Second-Seeded Men's Hockey Plays Host to Vermont in Best-of-Three Hockey East Quarterfinals
GAME NOTES
DURHAM, N.H. -- The 10th-ranked and second-seeded University of New Hampshire men's hockey team enters postseason play by playing host to seventh-seeded Vermont in a best-of-three Hockey East quarterfinal series. The teams will play Friday, Saturday and Sunday (if necessary). All games are slated for 7 p.m. starts at the Whittemore Center.
All quarterfinal games will by streamed live by Pack Network on www.hockeyeastonline.tv for $7.95 per game, with the exception of the NESN game on Saturday night. Watch 11 of a possible 12 games by purchasing the tournament pass for $39.95 and watch all four games simultaneously in the same web browser.
Tickets are $24 each. Discounts are available for groups of 20 or more by calling 603-862-4000 extension 5.
UNH students can pick up general admission tickets for games one and two beginning Monday, March 7, at 10 a.m. at the Whittemore Center Arena Ticket Office. All tickets that are not picked up by UNH students will go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, March 9, at 10 a.m. If game three is needed, tickets will go on sale immediately following game two at the Whittemore Center Arena Ticket Office, online at www.unhwildcats.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.
SCOUTING THE 7TH-SEEDED CATAMOUNTS: The seventh-seeded University of Vermont Catamounts enter the Hockey East Quarterfinals with an 8-18-8 record and an 6-14-7 mark in Hockey East. Vermont has lost just once in their last five games (1-1-3) including a 2-2 tie with New Hampshire on Feb. 18. Offensively, the Catamounts are led by sophomore forward Sebastian Stalberg, who has 27 points on eight goals and 19 assists. Senior Jack Downing has a team-high 13 goals and five assists for 18 points in 34 games. Junior goaltender Rob Madore, who has played in 97 career games, is 8-18-8 with a 2.94 GAA and a .907 save percentage this season.
SERIES HISTORY VS. VERMONT: The Wildcats own the advantage in the all-time series vs. Vermont at 71-16-5 in 92 all-time meetings dating back to Dec. 14, 1963. UNH is 13-4-4 against the Catamounts since they became a member of Hockey East during the 2005-06 season. This year, the Wildcats captured the season series with a 2-0-1 mark. Coach Umile in his coaching career has registered a 26-8-4 mark against Vermont in 38 meetings. Overall, the Wildcats are 21-8-4 in the last 33 meetings with Vermont. Paul Thompson is the leading active scorer against Vermont with 16 points in 15 games, while Matt Di Girolamo is 2-0-1 lifetime against the Catamounts with a 1.31 GAA and a .955 save percentage.
SCORING LEADERS VS. THE CATAMOUNTS:
Player GP G-A-P
Paul Thompson 15 5-11-16
Mike Sislo 15 3-10-13
Phil DeSimone 15 4-9-13
Blake Kessel 12 5-4-9
Stevie Moses 12 1-9-10
Damon Kipp 12 2-2-4
Brett Kostolansky 6 1-4-5
Matt Campanale 13 1-3-4
Greg Manz 10 2-0-2
Greg Burke 7 2-0-2
Mike Borisenok 9 2-2-4
Austin Block 4 0-1-1
Dalton Speelman 9 0-1-1
Mike Beck 8 1-0-1
John Henrion 7 0-0-0
Connor Hardowa 8 1-0-1
Kevin McCarey 6 0-0-0
Scott Pavelski 4 0-0-0
Kevin Goumas 3 1-3-4
Nick Sorkin 2 0-0-0
Jeff Silengo 2 0-0-0
Goaltending Stats
Player GP/Min GA GAA W-L-T SV SV%
Di Girolamo 3/182:34 4 1.31 2-0-1 85 .955
Scott 1/2:17 0 0.00 0-0-0 0 .000
Di Girolamo Game-by-Game vs. the Catamounts
Date Min Res. Svs. GA Shots
12-5-10 57:34 W 24 1 25
2-18-11 60:00 W 21 1 22
2-19-11 65:00 T 40 2 42
Totals 182:34 2-0-1 85 4 89
Scott Game-by-Game vs. the Catamounts
Date Min Res. Svs. GA Shots
