#9 Men's Hockey Plays Home-and-Home Series with Northeastern
GAME NOTES
DURHAM, N.H. -- The ninth-ranked University of New Hampshire men's hockey team enters into a pivotal home-and-home series against Northeastern University. Friday night the teams will play in Durham and will conclude the series Saturday at Matthews Arena in Boston. Friday night's game is the annual Operation Hat Trick night. Puck will drop at 7 p.m. both nights.
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES: Northeastern enters the weekend with 11-12-7 overall record and a 9-8-6 Hockey East record good for sixth place in the league standings. The Huskies are 3-1-2 over their last six games including three games versus Boston College, tallying an impressive 15 goals. Most recently, the Huskies captured a close 2-1 win over Boston College at Conte Forum on Saturday night coming off a 7-7 tie the night before. Senior Wade MacLeod leads Northeastern offensively with 35 points on 16 goals and 19 assists. In net for the Huskies, sophomore Chris Rawlings is 10-10-7 with a 2.41 GAA and a .927 save percentage in 28 games.
SERIES HISTORY VS. NORTHEASTERN: UNH owns an 86-57-13 all-time record against Northeastern in 156 meetings in the series history between the two teams.The teams skated to a 2-2 tie on Oct. 22 at Matthews Arena.Coach Umile owns a 41-15-11 record all-time against Northeastern. Senior forward Mike Sislo (3g, 4a) is the Wildcats' leading career scorer vs. NU. Junior netminder Matt DiGirolamo is 0-0-2 with a 1.85 GAA all time against the Huskies. DiGirolamo's first collegiate start was on Nov. 1, 2008 against Northeastern.
SCORING LEADERS VS. THE HUSKIES:
Player GP G-A-P
Mike Sislo 10 3-4-7
Blake Kessel 7 1-5-6
Paul Thompson 9 4-2-6
Stevie Moses 7 1-3-4
Phil DeSimone 10 1-3-4
Dalton Speelman 4 4-0-4
Matt Campanale 6 0-2-2
John Henrion 3 0-2-2
Mike Beck 4 0-1-1
Damon Kipp 6 0-1-1
Mike Borisenok 5 0-1-1
Brett Kostolansky 1 0-1-1
Austin Block 3 0-1-1
Kevin McCarey 3 0-0-0
Greg Burke 3 0-0-0
Connor Hardowa 4 0-0-0
Greg Manz 2 0-0-0
Scott Pavelski 2 0-0-0
Nick Sorkin 1 0-0-0
Jeff Silengo 1 0-0-0
Goaltending Stats
Player GP/Min GA GAA W-L-T SV SV%
DiGirolamo 2/129:31 4 1.85 0-0-2 59 .937
DiGirolamo Game-by-Game vs. the Huskies
Date Min Res. Svs. GA Shots
11/1/08 64:51 T 22 2 24
10/22/10 64:40 T 37 2 39
Totals 129:31 0-0-2 59 4 63
LAST TIME OUT (2/19/11 AT VERMONT): Matt Di Girolamo stopped 40 shots including 18 in the third period and overtime to guide UNH to Saturday night's 2-2 tie with the University of Vermont in the Hockey East action at Gutterson Fieldhouse.In a scoreless overtime both teams had chances none greater than Vermont's opportunity in the final 25 seconds that was blocked by a sprawling out Mike Borisenok. The Catamounts held a 5-3 shot edge in overtime. Vermont broke the scoreless deadlock as Tobias Nilsson-Roos scored a short-handed goal at 5:58 of the second period with assists from Josh Burrows. Nilsson-Roos won a battle for a loose puck at center ice that opened the one-on-none opportunity. New Hampshire responded just 30 seconds later as Mike Beck scored on the rebound of a Stevie Moses shot at 6:28 of the frame. Kevin Goumas also assisted on the power play goal. The play was setup by a fast transition pass from Goumas to Moses. UNH took its first lead of the night as Phil DeSimone scored on the rebound of a Blake Kessel one-timer from the right point that deflected to an open DeSimone on the left slot. Paul Thompson was credited with an assist on the goal, which gave the 'Cats a 2-1 edge heading into the second intermission. UVM held a 13-12 shot advantage in a three-goal second period. The Catamounts netted the equalizer at 9:05 of the third as Matt White scored from the center slot with assists from Connor Brickley and H.T. Lenz. The score remained tied thanks to a pair of sprawling saves by Di Girolamo in the 11th minute. Vermont outshot UNH 14-9 in the period. Di Girolamo turned away double-figures in all three periods to move to 18-7-5, while Madore stopped 30 shots and is now 7-17-6. Vermont held a 42-32 shot advantage for the game, but was 0-6 on the power play. UNH went 1-3 in its extra-skater opportunities.
