Game Notes: Men's Hockey Takes on Merrimack in Hockey East Semifinals at TD Garden (Fri. - 8 p.m. - NESN)
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DURHAM, N.H. - The 10th-ranked and second-seeded University of New Hampshire men's hockey team advanced to the Hockey East semifinals by virtue of a Hockey East quarterfinal sweep of the University of Vermont on Saturday evening. The Wildcats will play fourth-seeded and seventh-ranked Merrimack College at TD Garden at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 18. The game will be broadcast live on NESN with radio coverage on the Wildcat Sports Network.
New Hampshire will play the second of two semifinals, while top-seeded Boston College will play sixth-seeded Northeastern in the first semifinal at 5 p.m.
Wildcat fans are encouraged to visit the pre-game UNH Fan Headquarters at The Four's at 166 Canal Street in Boston, Mass. UNH Athletics, the UNH Alumni Association, and the UNH Boston Alumni Chapter invite fans to wear their Wildcat gear and join fellow alumni and fans at the restaurant starting at 6 p.m. Seating is on a first come, first served basis. Please note, there is a no re-entry policy in the TD Garden, fans are advised to plan accordingly.
Tickets are now on sale at the Whittemore Center Arena Box Office at (603)862-4000, extension 5, during normal box office hours of Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., through the TD Garden box office or online at Ticketmaster.com. UNH fans are asked to request the UNH section when ordering through the TD Garden Box Office.
Ticket pricing for the Hockey East semifinals (one ticket for both semifinals) and championship (8 p.m.) are as follows:
Loge Seating: $39.00
Balcony Seating: $25.00/$17.00*
*(available only through the TD Garden Box Office or Ticketmaster)
UNH Student Balcony seating: $10.00
SCOUTING THE FOURTH-SEEDED MERRIMACK WARRIORS: The fourth-seeded Merrimack College Warriors enter the Hockey East semifinals with a 24-8-4 record and a 16-8-3 record within Hockey East. Merrimack is coming off a sweep of the Maine Black Bears in the Hockey East quarterfinals after wrapping up the regular season by dropping three of their last four games. Offensively, the Warriors are led by a trio of players: senior Chris Barton with a team-high 33 points (12 goals, 21 assists), senior Joe Cucci (12 goals, 17 assists) and sophomore Stephane Da Costa (9 goals, 18 assists). Junior goaltender Joe Cannata, who has played in 83 career games, is 24-8-4 with a 2.57 GAA and a .910 save percentage in the 2010-11 season. This season against the Wildcats, the Warriors are 2-1-0 including a 3-2 overtime win on Feb. 22.
SERIES HISTORY VS. MERRIMACK: The Wildcats hold the advantage in the all-time series vs. Merrimack College at 64-15-8 in 87 all-time meetings dating back to Jan. 16, 1960. Since 1996, UNH is 40-6-6 in the last 52 games. UNH owns a 25-4-2 all-time record vs. Merrimack at the Whittemore Center and Coach Umile has compiled a 52-12-7 all-time mark against the Warriors. The 'Cats are 15-4-0 in the last 19 meetings against Merrimack at Towse Rink. Merrimack won the regular season series 2-1-0 on the strength of a weekend sweep Feb. 11-12. Senior forward Paul Thompson is the active scoring leaders against Merrimack with 11 points in 11 games. Matt Di Girolamo is 1-2-0 lifetime against the Warriors with a .933 save percentage and a 2.68 GAA.
UNH VS. MC IN THE HOCKEY EAST TOURNAMENT: UNH and MC have met eight times in the history of the Hockey East tournament. UNH holds a 8-0-0 advantage all time.
1992-93
3-12-93 (H) 5 Merrimack 3 W
3-14-93 (H) 9 Merrimack 2 W
(UNH wins best of three games, 2-0, quarterfinals)
1998-99
3/12/99 (H) 3 Merrimack 2 W
3/13/99 (H) 5 Merrimack 4 W
(Quarterfinals — UNH wins best of three games, 2-0)
1999-2000
3/9/00 (H) 5 Merrimack 2 W
3/10/00 (H) 3 Merrimack 2 W
(Quarterfinals — UNH wins best of two games, 2-0)
2001-2002
3/8/02 (H) 6 Merrimack 2 W
3/9/02 (H) 5 Merrimack 4 W OT
(Quarterfinals — UNH wins series, 2-0)
SCOUTING THE TOP-SEEDED EAGLES: The top-seeded Boston College Eagles come into the Hockey East semifinals with a 28-7-1 record and a 20-6-1 mark in Hockey East. BC has lost just once in its last seven games (6-1-0) including a two-game sweep of the Massachusetts Minutemen in the Hockey East quarterfinals and a sweep of New Hampshire on March 5 and March 11 to end the regular season. The Eagles are the 2010-2011 Regular Season Champions and are looking to defend their 2010 Hockey East Championship. On the offensive side of things, BC is led by junior Cam Atkinson, who has a team-high 24 goals and 14 assists for 38 points and senior Brian Gibbons with 10 goals and 26 assists for 36 points. Senior goaltender John Muse, who has played in 141 career games, is currently 25-5-1 with a 2.04 GAA and a .927 save percentage.