12-5-10 2:17 ND 0 0 0
Totals 2:17 0-0-0 0 0 0
SCORING LEADERS IN HE QUARTERFINALS
Player GP G-A-P
Mike Sislo 7 2-3-5
Phil DeSimone 7 0-2-2
Paul Thompson 7 1-1-2
Steve Moses 5 0-2-2
Blake Kessel 5 1-1-2
Matt Campanale 5 0-1-1
Damon Kipp 5 0-0-0
Connor Hardowa 3 0-0-0
Greg Manz 3 0-0-0
Dalton Speelman 3 0-0-0
Mike Borisenok 3 0-0-0
Mike Beck 3 0-0-0
Greg Burke 3 0-0-0
John Henrion 2 0-0-0
Kevin McCarey 2 0-0-0
Scott Pavelski 1 0-0-0
Goaltending Stats
Player GP/Min GA GAA W-L-T SV SV%
no goalies with quarterfinal experience
SCORING LEADERS IN HOCKEY EAST TOURNAMENT
Player GP G-A-P
Mike Sislo 8 2-3-5
Phil DeSimone 8 0-2-2
Paul Thompson 8 1-1-2
Steve Moses 5 0-2-2
Blake Kessel 5 1-1-2
Matt Campanale 5 0-1-1
Damon Kipp 5 0-0-0
Connor Hardowa 3 0-0-0
Greg Manz 3 0-0-0
Dalton Speelman 3 0-0-0
Mike Borisenok 3 0-0-0
John Henrion 2 0-0-0
Kevin McCarey 3 0-0-0
Mike Beck 3 0-0-0
Greg Burke 3 0-0-0
Scott Pavelski 1 0-0-0
Goaltending Stats
Player GP/Min GA GAA W-L-T SV SV%
no goalies with Hockey East postseason experience
THOMPSON CAPTURES HE SCORING TITLE: UNH's Paul Thompson became the second-straight Wildcat to capture the league's scoring title. Thompson finished four points ahead of his closest competition.
Player Team G-A-P
1. Paul Thompson UNH 23-19-42
2. Cam Atkinson BC 24-14-38
3. Brian Gibbons BC 10-26-36
Gustav Nyquist Maine 15-21-36
KESSEL HAS FIVE ASSISTS IN LAST FIVE GAMES: Blake Kessel has five assists in the last five games for UNH.
UNH HOLDS 2-0-1 EDGE IN SEASON SERIES: UNH holds a 2-0-1 advantage in the season series with vermont, outscoring the Catamounts 14-3 in those contests.
DI GIROLAMO STANDS TALL IN LEAGUE PLAY: Junior netminder Matt Di Girolamo closed out Hockey East play with a league best 1638:04 minutes, while his 797 saves was just two behind BU's Kieran Millan.
UNH AIMS AT RETURN TRIP TO THE GARDEN: After appearing in the Hockey East semifinals for eight-straight season from 2001-02 through 2007-08, the Wildcats are looking to return to the return for the first time in three seasons. In 2008-09, the 'Cats were eliminated by Boston College, while UVM upset New Hampshire a year ago.
PAIRWISE RANKINGS (3/7/11)
Rk Team PCWs W-L-T Win % Rk RPI Rk
1 Yale 29 23-5-1 .8103 1 .5815* 2
2 Boston College 28 26-7-1 .7794 2 .5758* 3
3 North Dakota 27 26-8-3 .7432 4 .5839* 1
4 Michigan 25 23-9-4 .6944 6 .5578 5
5 Denver 24 21-10-5 .6528 8t .5535 6
6t Union 23 25-7-4 .7500 3 .5627* 4
6t Nebraska-Omaha 23 21-13-2 .6111 12t .5441* 11
8 Merrimack 22 22-8-4 .7059 5 .5454* 10
9 Miami 21 19-9-6 .6471 10t .5511 8
10t Notre Dame 20 21-10-5 .6528 8t .5511 7
10t Minn-Duluth 20 20-9-6 .6571 7 .5491 9
12 New Hampshire 17 19-9-6 .6471 10t .5429 12
13 Dartmouth 16 16-10-3 .6034 15 .5305 15
14t Western Michigan 15 16-10-10 .5833 19 .5300 16
14t Colorado College 15 19-16-3 .5395 26 .5245 19
16t Boston University 14 18-10-8 .6111 12t .5336 13
16t Rensselaer 14 20-12-5 .6081 14 .5231 20
18t Maine 13 17-10-7 .6029 16 .5316 14
18t Minnesota 13 16-12-6 .5588 24 .5276 17
20 St. Cloud State 10 15-16-5 .4861 31 .5182 21
21 Alaska 9 16-15-5 .5139 29 .5158 22
22 Ferris State 8 17-14-5 .5417 25 .5105 25
23 Wisconsin 7 20-14-4 .5789 20 .5258 18
24 Alaska-Anchorage 6 14-17-3 .4559 37 .5107 23
25 Quinnipiac 5 15-13-8 .5278 27 .5087 26
26t Princeton 3 17-13-2 .5625 23 .5105 24
26t RIT 3 16-10-8 .5882 17 .5039 27
26t Minnesota State 3 14-16-6 .4722 33 .5024 28
29 Cornell 2 13-13-3 .5000 30 .5023 29
30 Air Force 0 16-11-6 .5758 21 .5022 30
TO THIS POINT LAST YEAR: A comparison through 34 games between this season and last season.
