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Sunday, November 26, 2017
UNH Plays of the Game: UNH 4 Yale 0
Danny Tirone 3rd Shutout of Season
UNH needed a win. After starting the 2017-18 season with 5 consecutive wins and moving up to #9 in the USCHO.com Division I National Poll, the Wildcats had lost 3 in a row. The loses came against top Hockey East competitors: 2-1 to UMass-Lowell, 4-0 to Boston University, and 3-2 to Boston College.
In a review of the first third of the season on the most recent "UNH Captain's Corner", Dylan Chanter credited the play of senior goalie Danny Tirone with "giv(ing) us a chance to win every night". Last night at the historic Ingalls Rink on the campus of Yale University, Tirone did it again. He made 34 saves and earned his third shutout of the season and ninth NCAA shutout. Tirone currently has the second best Goals Against Average (2.10) and Save Percentage (.932) of all the Hockey East goalies.
Here's a video review of what I believe were the key plays of the 4-0 shutout of Yale.
Play of the Game: Anthony Wyse
Every hockey game has a key play at a critical moment which shifts the momentum toward the win. I think the key play against the Yale Bulldogs came midway through the third period. Although UNH was ahead 2-0, Yale was pressing to get on the scoreboard and back in the game. With the Bulldogs buzzing around the UNH net, sophomore defenseman Anthony Wyse cleared the puck away from the crease, then blocked a pass and stole the puck. He then cleared the puck up the half-wall which sent UNH off on a 3-on-2 breakout. Michael McNicholas nearly beat Yale goalie Sam Tucker and Marcus Vela rifled home the rebound. Vela's second goal of the season effectively put the game out of reach.
Goal and Assist of the Game: Ara Nazarian and Shane Eiserman
Midway through the first period, senior Shane Eiserman reminded UNH fans why he's such a key ingredient in the team's success. After a faceoff in the Yale end, Eiserman hustled below the goal line, knocked the puck away from a Bulldog, and ladled a centering pass to linemate Ara Nazarian. He snapped it home for the game-winning goal and his fifth goal of the season.
Saves of the Game: Danny Tirone
Of all the 34 saves Danny Tirone made against Yale, these two stood out as extraordinary. Both came when UNH was nursing a 1-0 lead - one late in the first period and the other early in the second.
Hit of the Game: Shane Eiserman
For a game against an ECAC opponent, the Yale game was not particularly physical. Similarly, this hit by Shane Eiserman wasn't particularly heavy. However, it signaled that he was back to his intimidating style after missing 6 games with a knee injury.
Defensive Play of the Game: Anthony Wyse
Less than 2 minutes into the second period and UNH ahead 1-0, Joe Snively, Yale's leading goal scorer (9 goals in 9 games) broke into the UNH Zone. Anthony Wyse caught up with him and steered him away from the slot. Then, Wyse made one of the most heads up defensive plays of the year as he swatted an airborne rebound away from the crease.
UNH improved it's overall record to 7-4-1. The Wildcats return to Hockey East action next weekend in a home-and-home series against Providence College.
UNH Captain's Corner: Reviewing the First Third of the 2017-18 Season
UNH Captain Dylan Chanter
Hard to believe the first third of the 2017-18 regular season is in the books. In the initial 11 games, UNH has won 6, lost 4, and tied 1. The Wildcats are currently ranked #13 in the USCHO.com Division I National Poll. In Hockey East competition, they are 3-3-1 and tied for 4th place. The remainder of the regular season includes 17 Hockey East games and 6 nonconference matchups.
It's an opportune time to reflect on the performance of the 2017-18 team so far and take a look forward with UNH Captain Dylan Chanter. For background, here's my take on some of the accomplishments and areas for improvement.
Pluses
~ UNH won the first 5 games of this season, the most since the 1993-94 team won the first 7 games.
~ For the first time since 2012-13, the year UNH advanced to the Regional Finals of the NCAA Tournament, the team cracked the top 10 national rankings - #9 on November 6th.
~ UNH's scoring offense is 3.09 goals per game, 2nd best in Hockey East and 18th in NCAA Division I. Power play efficiency is 22.7%, 3rd in Hockey East and 14th in the nation.
~ Balanced scoring: 8 players have scored 2 or more goals. Max Gildon has 6 goals. Brendan van Riemsdyk, Liam Blackburn, and Ara Nazarian have 4 goals.
~ 18-year-old freshman Max Gildon is tied for 1st in goal-scoring among all NCAA defensemen and has the highest goals per game (0.55).
