UNH 4 Goal Outburst in 3rd Leads to 6-2 Win Over Colorado College

UNH Junior Grayson Downing
Scores GWG vs Colorado College

The UNH Wildcats exploded with four unanswered goals over a 2 and 1/2 minute stretch in the final stanza to defeat the Colorado College Tigers 6-2. Leading goal scorer Nick Sorkin got UNH on the board 5:53 into the opening period. He was assisted by Kevin Goumas and Matt Willows.



Colorado College picked up the pace early in the second period and tied the game at 6:29 on a goal by Archie Skalbeck.



A minute and 1/2 later, CC grab the 2-1 lead on a scramble in the UNH crease. UNH sophomore Kyle Smith scored a key goal at the 17:55 mark. The scoring play was initiated by Trevor van Riemsdyk who fired a shot from the top of the slot. The shot was blocked and Smith buried the rebound.



7 minutes into the 3rd period, Grayson Downing put the Wildcats ahead for good with his 8th goal of the season. He was set up by a beautiful centering pass from Dalton Speelman.



Less than a minute later, Sorkin put UNH ahead 4-2 with his 8th goal of the season. Colorado College was in serious trouble at that point. UNH upped the lead to 5-2 a minute later on a goal by senior Jeff Silengo. Kyle Smith circled behind the CC net and made a tape-to-tape pass to Silengo rushing down the slot.



Starting Colorado College goalie Josh Thorimbert was pulled for backup goalie Courtney Lockwood. Senior forward Dalton Speelman would finish the scoring only a minute later. Speelman flipped a nifty backhand shot over Lockwood's glove.



Junior goalie Casey DeSmith made 31 saves and registered his 6th win of the season. UNH improved its record to 8-7-1 while Colorado College fell to 1-9-2. The two teams play again Saturday night in Colorado Springs.

UNH Recruits Update: Nov-26-2013

UNH Recruit Brendan van Riemsdyk
(Photo: Asbury Park Press)

Player of the Week - Brendan van Riemsdyk

In his first season playing for the Jersey Hitmen Under 18 team in the United States Premiere Hockey League, 17-year-old Brendan van Riemsdyk has started to find the back of the net. The 6'4", 190 lbs left winger potted a hat trick in the 4th game of the season - a 9-1 win over the Portland Pirates earlier this month. It was the beginning of a 4-game scoring streak for BvR which included 5 goals and 6 assists.

Over the weekend, the undefeated, 18U Hitmen won a pair of games at the Rinx in Hauppauge, NY, home of the Pride in Athletics for Life (P.A.L.) Junior Islanders. van Riemsdyk scored the game-winning goal in the Hitmen's 7-3 victory over the Jr. Islanders on Saturday. The following day, BvR assisted on the GWG and added another assist in a 4-0 shutout of the P.A.L. team.

BvR's 5 goals and 8 assists place him in a tie for 9th place in scoring in the USPHL 18U Division. He has some room to catch up since the other leading scorers have played from 10 to 16 games while BvR has only played in 7.

At the end of last season, Brendan was named the All-Shore Hockey Player of the Year. In an article and video announcing the award, BvR talked about his successful season with the Christian Brothers Academy hockey team in Lincroft NJ. He is a senior this year at CBA and will be playing for both his high school team and the Jersey Hitmen. BvR also described his plan to enroll at UNH in either the Fall of 2016 or 2017.

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	8	1	1	2	13
Adam Clark  (G)	Salmon Arm SilverBacks	BCHL	18	7W	9L	3.13	.907
Shane Eiserman  (F)	Dubuque Fighting Saints	USHL	13	3	4	7	24
John Furgele  (D)	Jersey Hitmen	USPHL	23	6	16	22	8
Cameron Marks  (D)	Coquitlam Express	BCHL	24	1	11	12	2
Michael McNicholas  (F)	Vernon Vipers	BCHL	28	12	22	34	10
Andrew Poturalski  (F)	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders	USHL	16	8	14	22	8
Jason Salvaggio  (F)	Indiana Ice	USHL	13	2	4	6	8
2015 Recruits
Rich Boyd  (D)	Cushing Academy	NEPSHC	2	0	1	1	-
Warren Foegele  (F)	St. Andrews College	CISAA	4	3	1	4	7
	St. Andrews College	MPHL	5	3	10	13	6
Jason Kalinowski  (F)	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders	USHL	16	3	13	16	32
Charlie Kelleher  (F)	Junior Bruins 18U	USPHL 18U	12	2	5	7	2
Joseph Masonius  (D)	USA U17 Team	USHL	7	0	0	0	10
Chris Miller  (F)	Junior Bruins	USPHL	21	5	5	10	8
Danny Tirone  (G)	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders	USHL	9	7W	2L	2.40	.922
2015 or '16 Recruits
Liam Darcy  (D)	Berwick Academy	NEPSHC	1	1	1	2	-
Patrick Grasso  (F)	Des Moines Bucs	USHL	17	4	2	6	2
Aaron O'Neill  (F)	Green Bay Gamblers	USHL	11	0	1	1	0
Ara Nazarian  (F)	Malden Catholic	Mass HS	-	-	-	-	-
Nick Nonis  (D)	Governor's Academy	NEPSHC	-	-	-	-	-
Marcus Vela  (F)	Langley Rivermen	BCHL	27	7	3	10	25
2016 or '17 Recruits
Brendan van Riemsdyk   (F)	Jersey Hitmen 18U	USPHL 18U	7	5	8	13	2

News & Notes

United States Premiere Hockey League:

~ 2015 Recruit Charlie Kelleher, younger brother of UNH freshman Tyler Kelleher, scored the game-winning goal for the Junior Bruins U18 team on Saturday. He also added 3 assists in the 6-3 win over the Islanders Hockey Club.