07-08 08-09 09-10 10-11
Record 23-8-3 19-10-5 16-11-7 19-9-6
HE Record 19-5-3 15-8-4 15-6-6 17-6-4
Goals scored 114 106 116 119
Goals scored/PG 3.40 3.12 3.41 3.50
Goals Allowed 79 99 108 87
Goals Allowed/PG 2.30 2.91 3.18 2.56
Shots 1107 1111 1128 1145
Shots Allowed 1051 1012 1030 1088
Power Play 18.2% 12.2% 16.9% 21.0%
(30-165) (22-181) (24-142) (30-143)
Penalty Kill 87.4% 82.8% 80.7% 81.5%
(153-175) (144-174) (109-135)(101-124)
Top 3 Scorers Fornataro van Riems. Butler Thompson
14-27-41 15-22-37 25-22-47 26-23-49
Radja LeBlanc Thompson Sislo
19-21-40 12-15-27 16-18-34 12-31-43
van Riemsdyk Sislo Kessel DeSimone
11-15-26 18-8-26 8-25-33 9-27-36
1,000 saves for Di Girolamo: Matt Di Girolamo became just the sixth player in program history to register 1,000 saves in a single season.
Player Year Games Saves
1. Mike Ayer 2002-03 41 1,139
2. Bruce Gillies 1983-84 34 1,065
3. Todd Pearson 1981-82 35 1,028
4. Brian Foster 2009-10 34 1,027
5. Kevin Regan 2006-07 35 1,025
6. Matt Di Girolamo 2010-11 34 1,001
40 POINTS IN HE PLAY: Since 1999-2000, only five players have recorded 40-plus points in Hockey East play in a single season. Paul Thompson came the newest addition to his list.
SINCE 1999-2000
Player Team Year G-A-P
Paul Thompson UNH 2010-11 23-19-42
Bobby Butler UNH 2009-10 21-20-41
Gustav Nyquist Maine 2009-10 12-29-41
Ben Eaves BC 2002-03 14-28-42
Darren Haydar UNH 2001-02 15-27-42
THOMPSON HAS EYE ON 50: Paul Thompson is looking to become just the seven player at UNH since 2000 to register 50 points in a single season.
SINCE 2000 PLAYERS WITH 50-PLUS POINTS
Player G-A-P Year
Paul Thompson 26-23-49 2010-11
Bobby Butler 29-24-53 2009-10
Sean Collins 19-37-56 2004-05
Preston Callander 25-29-54 2004-05
Lanny Gare 22-29-51 2002-03
Darren Haydar 31-45-76 2001-02
Colin Hemingway 33-33-66 2001-02
SISLO HANDS OUT 30 ASSISTS: Mike Sislo moved past 30 assists for the season. The last Wildcat to dish out 30+ assists in a season was Sean Collins in 2004-05 with 37 helpers.
Wildcats with 30+ Assists since 2000:
Mike Sislo 2010-11 31
Sean Collins 2004-05 37
Justin Aikins 2003-04 31
Steve Saviano 2002-03 30
Darren Haydar 2001-02 45
Colin Hemingway 2001-02 33
Lanny Gare 2001-02 31
15 WINS IN LEAGUE PLAY: UNH continues its success in Hockey East capturing 15 wins in league play for the fifth-straight season.