~ Freshman Benton Maass, who turns 19 tomorrow, is tied for 4th among all NCAA defensemen in assists (9) and is 4th assists per game (0.82).
~ UNH's overall defense is the best in Hockey East in terms of goals against per game (2.27) and 7th best in the nation. The Wildcats' penalty kill efficiency is 88.2%, second best in Hockey East and 8th in the nation.
~ Senior goalie and alternate captain Danny Tirone's save percentage is .926, second best in Hockey East and tenth among all Division I goalies.
Minuses
~ UNH is in the midst of a three-game losing streak. By comparison, the 2012-13 team, the last to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, never lost more than two games in a row.
~ During the regular season last year, UNH had three forwards who scored goals at a 0.50 pace (one goal for every two games played) or better - Tyler Kelleher (0.65 goals per game), Jason Salvaggio (0.62) and Patrick Grasso (0.50). So far this season, no forwards have reached that level of goal-scoring. Brendan van Riemsdyk has the highest goals per game (0.40) among all UNH forwards.
~ Although UNH's total defense has improved substantially as compared to last season - 2.27 goals against per game vs. 3.47 GA/GP - shots on goal allowed has only showed a small improvement - 30.84 shots on goal against per game vs. 33.26 SOGA/GP.
Captain's Interview
Here's the interview with UNH Captain Dylan Chanter regarding the first third of the 2017-18 season:
Mike Lowry ("C-H-C"): The Wildcats have completed the first third of the regular season. Prior to last weekend, the team was undefeated in Hockey East play (3-0-1) and ranked #9 in the nation. That was followed by three consecutive loses against UMass-Lowell, Boston University and Boston College. What has the team done well over the first 11 games?
Dylan Chanter: There are a lot of things we have done well early on this season. After our great start, teams started to take note to the way we play and took advantage of some costly mistakes on our part. Our overall effort on the defensive side of the puck has been emphasized and I believe that it has been much better so far this year. Goal scoring is another area that has helped us immensely, especially to start off the season. Lastly, I think strong goaltending has given us a chance to win every night thanks to Danny Tirone.
Mike Lowry: What areas have room for improvement?
Dylan Chanter: As far as improvement goes, we are always looking to improve every part of our overall team game. Getting back to consistent 60 minute efforts is a huge aspect in winning hockey games. Everything that comes with a 60 minute effort are areas that we can improve on. Whether it is goal scoring, getting pucks to the net to create scoring chances, preventing grade-A scoring chances, blocking shots, etc., we need to continue to get better in those areas in order to win games.
Lowry: Do you believe UNH is one of the top ten teams in the nation? If so, why?
Chanter: As a team, we try not to listen to the outside noise of national rankings. One of our team goals is to finish as a top-four team in Hockey East this year. By doing so, we would put ourselves in a good spot nationally and have a great shot at making the tournament. At the end of the day, we are mostly concerned with ourselves, our league, and what we can do to best prepare for our next opponent.
UNH returns to action tomorrow night for a nonconference game at Yale University. On the first weekend in December, UNH will play a home-and-home series against Providence College.
BC Interruption, the independent blog covering Boston College sports, previews every game for both the men's and women's hockey teams. One of their features is a Question & Answer segment with bloggers who cover the team BC is about to face.
Earlier this week, Peter Caliguri from BC Interruption interviewed me for the article "Men’s Hockey Preview: Q&A with UNH Men’s Hockey Blog". His questions were insightful and fun to answer. The final one asked for my prediction for Friday's game at the Whittemore Center. I'm thinking 4-4 in a wide-open game with very good goaltending.
Next Guy Up
UNH entered last weekend's contests against UMass-Lowell and Boston University ranked #9 in the USCHO.com Division I National Poll. The Wildcats were undefeated in Hockey East (3-0-1) and 6-0-1 overall. However, the UNH team that skated onto the Whittemore Center ice on Friday against UMass-Lowell was without a few key forwards. Second line left winger Shane Eiserman (lower body injury) and center Marcus Vela (appendicitis/appendectomy) and first line right winger Charlie Kelleher (upper body injury) were out of the lineup. Third line left winger Brendan van Riemsdyk left the game midway through the first period with an upper body injury.