SERIES HISTORY VS. BOSTON COLLEGE: The Wildcats hold the advantage in the all-time series with the Eagles 63-61-12 in 136 all-time meetings dating back to Feb. 6, 1937. BC captured the season series, 2-1-0, by virtue of a weekend sweep of the Wildcats back on March 4-5. Coach Umile owns a 39-25-11 all-time record against BC and the Wildcats own a 14-17-6 all-time record at Conte Forum and a 16-6-2 all-time record at the Whittemore Center. Mike Sislo is the active leading scorer against the Eagles with 13 points in 15 games. Matt Di Girolamo is 1-3-0 in three career starts against the Eagles.
UNH VS. BC IN THE HOCKEY EAST TOURNAMENT: UNH and BC have met 11 times in the history of the Hockey East tournament. BC holds a 3-8-0 advantage all time.
1989-90
3-9-90 (A) 4 Boston College 5 L OT
(BC wins HE Semifinal at Conte Forum)
1993-94
3-11-94 (H) 4 Boston College 1 W
3-12-94 (H) 6 Boston College 5 W 2OT
(UNH wins best of three games, 2-0, quarterfinals)
1996-97
3/14/97 (N) 4 Boston College 0 W
(HE Semifinals at Fleet Center)
1998-99
3/20/99 (N) 5 Boston College 4 L OT
(HE Finals at FleetCenter)
1999-2000
3/17/00 (N) 1 Boston College 2 L
(HE Semifinals at FleetCenter)
2004-2005
3/19/05 (N) 1 Boston College 3 L
(HE Finals at the FleetCenter)
2006-2007
3/17/07 (N) 2 Boston College 5 L
(HE Finals at the TD Banknorth Garden)
2007-2008
3/21/08 (N) 4 Boston College 5 L 3OT
(HE Semifinals at the TD Banknorth Garden)
2008-2009
3/13/09 (H) 3 Boston College 5 L
3/14/09 (H) 0 Boston College 1 L
(Quarterfinals ----- BC wins series , 2-0)
SCOUTING THE SIXTH-SEEDED HUSKIES: The sixth-seeded Northeastern Huskies enter the Hockey East semifinals with a 14-15-8 record and a 10-10-7 record within Hockey East. The Huskies are coming off a Game 3 win against Boston University to win the quarterfinal series and advance to the semifinals. To end the regular season, Northeastern posted a 2-2-1 record including defeating Boston College 2-1 on Feb. 19 and tying New Hampshire 2-2 on Feb. 25. Offensively, Northeastern is led by a senior duo of Wade MacLeod (14 goals, 16 assists for 30 points) and Tyler McNeely (11 goals, 15 assists for 26 points). Sophomore goaltender Chris Rawlings, who has played in 65 career games, is 12-13-8 with a 2.62 GAA and .921 save percentage this season.
SERIES HISTORY VS. NORTHEASTERN: UNH owns an 87-57-14 all-time record against Northeastern in 158 meetings in the series history between the two teams.UNH won the season series with Northeastern 1-0-2. The teams skated to a pair of 2-2 tie on Oct. 22 and Feb. 25, while New Hampshire earned a 6-3 win on Feb. 26. Coach Umile owns a 42-15-12 record all-time against Northeastern. Senior forward Mike Sislo is the active scoring leader against the Huskies with nine points in 12 games. Junior netminder Matt Di Girolamo is 1-0-3 with a 2.12 GAA all time against the Huskies. Di Girolamo's first collegiate start was on Nov. 1, 2008 against Northeastern.
UNH VS. NU IN THE HOCKEY EAST TOURNAMENT: UNH and NU have met five times in the history of the Hockey East tournament. UNH holds a 3-1-1 advantage all time.
1988-89
3-4-89 (A) 4 Northeastern 5 L
(NU wins single elimination quarterfinal)
1991-92
3-8-92 (H) 4 Northeastern 2 W
(UNH wins single elimination quarterfinal)
1993-94
3-19-94 (N) 4 Northeastern 4 T OT
(UNH ties HE Third Place Game at Boston Garden)
2004-2005
3/10/05 (H) 6 Northeastern 1 W
3/11/05 (H) 4 Northeastern 0 W
(Quarterfinals — UNH wins series, 2-0)
DI GIROLAMO NAMED HOCKEY EAST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Junior goaltender Matt Di Girolamo was named Hockey East Pure Hockey Defensive Player of the Week. The announcement was made Monday by the league office. Di Girolamo earns the award for the third this season, which is tied for the most in Hockey East. Di Girolamo, who was the league's top defensive player on Oct. 18 and Dec. 6, turned away 56-of-60 shots to lift UNH to a weekend sweep of Vermont in the Hockey East quarterfinals this past weekend. He posted a 2.00 goals against average and a .933 save percentage for the weekend in the two-game series at the Whittemore Center. Overall, Di Girolamo ranks in the top three in Hockey East in every goaltending category. He ranks first in minutes (2184:52), sits second in save percentage (.922) and saves (1,057), while his 2.47 goals against average and 21 wins rank third.
