1 in the country by December on the strength of smothering team defense and great goaltending. The defensive core, lead by seniors Connor Hardowa and Brett Kostolansky, were adept at covering players in the scoring zone in front of the net and minimizing followup shots on goal. Last night, UNH struggled in this aspect of the game.

Midway through the first period, with RPI leading UNH in shots on goal 8-4, Zach Schroeder and Jake Wood entered the UNH zone on a 2-on-2 break against senior captain Eric Knodel and sophomore Brett Pesce. Knodel was positioned to cover the puck carrier Schroeder rushing down the right wing. Pesce left his position and skated diagonally to challenge Schroeder, which gave Wood an opening down the left wing. Schroeder made a tape-to-tape pass to Wood in full stride and Wood beat Wyer over his glove.

RPI outshot UNH by a 3-to-1 margin (14-5) in the first stanza. UNH had difficulty carrying the puck into the RPI zone as the Engineers played a soft forecheck in the neutral zone and concentrated on attacking the puck along their own blueline. This defensive strategy is similar to the one executed with great success by Providence College in the Hockey East quarterfinals last season. It inhibits UNH's quick transition game and forces the Wildcats to dump the puck into the opponent's zone and give chase.

Less than a minute into the second period, UNH almost got back into the game as junior Grayson Downing tipped a shot by senior Kevin Goumas, clanging the post. Downing's frustration must be building as he has hit several posts over the first few games and has yet to register his first goal of the season.

RPI's third goal came a couple minutes later as Mike Zalewski eluded UNH defenders behind the UNH goal and fed Milos Bubela at the top of the crease. Senior center Jeff Silengo was effective at tying Bubela up after his quick shot on goal but the rebound went to an open Matt Neal to Wyer's right.

Less than a minute later at the 17:00 mark, Knodel broke his stick as RPI was pressuring UNH in their own end. Shortly after, Knodel was penalized for roughing. The frustration must have been building in the typically calm UNH captain as RPI was ahead 3-0 and outshooting UNH 16-7. 30 seconds into the power play, RPI made UNH pay again as junior Ryan Haggerty - one of nation's leading goal scorers with 6 goals - cleaned up another rebound off Wyer's initial save.

UNH began to gain some momentum shortly after RPI's 4th goal. Junior Casey DeSmith replaced Jeff Wyer and made a couple big saves with just over 15 minutes left in the second period. The offense was sparked by an outstanding shift by the all-sophomore, 4th line of Collin MacDonald-Kyle Smith-Jamie Hill. They brought high energy to the forecheck, kept the puck in the RPI zone, and fired at least 3 shots at RPI goalie Scott Diebold.

UNH got on the board at 10:03 of the 2nd when senior center Jeff Silengo tipped an Eric Knodel wrist shot from the left point. Seconds later, Kevin Goumas rushed into the slot and drew an interference penalty. On the power play, senior Dalton Speelman made a nice, cross-ice pass to senior defenseman Justin Agosta who hit the post on a one-timer. As the remaining seconds of the power play ticked away, Dalton Speelman and Nick Sorkin set up Matt Willows for his 2nd goal of the season.

UNH dominated the third period outshooting RPI 11-1 and had several quality scoring bids including:
~ Slap shot by sophomore Harry Quast 4 minutes into the period.
~ Slap shot by Trevor van Riemsdyk at 11:26
~ Shot by Dalton Speelman off a pretty feed from Tyler Kelleher at 10:22
~ Shot by Matt Willows on the doorstep at 3:27 on a powerplay
~ Another Dalton Speelman shot in close at 2:55
RPI goalie Scott Diebold, who bobbled a few shots early in the game, came up big in the final stanza.

And about that other hole that UNH has dug. They began the season with one of the toughest out-of-conference schedules in Division 1 hockey. After playing 5 games against Clarkson (current record: 6-1-1), Minnesota (4-0-1), Michigan twice (4-1-1) and RPI (4-1-0), UNH has only managed a win against Clarkson and a tie with Michigan. Last season, UNH's early season success against St. Cloud State (2 wins), Colorado College (tie), and Denver (win) was a key to earning an invitation to the NCAA Tournament.

UNH will have additional opportunities for nonconference wins, later this season, against Colorado College (2 games), Nebraska-Omaha (2 games), Union College (2 games), and against Ivy-Leaguers Brown, Harvard, and Dartmouth (1 game each). However, they are now in a position where they must achieve an exceptional record in Hockey East play in order secure a bid to the NCAA Tournament.

