#7 Men's Hockey Concludes Regular Season with #2 Boston College (Fri - 7:30 @BC - NESNplus | Sat. - 7 -Whitt)
GAME NOTES
DURHAM, N.H. -- The seventh-ranked University of New Hampshire men's hockey team will play second-ranked Boston College in a home-and-home series this weekend. The Wildcats need a single win to secure their ninth Hockey East regular season title and top seed in the upcoming Hockey East tournament. Friday night the teams will play at Boston College with a 7:30 p.m. puck drop live on NESNplus. The teams will conclude the series at the Whitt on Saturday night (7 p.m.).
SCOUTING THE #2 EAGLES: The second-ranked Boston College Eagles has spent the better part of the season in the national spotlight with a top five ranking and a high spot in the league standings. The Eagles enter the weekend home-and-home series with a 24-7-1 record and an 18-6-1 mark in Hockey East. BC would be the third overall seed in the NCAA tournament if the season ended today. The Eagles are the defending national champions and have won two of the last three titles. Offensively, the high power offense is led by junior Cam Atkinson with 24 goals and 19 assists for 43 points in 32 games. Senior Brian Gibbons is right behind Atkinson with 14 goals and 27 assists for 41 points in 32 games. In net, senior John Muse is once again between the pipes. Muse, who has played in 137 career games, is 21-5-1 with a 2.12 GAA and a .927 save percentage this season. The netminder has a pair of national titles to his credit and 83 career victories.
SERIES HISTORY VS. BOSTON COLLEGE: The Wildcats hold the advantage in the all-time series with the Eagles 63-59-12 in 134 all-time meetings dating back to Feb. 6, 1937. UNH captured a 2-1 win in the teams first meeting back on Nov. 5. Coach Umile owns a 39-23-11 all-time record against BC and the Wildcats own a 14-16-6 all-time record at Conte Forum and a 16-5-2 all-time record at the Whittemore Center. Mike Sislo is the active leading scorer against the Eagles with 11 points in 13 games. Matt Di Girolamo is 1-1-0 in two career starts against the Eagles.
SCORING LEADERS VS. THE EAGLES:
Player GP G-A-P
Mike Sislo 13 4-7-11
Phil DeSimone 13 3-4-7
Paul Thompson 13 1-2-3
Blake Kessel 9 2-1-3
John Henrion 4 2-0-2
Brett Kostolansky 2 0-2-2
Mike Beck 5 1-1-2
Dalton Speelman 4 1-1-2
Connor Hardowa 4 0-2-2
Stevie Moses 8 1-0-1
Kevin McCarey 5 1-0-1
Damon Kipp 8 0-1-1
Mike Borisenok 4 0-1-1
Matt Campanale 9 0-0-0
Greg Burke 4 0-0-0
Austin Block 2 0-0-0
Greg Manz 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%
Di Girolamo 2/118:47 8 4.04 1-1-0 57 .877
Di Girolamo Game-by-Game vs. the Eagles
Date Min Res. Svs. GA Shots
11-15-08 58:47 L 29 7 36
11-05-10 60:00 W 28 1 29
Totals 118:47 1-1-0 57 8 65
LAST TIME THESE TEAMS MET (11/5/10 AT BC): Matt Di Girolamo stopped 31-of-32 shots to backbone UNH to a 2-1 victory over defending national champion Boston College in Hockey East action in front of 6,473 fans at Conte Forum. UNH struck first with an even-strength goal at 10:06 of the first period. John Henrion scored on a one-timer from the left slot that was setup by a cross-ice thread-the-nettle pass by Dalton Speelman. Connor Hardowa also tallied an assist on the play. The score remained 1-0 at the break thanks to a handful of athletic saves by Wildcat netminder Di Girolamo, in total he stopped 13 BC shots, while John Muse turned away 10 UNH shots. The Eagles netted the equalizer at 4:25 of the second as Patch Alber scored from the right slot on a tic-tac-toe play setup by Cam Atkinson and Brian Gibbons. New Hampshire went back on top as Speelman scored the eventual game-winner on a one-timer from the right point that snuck under the pads of Muse and made it 2-1. Hardowa once again assisted on the goal as he chipped the puck up to Speelman at the top of the center ice. Shots were even at 10-10 in the period with BC taking nine of the first 11 shots, and UNH taking eight of the final nine shots. In an even-played scoreless third period, both teams had chances including a shots by BC's Atkinson and UNH's Mike Sislo that deflected of the pipe. Each team rifled nine shots on net, but Muse and DiGirolamo shut the door.Overall, Di Girolamo made 13 of his 31 saves in the first period and improves to 3-1-2 overall. Muse stopped 28 shots including 10 in the first frame and nine the each of the final two periods and is now 4-2-0.The Eagles held a slim 32-30 shot margin. The game's first penalty and only came on UNH at 11:54 of the third period. BC was unsuccessful, while New Hampshire did not get an opportunity to extend its five-game streak of power play goals.