Prep School Hockey:

~ 2015 UNH recruit Warren Foegele was given a 1-game suspension for a boarding penalty in St. Andrews College's 3-1 win over St. Michael's College on November 20th. In his first game back, Foegele lead the Saints to a 7-0 victory over Ridley College scoring 3 goals and an assist. He discusses these events in this audio interview. St. Andrews (5-0-0) is in first place in the Conference of Independent Schools Athletic Association (CISAA) hockey league based in South Central Ontario and Western New York.

~ In Berwick Academy's first game of the New England Prep School season, defenseman Liam Darcy assisted on the game-winning goal in a 6-3 win over the Moses Brown School. He also scored a goal of his own. Darcy is a 2015 UNH Recruit.

NH Native Chris Miller Commits to UNH for 2015

2015 UNH Recruit
Chris Miller

Many youngsters growing up in New Hampshire dream of playing hockey for their state university, but very few earn the opportunity. If all goes according to plan, 18-year-old forward Chris Miller from Windham, NH will be one of the fortunate native sons. The 5'7", 155 lbs speedster from the Junior Bruins organization has announced his verbal commitment to play for UNH beginning in the Fall of 2015.

Miller is currently tied for fifth in scoring on the Jr. Bruins Premiere team in the newly-formed United States Premiere Hockey League. So far this season, he has scored 5 goals, including a game-winner, and 4 assists in 18 games.

Jr. Bruins Chris Miller
(Photo: Dave Arnold)

Miller first joined the Jr. Bruins organization in the 2011-12 season when he scored 14 goals and 37 assists for their Empire League team. In the spring of 2012, Chris earned an invitation to the USA Hockey Selects 17 Player Development Camp. At the time, the U.S. Hockey Report provided this assessment:

"Small forward is a sparkplug, a hardworking player with offensive capabilities. Pays attention to detail and is not afraid to get his nose dirty."

Last season, Miller posted 5 goals and 6 assists for the Junior Bruins in the Eastern Junior Hockey League. Chris is a strong special teams player. So far this season, he has scored a power play and a short-handed goal.

I had an opportunity to interview Chris, via email, about his background, commitment to UNH, and future plans:   

Mike Lowry ("C-H-C"):  Congratulations on your commitment to play for the University of New Hampshire.  What are the main reasons you chose UNH?
Chris Miller: Thank you very much. I chose the University of New Hampshire for a variety of different reasons. Not only does it offer great academics - more specifically a great business program - but it also allows me to play in front of friends and family in my home state of New Hampshire. UNH seems to be the perfect fit. It has been my dream hockey school for some time now and I didn’t hesitate when I was given the opportunity to become a Wildcat.

Mike Lowry:  What other college programs were you considering?
Chris Miller:   I was considering some other Division 1 schools as well as a number of Division 3 NESCAC schools.

Lowry:  Have you and the UNH coaches agreed on a target date for you to enroll as a freshman at UNH and join the team?
Miller: Yes, the coaching staff and I have targeted the fall of 2015 for my arrival. 

Lowry: You've played for the Junior Bruins organization for the last 3 seasons and currently play for their USPHL team. Do you anticipate playing another season of junior hockey before coming to UNH? If so, what leagues are you considering?
Miller: As my target date for UNH is a year and a half away, I will be playing juniors again next season in the USPHL. I’m going to play for Coach Masters and the Junior Bruins organization during that time because I feel it gives me the best opportunity to prepare for college hockey.

Lowry: What are the strongest aspects of your skills as a forward and what areas are you working to improve? 
Miller: I feel my skating is my strongest aspect. Being small in stature I try to use my speed and energy all around the ice. I’m looking to improve my shot and overall scoring ability before I arrive in Durham.  

Lowry: Where do you currently go to school and what grade are you in? What are your academic strengths? Is there a major course of study you would like to pursue when you get to UNH?  
Miller: I graduated from Windham High School last year and I currently attend Middlesex Community College in Lowell, Massachusetts as a part time student. I feel my writing has come a long way over the years and I would say it’s one of my strong points now. At the University of New Hampshire I would like to pursue a business major, as I’m interested in owning a company in the future.  

UNH Recruits Update: Nov-19-2013

2014 UNH Recruit
John Furgele

Player of the Week - John Furgele

The United States Premiere Hockey League has named Jersey Hitmen defenseman John Furgele the Defensive Player of the Week. Of all the UNH recruits in action last week, Furgele (pronounced Fur (like animal fur)- gel (hard "g")- e (hard "e") gets a tip of my hat as the Player of the Week. During a three-game, Hitmen winning streak, the 5'9", 181 lbs., right-shot blueliner posted 3 goals and 2 assists. In a 8-3 victory over the Connecticut Yankees on November 13th, Furgele scored a hat trick which included the game-winning goal.

John Furgele is currently the leading scorer among all USPHL defensemen. He is the top blueliner in goals (6), assists (15), points (21), and power play goals (4). In fact, Furgele's 21 points in 21 games places him in a tie for 7th in scoring in the entire league.

Furgele is on track to enroll at UNH next fall. Trevor van Riemsdyk, the current leading scorer among all Hockey East defensemen, also had a banner year in his final season in the Eastern Junior Hockey League - the predecessor to the USPHL. TvR was the leading scorer among EJHL defensemen with 16 goals and 22 assists in 39 games.