In a tightly contested match, Lowell scored the game-winning, second goal with less than 4 minutes remaining in the third period. Here are links to the video highlights and postgame press conference courtesy of UNH Wildcats Productions. Head Coach Dick Umile offered this analysis:
"We had a chance to win it. Injuries or no injuries, you can’t feel sorry and you’ve got to find ways to pull it out. The guys are competing and have that next-guy-up kind of attitude. Overall, the guys did a good job. I’m not disappointed in their effort, just disappointed in the outcome."
The energetic play of the fourth line - Frankie Cefalu (center), Kohei Sato (left wing), and Joe Sacco (right wing) - represents the best of the "next-guy-up" attitude. They generated 4 of UNH's 20 shots on goal against UMass-Lowell. These video highlights show the shots, tenacious forechecking, play-making, and defensive zone play of Cefalu-Sato-Sacco:
On Saturday night at Boston University's Agganis Arena, forwards Kelleher, Eiserman, Vela and van Riemsdyk were out of the lineup again. Cefalu and Sato moved up to UNH's third line with Eric MacAdams at right wing. The final clip in the highlights shows them generating one of the best scoring opportunities against BU. Although the overall shots on goal were relatively even (UNH 29, BU 31), the Terriers handily defeated the Wildcats 4-0.
In the weekly press conference on Wednesday, Coach Umile said Charlie Kelleher and Marcus Vela will likely be back in the lineup on Friday against BC. BvR's playing status for Friday was uncertain but possible. Shane Eiserman is still injured but may start skating next week. Joe Sacco aggravated an injury which kept him out of the lineup earlier this season.
2018 UNH commit Angus Crookshank's goal-scoring barrage just keeps going. Since the last "UNH Commits Update" a week ago, Crookshank has tallied 3 goals in 3 games. On these video highlights, the Langley Rivermen announcer on hockeytv.com said "this 18-year-old has the shot of a professional hockey player" (He just turned 18 on October 2nd):
Crookshank has now buried 12 goals in 14 games this season. He leads the British Columbia Hockey League in goals per game with .86. Although he has played in 5-8 fewer games, only 5 players have scored more total goals. Angus is also tied for 1st in the league in game-winning goals (4) and tied for 3rd in power play goals (4). Finally, he has scored the 7th most points per game (19 pts in 14 games; 1.32 PPG) in the league.
Before the 2017-18 season began, the Neutral Zone scouting service rated Angus Crookshank as a 4 Star prospect on their 5-Star scale. Based on his early season performance, Neutral Zone has upgraded his rating to 4.25 stars. UNH freshman Charlie Kelleher, who plays on the first line and is tied for 3rd in scoring for the Wildcats (1 goal, 6 assists), also had a 4.25 star rating in his final year of junior hockey.
Angus signed a National Letter of Intent with UNH a year ago during the November early signing period. He graduated from high school last spring. He is on track to enroll at UNH next fall.
2017-18 Statistics
NOTE
The statistics for the commits, presented in the following table, are categorized by the projected year they will enroll in UNH. For example, the "2018 Commits" are projected to begin playing for UNH in the Fall of 2018. I have based these projections on a number of factors including:
~ If a National Letter of Intent has been signed.
~ The year the commit and UNH coaches originally targeted for enrollment in UNH.
~ How old the commit would be upon admission.
~ Number of years in junior hockey prior to admission.
~ The commit's performance in recent seasons as well as injuries.
~ Anticipated date of high school graduation.
~ Number of UNH players leaving the team at the end of the previous season and the position they played.
National Letter of Intent Early Signing Period:
~ The early signing period began on Wednesday November 8th and extends to November 15th. On the first day, Ryan Verrier, a left-shot defenseman from Reading, Massachusetts, signed a National Letter of Intent with UNH. A decision on his enrollment date will be made later this season. In his first season in the USHL, Verrier has scored a goal and 2 assist with the Green Bay Gamblers.
~ I anticipate 2 and possibly 3 current UNH commits will sign a National Letter of Intent before the early signing period is over.
British Columbia Hockey League:
~ 2019 Commit Chase Stevenson, who recently committed to UNH, scored his 5th goal of the BCHL season in the West Kelowna Warriors victory on Wednesday night. Before the 2017-18 season began, the Neutral Zone scouting service rated Stevenson as a 3.75 Star prospect. They have upgraded Stevenson's rating to 4 stars on their 5 Star scale. Here's his most recent goal:
Ontario Junior Hockey League:
~ 2019 or '20 Commit Marek Wazny began this season with the Brookings (South Dakota) Blizzard. They had selected him in the 1st Round of the 2017 North American Hockey League Draft. Over his first 4 NAHL games, he was getting significant playing time including starting at center in 2 games. Wazny's playing time diminished with the Blizzard and he moved to the Burlington Cougars (OJHL) near his family’s home in Mississauga Ontario. He’s become a key player for the Cougars playing center on their second line and wing on their first power play unit and scoring a goal and 3 assists in 4 games. Marek now has the opportunity to finish his senior year of high school near his home. Wazny is also on the affiliate list of the Omaha Lancers in the USHL.