LAST TIME OUT (2/26/11 AT NU): Paul Thompson (2g) and Stevie Moses (2g, 1a) each scored a pair of goals to lead five players with multi-point efforts to lift the ninth-ranked University of New Hampshire men's hockey team to Saturday night's 6-3 win over Northeastern University in Hockey East action at Matthews Arena. New Hampshire controlled play in the opening frame, but did not break the scoreless deadlock until the final minutes of the period. Phil DeSimone won a faceoff back to Mike Sislo (1g, 1a) in the slot for a one-timer that Sislo roofed over netminder Chris Rawlings stickside to make it 1-0 at 19:31 of the period. UNH held a 14-7 shot advantage in the period. UNH extended its lead to 2-0 as Moses made an initial shot from the slot that bounced out to a follow up shot for Mike Borisenok (1g, 1a) that was also saved, but caromed out to an open Moses, who slide the puck an open far side of the net at 9:53. Kevin Goumas (3a) also assisted on the goal. The Huskies cut into lead as Luke Eibler scored on a one-timer from the right point. Steve Silva won the faceoff back to Eibler to setup the tally at 11:38 of the second. The 'Cats regained its two-goal advantage as Thompson scored a 4-on-4 goal at 13:17 of the second. Northeastern outshot UNH 18-11 in the period. New Hampshire made it 4-1 was Thompson scored a 5-on-3 goal from the left slot with assists from Blake Kessel and Brett Kostolansky at 35 seconds of the third. UNH took a 5-1 lead as Borisenok scored from the center slot with assists from Moses and Goumas at 5:51. The Huskies answered with a pair of goals just over a minute apart at 12:06 and 13:23 of the third. The first was an even-strength goal by Cody Ferriero with assists from Jamie Oleksiak and Drew Daniels. New Hampshire committed a penalty and just two seconds later the Huskies scored a power play goal off a faceoff as Wade MacLeod scored on a one-timer with assists from Tyler McNeely, who won the draw. UNH added an insurance tally as Moses potted his second of the night with assist from Goumas, who posted a career-high three assists. The 'Cats held a 13-11 shot advantage in the frame for a 38-36 edge in the contest. Matt Di Girolamo turned aside 33 shots, including 17 in the second period and improves to 19-7-6. Chris Rawlings stopped 26-of-31 shots in 45:51 of play before being lifted in favor of Clay Witt, who turned aside all six shots he faces in 13:37 of action. UNH was 1-4 on the power play, while NU was 1-6 in its extra-skater opportunities.
FRIDAY NIGHT HOCKEY LIVE ON NESNplus: Friday night's widely-talked about match up between UNH and Boston College will air live on NESNplus at 7:30 p.m. with coverage starting at 7 p.m. live from the Conte Forum. Tom Caron and Craig Janney will call all the action. Check your local listings for how to find your NESNplus channel or visit NESN.com/nesnplus.
GOUMAS NAMED ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Kevin Goumas was named Hockey East Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Month for February. The announcement was made Tuesday by the league office. Goumas collected Hockey East Rookie of the Week three out of four weeks during the month on Feb. 7, 21 and 28. Goumas, who becomes the first Wildcat rookie to win this award since James van Riemsdyk did so in March 2008, scored 11 points in eight contests with four goals and seven assists. He registered a point in six of eight games with three multi-point efforts. Goumas netted the game-winning goal against Maine on Feb. 4 and scored the game-tying goal against Northeastern on Feb. 25.