With only 11 goals in 5 games so far this season, UNH has the lowest goals-per-game average of any Hockey East team. Look for the UNH coaching staff to juggle the forward lines in the near future. In the third period last night, Kevin Goumas and Dalton Speelman swapped places for a couple of shifts. Also, with Casey DeSmith pulled over the final 1:41, Matt Willows was on the ice with the first line of Goumas-Downing-Kelleher. Kelleher and Willows make for an intriguing combination.

Defensively, look for sophomore Harry Quast to play a regular shift in future games. So far, UNH has gone with a 5-defensemen rotation - veterans Knodel, Agosta, TvR and Pesce plus freshman Matias Cleland - for large portions of these early season games. That's in sharp contrast with last season when the 3 defensive pairs played together regularly and UNH was one of the stingiest teams in the nation. Quast played with increasing confidence and poise as the game progressed last night against RPI (2 SOG, +0 +/- rating) and last Saturday against Michigan (1 SOG, +0).

Finally, it will be interesting to see if the platooning of Jeff Wyer and Casey DeSmith will continue. 4 goals got past Wyer last night but that was, in part, due to UNH's failure to cover players around the net. DeSmith looked sharp in relief saving all 9 shots he faced. DeSmith's stats (2.05 GAA, .914 Save%) are now slightly better than Wyer's (2.42 GAA, .923 Save%).

UNH Recruits Update: Oct-21-2013

Michael McNicholas
2014 UNH Recruit

Player of the Week - Michael McNicholas

In his third season in junior hockey, 2014 UNH recruit Michael McNicholas has developed into a top scorer in the British Columbia Hockey League. 17 games into the 2013-14 season and McNicholas has already scored 7 goals and 12 assists. He's tied for 6th in BCHL scoring and tied for 5th in assists.

Yesterday, McNicholas lead the Vernon Vipers to a 7-4 victory over the Alberni Valley Bulldogs. Michael netted his first BCHL hat trick and earned the #1 Star of the Game.

Last season with the Nanaimo Clippers, McNicholas was having a successful campaign scoring 10 goals and 22 assists over the first 35 games. But then he broke a bone in his leg and was out of the lineup for nearly 9 weeks. At the end of the season, McNicholas decided to play one more season in the BCHL before enrolling at UNH in the Fall of 2014. During the 2011-12 season, he scored 5 goals and 4 assists in 48 games with the Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL).

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 "2014 Recruits" have a target of the Fall of 2014 to begin playing for UNH.

Player	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM
2014 Recruits
Dylan Chanter  (D)	Dubuque Fighting Saints	USHL	1	0	0	0	0
Adam Clark  (G)	Salmon Arm SilverBacks	BCHL	10	4W	4L	3.14	.906
Shane Eiserman  (F)	Dubuque Fighting Saints	USHL	6	1	1	2	15
John Furgele  (D)	Jersey Hitmen	USPHL	10	3	4	7	2
Cameron Marks  (D)	Coquitlam Express	BCHL	15	1	6	7	0
Michael McNicholas  (F)	Vernon Vipers	BCHL	17	7	12	19	10
Andrew Poturalski  (F)	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders	USHL	5	2	7	9	2
Jason Salvaggio  (F)	Indiana Ice	USHL	7	1	1	2	4
2015 Recruits
Rich Boyd  (D)	Cushing Academy	NEPSHC	-	-	-	-	-
Warren Foegele  (F)	St. Andrews College	CISAA/MPHL	-	-	-	-	-
Jason Kalinowski  (F)	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders	USHL	5	3	7	10	7
Charlie Kelleher  (F)	Junior Bruins 18U	USPHL 18U	9	1	1	2	2
Joseph Masonius  (D)	USA U17 Team	USHL	3	0	0	0	8
Danny Tirone  (G)	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders	USHL	1	1W	0L	1.00	.950
2015 or '16 Recruit
Liam Darcy  (D)	Berwick Academy	NEPSHC	-	-	-	-	-
Patrick Grasso  (F)	Des Moines Bucs	USHL	8	2	1	3	0
Aaron O'Neill  (F)	Green Bay Gamblers	USHL	5	0	1	1	0
Ara Nazarian  (F)	Malden Catholic	Mass HS	-	-	-	-	-
Nick Nonis  (D)	Governor's Academy	NEPSHC	-	-	-	-	-
Brendan van Riemsdyk   (F)	Jersey Hitmen 18U	USPHL 18U	1	0	1	1	0
2016 Recruits
Marcus Vela  (F)	Langley Rivermen	BCHL	15	0	1	1	8

News & Notes

United States Hockey League:

~ 2014 UNH recruit Dylan Chanter of the Dubuque Fighting Saints hit his head on the ice, without his helmet on, at the end of a fight with Corey Petrash of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders on October 12th. Chanter suffered a full body seizure, for at least 2 minutes while lying on the ice. He also dislocated his left shoulder. Following emergency medical care at the Cedar Rapids arena and two hospitals, Chanter was released and is now back in Dubuque.