Prep School:
~ After playing two games with the Green Bay Gamblers as an affiliate, 2019 or '20 Commit Jackson Pierson began his senior season with Culver Academy on October 29th. The Eagles have won their first 4 games and Pierson leads the team with 2 goals and 10 assists.
~ 2019 or '20 Commit Connor Sweeney has been preparing for the New England Prep School season by playing in the New England Fall Prep Hockey League. Sweeney and the U19 North team advanced to the playoff finals and he assisted on the game-tying goal. When the New England Prep season begins in early December, Sweeney will play for Lawrence Academy.
2018 UNH commit Angus Crookshank continues his torrid goal-scoring. After missing the exhibition season and first 8 games of the BCHL regular season with an injury, he has scored at least one goal in 7 of 11 games. Since the last "UNH Commits Update" two weeks ago, Crookshank has scored a goal-a-game during a 4-game win streak by the Langley Rivermen. Here are the video highlights of his 6th thru 9th goals of the season:
The first two goals shown in the highlights illustrate Crookshank's ability as a pure goal scorer. In each case, he essentially generated the score on his own. The Langley Rivermen announcers described Crookshank's goal against the Cowichan Valley Capitals as a candidate for best of the year.
The top 6 goal scorers in the BCHL have played 5-8 more games than Crookshank. Still, he is tied for 5th in total goals. With 9 goals in 11 games, Crookshank leads the league in goals per game (.82). His 4 game-winning goals are the most in the BCHL and he's tied for 3rd in power play goals (3). The centerman has also distributed 5 assists for a total of 14 points in 11 games (T-9th).
2017-18 Statistics
NOTE
The statistics for the commits, presented in the following table, are categorized by the projected year they will enroll in UNH. For example, the "2018 Commits" are projected to begin playing for UNH in the Fall of 2018. I have based these projections on a number of factors including:
~ If a National Letter of Intent has been signed.
~ The year the commit and UNH coaches originally targeted for enrollment in UNH.
~ How old the commit would be upon admission.
~ Number of years in junior hockey prior to admission.
~ The commit's performance in recent seasons as well as injuries.
~ Anticipated date of high school graduation.
~ Number of UNH players leaving the team at the end of the previous season and the position they played.
United States Hockey League:
~ 2018 Commit Eric Esposito, an Alternate Captain in his third season with the Youngstown Phantoms, scored his first short-handed goal of his USHL career:
~ 2018 or '19 Commit Ryan Verrier scored his first USHL goal in his 7th game. The Green Bay Gamblers defenseman turns 19 in a couple weeks.
~ 18-year-old defenseman Lucas Bahn scored his first USHL goal in his 5th game with the Sioux City Musketeers.
~ 2019 or '20 Commit Jackson Pierson was called up from the Green Bay Gamblers' affiliate list to play his first two USHL games two weekends ago. He began his senior season with Culver Academy last weekend.
The steady stream of hockey players born and raised in British Columbia, Canada will continue to flow to the University of New Hampshire for the foreseeable future. Versatile forward Chase Stevenson, who plays for his hometown West Kelowna Warriors in the BCHL, has committed to UNH for the 2019-20 season. The 2017-18 UNH Wildcats, currently ranked #13 in NCAA Division I, includes Captain Dylan Chanter (Hometown: Armstrong BC; BCHL Team: Vernon Vipers), Cameron Marks (North Vancouver; Coquitlam Express), Marcus Vela (Burnaby; Langley Rivermen), Liam Blackburn (Prince George; West Kelowna Warriors), and Matt Dawson (Delta; Surrey Eagles). Angus Crookshank (North Vancouver; Langley Rivermen), who currently leads the BCHL in goals per game (9 in 11 games; .81 GPG), has signed a National Letter of Intent with UNH and is on target to enroll next season.
After excelling at the Okanagan Hockey Academy for three years and with the Okanagan Rockets in the British Columbia Major Midget League for two seasons, Chase Stevenson was called up last November to play with the West Kelowna Warriors. As a BCHL rookie, Stevenson tallied 10 goals, including 2 game-winners, and 10 assists in 33 regular season games.