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	6	1	0	1	11
Adam Clark  (G)	Salmon Arm SilverBacks	BCHL	17	7W	8L	3.07	.909
Shane Eiserman  (F)	Dubuque Fighting Saints	USHL	11	3	4	7	22
John Furgele  (D)	Jersey Hitmen	USPHL	21	6	15	21	8
Cameron Marks  (D)	Coquitlam Express	BCHL	22	1	9	10	2
Michael McNicholas  (F)	Vernon Vipers	BCHL	25	12	19	31	10
Andrew Poturalski  (F)	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders	USHL	15	8	12	20	6
Jason Salvaggio  (F)	Indiana Ice	USHL	12	2	3	5	4
2015 Recruits
Rich Boyd  (D)	Cushing Academy	NEPSHC	-	-	-	-	-
Warren Foegele  (F)	St. Andrews College	CISAA	1	0	0	0	0
	St. Andrews College	MPHL	5	3	10	13	6
Jason Kalinowski  (F)	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders	USHL	15	3	13	16	30
Charlie Kelleher  (F)	Junior Bruins 18U	USPHL 18U	11	1	2	3	2
Joseph Masonius  (D)	USA U17 Team	USHL	5	0	0	0	10
Danny Tirone  (G)	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders	USHL	8	6W	2L	2.46	.924
2015 or '16 Recruit
Liam Darcy  (D)	Berwick Academy	NEPSHC	-	-	-	-	-
Patrick Grasso  (F)	Des Moines Bucs	USHL	16	2	3	5	2
Aaron O'Neill  (F)	Green Bay Gamblers	USHL	11	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	5	4	5	9	0
2016 Recruits
Marcus Vela  (F)	Langley Rivermen	BCHL	24	6	3	9	14

News & Notes

United States Hockey League:

~ On November 15th, Dylan Chanter scored his first USHL goal as the Dubuque Fighting Saints downed the Tri-City Storm 6-4. Three days later, Dylan signed the National Letter of Intent to attend UNH next fall.

~ 6'2", 200 lbs. power forward Shane Eiserman of the Dubuque Fighting Saints signed his National Letter of Intent to attend UNH next fall. On the NHL Central Scouting Service's latest "Players to Watch" list, Eiserman is classified as a candidate to be drafted in the 2nd or 3rd Round of the 2014 NHL Draft to be held on June 27-28 in Philadelphia.

British Columbia Hockey League:

~ 2014 UNH Recruit Michael McNicholas added 3 assists to his totals last week as the Vernon Vipers continued to lead the Interior Division of the BCHL. McNicholas is tied for 3rd in scoring and tied for 4th in assists in the BCHL.
Here's an informative video profile of McNicholas which includes his plans to play for UNH:



~ As I reported in my article on UNH's newest recruit, 16-year-old Marcus Vela has scored 5 goals and an assist over the last 5 games with the Langley Rivermen.

Prep School Hockey:

~ 2015 UNH recruit Warren Foegele and the St. Andrews College Saints began their 2013-14 season by winning all 5 games at the Midwest Prep Hockey League's Showcase Tournament in Burlington, VT over the weekend. The 6'1", 182 lbs. Foegele (Pronounced Foe-gull), a senior at the Canadian prep school in Aurora, Ontario, scored 3 goals and 10 assists to lead all scorers in the tournament. In an informative review of the MPHL Showcase, U.S. Hockey Report had this to say about Foegele:

"The player here with the most pro upside. The future UNH Wildcat is big, fast and competes hard. Plays an Ovechkin-style game."

Meet Marcus Vela: UNH's Newest Recruit

16-year-old Forward
Marcus Vela

The University of New Hampshire has been fortunate to attract some high-scoring forwards from the province of British Columbia. The 1999 team that lost in overtime in the NCAA Championship Game was lead by Hobey Baker Award winner Jason Krog (Fernie, BC). Lanny Gare from Vernon, BC was the leading scorer on the 2003 team that also advanced to the Championship Game. And, of course, there's Grayson Downing, UNH's leading goal-scorer last season and a top scorer this season, who hails from Abbotsford, BC.

Now, another high-scorer from British Columbia has set his sights on UNH. 16-year-old Marcus Vela (DOB: 3-3-1997), a 6'2", 190 lbs, power forward from Burnaby, BC has committed to play for UNH. Vela, a rookie with the Langley Rivermen, is one of only 8 players in the British Columbia Hockey League born in 1997.

UNH Recruit Marcus Vela Scores 1st BCHL Goal
(Photo: Garrett James Photography)

Over the last 5 games, Vela has been on a scoring tear posting 5 goals and an assist. These included an unassisted goal (vs. Merritt), a game-winner (vs. Surrey), and two in one game (vs. Victoria). He also earned the #1 Star in the 5-7 loss to the Victoria Grizzlies.

Marcus began to attract serious attention from scouts last season as a 15-year-old playing for the Burnaby Bulldogs, a Midget Minor team. Over a 30-game schedule, Vela scored an impressive 25 goals and 55 assists. He was the only midget minor player selected for Team British Columbia in the Western Canada Under-16 Challenge Cup. Team BC won the Challenge Cup in November, 2012 and Vela scored the game-winning goal in the second game against Team Saskatchewan.

Last April, Vela impressed the Langley Rivermen organization at their Prospect Camp and made a commitment to play for them this season. In the announcement, Marcus described his playing style:

"I like to use my size out on the ice whether that is taking the puck hard to the net or dumping it in and working hard to get it out of the corner. However, before I worry about offense, I take care of my own end first and foremost.”