Since 2000 - 15+ Wins in Hockey East Play
Team Seasons Longest Streak
UNH 8 5 (2006-present)
Boston Coll. 8 3 (two occasions)
Boston Univ. 6 2 (two occasions)
Maine 2 1 (2003-04, 2005-06)
UMass 1 (2006-07)
Northeastern 1 (2008-09)
Vermont 1 (2008-09)
Merrimack 1 (2010-11)
THOMPSON'S NATION BEST 12 POWER PLAY GOALS: Paul Thompson ranks first in the nation in power play goals with 12 man-advantage tallies. Thompson's 12 is the most since Sean Collins and Colin Hemingway potted 13 power play goals in the 2001-02 season.
THOMPSON, KESSEL NAMED WALTER BROWN SEMIFINALIST: Senior forward Paul Thompson and junior defenseman Blake Kessel were named semifinalists for the 59th annual Walter Brown Award, presented annually to the best American-born college hockey player in New England. Thompson and Kessel were among a group of 15 semifinalists selected by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston, as announced by president Ray Gallant on Feb. 14. In total, nine players from Hockey East were selected. Thompson has become one of the elite players in college hockey in 2010-11. . The Wildcats have a storied tradition in the Walter Brown Award history that includes eight former Wildcats that have earned the honor, including Bob Miller (1977), Ralph Cox (1979), Ty Conklin (2001), Mike Ayers (2003) Steve Saviano (2004), Kevin Regan (2008) and, most recently, Bobby Butler (2010).
THOMPSONFORHOBEY.COM LAUNCHED: The University of New Hampshire athletic department unveils the all-new ThompsonforHobey.com. The sleek interactive site, designed by Pack Network, is geared to raise awareness and support for men's hockey senior forward Paul Thompson in his candidacy for college hockey's greatest individual honor, the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, given each year to college hockey's top player. Click here to visit ThompsonforHobey.com. Fans, coaches and the media are encouraged to view the website for the most up-to-date information on Thompson. The site includes stats, biographical information, a Facebook Fan Page, photos, news clippings, fan voting and a video highlight clip.
THOMPSON, SISLO 40/40: Paul Thompson and Mike Sislo recently went over 40 points during their senior seasons. There have been 26 players to record 40 points since 2000 with Darren Haydar topping the list with 76 points in 2001-02. It marks the 22nd consecutive year a UNH player has tallied four points.
SINCE 2000 PLAYERS WITH 40-PLUS POINTS
Player G-A-P Year
Mike Sislo 12-31-43 2010-11
Paul Thompson 26-23-49 2010-11
Bobby Butler 29-24-53 2009-10
James van Riemsdyk 17-23-40 2008-09
Matt Fornataro 18-28-46 2007-08
Mike Radja 19-24-43 2007-08
Trevor Smith 21-22-43 2006-07
Matt Fornataro 13-27-40 2006-07
Jacob Micflikier 16-26-42 2005-06
Brett Hemingway 19-22-41 2005-06
Daniel Winnik 15-26-41 2005-06
Sean Collins 19-37-56 2004-05
Preston Callander 25-29-54 2004-05
Jacob Micfliker 20-24-44 2004-05
Daniel Winnik 18-22-40 2004-05
Steve Saviano 27-22-49 2003-04
Sean Collins 16-26-42 2003-04
Justin Aikins 10-31-41 2003-04
Lanny Gare 22-29-51 2002-03
Colin Hemingway 22-25-47 2002-03
Darren Haydar 31-45-76 2001-02
Colin Hemingway 33-33-66 2001-02
Sean Collins 20-25-45 2001-02
Lanny Gare 9-31-40 2001-02
Darren Haydar 18-23-41 2000-01
THOMPSON VS. BUTLER: Bobby Butler had one of the best seasons by a UNH player in some time including being a Hobey Baker Hat Trick finalist a year ago. However, through 34 games Paul Thompson numbers are better than Butler's in several categories.
Through 34 games G A P PPG PWG GWG
Thompson in 2010-11 26 23 49 1.44 12 7
Butler in 2009-10 25 22 47 1.38 6 4
15-0-2 WHEN LEADING AFTER TWO: UNH is 15-0-2 when leading after two periods.