In an interview four days after the episode, Chanter said:

"(he) is doing very well and says aside from some fatigue he feels normal and strong enough to get on a stationary bike later this week. But until he sees a neurologist (next Wednesday), he won't be able to predict a full return to the Fighting Saints lineup."

On October 17th, Dubuque placed Chanter on the 25 day Injured Reserve list, retroactive to October 12th. According to USHL rules, he is technically eligible to return on November 6th.

~ UNH Recruits and Cedar Rapids' teammates Jason Kalinowski and Andrew Poturalski continue to lead their team in scoring. In his first 5 games in the USHL, Kalinowski has posted 3 goals and 7 assists. He is tied for 5th in scoring in the USHL. Poturalski's 9 points (2 goals, 7 assists) places him in a tie for 6th in league scoring.

~ 2015 recruit Danny Tirone recorded a victory in his first USHL game last Thursday. In a 7-1 victory by Cedar Rapids over the Fargo Force, Tirone faced 20 shots on goal and made 19 saves.

British Columbia Hockey League:

~ 2014 recruit Cameron Marks is the leading scorer among the Coquitlam Express defensemen. His 7 total points puts him in a tie for 8th among all BCHL defensemen.

United States Premiere Hockey League:

~ 2014 recruit John Furgele has posted 3 goals and 4 assists for the Jersey Hitmen over the first 10 games of the USPHL season. He is tied for 3rd in scoring among USPHL defensemen and tied for 1st in goals.

Michigan Edges UNH 3-2 in OT

Senior Kevin Goumas
Breaks Ice With 2 Goals

For the second consecutive night, the UNH Wildcats and Michigan Wolverines battled each other to a draw in regulation and had their chances in overtime. Both settled for a tie on Friday but Michigan capitalized on their first prime scoring opportunity with 3:23 left in OT to earn the victory on Saturday (box score).

After being outworked and badly outshot 35-18 on Friday, Michigan rebounded with a tighter checking game. Red Berenson, the Dean of NCAA coaches, had his players backchecking with numbers to slow down and squelch UNH breakouts.

UNH worked hard throughout but their flow was disrupted early on by 5 penalties over the first 22 minutes of the game. The nature of the infractions - slashing, hooking, and interference - may have reflected a slight drop in energy after the high octane game the night before.

During the 1-1 tie on Friday night, there were numerous UNH players who played outstanding games, making it difficult to choose the top 3 performers. On Saturday, the first line of Kevin Goumas at left wing, Grayson Downing at center, and Tyler Kelleher at right wing consistently generated offense. Junior Matt Willows and Dalton Speelman (ejected from Friday's game with a contact to the head penalty) also generated high quality shots on goal.

Sophomore defenseman Harry Quast, who played sparingly on Friday, entered the game at the midway point and played several effective shifts. He threw a few effective body checks, played strong in the crease and made some nice outlet passes. With 7:50 left in regulation, Quast snapped a shot from the left point which tested Michigan goalie Zach Nagelvoort. UNH will need Quast, their 6th defensemen, to continue this type of play on a consistent basis.

My 3 UNH Stars go to Kevin Goumas and freshman Tyler Kelleher for their outstanding offensive play and junior goalie Casey DeSmith for making a slew of saves.

#1 Star - Kevin Goumas
Over his first three seasons with UNH, Kevin Goumas scored 6, 9 and 10 goals respectively. Saturday against Michigan, he scored his first two goals of the 2013-14 season. Whenever Goumas is on the ice - at full strength, on the power play or shorthanded - he is a threat to generate a scoring opportunity. These video highlights from Saturday show his offensive prowess and his second goal is shown in super slow motion:



#2 Star - Tyler Kelleher
The weekend series with Michigan was a reunion of sorts for freshman Tyler Kelleher. Three Michigan freshmen - Tyler Motte, JT Compher and Evan Allen - were teammates with Kelleher last season on the United States National Team Development Program Under 18 team. Kelleher was Team USA's leading scorer and he was an offensive threat several times last night, as this video shows:



#3 Star - Casey DeSmith
So far this season, junior Casey DeSmith (2.98 GAA, .914 Save%) and senior Jeff Wyer (0.96 GAA, .962 Save%) have platooned in goal. DeSmith made numerous key saves last night against Michigan to keep the game close (see video). Unfortunately, just over a minute into overtime, Michigan was able to generate a scoring play from behind him (below the goal line). In all, DeSmith faced twice as many shots on goal (35) than Wyer did on Friday (18).