GOUMAS IN FEBRUARY
Feb. Opponent Result G-A-P
4 MAINE W, 6-3 1-0-1
5 MAINE W, 5-4 1-1-2
11 MERRIMACK L, 2-4 0-0-0
12 at Merrimack L, 2-3 0-0-0
18 at Vermont W, 6-1 1-2-3
19 at Vermont T, 2-2 0-1-1
25 NORTHEASTERN T, 2-2 1-0-1
26 at Northeastern W, 6-3 0-3-3
Totals 4-2-2 4-7-11
GOUMAS FETED AS ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: Kevin Goumas was named Hockey East Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week. The announcement was made Monday by the league office. Goumas earns this award for the second straight week and third time in the last four weeks, as he also won Feb. 7 and 21. Goumas registered a goal and three assists on the weekend for the Wildcats. He tallied the game-tying goal in the third period to help UNH capture a 2-2 tie with Northeastern on Friday night and handed out a career-high three assists Saturday night in a 6-3 win over the Huskies. Goumas was a +3 on the weekend with seven shots on net.
UMILE APPROACHING 300 WINS IN HOCKEY EAST: UNH head coach Dick Umile is just one win shy of 300 wins in Hockey East play. Umile, with 299 wins, is looking to become just the second coach in league history to capture 300 league wins. BU's Jack Parker was the first. italics=active
Coach Team Years in HE Wins
1. Jack Parker BU 27 388
2. Dick Umile UNH 21 299
3. Jerry York BC 17 239
4. Shawn Walsh Maine 17 226
5. Tim Whitehead UML, Maine 15 175
'CATS PLAYING FOR NINTH REGULAR SEASON TITLE: UNH enters the final weekend of the regular season in first place in the league standings. The 'Cats can clinch its ninth regular-season title with a single win or two ties in the weekend home-and-home series with No. 2 Boston College. New Hampshire is looking to defend its regular-season crown and capture its fourth league regular-season title in the last five seasons. BC's 10 Hockey East regular season titles are the most followed by UNH and BU at eight.
UNH Regular Season Titles:
2009-10
2007-08
2006-07
2002-03 (shared with BC)
2001-02
1998-99
1996-97 (shared with BU)
1991-92
UNH SURPASSES 2009-10 WIN TOTAL: The 'Cats captured its 19th win of the season surpassing its win total from a year ago.
THANK YOU SENIORS: UNH will honor its six-player senior class of Mike Beck, Greg Manz, Phil DeSimone, Paul Thompson, Matt Campanale and Mike Sislo Saturday night before the game.
THOMPSON NETS A PAIR: Paul Thompson scored a pair of goals Saturday night against Northeastern. It was the sixth time Thompson has multi-goal efforts and 16 times he had multi-point efforts. Thompson's 41 points in league play is seven more than his closest competition in Hockey East.
SIX GOALS: UNH scored six goals or more for the five times this season and on three occasions in the month of February.
GOALS AGAINST IN HOCKEY EAST PLAY: UNH has allowed just 51 goals in Hockey East play, six goals fewer than it closest competition (BC, Merrimack 54). Here is a look at the teams that have allowed the fewest goals in each season since Vermont's insertion in 2005-06.
Season Team Goals Allowed in HE Play
2010-11 UNH 51 (through 25 games)
2009-10 BC 61
2008-09 BU 54
2007-08 UNH 54
2006-07 BU 51
2005-06 BC 58
20/20 IN LEAGUE PLAY: UNH's Paul Thompson is trying to become just the fifth player since 1991-92 to capture 20 goals and 20 assists in league play. The last two are also Wildcats as Bobby Butler and Jason Krog were the last to do so.
SINCE 1990-91
Players Team Year Goals Assists Points
Paul Thompson UNH 10-11 23 18 41
Bobby Butler UNH 09-10 21 20 41
Jason Krog UNH 98-99 20 33 53
Chris Drury BU 95-96 22 20 42
David Emma BC 90-91 20 31 51
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 2.04 GAA. UNH has allowed two goals or fewer in 16 league games this season. In addition, the six defensive players have played together in all 32 games this season.