Not surprisingly, Vela has also attracted interest from a Canadian Major Junior team. In May, he was drafted in the 7th round of the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft by the Spokane Chiefs.

I had an opportunity to interview Marcus, via email, about his background, commitment to UNH, and future plans:   

Mike Lowry ("C-H-C"):  Congratulations on your commitment to play for the University of New Hampshire.  What are the main reasons you chose UNH?
Marcus Vela: Some of the main reasons I decided on UNH were, that they play in the best division which is Hockey East, they have a very good hockey program that I felt would suit me best, and they are also a good school academically which is also important to me. I was also very comfortable and confident in deciding to commit to UNH. It felt right!

Mike Lowry:  What other college programs were you considering?
Marcus Vela:  I was also considering a few other schools such as Western Michigan, University of Connecticut and Denver. They are all very good programs and exceptional hockey teams but I just felt that UNH was the right fit for me.

Lowry:  Have you and the UNH coaches agreed on a target date for you to enroll as a freshman at UNH and join the team?
Vela:  The coaches and I have targeted for the fall of 2015 for me to attend UNH but the UNH coaches, my family and I will decided if I am ready to go at that time.

Lowry:  The Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League selected you in the 7th round of the 2012 Bantam Draft. Do you have any interest in foregoing the NCAA route and playing major junior hockey in Canada?
Vela:  It was an exciting time for my family and I when I was selected to the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL but my plan is to pursue the NCAA route and play for UNH.

Lowry:  Following a successful season of Midget Minor hockey with the Burnaby Bulldogs last year, you made the jump to the Langley Rivermen of the BCHL. What's it been like playing against older, more experienced players?
Vela:  At first it was not an easy adjustment. it was tough for me at first not knowing what to expect. The only thing I was coming in with was knowing that everyone was older, bigger, faster and stronger than the players in the league I previously played in. Although going through a big jump, I feel that I have adapted well to the Jr.A game.

Lowry:  You were invited to try out for the Canada Pacific Under-17 team and are on the current roster. The final roster, who will compete in the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, will be announced later this month. What would it mean to you to represent your country in that prestigious tournament?
Vela:  For me to represent Canada in the Under-17 Hockey Challenge would be a tremendous honor. I would be so excited and honored to be given the opportunity to represent Canada.

Lowry:  What are the strongest aspects of your skills as a forward and what areas are you working to improve?
Vela:  Some of my strengths as a player are that I am a big body and can take pucks to the net and work pucks out from the dirty areas. I also feel that I am a good skater who can move well and I am a hard worker.
Some of the areas I am working on to improve are consistency and baring down on all of my chances. This season I have been working hard to play every game to my fullest and not take one shift off because you never know when it could be your last.

Lowry:  What are your academic strengths? Is there a major course of study you might like to pursue when you get to UNH?
Vela:  I am a pretty solid student academically all around. Some course I want to enroll in at UNH would be there Business and Law program. I have yet to set my mind on one particular program I would like to pursue but I do know I would like it to be in one of those two fields.

UNH Sweeps Northeastern

UNH's Casey Thrush
#1 Star vs Northeastern

For the second weekend in a row, the UNH Wildcats swept a 2-game series with a Hockey East opponent. With a 4-1 victory over Northeastern on Saturday night at the Whittemore Center, coupled with a 3-0 win at Matthews Arena on Friday, UNH has improved it's Hockey East record to 4-2-0 (6-5-1 Overall).

Until UNH broke the game open midway through the third period, the battle was more evenly matched than the previous evening. Northeastern played a tighter game in all three zones and each team registered 32 shots on goal.

Following a scoreless first period, senior Nick Sorkin continued his torrid scoring by putting UNH on the board with 7 minutes left in the second. Sorkin knocked in a rebound off a slap shot from Trevor van Riemsdyk. It was Sorkin's 7th goal of the season which leads the team. He is the third leading goal scorer in Hockey East.



Junior Casey Thrush scored his first goal of the season less than a minute after Sorkin's goal. Thrush banged home a loose puck following a shot from the top of the slot by defenseman Justin Agosta. The goal proved to be the game winner.



After Northeastern scored its lone goal of the night early in the third, Matt Willows put the Wildcats back up by 2. The goal was set up by an amazing sequence of moves by Trevor van Riemsdyk at the blueline. TvR kept the puck from sliding beyond the blueline twice then fed a soft pass to Willows streaking down the slot.



Grayson Downing closed out the scoring on a power play with 2 minutes left in the game. Dalton Speelman fed freshman Tyler Kelleher in front of NU goalie Derick Roy. Kelleher banged two quick shots and Downing cleaned up the rebound.

#1 UNH Star - Casey Thrush
In addition to scoring the game-winner, Thrush registered 5 shots on goal and played his best game of the season. In this sequence early in the third period, Thrush storms into the NU zone, fires a shot from the slot, and follows with a backhander that nearly beats Roy.



#2 UNH Star - Casey DeSmith
Over his last four games, junior netminder Casey DeSmith has allowed only 2 goals. In the 4-1 win over NU, DeSmith made 31 saves including these beauties:



#3 UNH Star - Trevor van Riemsdyk
TvR's assists on the Thrush and Willows goals added to his league leading totals. He now has 3 goals and 10 assists which is the most among Hockey East defensemen.

Next weekend, UNH travels to Providence College for a pair of games. PC currently is in 1st place in Hockey East with a record of 5-1-0. UNH is in third place with 8 points.