30-POINTS IN HOCKEY EAST: For the seventh-straight season UNH has 30-plus points in Hockey East play including all seven since Vermont joined the league and the regular season conference schedule was expanded. They are the only team in Hockey East to accomplish this feat.
SCORING BY CLASS: 2010-11 breakdown of scoring by class.
Class G-A-P G-A-P %.
Seniors: 49-94-143 41-46-44
Juniors: 25-54-79 21-27-25
Sophomores: 35-38-73 29-19-23
Freshmen: 10-17-27 8-8-8
WHERE IS UNH RANKED?: Here is a week-by-week look at the 'Cats in the national polls and the HE standings:
Date USA TODAY USCHO HE
9/27 8th N/P 3rd (pre)
10/4 N/P 10th 3rd (pre)
10/11 9th 9th 4th
10/18 7th 7th 6th
10/25 10th 10th 7th
11/1 10th 10th 9th
11/8 8th 9th 4th
11/15 8th 7th 3rd
11/22 6th 6th 3rd
11/29 5th 5th 3rd
12/6 3rd 3rd 2nd
12/13 2nd 2nd 1st
12/20 2nd NP 1st
12/27 NP NP 1st
1/3 4th 4th 1st
1/10 4th 4th 1st
1/17 7th 7th 1st
1/24 8th 7th 2nd
1/31 6th 6th 1st
2/7 6th 6th 1st
2/14 9th 8th 1st
2/21 9th 9th 1st
2/28 8th 7th 1st
3/7 10th 10th 2nd
THE NATIONAL POLLS:
USCHO.com Division I Men's Hockey Poll (March 7)
Rk. School (FPV) Record Points Lst Wk.
1 North Dakota (39) 26-8-3 987 1
2 Boston College (10) 26-7-1 953 2
3 Yale (1) 23-5-1 892 3
4 Union 25-7-4 842 4
5 Michigan 23-9-4 784 5
6 Denver 21-10-5 709 5
7 Miami 19-9-6 666 8
8 Notre Dame 21-10-5 620 10
9 Merrimack 22-8-4 583 9
10 New Hampshire 19-9-6 573 7
11 Minnesota-Duluth 20-9-6 531 11
12 Nebraska-Omaha 21-13-2 488 12
13 Boston University 18-10-8 353 13
14 Maine 17-10-7 345 14
15 Western Michigan 16-10-10 286 15
16 Colorado College 19-16-3 221 17
17 Minnesota 16-12-6 185 19
18 Dartmouth 16-10-3 165 20
19 Wisconsin 20-14-4 164 18
20 Rensselaer 20-12-5 98 16
Others Receiving Votes: St. Cloud State 21, Ferris State 17, Cornell 10, RIT 4, Robert Morris 2, Alaska 1
USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's Hockey Poll (March 7)
Rk. Team, Points (FPV) Last Week Record Weeks
1 North Dakota, 503 (29) 1 26-8-3 22
2 Boston College, 480 (5) 2 26-7-1 22
3 Yale University, 438 3 23-5-1 22
4 Union College, 394 4 25-7-4 19
5 University of Michigan, 374 5 23-9-4 22
6 University of Denver, 330 6 21-10-5 22
7 Miami University, 286 10 19-9-6 22
8 University of Notre Dame, 257 9 21-10-5 19
9 Merrimack College, 241 7 22-8-4 9
10 New Hampshire, 220 8 19-9-6 22
11 Minnesota Duluth, 179 11 20-9-6 22
12 Nebraska Omaha, 171 12 21-13-2 18
13 Boston University, 77 13 18-10-8 19
14 University of Maine, 58 14 17-10-7 19
15 Western Michigan, 24 NR 16-10-10 2
Others receiving votes: Colorado College, 17; Dartmouth College, 15; University of Minnesota, 8; University of Wisconsin, 4; Rensselaer, 3; Rochester Institute of Technology, 1.
Wildcats Among National leaders (THRU 3/7): Below is a list of where UNH players and team rank nationally.