PAIRWISE RANKINGS (2/28/11)
Rk Team PCWs W-L-T Win % Rk RPI Rk
1 Yale 31 23-5-1 .8103 1 .5825* 2
2 North Dakota 30 24-8-3 .7286 4 .5841 1
3 Boston College 29 24-7-1 .7656 2 .5699 3
4 Michigan 28 23-9-4 .6944 6 .5576 5
5 Denver 27 20-9-5 .6618 9 .5561 6
6t Union 25 25-7-4 .7500 3 .5635* 4
6t Merrimack 25 21-7-4 .7188 5 .5518* 7
8 Nebraska-Omaha 23 20-12-2 .6176 13t .5458* 12
9t Notre Dame 22 21-10-5 .6528 10 .5516 8
9t Miami 22 19-9-6 .6471 11 .5499 11
11t Minn-Duluth 21 19-8-6 .6667 8 .5508 9
11t New Hampshire 21 19-7-6 .6875 7 .5502 10
13 Rensselaer 19 19-10-5 .6324 12 .5322 15
14 Colorado College 17 18-15-3 .5417 25t .5268 18
15t Dartmouth 16 16-10-3 .6034 15 .5308 16
15t Boston University 16 17-9-8 .6176 13t .5360 13
15t Maine 16 16-10-6 .5938 17 .5329 14
18 Western Michigan 15 16-10-10 .5833 21t .5289 17
19t Minnesota 13 15-12-5 .5469 24 .5251 20
19t St. Cloud State 13 14-15-5 .4853 32t .5171 22
21 Wisconsin 11 19-13-4 .5833 21t .5260 19
22t Ferris State 9 17-14-5 .5417 25t .5108 23
22t Alaska 9 14-15-5 .4853 32t .5099 24
24 Minnesota State 7 14-14-6 .5000 28t .5095 25
25 Princeton 6 16-11-2 .5862 20 .5194 21
26t Alaska-Anchorage 5 12-17-3 .4219 43 .5044 26
26t RIT 5 16-10-8 .5882 18t .5036 27
26t Air Force 5 16-11-6 .5758 23 .5014 30
29t Cornell 4 13-13-3 .5000 28t .5023 28
29t Bemidji State 4 12-16-4 .4375 40 .5007 32
31 Robert Morris 2 18-11-5 .6029 16 .5022 29
32 Quinnipiac 0 13-13-8 .5000 28t .5009 31
UNH POWER PLAY: UNH's power play unit has scored in each of the past three games. The Wildcats power play is converting at 21.2 percent and is second in Hockey East behind only Boston College 23.1 percent.
THOMPSON EYES HE SCORING TITLE: UNH's Paul Thompson is trying to become the second-straight Wildcat to capture the league's scoring title. Heading into the final weekend, Thompson has a seven-point lead over Cam Atkinson of Boston College.
Player Team G-A-P
1. Paul Thompson UNH 23-18-41
2. Cam Atkinson BC 21-13-34
3. Gustav Nyquist Maine 14-18-32
Brian Gibbons BC 9-23-32
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 23-18-41
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
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 30
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. 7 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)
DI GIROLAMO TAKES AIM AT UNH GOALIE RECORDS: While UNH has a rich tradition in goaltender, junior Matt Di Girolamo is trying to make his mark in the single-season record books.
Season Save Percentage
1. Kevin Regan 2006-07 .935
2. Kevin Regan 2007-08 .930
3. Jeff Pietrasiak 2005-06 .929
...
6. Matt Di Girolamo 2010-11 .923
Season Goals Against Average
1. Ty Conkin 1998-99 1.84
2. Ty Conklin 2000-01 2.05
3. Kevin Regan 2006-07 2.06
...
8. Matt Di Girolamo 2010-11 2.40
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.
TO THIS POINT LAST YEAR: A comparison through 32 games between this season and last season.