Box Score

UNH Downs NU: Improves Hockey East Record to 3-2-0

UNH won it's 4th game in a row downing Northeastern 3-0. Junior goalie Casey DeSmith registered his 7th shutout as a Wildcat. A red-hot Nick Sorkin scored the game-winning goal just over 4 minutes into the first period. It was Sorkin's 6th goal of the season.

Senior Jeff Silengo's short-handed goal in the second period was a snipe:



Sophomore Kyle Smith put the game out of reach in the third on a pretty feed from Trevor van Riemsdyk:



Box Score

The Wildcats' overall record improved to the .500 mark: 5-5-1.

The two teams play their final matchup of the regular season tomorrow night at the Whittemore Center in Durham, NH.

Wyer Backstops UNH Win Over Brown

UNH Senior Goalie Jeff Wyer

DURHAM, NH - The UNH Wildcats continued to build momentum with a 4-2 victory over Brown University last night at the Whittemore Center. It was UNH's third win in 5 days and improved their overall record to 4-5-1 (2-2-0 in Hockey East competition). UNH outshot the Brown Bears 41-26.
BOX SCORE

Strategically, the team played well in two key aspects of the game. First, the defensemen and forwards were effective at getting back into their zone to prevent odd-man rushes. When UNH is playing good team defense, you'll see the back-checking players hollering to each other and pointing to the men they are going to cover and those who need to be covered.

UNH was also effective at beating Brown's 1-2-2 neutral zone trap. This setup has one opposing forward forechecking between the UNH blueline and the redline, the remaining two forwards positioned at the redline, and the two defensemen at their own blueline. The strategy is designed to slow down and disrupt UNH's ability to work the puck into the offensive zone. Teams such as Providence and UMass-Lowell execute this trap exceptionally well. Last night, the UNH defensemen were often successful at skating and passing the puck out of their zone and connecting with UNH forwards about to attack the Brown zone.

#1 UNH Star - Jeff Wyer
Senior goalie Jeff Wyer made his fourth start of the year and made several key saves at critical points in the game. The first sequence of the video highlights (shown below) occurred just after senior Jeff Silengo had put UNH ahead 3-1. In the waning seconds of the second period, Brown desperately tried to get one back with sustained pressure in the UNH zone. Wyer was up to the challenge.

In the second part of the clip, Brown continues the pressure as it came out of the gate in the third period. The end of the video clip shows the final 49 seconds of the game. Brown had just scored their second goal and had pulled their goalie for an extra attacker. Wyer makes a bunch of saves, some on shots through screens, as Brown swarmed in the scoring zone. At one point, Wyer briefly lost his stick but retrieved it and shut the door. In all, Wyer made 24 saves.



#2 UNH Star - Nick Sorkin
A key element of UNH's success last season was the goal-scoring of seniors Austin Block and John Henrion who each scored 15 goals. One question entering this season was whether anyone would step up and fill the scoring void. So far, part of the answer has been Nick Sorkin.

Last night against Brown, Sorkin posted a goal and an assist. It was his second goal in as many games and his 5th goal of the season. In his junior year, Sorkin's goal-scoring fell off to 2 goals.

Part of Sorkin's resurgence can be attributed to his ability to carry the puck into the offensive zone with speed and to go strong toward the net. As these video highlights show, this leads to numerous shots on goal - Sorkin finished with 5 SOG:



#3 UNH Star - Jeff Silengo
Trailing by a goal late in the second period, Brown shifted to a more aggressive forechecking scheme and began to control the puck more often in the UNH zone. A Brown goal at that point could have shifted the momentum in their favor entering the final period. Instead, as the clock wound down, senior Jeff Silengo moved the puck down the right boards and it came out to Trevor van Riemsdyk at the point. Silengo went to the front of the net. TvR leveled a slap shot which richoceted off a Brown defender and Silengo one-timed the rebound into the back of the net.

In addition to scoring the game-winning goal, Silengo had 4 shots on goal and won 2 out of 3 faceoffs. The Casey Thrush-Kyle Smith-Silengo line played another strong game with Smith posting an assist and Thrush firing 2 shots on goal. In addition to Silengo's goal, this video shows him setting up Thrush's shot early in the 2nd period which appeared to hit the post.

UNH Recruits Update: Nov-12-2013

2014 UNH Recruit
Michael McNicholas

Player of the Week - Michael McNicholas

In October, Michael McNicholas posted 5 goals and 7 assists in 11 games for the Vernon Vipers of the BCHL. In a pregame ceremony last week, the Vipers organization awarded McNicholas the Player of the Month honor for October. It looks like Michael was just getting warmed up. He's been on a tear over the first 4 games in November scoring 5 goals and 4 assists.



Last Friday, McNicholas had 2 goals and 2 assists in a 5-3 victory over the West Kelowna Warriors. On Saturday, the Vipers were trailing the Prince George Spruce Kings by two goals late in the third period. McNicholas proceeded to score 2 goals over the final 7 minutes to tie the game.

The Vipers are only a point out of first place in the Interior Division of the BCHL. McNicholas is Vernon's leading scorer and is tied for 3rd place in total points among all BCHL players. Michael will join the UNH Wildcats next fall.