Over the last two weekends, UNH has been very competitive against two of the top 5 teams in the country - Minnesota and Michigan. Over the three-game stretch, they have allowed 7 goals and scored 5. Next Saturday, they play one more out-of-conference opponent - RPI in Troy, NY - before launching their Hockey East slate of games.

#13 UNH Hockey Ties #5 Michigan 1-1

#13 UNH vs #5 Michigan -  Oct 18, 2013

DURHAM, NH - Through two periods last night at the Whittemore Center, two of the top teams in the country played each other fairly even. Michigan scored its only goal at 15:32 of the 1st period on a power play. UNH's Nick Sorkin tied it up less than two minutes into the 2nd burying a rebound off a shot from senior defenseman Justin Agosta (see highlight video below).

At the end of two periods the shots on goal were 19-15 in favor of UNH. In the final stanza, UNH cranked up the offense, played shutdown defense, and junior Matt Willows hit the post thanks to a beautiful setup by Trevor van Riemsdyk 4 minutes into the period. UNH outshot Michigan 14-2 in the third period and the Wolverines barely hung on to the tie.

In overtime, UNH held a modest territorial edge thanks, in part, to two dominant shifts by the Dan Correale-Nick Sorkin-Matt Willows line. The stingy UNH defense only allowed 1 shot on goal - a routine save by Jeff Wyer. UNH had two bids to win it, one by Kevin Goumas off a nice lead pass from freshman Tyler Kelleher and a superb wrap-around shot by Grayson Downing with only seconds remaining.

Several UNH players played outstanding games including:
Jeff Wyer: 17 saves. He kept UNH in the game in the first period.
Nick Sorkin: 1 goal, 2 SOG.
Grayson Downing: 6 SOG including 2 hit posts.
Kevin Goumas: 1 assist, 2 SOG.
Matt Willows: 3 SOG including 1 hit post.
Dan Correale: 2 SOG including a penalty shot.

My 3 UNH Stars go to three Wildcat defenders who played exceptionally well at both ends of the ice. Their performance was all the more impressive because they each skated double shifts as UNH went primarily with only 5 defensemen.

#1 Star - Trevor van Riemsdyk
UNH fans have grown accustomed to TvR's unique, two-way abilities. When he is playing at the top of his game, like he did last night, he does some things with the puck which are hard to describe. Just look at these video highlights:



#2 Star - Justin Agosta
In his three seasons in the UNH lineup (he did not play his freshman year), Justin Agosta has quietly developed into a steady defender in his own zone. He's tough along the boards and behind the net and is rarely out of position. As the video highlights show, he also passes the puck extremely well.



#3 Star - Brett Pesce
Since joining UNH as a 17-year-old, "true" freshman, Brett Pesce's progress has been remarkable. The 3rd round draft pick of the Carolina Hurricanes plays stifling defense in his own zone, thanks to his amazing stick work and positioning. The shutdown defenseman is not a stay-at-home defenseman. Witness his ability to carry the puck out of his own end in these video highlights:



UNH and Michigan face off again tonight at 7:00 at the Whittemore Center. The third-ranked Wolverines now know they will be in for a battle.

UNH Opens Season with 4-1 Win Over Clarkson

Matt Willows #1 Star

Freshman Tyler Kelleher
With Game-Winning Goal

#1 Star: Matt Willows, 1g 1a, +3.
#2 Star: Jeff Wyer, 33 saves.
Freshman Tyler Kelleher with game-winning goal; 1st NCAA goal in 1st game.
*Kelleher scored 11 goals last season with Team USA against NCAA teams.
Eric Knodel: 1 goal, +3
Kyle Smith: 2 assists, +2, Won 8 out of 10 faceoffs
TvR: 1 assist, +2, 6 SOG
Dan Correale: 1 goal, +1, 4 SOG


Game Report from UNHWildcats.com

"Clarkson had the better of play early in the first, but the Golden Knights were held off the board by great play in net by Wyer, who turned away three point-blank shots."