07-08 08-09 09-10 10-11
Record 22-7-3 18-9-5 16-10-6 19-7-6
HE Record 18-4-3 14-7-4 15-5-5 17-4-4
Goals scored 108 96 111 116
Goals scored/PG 3.40 3.00 3.47 3.62
Goals Allowed 74 88 102 79
Goals Allowed/PG 2.30 2.75 3.19 2.47
Shots 1055 1051 1053 1103
Shots Allowed 1007 941 983 1017
Power Play 18.5% 12.7% 16.7% 21.2%
(29-157) (22-173) (23-138) (29-137)
Penalty Kill 87.2% 83.1% 80.0% 82.2
(143-164) (138-166) (104-130) (97-118)
Top 3 Scorers Fornataro van Riem. Butler Thompson
13-26-39 13-22-35 24-21-45 26-22-48
Radja Butler Thomp. Sislo
18-21-39 7-18-25 16-18-34 11-30-41
van Riemsdyk Sislo Kessel DeSimone
11-15-26 18-6-24 7-25-32 8-27-35
GO-BO-MO: UNH's second line of Kevin Goumas, Mike Borisenok and Stevie Moses have been second to none lately. The trio has combined for 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points in the month of February.
GOUMAS-BORISENOK-MOSES LINE IN FEBRUARY
Player Games G-A-P PPG
Goumas 8 4-7-11 1.375
Moses 8 4-7-11 1.375
Borisenok 8 3-4-7 0.875
Total 4-2-2 11-18-29 3.625
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.
Player G-A-P Year
Mike Sislo 11-30-41 2010-11
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 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 32 games Paul Thompson numbers are better than Butler's in several categories.
Through 32 games G A P PPG PWG GWG
Thompson in 2010-11 26 22 48 1.50 12 7
Butler in 2009-10 24 21 45 1.40 6 4
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 22-of-25 conference games and two or fewer 16 times in league play. He is second in Hockey East in GAA (2.02), win percentage (.760) and ranks first in wins (17), save percentage (.935), saves (734) and minutes (1516:54).
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: 47-92-139 41-46-44
Juniors: 25-52-77 22-26-25
Sophomores: 34-37-71 29-19-23
Freshmen: 10-17-27 9-9-9
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
THE NATIONAL POLLS:
USCHO.com Division I Men's Hockey Poll (Feb. 28)
Rk. School (FPV) Record Points Lst Wk.
1 North Dakota (42) 24-8-3 989 1
2 Boston College (6) 24-7-1 948 2
3 Yale (1) 23-5-1 887 3
4 Union (1) 25-7-4 837 5
5 Denver 20-9-5 726 6
5 Michigan 23-9-4 726 10
7 New Hampshire 19-7-6 659 9
8 Miami 19-9-6 628 11
9 Merrimack 21-7-4 620 4
10 Notre Dame 21-10-5 608 8
11 Minnesota-Duluth 19- 8-6 569 7
12 Nebraska-Omaha 20-12-2 457 12
13 Boston University 17-9-8 365 15
14 Maine 16-10-6 342 16
15 Western Michigan 16-10-10 248 17
16 Rensselaer 19-10-5 227 14
17 Colorado College 18-15-3 182 19
18 Wisconsin 19-13-4 177 13
19 Minnesota 15-12-5 148 20
20 Dartmouth 16-10-3 114 18
Others Receiving Votes: Princeton 18, Ferris State 8, RIT 6, St. Cloud State 5, Cornell 3, Robert Morris 2, Air Force 1
USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's Hockey Poll (Feb. 28)
Rk. Team, Points (FPV) Last Week Record Weeks
1 North Dakota, 505 (30) 1 24-8-3 21
2 Boston College, 473 (4) 2 24-7-1 21
3 Yale University, 432 3 23-5-1 21
4 Union College, 401 5 25-7-4 18
5 University of Michigan, 333 10 23-9-4 21
6 University of Denver, 331 6 20-9-5 21
7 Merrimack College, 264 4 21-7-4 8
8 New Hampshire, 263 9 19-7-6 21
9 Notre Dame, 253 8 21-10-5 18
10 Miami University, 247 11 19-9-6 21
11 Minnesota Duluth, 214 7 19-8-6 21
12 Nebraska Omaha, 153 12 20-12-2 17
13 Boston University, 74 15 17-9-8 18
14 University of Maine, 53 NR 16-10-6 18
15 Rensselaer, 37 13 19-10-5 13
Others receiving votes: Western Michigan University, 21; Colorado College, 12; University of Wisconsin, 7; Dartmouth College, 3; University of Minnesota, 3; Rochester Institute of Technology, 1.