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	3	0	0	0	6
Adam Clark  (G)	Salmon Arm SilverBacks	BCHL	14	5W	7L	2.92	.912
Shane Eiserman  (F)	Dubuque Fighting Saints	USHL	8	2	4	6	17
John Furgele  (D)	Jersey Hitmen	USPHL	18	3	13	16	6
Cameron Marks  (D)	Coquitlam Express	BCHL	19	1	9	10	2
Michael McNicholas  (F)	Vernon Vipers	BCHL	23	12	16	28	10
Andrew Poturalski  (F)	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders	USHL	12	8	10	18	6
Jason Salvaggio  (F)	Indiana Ice	USHL	10	1	2	3	4
2015 Recruits
Rich Boyd  (D)	Cushing Academy	NEPSHC	-	-	-	-	-
Warren Foegele  (F)	St. Andrews College	CISAA/MPHL	-	-	-	-	-
Jason Kalinowski  (F)	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders	USHL	12	3	12	15	24
Charlie Kelleher  (F)	Junior Bruins 18U	USPHL 18U	10	1	1	2	2
Joseph Masonius  (D)	USA U17 Team	USHL	5	0	0	0	10
Danny Tirone  (G)	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders	USHL	7	5W	2L	2.56	.918
2015 or '16 Recruit
Liam Darcy  (D)	Berwick Academy	NEPSHC	-	-	-	-	-
Patrick Grasso  (F)	Des Moines Bucs	USHL	14	2	3	5	2
Aaron O'Neill  (F)	Green Bay Gamblers	USHL	9	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	5	4	5	9	0
2016 Recruits
Marcus Vela  (F)	Langley Rivermen	BCHL	22	4	2	6	14

News & Notes

United States Hockey League:

~ Shane Eiserman of the Dubuque Fighting Saints played for Team USA last week in the World Junior A Challenge played in Nova Scotia. In the opening contest against Russia, Eiserman scored USA's final goal in an 8-3 victory. Eiserman scored the game-winning goal the next day as Team USA downed Canada East 4-2. The U.S. Junior Select Team went on to win the Gold Medal for the second consecutive year and 5th time in the last 6 years. Eiserman is committed to UNH for next fall.



~ 2014 UNH recruit, Dylan Chanter returned to the Dubuque Fighting Saints lineup last Friday. In an extensive interview with USA Today prior to his return, Dylan described the fight which lead to him having a seizure on the ice and his recovery. He told USA Today that:

"Fighting needs to be part of the game. I'm not going to approach the game any differently. I'm not going to be scared out there. That's just the way it was that night. I don't know how soon (I'll fight again). If it happens, it happens. I'm not going to go out there looking for a fight. … (But) if the opportunity presents itself and tempers flare, it will happen."

British Columbia Hockey League:

~ UNH's newest recruit, 16-year-old Marcus Vela has been on a scoring tear for the Langley Rivermen. He has scored a goal-a-game over the last 3 games. In their 2-1 win over the Surrey Eagles yesterday, Vela scored the game-winning goal. Look for an interview with Marcus in an upcoming article on The UNH Men's Hockey Blog.

United States Premiere Hockey League:

~ 2014 UNH recruit John Furgele of the Jersey Hitmen is the leading scorer among all defensemen in the Premiere Division of the USPHL. So far this season, Furgele has 3 goals and 13 assists in 18 games.

~ 17-year-old Brendan van Riemsdyk, the youngest of the three van Riemsdyk brothers, went on a scoring tear of his own over the weekend. In the Jersey Hitmen 18U's 9-1 win over the Portland Pirates on Saturday, BVR scored a hat trick and added an assist. On Sunday, he posted a goal and 2 assists in the 5-0 win against Portland.

UNH Runs Away With 9-0 Win Over UMass

AMHERST, MA - If I had to point to one play which exemplified UNH's determined, dominant effort tonight against UMass, it would be the 9th goal of the evening scored by junior Grayson Downing. With just under 5 minutes left in the game and UNH blitzing UMass 8-0, a Minuteman side-swiped Downing's leg as he crossed the blueline into the UMass zone. Grayson spun around, hustled down to the corner to the left of freshman goalie Mac Haight, and threw a heavy hit on the UMass puck carrier. The puck squirted free, Downing gathered it and danced toward the net. A few dekes later and Downing flipped a backhand shot on goal from close range. The puck bounced off Haight and Downing poked the rebound into the net.

13 goals scored over the course of back-to-back games and only 1 goal allowed. After enduring the frustration of dropping 3 one-goal games to highly-ranked Minnesota, Michigan and UMass-Lowell, this UNH team is starting to gel. Head Coach Umile and Offensive Coach Borek have juggled the forward lines in recent games in an effort to spark some goal-scoring. All four forward lines clicked over the weekend.

In an interview shown in between periods during Friday night's game, senior Kevin Goumas said that he was trying to add more goal-scoring punch to his well-established play-making ability. Having him play left wing on the first line with Downing at center and freshman Tyler Kelleher at right wing through the RPI game was part of that strategy. Early in the Friday night matchup against UMass, Goumas played left wing with Nick Sorkin at center and Matt Willows on right wing.

Although playing left wing might have provided more goal-scoring opportunities for Goumas, it became clear that UNH needed his play-making and passing abilities as a centerman. Goumas shifted to center in the second period and Sorkin shifted to left wing. This plays to both players' strengths. Sorkin is most effective when Goumas feeds him in full-stride or when positioned in the slot. At center, Goumas' time of puck-possession is maximized allowing him to make plays anywhere in the offensive zone.

#3 UNH Star - Kevin Goumas
Goumas the play-maker and goal-scorer came to play at the Mullins Center tonight. On UNH's first goal, Goumas fed sophomore defenseman Brett Pesce at the top of the slot. Pesce fired a shot and Kelleher stuffed the rebound home past freshman goalie Alex Wakaluk, a replacement for injured goalie Steve Mastalerz.