At the Bauer BCHL Showcase in Chilliwack, BC earlier this season, Stevenson was in the starting lineup playing left wing. In the Warriors' two victories, he scored a goal and added an assist. There were over 200 college and pro scouts in attendance. Among them were scouts from Neutral Zone** who ranked Stevenson as a "B+" player and provided this assessment:
"Prospect has nifty hands. He is fast, plays with pace and drives to the net. He's also patient."
Rating - 3 3/4 out 5 Stars. For purposes of comparison, Neutral Zone currently rates Angus Crookshank as a 4 star prospect.
** Reprinted by permission of Brendan Collins, Director of Scouting at Neutral Zone.
George Ross, a scout for the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League who covers the Minnesota region, provided this assessment of Stevenson:
(Chase) is undersized but has good strength and is good in one-on-one battles. Not a high end skill guy, but a good skater with a very high and consistent compete level."
Stevenson (DOB: 1/13/1999), a left-shot forward, is 18 years old and has played in 18 Warriors' games so far this season. He has registered 3 goals and 6 assists. Here are video highlights of each goal:
Rylan Ferster, Stevenson's coach with the Warriors over the last two seasons, has provided this assessment:
"Chase is a very complete player and can play any one of the forward positions. His attention to detail in every zone is outstanding and is one of those players that no matter where he plays, he makes his line mates better."
Interview
I had an opportunity to interview Chase Stevenson, via email, about his hockey career and commitment to UNH:
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?
Chase Stevenson: Thank you. The main reason I chose UNH was because of its fantastic combination of athletics and academics. One of my main goals is to win a college hockey national championship and I believe UNH gives me the best chance to do so. With Coach Souza taking over as head coach next season, I feel that I will be able to have a significant impact on UNH hockey, and will be a key contributor along the journey of bringing a national championship back to UNH. Right from the academic buildings to the hockey facilities, UNH will give me every opportunity to develop into a better hockey player and person, and I couldn't be more excited to commit to such a prestigious program.
Mike Lowry: What other college programs did you consider during the recruiting process? Which schools did you visit and which ones made an offer to you?
Chase Stevenson: Throughout my commitment process, I talked to Division I schools, such as UNH, that offer athletic scholarships and to Ivy League schools such as Harvard, Yale, and Cornell that offer financial aid based on need. After going on my official visit to the UNH campus, I knew it was the right place 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?
Stevenson: I will begin attending UNH at the start of the 2019/20 season.
Lowry: At this stage in your hockey development, what are the strengths of your game? What areas are you trying to improve?
Stevenson: The biggest strengths of my game are my hockey IQ and my skating ability. I like to use my speed and skill to create plays at both ends of the rink and be a reliable two way forward. The biggest thing I need to work on is being a more consistent player and just developing physically. I need to continue to develop my strength and speed in order to be a key contributor at the next level.
Lowry: Did you see the team play a game during your official visit? If so, how do you think your style and skill set will fit with the way UNH plays?
Stevenson: Unfortunately, I was only able to watch a practice while I was at UNH. However, that gave me a good sense of how the team plays. I feel that my skating ability and hockey IQ will allow me to fit in very well with UNH hockey. They play a very fast-paced, offensive style and I couldn't be more excited to join the team in 2019.
Lowry: During this season with the West Kelowna Warriors you've been playing both center and wing. Do you have a preference? How are you effective at each position?
Stevenson: I feel comfortable at both centre and wing and like to be a player that can be counted on in any position. Whether I am playing center or wing I pride myself on making plays at both ends of the rink and being a player that is counted on by his teammates to make key plays at crucial times during a game.
Lowry: In 2014, the Red Deer Rebels drafted you in the Western Hockey League Bantam Draft. Why did you forego the major junior route and decide to pursue an NCAA scholarship?
Stevenson: Shortly after I was selected in the Bantam draft, my dad and I flew out to the Boston area to look at 5 universities including UNH. Ever since that trip, I knew college hockey was going to be the place for me and was going to give me the best opportunity to develop into a pro hockey player.
Lowry: Have you graduated from high school? What are your academic strengths and interests? Have you thought about what you might major in when you enroll at UNH?
Stevenson: I just recently graduated from high school this past June and am excited to begin my college career in 2019. My strongest subjects are math and English because I enjoy the depth of understanding it takes to grasp their difficult concepts. I plan on attending the Paul College of Business and Economics while at UNH.
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