Individual Rank Stats
Points Per Game:
Paul Thompson 5th 1.44 ppg
Mike Sislo 20th 1.26 ppg
Phil DeSimone 43rd 1.06 ppg
Goals Per Game:
Paul Thompson 5th 0.76 gpg
Assists Per Game:
Mike Sislo 6th 0.91 apg
Phil DeSimone 13th 0.79 apg
Paul Thompson 40th 0.68 apg
Power Play Goals:
Paul Thompson 1st 12 ppg
Game-Winning Goal:
Paul Thompson 2nd 7 gwg
Defensemen Scoring:
Blake Kessel 11th 0.76 ppg
Goals Against Average:
Matt Di Girolamo 30th 2.50 gaa
Save Percentage:
Matt Di Girolamo 17th .921
Winning Percentage:
Matt Di Girolamo 13th .647
Team
Scoring Offense 11th 3.50
Scoring Defense 15th 2.56
Scoring Margin 8th 0.94
Power Play 15th 21.0
Penalty Kill 34th 81.5
Combined Special Teams 34th 49.1
Winnning Percentage 10th .647
Among the League Leaders (THRU 3/7): Where some of the Wildcats rank in Hockey East.
Player All Games HE Games
Points Paul Thompson 1st(49 pts) 1st (42 pts)
Mike Sislo 5th (43 pts) 6th (32 pts)
Phil DeSimone 10th (36 pts) 12th (27 pts)
Goals Paul Thompson 2nd (26 g) 2nd (23 g)
Mike Sislo 18th (12g) 42nd (6 g)
John Henrion 18th (12g) 33rd (7 g)
Assists Mike Sislo 1st (31 a) 1st (26 a)
Phil DeSimone 4th (27 a) 6th (20 a)
Paul Thompson 8th (23 a) 7th (19 a)
PP Points Paul Thompson 1st (21 pts) 1st (18 pts)
Mike Sislo 5th (16 pts) 11th (12 pts)
Blake Kessel 13th (14 pts) 14th (10 pts)
Phil DeSimone 28th (10 pts) 23rd (8 pts)
Brett Kostolansky 28th (10 pts) 18th (9 pts)
PP Goals Paul Thompson 1st (12 ppg) 1st (9 ppg)
Mike Sislo 19th (4 ppg) 34th (2 ppg)
SH Points Five Tied 17th (1 shp) n/a
Connor Hardowa n/a 16th (1 pt)
SH Goals Dalton Speelman 11th (1 shg) n/a
Stevie Moses 11th (1 shg) n/a
GW Goals Paul Thompson 1st (7 gwg) 1st (7 gwg)
Mike Sislo 16th (2 gwg) 25th (1 gwg)
Def. Scoring Blake Kessel 2nd (26 pts) 2nd (18 pts)
Brett Kostolansky 8th (18 pts) 6th (15 pts)
GAA Matt Di Girolamo 4th (2.50) 2nd (2.16)
Save% Matt Di Girolamo 4th (.921) 3rd (.931)
Win% Matt Di Girolamo 3rd (.647) 3rd (.704)
Saves Matt Di Girolamo 2nd (1001) 2nd (797)
Minutes Matt Di Girolamo 1st (2065:08) 1st (1636:04)
Wins Matt Di Girolamo 3rd (19) 2nd (17)
WHERE UNH IS RANKED IN HOCKEY EAST (THRU 3/7):
Overall HE games
Goals/per game 3.50/3rd 3.33/3rd
GAA 2.56/3rd 2.19/2nd
Power Play 21.0/3rd 22.0/2nd
Penalty Kill 81.5/7th 83.8/5th
Special Teams Net +4/4th +4/4th
1st Period Scoring 29/6th 25/4th
2nd Period Scoring 47/1st 35/1st
3rd Period Scoring 41/3rd 28/3rd
Overtime Scoring 2/3rd 2/2nd
'CATS IN THE PROS: Here is a listing of former Wildcats playing professional hockey:
Justin Aikins: Bossier Shreveport Mudbugs (CHL)
Bobby Butler: Ottawa Senators (NHL)
Joe Charlebois: Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL)
Greg Collins: Las Vegas Wranglers (ECHL)
Ty Conklin: St. Louis Blues (NHL)
Matt Dzieduszycki: Hannover Scorpions (DEL)
Matt Fornataro: Norfolk Admirals (ECHL)
Thomas Fortney: ESV Buchloe (GER)
Brian Foster: Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
Jamie Fritsch: Las Vegas Wranglers (ECHL)
Darren Haydar: Chicago Wolves (AHL)
Brett Hemingway: Belfast Giants (EIHL)
Colin Hemingway: Belfast Giants (EIHL)
Kevin Kapstad: Landshut Cannibals (2.GBun)
Jason Krog: Chicago Wolves (AHL)
Peter LeBlanc: Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
Nathan Martz: Szekeshfehervar Alba Volan HC (Aust)
Jacob Micflikier: Charlotte Checkers (AHL)
Mark Mowers: Fribourg-Gotteron (Swiss-A)
Jerry Pollastrone: Las Vegas Wranglers (ECHL)
Josh Prudden: Belfast Giants ( EIHL)
Mike Radja: Augsburg Panthers (DEL)
Kevin Regan: Valpellice (Italy)
Steve Saviano: Vaxjo HC (SWE)
Trevor Smith: Springfield Falcons (AHL)
Garrett Stafford: San Antonio Rampage (AHL)
Craig Switzer: Las Vegas Wranglers (ECHL)
James van Riemsdyk: Philadelphia Flyers (NHL)
Daniel Winnik: Colorado Avalanche (NHL)
***=spent time in Ottawa in 2010-11
UNH HOCKEY ON TELEVISION: UNH will have nine games broadcast live on TV in 2010-11. NESN will air five games, three will air on CBS College Sports, while one will air locally on ONN (Ohio).