Game Stats from cbssports.com

UNH will play the winner of the Minnesota vs. Mercyhurst game in the Ice Breaker Championship Game on Saturday at 8 PM.

UNH Recruit Updates: 2013-14 Edition

The vast majority of young players who commit to play hockey for the University of New Hampshire spend at least one season in one of three junior hockey leagues - the United States Hockey League, British Columbia Hockey League, or the new, United States Premiere Hockey League. Now that all three have begun the 2013-14 season, it's time, once again, to begin the "UNH Recruits Updates".

This marks the third season for the the "UNH Recruits Update" series on The UNH Men's Hockey Blog. Fans will be able to follow the progress of the young players who have verbally committed to play for UNH in the future.

UNH has the unique distinction of having the most recruits of any NCAA Division 1 hockey program. As of today, there are 21 players committed to play for UNH either next season or in subsequent seasons. By comparison, other top Hockey East programs such as Notre Dame, Boston University and Boston College have 18, 9, and 7 committed recruits, respectively.

The player statistics for all 21 UNH recruits (shown in the table below) will be updated on a regular basis in the "UNH Recruits Updates". In addition, outstanding individual performances will be reported on in depth.

Fans interested in game-by-game statistics for an individual player or stats from previous seasons can click on the player's name in the left hand column of the table. This will connect you to the player's profile on their team's website.

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 "2014 Recruits" have a target of the Fall of 2014 to begin playing for UNH.

Player	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM
2014 Recruits
Dylan Chanter  (D)	Dubuque Fighting Saints	USHL	0	0	0	0	0
Adam Clark  (G)	Salmon Arm SilverBacks	BCHL	7	3W	3L	3.13	.904
Shane Eiserman  (F)	Dubuque Fighting Saints	USHL	3	1	0	1	13
John Furgele  (D)	Jersey Hitmen	USPHL	5	1	2	3	2
Cameron Marks  (D)	Coquitlam Express	BCHL	10	1	2	3	0
Michael McNicholas  (F)	Vernon Vipers	BCHL	11	3	7	10	6
Andrew Poturalski  (F)	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders	USHL	3	2	4	6	0
Jason Salvaggio  (F)	Indiana Ice	USHL	4	0	1	1	4
2015 Recruits
Rich Boyd  (D)	Cushing Academy	NEPSHC	-	-	-	-	-
Warren Foegele  (F)	St. Andrews College	CISAA/MPHL	-	-	-	-	-
Jason Kalinowski  (F)	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders	USHL	3	2	3	5	7
Charlie Kelleher  (F)	Junior Bruins 18U	USPHL 18U	6	1	1	2	2
Joseph Masonius  (D)	USA U17 Team	USHL	1	0	0	0	2
Danny Tirone  (G)	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders	USHL	0	0W	0L	0	0
2015 or '16 Recruit
Liam Darcy  (D)	Berwick Academy	NEPSHC	-	-	-	-	-
Patrick Grasso  (F)	Des Moines Bucs	USHL	4	1	2	3	0
Aaron O'Neill  (F)	Green Bay Gamblers	USHL	3	0	0	0	0
Ara Nazarian  (F)	Malden Catholic	Mass HS	-	-	-	-	-
Nick Nonis  (D)	Governor's Academy	NEPSHC	-	-	-	-	-
Brendan van Riemsdyk   (F)	Jersey Hitmen 18U	USPHL 18U	1	0	1	1	0
2016 Recruits
Marcus Vela  (F)	Langley Rivermen	BCHL	10	0	0	0	6

Player of the Week - Andrew Poturalski

2014 UNH Recruit
Andrew Poturalski

In a recent Cedar Rapids Gazette article by Jeff Johnson, RoughRiders' forward Andrew Poturalski explained his decision to postpone enrollment at UNH for one year:

"I just knew coming back (to Cedar Rapids) would help me as a player. Coach (Mark) Carlson develops guys so much, and I knew one more year would help me even more. I want to go into college and be an impact player. So I figured ‘Let’s play one more year here.’ Plus, I love it here.”

Poturalski's express goal for the 2013-14 campaign was to be a "go to" player for the RoughRiders - a player to "get points and help the team win." If the first few games of the season are any indication, then Andrew is right on track.