LAST TIME THESE TEAMS MET (10/22/10 AT NORTHEASTERN): Paul Thompson and Dalton Speelman each registered a goal as UNH played to a 2-2 tie with Northeastern University in the Wildcats' Hockey East opener Friday night at Matthews Arena. After 60 minutes could not break a 2-2 deadlock, New Hampshire held a 4-2 shot edge in the final five-minute scoreless overtime. The Huskies got the scoring going in the first period as Mike McLaughlin scored a short-handed goal at 3:19 of the first period. The goal was assisted by Steve Quailer and Luke Eibler. New Hampshire responded with a power play goal of its own at 6:41 of the first. Thompson scored his third power play goal of the season with assists from Blake Kessel and Brett Kostolansky. The Huskies held a 16-11 shot advantage. In a scoreless second period, the Wildcats had the better of chances with definitive 20-9 shot advantage. UNH took a 2-1 lead as Dalton Speelman tipped in an Austin Block shot at 1:57 of the third. John Henrion also assisted on the tally. Speelman has four of his five career goals against the Northeastern and is averaging a goal a game lifetime against NU. The Huskies responded with an even-strength goal just 18 seconds later as McLaughlin scored his second of the night with helpers from Brodie Reid and Drew Daniels at 2:15. Both teams had opportunities in the third period including 50 seconds of 5-3 for the Huskies, but neither team could break the deadlock in regulation. NU held a slim 11-10 shot advantage in the frame. UNH's Matt Di Girolamo stopped 37 shots including 15 in the opening frame and moves to 1-1-2, while NU's Chris Rawlings turned away 43 shots including 20 in the middle frame.
GOUMAS COLLECTS HOCKEY EAST ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: Freshman forward Kevin Goumas was named Hockey East Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week. Goumas earns this award for the second time in three weeks as he also won Feb. 7. Goumas registered a goal and three assists on the weekend for the Wildcats at Vermont. He tallied a goal and two assists in Friday night's 6-1 win over Vermont and dished out an assist in New Hampshire's game-tying goal. On Saturday night, he handed out an assist on a power play goal. Goumas was a +3 on the weekend with four shots on net.
'CATS CLINCH HOME ICE FOR LEAGUE-BEST 15-STRAIGHT SEASON: With a 6-1 win over Vermont on Friday, New Hampshire became the first in Hockey East to clinch home-ice advantage for the Hockey East quarterfinals. The Wildcats have hosted the quarterfinals for a league-best 15-straight seasons and have not had to travel for the first round of the post season since 1995-96.
DeSIMONE JOINS UNH's CENTURY CLUB: Netting UNH's first goal at 10:37 of the first period Friday, senior Phil DeSimone became the 70th player in program history to reach 100 career points. DeSimone joins his linemates Mike Sislo and Paul Thompson in this prestigious club. DeSimone joins Mark Mowers as the only two New Yorker's in UNH's century club.
DeSIMONE POSTS FIRST CAREER MULTI-GOAL GAME: In addition to his 100th career point, Phil DeSimone's empty-net goal at 17:59 of the third gave him his first career multi-goal game.
SECOND LINE PRODUCING: Friday night, all three members of UNH's second line scored in UNH's 6-1 win over Vermont. The trio of Stevie Moses (1g,2a), Kevin Goumas (1g, 2a) and Mike Borisenok (1g,1a) combined for three goals and five assists on the night including Moses' game winner late in the first period.
VIEW FROM THE TOP: After sharing the league's top spot with Boston College for much of the second half of the season, UNH sits alone in first place of Hockey East with 35 points be virtue of a BC tie and loss to Northeastern.