A couple minutes into the second period, Goumas zipped from the top of the faceoff circle to Wakaluk's right directly into the low slot, fired a shot which Wakaluk deflected with his blocker, then one-timed the rebound from a sharp angle to Wakaluk's right. UNH 5, UMass 0.

Finally, Goumas earned the helper on Nick Sorkin's goal late in the second period. Matt Willows carried the puck up the center of the ice and fed Goumas at the top of the slot. Goumas carried the puck diagonally, causing the UMass goalie to commit to his left, and Goumas flipped a backhand pass to Sorkin near the open, right-side of the net. It was UNH's 7th goal of the night and Sorkin's 4th of the season.

#2 UNH Star - Tyler Kelleher
Tyler grew up playing hockey in Longmeadow, MA, just 30 miles down Interstate 91. He played his sophomore year at Deerfield Academy. Both towns were well represented in the crowd at the Mullins Center and Kelleher put on a show for them.

Before tonight, Kelleher had been in a bit of a goal-scoring drought. He scored his first NCAA goal against Clarkson in the first game of the season. His second NCAA goal came just 59 seconds after the puck dropped at the Mullins Center. For a player of modest stature, Kelleher doesn't hesitate to maneuver, with or without the puck, in the area around the crease. He'll get his share of goals cleaning up rebounds.

As the leading scorer for two years with the U.S. National Team Development Program, Kelleher primarily played center. His play-making abilities were evident on UNH's third and sixth goals.

Late in the first period, sophomore defenseman Harry Quast broke out of the UNH zone and made a long, lead pass to Kelleher. Tyler carried the puck over the UMass blueline and through the faceoff circle to Wakaluk's left. After drawing Wakaluk out to meet him, Kelleher slipped a forehand pass to Downing who buried it in the open, right side of the net.

Kelleher's second assist of the night - his fourth of the season - came with just under 5 minutes left in the second period. Freshman defenseman Matias Cleland earned his first NCAA point on a head-man pass to Kelleher in the UMass zone. Tyler made a slick pass to Downing - this time skating to the goalie's left side - and Grayson finished off the play for his second goal of the game and third goal of the season. It is a pleasure to watch Kelleher and Downing pass to each other in the offensive zone.

#1 UNH Star - Grayson Downing
Last season, as a sophomore, Downing lead the Wildcats in goal-scoring with 15. Prior to the Friday night game against UMass, Downing had been getting plenty of goal-scoring bids - 18 shots on goal in 7 games - but had scored only once. With his hat trick on Saturday, Downing is now tied with Goumas and Sorkin for the goal-scoring lead with 4.

Honorable Mention - The Thrush-Smith-Silengo Line
In the 4-1 win on Friday night, the newly constituted third line posted a combined 5 points - Casey Thrush, 1 assist; Kyle Smith, 1 goal and 1 assist; Jeff Silengo, 2 assists. They dominated many of their shifts in both games as the threesome excel on the forecheck and backcheck. The line also features two of the best faceoff men on the team in Smith and Silengo. An effective checking line who can score the occasional goal is just what UNH needs from it's third line.

BOXSCORE

UNH Recruits Update: Nov-4-2013

Danny Tirone
2015 UNH Recruit

Player of the Week - Danny Tirone

Last season, as a senior at Loomis Chaffee School in Connecticut, goalie Danny Tirone was named the Prep School Player of the Year by U.S. Hockey Report. In May, the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders selected Tirone in the third round of the USHL Draft. The RoughRiders began this season with the formidable goalie tandem of Tirone and second-year goalie Chris Birdsall, a Boston College commit.

In October, Danny Tirone got his first two opportunities to start in goal for Cedar Rapids and he was the winning goalie in both games. Last week, with Birdsall off playing for Team USA in the World Junior A Challenge, Danny got to start in both Cedar Rapids games. On Friday, Tirone made 38 saves as Cedar Rapids downed the Indiana Ice 3-2 in overtime. On Saturday, he stopped 29 shots in a 3-2 win over the Muskegon Lumberjacks.

With 4 wins and no loses, Tirone is among the top goalies in the USHL. His .937 save percentage is second best in the league. He is also tied for 4th in goals against average with 1.97. Cedar Rapids is off to a strong start with a record of 7-1-1. The RoughRiders two leading scorers are Andrew Poturalski and Jason Kalinowski, two more UNH recruits.

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	13	5W	6L	2.95	.913
Shane Eiserman  (F)	Dubuque Fighting Saints	USHL	8	2	4	6	17
John Furgele  (D)	Jersey Hitmen	USPHL	15	3	8	11	6
Cameron Marks  (D)	Coquitlam Express	BCHL	18	1	7	8	2
Michael McNicholas  (F)	Vernon Vipers	BCHL	21	8	14	22	10
Andrew Poturalski  (F)	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders	USHL	9	7	10	17	6
Jason Salvaggio  (F)	Indiana Ice	USHL	9	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	9	3	12	15	18
Charlie Kelleher  (F)	Junior Bruins 18U	USPHL 18U	10	1	1	2	2
Joseph Masonius  (D)	USA U17 Team	USHL	5	0	0	0	10
Danny Tirone  (G)	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders	USHL	4	4W	0L	1.97	.937
2015 or '16 Recruit
Liam Darcy  (D)	Berwick Academy	NEPSHC	-	-	-	-	-
Patrick Grasso  (F)	Des Moines Bucs	USHL	12	2	2	4	2
Aaron O'Neill  (F)	Green Bay Gamblers	USHL	7	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	3	0	2	2	0
2016 Recruits
Marcus Vela  (F)	Langley Rivermen	BCHL	19	1	2	3	12

Dylan Chanter Returns to
Dubuque Lineup This Week

News & Notes

United States Hockey League:

~ There's very good news to report to all those in the hockey community who have been concerned about Dubuque Fighting Saints defenseman, and 2014 UNH recruit, Dylan Chanter. Dylan has informed me that:

"All of last week I practiced at full contact and felt great. I come off of the IR this Wednesday and should be back to games this Friday."