In a 4-3 victory over the Youngstown Phantoms last Friday night, Poturalski scored the game-winning goal and added 2 assists. His 2 goals and 4 assists in the first 3 games puts him in a tie for 5th in scoring in the USHL, with a few games in hand.

The video highlights below (courtesy of RidertownUSA and sent along to me by long-time RoughRider fan Scott Herbst) include Poturalski's game winner with less than 2 minutes left in the game. Also, you can see his nifty assist on the goal by another UNH recruit - Jason Kalinowski. In his rookie season in the USHL, Kalinowski is also off to a fast start with 2 goals and 3 asssists in 3 games.

UNH's Jeff Wyer: Senior Goalie and Alternate Captain

UNH Senior Goalie Jeff Wyer

UNH fans watching the exhibition game against Acadia University Saturday night may have been mildly surprised by who started in goal for the Wildcats. The first sign that something was different came during warmups. Jeff Wyer, the senior and Alternate Captain for 2013-14, was the first of UNH's three goalies to take shots in each pregame drill - the position traditionally reserved for the starting goalie. Introduction of the starting lineups confirmed what some had noticed - Jeff Wyer, not Casey DeSmith, would start the game in goal.

Last season as a sophomore, DeSmith started every regular season and tournament game except for one. Early in the season, DeSmith's play in goal was arguably the best in the NCAA. He finished the season with the third best goals against average and fifth best save percentage among all Hockey East goalies. He was named UNH's MVP and was a Hockey East Honorable Mention All-Star.

In the 6-3 victory over Acadia, Jeff Wyer played in the first period and 12 and 1/2 minutes into the second. He shut out the Axemen and made saves on all 13 shots on goal - at least a couple from point blank range (see highlight video below). Casey DeSmith played the remainder of the game, faced 15 shots on goal, and made 12 saves. It's interesting to note that in the exhibition game at the beginning of last season, DeSmith started and played the first period and a half and Wyer played in the second half of the game. Each allowed one goal in the 5-2 win over St. Francis Xavier.

As a general rule, hockey fans love a starting goalie debate - Luongo vs Schneider, Thomas vs Rask, etc. But not so fast - Wyer starting this year's exhibition game instead of DeSmith may be completely irrelevant when it comes to predicting who will start games in the future. Maybe Wyer got the start as a gesture of respect for his status as a senior and Alternate Captain. Maybe DeSmith was not feeling 100% during the pregame. Heck, maybe they flipped a coin.

On the other hand, I wonder whether the UNH coaching staff plans to platoon DeSmith and Wyer, at least in the beginning of the season. Although Wyer has only played in 7 regular season games in his first three years at UNH and started in 2 of them, he has played particularly well at times. Early in the 2011-12 season, UNH had failed to earn a point when it headed out to St. Cloud State for a pair of games in November. St. Cloud won the opener 7-5 and Wyer replaced Matt DiGirolamo after DiGi gave up 5 goals over the first two periods. Wyer started the second game against St. Cloud and backstopped a 3-3 tie. Wyer then suffered a knee injury, which required surgery, and he missed the remainder of the 2011-12 season.

Last season, Wyer lead UNH to one of the most memorable comebacks in team history. On a Thankgiving trip to Colorado, UNH tied Colorado College the first night then faced Denver University. After Casey DeSmith gave up three goals early in the first period, Wyer got the nod. He made 18 saves on 19 shots the rest of the way and the Wildcats stormed back for a 6-4 win.

In January, Wyer replaced DeSmith during two more games after UNH surrendered early leads. Against Boston College, Wyer made saves on all 8 shots in the final period and against Providence, he stopped 10 shots and surrendered 2 goals. In his only start of the season, Wyer made 31 saves in a hard-fought 3-2 loss at Merrimack.

Here are some highlights of #35 Jeff Wyer's performance against Acadia University:

UNH Downs Acadia 6-3 in Exhibition

On the strength of two goals each by sophomore Kyle Smith and junior Grayson Downing, UNH opened the 2013-14 season with a convincing 6-3 win over the Axemen of Acadia University (Nova Scotia). A recap and video highlights of the UNH goals are available on UNHWildcats.com.

The play of 4 Wildcats - Tyler Kelleher, Kyle Smith, Matias Cleland, and Jeff Wyer - was outstanding and worth a second look.

In his first game in a UNH jersey, freshman Tyler Kelleher played right wing on the first line with the offensively gifted pair of Kevin Goumas on left wing and Grayson Downing at center. The chemistry between the threesome was evident from the first shift of the game.