FIVE-GOAL VICTORY: UNH captured a five-goal win for the first time since Jan. 9, 2010 when the 'Cats won 7-2 over Massachusetts.
'CATS MATCH 2009-10 WIN TOTAL: By virtue of its 6-1 win on Friday night at Vermont, UNH matched its 2009-10 win-total at 18 wins.
ON THE KILL: UNH has killed off 13-straight power play opportunities by its opponents.
DEFENSE LEADING THE WAY FOR UNH: While much is talked about UNH's high-powered offense, in 2010-11 the 'Cats defense ranks second in conference with a 2.05 GAA. UNH has allowed two goals or fewer in 15 league games this season. In addition, the six defensive players have played together in all 30 games this season.
9-3-3 AT HOME; 9-3-2 ON THE ROAD: UNH's remarkable consistancy is displayed by the fact that it is 9-3-3 at home compared to 9-3-2 on the road.
THOMPSON'S NATION BEST 11 POWER PLAY GOALS: Paul Thompson ranks first in the nation in power play goals with 11 man-advantage tallies. Thompson's 11 is tied for the most since Sean Collins and Colin Hemingway potted 13 power play goals in the 2001-02 season.
TO THIS POINT LAST YEAR: A comparison through 30 games over the past few seasons.
07-08 08-09 09-10 10-11
Record 21-7-2 16-9-5 15-10-5 18-7-5
HE Record 17-4-2 12-7-4 14-5-4 16-4-3
Goals scored 105 91 104 108
Goals scored/PG 3.50 3.03 3.47 3.60
Goals Allowed 72 85 97 74
Goals Allowed/PG 2.40 2.83 3.23 2.47
Shots 922 998 996 1,030
Shots Allowed 887 888 920 953
Power Play 19.4% 13.3% 16.9% 20.8%
(28-144) (22-165) (22-130) (27-130)
Penalty Kill 87.2% 82.9% 78.9% 82.6%
(136-156) (131-158)(97-123) (90-109)
Top 3 Scorers Fornataro van Riem Butler Thompson
13-26-39 10-21-34 24-20-44 24-22-46
Radja Butler Thompson Sislo
18-20-38 7-17-24 15-17-32 10-29-39
van Riemsdyk Sislo Kessel DeSimone
11-14-25 17-6-23 6-25-31 8-26-34
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).
SISLO APPROACHING 30 ASSISTS: Mike Sislo has 29 assists and is fastly approaching 30 assist. The last Wildcat to dish out 30+ assists in a season was Sean Collins in 2004-05 with 37 helpers.
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.
TOP LINE NOMINATED FOR HOBEY BAKER AWARD: UNH's top line of Paul Thompson, Phil DeSimone and Mike Sislo are all on the ballot for the 2011 Hobey Baker Award. Fans can vote for the trio at www.VoteforHobey.com.
THOMPSON GETS TO 40; LINEMATES APPROACHING: Paul Thompson recently went over 40 points during his senior season. There have been 25 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.
Player G-A-P Year
Paul Thompson 24-22-46 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 GOAL ORIENTED: Paul Thompson is second in the nation in goals (24) and goals per game (0.80) and leads Hockey East in both categories.
National Goal Leaders Team Goals GPG
1. Bryan Haczyk NIA 27 .84
2. Paul Thompson UNH 24 .80
Cam Atkinson BC 24 .80
Hockey East Goal Leaders (ALL GAMES)
1. Paul Thompson UNH 24 .80
Cam Atkinson BC 24 .80
Hockey East Goal Leaders (HE GAMES)
1. Paul Thompson UNH 21 .91
Cam Atkinson BC 21 .91
THOMPSON GETS RIGHT TO THE POINTS: Paul Thompson is second nationally in points per game and his 46 points are fourth-best nationally.
National Scoring Leaders Team G-A-P PPG
1. Andy Miele Miami 17-39-56 1.75
2. Paul Thompson UNH 24-22-46 1.53
3. Paul Zanette Niagara 25-24-46 1.53
Hockey East Scoring Leaders G-A-P PPG
1. Paul Thompson UNH 24-22-46 1.53
2. Cam Atkinson BC 24-16-40 1.33
3. Mike Sislo UNH 10-29-39 1.30
Brian Gibbons BC 13-26-39 1.30
HE Scoring Leaders (HE) Team G-A-P PPG
1. Paul Thompson UNH 21-18-39 1.70
2. Cam Atkinson BC 21-10-31 1.35
3. Brian Gibbons BC 8-22-30 1.30
RECORD AFTER THE SECOND: UNH is 14-0-2 when leading after two periods, 2-1-1 when tied after two frames, but are just 2-6-2 when trailing heading into the third period.