Wildcats Among National leaders (THRU 2/28): Below is a list of where UNH players and team rank nationally.
Individual Rank Stats
Points Per Game:
Paul Thompson 3rd 1.50 ppg
Mike Sislo 16th 1.28 ppg
Phil DeSimone 37th 1.09 ppg
Goals Per Game:
Paul Thompson 2nd 0.81 gpg
Assists Per Game:
Mike Sislo 4th 0.94 apg
Phil DeSimone 10th 0.84 apg
Paul Thompson 36th 0.69 apg
Power Play Goals:
Paul Thompson 1st 12 ppg
Short-Handed Goals:
Dalton Speelman 48th 1 shg
Stevie Moses 48th 1 shg
Connor Hardowa 48th 1 shg
Game-Winning Goal:
Paul Thompson 2nd 7 gwg
Defensemen Scoring:
Blake Kessel 12th 0.75 ppg
Goals Against Average:
Matt Di Girolamo 26th 2.40 gaa
Save Percentage:
Matt Di Girolamo 8th .923
Winning Percentage:
Matt Di Girolamo 10th .688
Team
Scoring Offense 7th 3.62
Scoring Defense 15th 2.47
Scoring Margin 7th 1.16
Power Play 13th 21.2
Penalty Kill 30th 82.2
Combined Special Teams 33rd 49.4
Winnning Percentage 7th .688
Among the League Leaders (THRU 2/28): Where some of the Wildcats rank in Hockey East.
Player All Games HE Games
Points Paul Thompson 1st(48 pts) 1st (41 pts)
Mike Sislo 4th (41 pts) 5th (30 pts)
Phil DeSimone 8th (35 pts) 10th (26 pts)
Goals Paul Thompson 1st (26 g) 1st (23 g)
Mike Sislo 21st (11g) 47th (5 g)
John Henrion 16th (12g) 27th (7 g)
Assists Mike Sislo 1st (30 a) 1st (25 a)
Phil DeSimone 2nd (27 a) 3rd (20 a)
Paul Thompson 7th (22 a) 5th (18 a)
PP Points Paul Thompson 1st (21 pts) 1st (18 pts)
Mike Sislo 5th (15 pts) 8th (11 pts)
Blake Kessel 13th (13 pts) 15th (9 pts)
Phil DeSimone 25th (10 pts) 18th (8 pts)
Brett Kostolansky 31st (9 pts) 18th (8 pts)
PP Goals Paul Thompson 1st (12 ppg) 1st (9 ppg)
Mike Sislo 26th (3 ppg) 53rd (1 ppg)
SH Points Five Tied 17th (1 shp) n/a
Connor Hardowa n/a 15th (1 pt)
SH Goals Dalton Speelman 9th (1 shg) n/a
Stevie Moses 9th (1 shg) n/a
GW Goals Paul Thompson 1st (7 gwg) 1st (7 gwg)
Mike Sislo 14th (2 gwg) 22nd (1 gwg)
Def. Scoring Blake Kessel 2nd (24 pts) 3rd (16 pts)
Brett Kostolansky 7th (16 pts) 5th (15 pts)
GAA Matt Di Girolamo 4th (2.40) 2nd (2.02)
Save% Matt Di Girolamo 3rd (.923) 1st (.935)
Win% Matt Di Girolamo 3rd (.688) 2nd (.760)
Saves Matt Di Girolamo 1st (938) 2nd (734)
Minutes Matt Di Girolamo 1st (1945:58) 1st (1516:54)
Wins Matt Di Girolamo 3rd (19) 2nd (17)
WHERE UNH IS RANKED IN HOCKEY EAST (THRU 2/28):
Overall HE games
Goals/per game 3.62/2nd 3.48/2nd
GAA 2.47/3rd 2.04/1st
Power Play 21.2/2nd 22.3/2nd
Penalty Kill 82.2/7th 84.9/3rd
Special Teams Net +7/3rd +7/2nd
1st Period Scoring 28/6th 24/4th
2nd Period Scoring 46/1st 34/1st
3rd Period Scoring 40/2nd 27/3rd
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
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
3/7 Ballards - 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
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.
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.