Here are some highlights of #16 Tyler Kelleher's performance including his first shot on goal as a Wildcat, drawing the first penalty of the season, and his creative play on two UNH power plays:



As a freshman last season, Kyle Smith played in just 2 games in February. Last night, the 6'1", 185 lbs. forward played center on the third line with Matt Willows on the right wing and Casey Thrush on the left. In addition to scoring the first two goals of his college career, Smith was mobile and aggressive at the center position. Next to the first line of Goumas-Downing-Kelleher, Smith's line generated the most chances in the offensive zone.

Here are some highlights of #23 Kyle Smith featuring his forechecking, passing and play in the corners. In one sequence, Smith played left point on the power play:



Defenseman Matias Cleland was the other UNH freshman to play in the game against Acadia. He joined senior Justin Agosta on the 2nd defensive pairing. Cleland was poised in his college debut playing tenacious defense in the UNH zone.

These highlights of #2 Matias Cleland show him pinching up from the blueline to maintain puck possession for UNH as well as solid play in the corner and near the UNH net:



For some observations on Jeff Wyer's play, including highlights, see "UNH's Jeff Wyer: Senior Goalie and Alternate Captain" .

Freshman Tyler Kelleher: From Team USA to UNH

UNH Freshman Tyler Kelleher

For incoming UNH freshman Tyler Kelleher, it's been a long journey from his hometown of Longmeadow, Massachusetts to the Durham campus. As a 15-year-old freshman at Longmeadow High School, he led the Lancers to the 2010 Mass Division III State Championship. Kelleher transferred to Deerfield Academy for his sophomore year and was the second leading scorer on the New England Prep School team with 11 goals and 15 assists in 18 games. Midway through the 2010-11 season at Deerfield, Tyler made a verbal commitment to play for UNH.

Tyler Kelleher Scores for Team USA Against Russia

In March, 2011, Kelleher received a coveted invitation to try out for the United States National Team Development Program (NTDP). Since 1996, the NTDP has chosen the elite, American-born players, under the age of 18, and provided them with nearly year-round, centralized training and instruction. The youngsters chosen for the NTDP Under-17 and Under-18 Teams move to Ann Arbor, Michigan and play a rigorous schedule of international competition, United States Hockey League games, and exhibition matches against NCAA teams. Not only did Tyler make the Under-17 squad, he lead them in scoring with 26 goals and 22 assists in 55 games.

Last season, Tyler Kelleher joined an elite group of players who can call themselves the leading scorer and goal scorer on the United States Under-18 team. In 67 games, Tyler scored 29 goals and 30 assists. Others who lead the Under-18 team in goals and points include Phil Kessel (04-05) and Patrick Kane (05-06). Former UNH star James van Riemsdyk lead the U-18 team in goal scoring during the 2006-07 season.

I had an opportunity to interview Tyler just prior to the final game of the men's summer league at the Olympia Ice Center in West Springfield, MA. Tyler discussed his experience with Team USA, the NHL Draft, the upcoming season with UNH, and his brother Charlie Kelleher who is also committed to UNH.

Mike Lowry ("C-H-C"): You spent the last two years with the US National Team Development Program. The first year you played for the Under 17 team and were the highest scorer and last year with the U18 team, you were the highest scorer again. What did it mean to you to play for Team USA over the last two years?

Tyler Kelleher: It was pretty cool. When I was around 12 years old, I first heard about Nathan Gerbe and he played for Team USA. From then on out I wanted to play for Team USA and I also wanted to play in Hockey East. He was my hero as soon as I saw him play. I love how Gerbe plays. So playing for USA was a dream come true.

Lowry: Thinking back to when you played for Deerfield Academy and your skills at that point, how would you compare the kind of player you were then to the player you are now?

Kelleher: Obviously my skills got better but the major difference was learning how to play the game to win. Learning the right time to try to make certain plays. Pretty much my mental game improved the most with Team USA. I also got used to playing with bigger players and finding time and space was the main thing for me. I got stronger and got more skilled obviously, but the main thing was learning how to play the game and what to do with the puck versus skill. At Deerfield, it was pretty much instincts and automatic. There’s a difference between Deerfield and Team USA or college, obviously. You need to learn to use your brain more which I got used to doing and that helped me a lot.

Lowry: Was there an area where you surprised yourself in how much you improved?

Kelleher: I think my shot improved a lot. In the weight room, there’s an area where you could shoot pucks. I worked out a lot and my shot definitely got a lot harder, both my wrist shot and one-timer.