DATE GAME Channel RES.
Oct. 8 at Miami CBS-College Sports L, 3-6
Oct. 9 at Miami ONN (OHIO) W, 6-3
Nov. 19 Boston U. NESN W, 5-2
Dec. 10 at Maine CBS-College Sports W, 4-3 OT
Jan. 22 Boston U. NESN L, 1-2
Feb. 4 Maine NESN W, 6-3
Feb. 5 Maine NESN W, 5-4 OT
Feb. 18 at Vermont CBS-College Sports W, 6-1
March 4 at Boston College NESNplus L, 0-4
ALL IN THE FAMILY: UNH junior defenseman Blake Kessel is the younger brother of Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel, while sophomore forward Scott Pavelski is the younger brother of Joe Pavelski of the San Jose Sharks.
WILDCATS PICKED THIRD IN HOCKEY EAST PRESEASON POLL:
Rk. Team (FPV) Pts.
1. Boston College (9) 90
2. Maine (1) 80
3. New Hampshire 76
4. Boston University 59
5. Northeastern 54
6. Vermont 53
7. Merrimack 48
8. UMass-Lowell 33
9. Massachusetts 26
10. Providence 21
'CATS SELECTED IN THE NHL DRAFT: Four current UNH players have been selected in the National Hockey League draft...Greg Burke (Washington), Phil DeSimone (Washington), Blake Kessel (N.Y. Islanders) and Eric Knodel (Toronto) have all been taken.
UNH HOCKEY ON THE RADIO: In the summer of 1999, the University of New Hampshire Athletic Department formed the "UNH Sports Network" — the largest network ever to broadcast UNH sporting events. Wildcats Sports Properties has added WGIN-AM 930 (Rochester) and WQSO-FM 96.7 (Portsmouth) as affiliate stations on the Wildcat Sports Network, joining flagship WGIR-AM 610 (Manchester), which was added in 2008. All three stations are part of the Clear Channel family. These three aforementioned stations -- along with WUVR-AM 1490 (Lebanon), WNTK-FM 99.7 (New London), WASR-AM 1420 (Wolfeboro) and WCNL-AM 1010 (Newport) -- will carry the following: all UNH football & men's hockey broadcasts and weekly coaches' shows, a select number of men's basketball, women's basketball and women's hockey broadcasts. Dan Parkhurst will be handling the play-by-play for the fourth-straight season, while Pete Webster will once again be doing the color commentating. Webster has been announcing Wildcat hockey since the 1993-94 season.
LISTEN LIVE ON THE INTERNET: UNHWildcats.com via Stretch Internet Broadcast will carry all of the UNH men's ice hockey action again this season. If you can not attend Wildcat hockey, you can still tune into the game from anywhere you can gain access to the internet. Fans can get to the UNH men's ice hockey broadcast site by going to the men's hockey schedule page at www.unhwildcats.com.