30 SAVES: Matt Di Girolamo has turned away 30 shots or more in a game 13 times this season.
THOMPSON ON A TEAR: Paul Thompson continues to be on a tear with 12 points in the last eight games including assists in both games last weekend. He has 15 multi-point efforts and points in 24-of-30 games this season.
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 30 games Paul Thompson numbers are better than Butler's in several categories.
Through 30 games G A P PPG PWG GWG
Thompson in 2010-11 24 22 46 1.53 11 6
Butler in 2009-10 24 20 44 1.46 6 4
'CATS HOPE TO RIDE GREEN LINE TO THE GARDEN: Dubbed the "Green Line" for the color they skate in during practice, UNH is hoping to continue to ride the unbelievable success of the "Green Line" to big things in 2010-11. The line has registered a point in 25 of 30 games.
Green Line by the Numbers
Player Goals Assists Points PPG
Thompson 24 22 46 1.53
Sislo 10 29 39 1.30
DeSimone 8 26 34 1.13
Totals 42 (1.40) 77 (2.56) 119 3.97
SISLO FIRST IN HOCKEY EAST IN ASSISTS; DeSIMONE SECOND: Mike Sislo is first in Hockey East with 29 assists this season, while Phil DeSimone is second in the league with 26 assists.
Hockey East Assist Leaders
1. Mike Sislo UNH 29
2. Phil DeSimone UNH 26
Brian Gibbons BC 26
'CATS OFF TO BEST START SINCE 2007-08: UNH is off to its best start at 18-7-5 (.679) since the 2007 season when it was 21-7-2 (.714).
Year Record (Pct.) Final Record
2010-11 18-7-5 (.683) ---
2009-10 15-10-5 (.583) 18-14-7
2008-09 16-9-5 (.617) 20-13-5
2007-08 21-7-2 (.733) 25-10-3
DIGI LIGHTS OUT IN HOCKEY EAST PLAY: Matt Di Girolamo continues to be lights out in Hockey East play. Overall, Di Girolamo has allowed three goals or fewer in 20-of-23 conference games and two or fewer 15 times in league play. He is second in Hockey East in GAA (1.98), win percentage (.761) and ranks first in wins (15), save percentage (.935).
14-0-2 WHEN LEADING AFTER TWO: UNH is 14-0-2 when leading after two periods.
SCORING BY CLASS: 2010-11 breakdown of scoring by class.
Class G-A-P G-A-P %
Seniors: 44-89-133 41-48-46
Juniors: 22-47-69 20-26-24
Sophomores: 33-36-69 31-20-24
Freshmen: 9-12-21 8-7-7
USCHO.COM'S PAIRWISE RANKINGS (2/21)
Rk. Team PWR W-L-T Win % Rk RPI Rk
1 Yale 31 22-5-0 .8148 1 .5850* 1
2 North Dakota 29 22-8-3 .7121 5 .5794 2
3 Boston College 28 22-7-1 .7500 3t .5680 3
4t Merrimack 27 21-5-4 .7667 2 .5611* 6
4t Denver 27 19-8-5 .6719 9 .5592 7
6 Michigan 26 21-9-4 .6765 8 .5549 8
7 Minnesota-Duluth 25 19-7-5 .6935 6 .5617 5
8t Union 23 24-7-3 .7500 3t .5643* 4
8t Nebraska-Omaha 23 19-11-2 .6250 13t .5454* 11
10 Notre Dame 22 20-9-5 .6618 10 .5538 9
11t New Hampshire 21 18-7-5 .6833 7 .5497 10
11t Miami 21 17-9-6 .6250 13t .5452 12