Lowry: Last year, you played against 12 or 13 Division 1 teams so you got experience understanding what it takes, as a center, to maneuver around some of the big, strong, and fast NCAA players. Do you anticipate playing center when you go to UNH?

Kelleher: I actually have no idea. I haven’t talked to coach about it or anything.

Lowry: Do you have a preference?

Kelleher: Not really. I played some wing this year but mostly center, but I can play wing - it’s not a problem for me.

Lowry: When you think back to the games against NCAA teams last year, such as Michigan, Minnesota and UNH, what do you think it takes to succeed as a center or a winger at the NCAA level?

Kelleher: Well, I think once you get to that level, pretty much everyone can skate, can shoot and everyone is strong. I think the big difference is decision-making and hockey sense. If you look at John Gaudreau at Boston College, he’s not really that fast and he’s really small, but he outthinks everyone out there, which helps him a lot. So I think that’s an under-rated part of hockey which helps players a lot.

Lowry: Is it anticipating where the big guys are going to be a maneuvering around them?

Kelleher: Yes, it’s finding open space or when your teammate is open, not trying to do too much, just hitting him at the right time. Just feeling the game out.

Lowry: Projecting forward, what do you hope to accomplish in your first year at UNH?

Kelleher: I hope to be an impact freshman year and help the team win. I really want to win a Hockey East championship as a freshman, that’s my main goal.

Lowry: What do you hope to accomplish by the end of your UNH career?

Kelleher: Definitely win a National Championship. I know UNH has never done that before so it’s the main goal - to win a National Championship.

Lowry: You’ve obviously followed college hockey for a long time - you mentioned Nathan Gerbe earlier. What do you think it takes to win the National Championship?

Kelleher: Your team has to be playing the right way at the right time - clicking at the right time. The first line has to be scoring. I think the main thing is you have to be like a family focused on nothing besides trying to win. Everything you do is about trying to win. Every player has to play their role.

Lowry: Was it like that with Team USA the last two years?

Kelleher: Yes, I was with my teammates pretty much 24-7 whether it be on a long bus trip, practice, after practice, study hall or whatever. I was always with them so they became my brothers.

Lowry: Was it a tough adjustment for you after growing up and playing at Longmeadow, then heading first to Deerfield then out to Ann Arbor?

Kelleher: Hockey-wise, the USHL seemed real fast at first but I got used to that pretty quickly. Living that far away from home took an adjustment period for everyone on my team. We all had to get used to it and it was pretty tough, but it ended up being worth it.

Lowry: A question, about the NHL draft, if you don’t mind. A couple weeks before the draft, an article on Hockey Prospectus had you ranked as #97 out of the top 100 prospects for the draft. Did you have any anticipation going into draft day and what was it like as the draft day played out?

Kelleher: I went into it with no expectations. I didn’t even watch it after the first round. Once I found out I wasn’t picked, it was kind of sad but at the same time, I used it as motivation for this year and trying to prove to all those teams that they made a mistake not drafting me.

Lowry: To get to the NHL, what path do you anticipate you’ll be taking?

Kelleher: I don’t really know - I’ll take it year by year, even day by day. If you get drafted, you have one team that tells you what they’re going to pay you but if you go undrafted, you get to choose from 30 teams. You get to choose the best contract. I remember Stevie Moses telling me that when I was touring UNH.

Lowry: One last question - if the timing works out, there’s a chance you’ll be able to play a year at UNH with your brother Charlie. What would that be like?

Kelleher: It would really be a dream come true. I remember when we were younger, NESN would air a game every Friday night and he and I would watch every single one of those games. We’d talk about how cool it would be to play in Hockey East. When we both committed to UNH, that was the first thing I brought up. Both playing in Hockey East and on the same team would be pretty cool.

Lowry: When you played for Longmeadow High School as a freshman, Charlie was too young to be on the team. Have you ever played on the same team with Charlie?

Kelleher: Back when I was in 6th grade, I played on a team that my Dad coached and two kids dropped out. So, my Dad needed a player and he brought in Charlie to play two years up. That was the last time we played together.



UNH fans will have an opportunity to see Tyler Kelleher (#16), and the other incoming freshman, in a UNH uniform for the first time on Saturday, October 5th, at the Whittemore Center. The Wildcats will play an exhibition game against Acadia University from Nova Scotia. Game time is 7:00 PM. UNH freshman Collin Bourque #20, Matias Cleland #2, and Dylan Maller #4 will also be in uniform.