It's truly remarkable that Dylan is ready to resume his hockey career in light of the harrowing injury he suffered during a fight in a contest between Dubuque and Cedar Rapids on October 12th.

~ Both 2014 recruit Andrew Poturalski and 2015 recruit Jason Kalinowski have continued on their scoring tear. Poturalski posted a goal and an assist in the 3-2 win over Indiana. He potted the game-winning goal against Muskegon. Kalinowski assisted on both goals. Poturalski is now tied for 4th in USHL scoring and Kalinowski stands in 6th place.

British Columbia Hockey League:

~ 2014 recruit Michael McNicholas also continues to put up big numbers for the Vernon Vipers. On Friday, he scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 win over the Salmon Arm SilverBacks. Michael scored the goal against fellow UNH recruit Adam Clark. On Sunday, he posted 2 assists in 3-4 overtime loss to the Victoria Grizzlies. He was named Player of the Game. McNicholas is currently tied for 6th in the BCHL in scoring and tied for 4th in assists.

United States Premiere Hockey League:

~ 2015 UNH recruit Charlie Kelleher returned to the Junior Bruins 18U's lineup yesterday .

UNH Drops Hockey East Opener to #15 UMass-Lowell

LOWELL, MA - Over the first five games of the 2013-14 season, UNH faced stiff competition from some of the best teams in the new Big Ten Conference and the ECAC. UNH earned a win against Clarkson and a tie against Michigan. After a loss to Minnesota in the Ice Breaker Tournament and consecutive loses to Michigan then RPI, the Wildcats were hoping to open the Hockey East portion of their schedule on a positive note.

Despite outshooting the Riverhawks of the University of Massachusetts-Lowell in each period tonight, UNH was on the losing side of the 5-3 battle. The rafters of the Tsongas Center are sporting two new banners. One to commemorate UML's Hockey East Championship and another for making the Frozen Four. With 7 returning seniors and 7 juniors, plus one of the best goalies in the country in Connor Hellebuyck, the Riverhawks are poised for another strong season.

UNH nabbed the early lead on a highlight reel play from senior Dalton Speelman and junior Trevor van Riemsdyk. 6 minutes into the game, Speelman carried the puck through the face off circle to Hellebuyck's right, on a 2-on-1 break, and threaded a perfect pass to TvR in the opposite circle. TvR slid a backhander past Hellebuyck.

Video Highlights

Last season, UNH had the fewest penalty minutes in Hockey East and the most efficient penalty kill. So far this season, UNH is committing more penalties and paying for it. With Kevin Goumas in the penalty box - UNH's second penalty over the first 7 minutes of the game - UML tied the game. TvR blocked an initial shot from Zack Kamrass but UNH failed to clear the puck out of the slot, and UML Captain Josh Holmstrom beat junior goalie Casey DeSmith low to his glove side.

A minute and a half later, UML took the lead which they would not relinquish. Scott Wilson slid a pass from one side of the low slot to Adam Chapie to DeSmith's left. DeSmith had no chance as Chapie banged it into the open side. At the end of one, Lowell lead 2-1 despite being outshot 8-11.

During the opening 5 minutes of the second period, UML turned up the offensive pressure. DeSmith made a sequence of three outstanding saves, two with his left leg pad and one to his gut. At 8:15, defenseman Jake Suter sent a slap shot through a screen of players past DeSmith. UML 3, UNH 1.

The Wildcats badly needed to get one back before the end of the second period and they did. With 6 minutes left in the period, TvR drew an interference penalty. On the power play, Kevin Goumas and Matt Willows pressured Hellebuyck just outside the crease to his right and Goumas flipped a backhander off Hellebuyck's pad and into the net. UNH outshot Lowell 14-11 in the second.

At the 15 minute mark of the third period, Brett Pesce rifled a shot from the high slot which appeared to come very close to glancing off the post. Seconds later, Nick Sorkin made a strong move toward the crease, fired a back hand shot, and drew a slashing penalty. As the video above shows, the top power play unit of TvR and Eric Knodel at the points and the Dalton Speelman-Grayson Downing-Tyler Kelleher line moved the puck smartly and registered a few strong bids. But Hellebuyck was up to the task.

With about 8 minutes left in regulation, freshman Matias Cleland, who has skated a regular shift on defense since day one, stretched out at the blueline to keep the puck in the UML zone. The puck just barely eluded Cleland and Ryan McGrath gathered the puck on the fly. McGrath broke in on DeSmith and beat him with a backhand shot. It was a back-breaking goal as UML regained a 2-goal lead. 23 seconds later, Lowell generated a play behind DeSmith in the corner and Scott Wilson beat him with a shot from the slot.

Senior Nick Sorkin would got one back in the waning seconds on an outstanding individual effort. Sorkin carried the puck strong toward the net and managed a one-handed shot while being pulled down. Final Score: UML 5, UNH 3. Shots on Goal: UNH 37, UML 27.

boxscore