11t Rensselaer 21 19-9-4 .6562 11 .5380 13
14 Wisconsin 18 19-11-4 .6176 15 .5368 14
15 Western Michigan 17 15-9-10 .5882 20 .5286 17
16t Boston University 16 16-9-7 .6094 17t .5351 15
16t Dartmouth 16 15-9-3 .6111 16 .5336 16
18 Minnesota 13 13-12-5 .5167 27 .5232 19
19 Colorado College 12 17-15-2 .5294 25t .5231 20
20t Maine 11 14-10-6 .5667 22 .5245 18
20t Princeton 11 15-10-2 .5926 19 .5191 21
22 Ferris State 9 16-14-4 .5294 25t .5096 23
23t Minnesota State 8 14-14-6 .5000 28t .5105 22
23t Alaska 8 13-14-5 .4844 33 .5087 26
25t Robert Morris 7 18-9-5 .6406 12 .5095 24
25t St. Cloud State 7 12-15-5 .4531 38t .5094 25
27t RIT 5 16-9-7 .6094 17t .5071 28
27t Northern Michigan 5 14-15-5 .4853 32 .5004 32
29 Bemidji State 4 12-14-4 .4667 37 .5035 29
30 Cornell 3 13-11-3 .5370 24 .5085 27
31t Ohio State 1 15-15-3 .5000 28t .5029 30
31t Alaska-Anchorage 1 11-16-3 .4167 41 .5029 31
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
THE NATIONAL POLLS:
USCHO.com Division I Men's Hockey Poll (Feb. 21)
Rk. School (FPV) Record Points Lst Wk.
1 North Dakota (21) 22-8-3 959 2
2 Boston College (13) 22-7-1 941 1
3 Yale (15) 22-5-0 937 3
4 Merrimack (1) 21-5-4 832 6
5 Union 24-7-3 749 7
6 Denver 19-8-5 741 4
7 Minnesota-Duluth 19-7-5 715 5
8 Notre Dame 20-9-5 639 9
9 New Hampshire 18-7-5 610 8
10 Michigan 21-9-4 576 11
11 Miami 17-9-6 540 10
12 Nebraska-Omaha 19-11-2 404 13
13 Wisconsin 19-11-4 362 12
14 Rensselaer 19-9-4 360 14
15 Boston University 16-9-7 328 15
16 Maine 14-10-6 199 19
17 Western Michigan 15-9-10 183 17
18 Dartmouth 15-9-3 144 16
19 Colorado College 17-15-2 88 18
20 Minnesota 13-12-5 67 NR
Others Receiving Votes: Princeton 33, Robert Morris 28, Cornell 24, RIT 20, Ferris State 17, Northeastern 3, Ohio State 1
USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's Hockey Poll (Feb. 21)
Rk. Team, Points (FPV) Last Week Record Weeks
1 North Dakota, 487 (18) 2 22-8-3 20
2 Boston College, 468 (7) 1 22-7-1 20
3 Yale University, 463 (9) 3 22-5-0 20
4 Merrmiack College, 406 5 21-5-4 7
5 Union College, 354 7 24-7-3 17
6 University of Denver, 407 4 19-8-5 20
7 Minnesota Duluth, 298 6 19-7-5 20
8 University of Notre Dame, 256 8 20-9-5 17
9 New Hampshire, 236 9 18-7-5 20
10 University of Michigan, 220 11 21-9-4 20
11 Miami University, 214 10 17-9-6 20
12 Nebraska Omaha, 122 12 19-11-2 16
13 Rensselaer, 94 14 19-9-4 12
14 University of Wisconsin, 68 13 19-11-4 15
15 Boston University, 49 15 16-9-7 17
Others receiving votes: University of Maine, 8; Dartmouth College, 7; Western Michigan University, 5; Robert Morris University, 4; Rochester Institute of Technology, 3; Cornell University, 1.
Wildcats Among National leaders (THRU 2/21): Below is a list of where UNH players and team rank nationally.