THE DICK UMILE SHOW ON RADIO: The Coach's Show featuring UNH men's hockey head coach Dick Umile and hosted by Mike Murphy begins its 11th season in 2010-11. The Coach's Show is broadcast Mondays beginning in January (7 p.m. to 8 p.m.) on the Wildcat Sports Network from various locations around the seacoast and features Coach Umile, as well as a student-athlete from the men's ice hockey team. In front of a live audience, Murphy and his guests talk about the latest news and notes regarding UNH hockey.
UNH Coach's Show
3/14 Kelley's Row - Dover, NH
WILDCAT AWARDS: Here is a list of awards that Wildcat players have won to date this season:
Player Award Date
Blake Kessel INCH Preseason All-America First Team 10/7
Blake Kessel InsideHockey.com's Hobey Watch 10/7
Matt Di Girolamo HE Defensive Player of the Week 10/18
UNH Wildcats HE Team of the Week 11/8
Matt Di Girolamo HE Player of the Week 11/8
Matt Di Girolamo INCH National Player of the Week 11/8
Paul Thompson HE co-Player of the Week 11/22
Paul Thompson HE Player of the Month (November) 12/1
Mike Sislo HE co-Player of the Week 12/6
Matt Di Girolamo HE Defensive Player of the Week 12/6
Jeff Silengo HE Rookie of the Week 12/13
UNH Wildcats HE Team of the Week 12/13
Matt Di Girolamo HE Goalie of the Month (December) 1/4
Paul Thompson HE Player of the Week 1/10
Paul Thompson HE Player of the Week 1/31
Paul Thompson He co-Player of the Month (January) 2/1
Kevin Goumas HE Rookie of the Week 2/7
UNH Wildcats HE Team of the Week 2/7
Blake Kessel Walter Brown semifinalist 2/14
Paul Thompson Walter Brown semifinalist 2/14
Kevin Goumas HE Rookie of the Week 2/21
Kevin Goumas HE Rookie of the Week 2/28
GRANITE STATE CONNECTION: The Wildcat hockey team features a pair of players from New Hampshire with Greg Burke (Lee) and Paul Thompson (Derry) all hailing from the Granite State.
THE DICK UMILE ERA: Dick Umile, a six-time Hockey East Coach of the Year, enters his 21st season as the head coach of the UNH Wildcats. He passed both Jerry York and Jack Parker in becoming the first coach in league history to six coach of the year honors. After signing a long-term contract in 2008, Umile will conclude his coaching career at his alma mater.
During his time spent at UNH, Umile has molded UNH hockey into one of the top programs in all of Division I hockey, guiding the Wildcats to four Frozen Four appearances, 16 NCAA tournament appearances and 20 Hockey East championship tournament showings in his 20-year career in Durham.
In addition, Umile has posted 17 20-victory campaigns over the span of 20 seasons. Umile is now the winningest coach in the history of UNH hockey with 462 career victories. He surpassed legendary coach Charlie Holt on Feb. 16, 2005 in a 6-1 victory at Merrimack at Thom Lawler Arena in North Andover, Mass. Umile ranks fifth among active NCAA coaches with a .645 winning percentage and on the active victories list his 462 victories ranks seventh among NCAA coaches. He has been named Coach of the Year a total of 11 times in his career, including New England honors four times and Hockey East Coach of the Year six times Last year, Umile guided the Wildcats, who were picked fourth in the Hockey East Preseason Poll, to their eighth regular season championship including the third in the last four years. The Wildcats led the Hockey East standings for an eye-popping 16-straight weeks, taking over the league lead Nov. 23, 2009 and never relinquishing that position. UNH went unbeaten at home in Hockey East play for the first time since the 1999-00 season and won the regular season series with six of nine league foes. Umile helped guide a team that lost 10 players, including Hockey East All Star and leading scorer James van Riemsdyk, from the 2008-09 squad to its 22nd straight trip to the Hockey East playoffs and home-ice advantage in the quarterfinals for a league-best 14th-straight season. After going just 2-6-2 over its first 10 games, Umile's Wildcats responded with a 10-1-2 mark over the next 13 games, including a 12-game unbeaten streak in Hockey East play. Umile's run in the regular season was capped by a dramatic 3-3 come-from-behind deadlock with Boston College that clinched the league's crown in front of the home fans on Senior Day at the Whittemore Center. The 'Cats earned an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament for the ninth-straight season and captured a convincing 6-2 win over favored Cornell in the opening round, advancing to the regional final for the second-straight season.