Individual Rank Stats
Points Per Game:
Paul Thompson 2nd 1.53 ppg
Mike Sislo 11th 1.30 ppg
Phil DeSimone 32nd 1.13 ppg
Goals Per Game:
Paul Thompson 2nd 0.80 gpg
John Henrion 89th 0.40 gpg
Assists Per Game:
Mike Sislo 6rd 0.97 apg
Phil DeSimone 8th 0.87 apg
Paul Thompson 31st 0.73 apg
Power Play Goals:
Paul Thompson 1st 11 ppg
Short-Handed Goals:
Dalton Speelman 43rd 1 shg
Stevie Moses 43rd 1 shg
Connor Hardowa 43rd 1 shg
Game-Winning Goal:
Paul Thompson 2nd 6 gwg
Defensemen Scoring:
Blake Kessel 18th 0.73 ppg
Goals Against Average:
Matt Di Girolamo 25th 2.41 gaa
Save Percentage:
Matt Di Girolamo 11th .923
Winning Percentage:
Matt Di Girolamo 11th .683
Team
Scoring Offense 8th 3.60
Scoring Defense 15th 2.47
Scoring Margin 7th 1.13
Power Play 13th 20.8
Penalty Kill 28th 82.6
Combined Special Teams 38th 49.0
Winnning Percentage 7th .683
Among the League Leaders (THRU 2/21): Where some of the Wildcats rank in Hockey East.
Player All Games HE Games
Points Paul Thompson 1st(46 pts) 1st (39 pts)
Mike Sislo 3rd (39 pts) 5th (28 pts)
Phil DeSimone 8th (34 pts) 10th (25 pts)
Goals Paul Thompson 1st (24 g) 1st (21 g)
Mike Sislo 24th (10g) 49th (4g)
John Henrion 72nd (7g) 61st (6 g)
Assists Mike Sislo 1st (29 a) 1st (24a)
Phil DeSimone 2nd (26 a) 3rd (19 a)
Paul Thompson 7th (22 a) 5th (18 a)
PP Points Paul Thompson 1st (20pts) 1st (17 pts)
Mike Sislo 5th (15pts) 5th (11 pts)
Blake Kessel 18th (11 pts) 18th (7 pts)
Phil DeSimone 20th (10 pts) 14th (8 pts)
Brett Kostolansky 34th (8 pts) 16th (7 pts)
PP Goals Paul Thompson 1st (11 ppg) 1st(8 ppg)
Mike Sislo 25th (3 ppg) 50th (1 ppg)
SH Points Four Tied 17th (1 shp) n/a
SH Goals Dalton Speelman 9th (1 shg) n/a
Stevie Moses 9th (1 shg) n/a
GW Goals Paul Thompson 1st (6 gwg) 1st(6 gwg)
Mike Sislo 13th (2 gwg) 19th(1 gwg)
Def. Scoring Blake Kessel 2nd (22 pts) 3rd (14 pts)
Brett Kostolansky 7th (16 pts) 5th (13 pts)
GAA Matt Di Girolamo 3rd (2.41) 2nd (1.94)
Save % Matt Di Girolamo 3rd (.923) 1st (.936)
Win % Matt Di Girolamo 3rd (.683) 2nd (.761)
Saves Matt Di Girolamo 1st (879) 1st (675)
Minutes Matt Di Girolamo 1st (1821:09) 1st (1392:05)
Wins Matt Di Girolamo 3rd (18) 1st (16)
WHERE UNH IS RANKED IN HOCKEY EAST (THRU 2/21/11):
Overall HE games
Goals/per game 3.60/3rd 3.43/2nd
GAA 2.54/4th 2.05/2nd
Power Play 20.8/3rd 21.9/2nd
Penalty Kill 82.6/6th 85.7/4th
Special Teams Net +7/3rd +7/3rd
1st Period Scoring 27/4th 23/4th
2nd Period Scoring 43/3rd 31/1st
3rd Period Scoring 36/10th 23/4th
Overtime Scoring 2/2nd 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 NESN
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.ouncing Wildcat hockey for 16 years 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
2/28 Kelley's Row - Dover, NH
3/7 Ballard's - Durham, NH
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
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.
WATCH ALL THE ACTION WITH THE UNHWILDCATS.TV: UNH and Pack Network have once again partnered to provide online video streaming of UNH's seven ticketed sports for the upcoming 2010-11 season with UNHwildcats.TV.
Wildcat fans are encouraged to buy the "Wildcat All-Access Pass" which is an annual subscription for $89.95 that provides all the live coverage of UNH home athletic events. Fans can also purchase home events on a per game basis of $7.95.
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.