UNH AGAINST THE FIELD: New Hampshire is 3-4-2 against the three teams remaining in the Hockey East tournament. UNH captured wins over all three foes.
SISLO LIFTS 'CATS TO THE GARDEN: Mike Sislo lifted the Wildcats into the semifinals with the game-winner with three minutes remaining in the third period. Sislo has seven points in the last five games.
'CATS CAPTURE WINS OVER ALL NINE LEAGUE FOES: UNH is one of three teams in Hockey East to capture wins over all nine Hockey East foes. Merrimack and Boston College also captured wins over all nine league foes.
UNH ALL-TIME IN HOCKEY EAST SEMIFINALS: New Hampshire is 7-7-0 all-time in the Hockey East semifinals.
UNH ALL-TIME IN HOCKEY EAST FINALS: UNH is 2-5-0 all-time in Hockey East title games. New Hampshire won back-to-back league championship in 2002 and 2003.
10 home wins for 15th-straight season: With a win at home on Friday night, the Wildcats have won 10 or more games at home every year since 1996-97.
Year Home Record
2010-11 11-4-4
2009-10 10-3-5
2008-09 12-4-2
2007-08 14-4-1
2006-07 15-5-1
2005-06 10-6-3
2004-05 17-3-0
2003-04 13-5-2
2002-03 15-3-1
2001-02 16-2-1
2000-01 12-5-3
1999-00 13-1-5
1998-99 18-0-1
1997-98 11-5-1
1996-97 14-5-0
Total 201-55-30 (.755)
THOMPSON TALLIES 50th POINT: Paul Thompson became 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 28-24-52 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
TO THIS POINT: A comparison through 36 games between this season and the last three seasons.
07-08 08-09 09-10 11-12
Record 25-8-3 19-12-5 17-12-7 21-9-6
HE Record 19-5-3 15-8-4 15-6-6 17-6-4
Goals scored 125 109 123 126
Goals scored/PG 3.5 3.00 3.42 3.50
Goals Allowed 82 105 113 91
Goals Allowed/PG 2.30 2.90 3.14 2.53
Shots 1174 1180 1073 1217
Shots Allowed 1125 1064 1133 1148
Power Play 19.0% 11.5% 17.1% 20.4
(32-168) (22-191) (25-146) (31-152)
Penalty Kill 86.8% 82.9% 81.6% 82.0%
(158-182) (151-182) (115-141) (109-133)
Top 3 Scorers Fornataro van Riems. Butler Thompson
18-27-45 17-22-39 27-23-50 28-24-52
Radja Sislo Thompson Sislo
19-23-42 18-10-28 17-19-36 13-33-46
van Riem. LeBlanc Kessel DeSimone
11-18-29 12-15-27 9-26-35 10-30-40
40-40-40 FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2005-06: For the first time since 2005-06, UNH has three players with 40 or more points. Paul Thompson (52), Mike Sislo (46) and Phil DeSimone (40) are the first to do so since, Jacob Micflikier (42), Brett Hemingway (41) and Daniel Winnik. In addition, UNH is the only east-coast team with three 40 point players. Miami, Minnesota-Duluth, North Dakota and Wisconsin are the others.It marks the 22nd consecutive year a UNH player has tallied four points. Phil DeSimone currently has 38 points and is looking to join his teammates over 40 points.
SINCE 2000 PLAYERS WITH 40-PLUS POINTS
Player G-A-P Year
Phil DeSimone 10-30-40 2010-11
Mike Sislo 13-33-46 2010-11
Paul Thompson 28-24-52 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
'Cats, UMILE GET TO 20 WINS: UNH captured a 20-win season for the 14th time in the last 15 seasons. Overall, Dick Umile has 18 20-win season in just 21 years of coaching at UNH.
17-0-2 WHEN LEADING AFTER TWO PERIODS: The Wildcats are an impressive 17-0-2 when leading after two periods. UNH's two ties were 11/13 at Massachusetts and 2/19 at Vermont.
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. Brian Foster 2009-10 38 1,128
3. Bruce Gillies 1983-84 34 1,065
4. Matt Di Girolamo 2010-11 36 1,057
5. Todd Pearson 1981-82 35 1,028
6. Kevin Regan 2006-07 35 1,025
PAIRWISE RANKINGS (through 3/16/11)
Rk Team PCWs W-L-T Win % Rk RPI Rk
1 Yale 29 25-6-1 .7969 1 .5760* 3
2 North Dakota 28 28-8-3 .7564 3 .5833* 1
3 Boston College 27 28-7-1 .7917 2 .5779* 2
4t Michigan 25 25-9-4 .7105 6 .5577 4
4t Miami 25 21-9-6 .6667 9t .5561 6
6t Denver 23 23-10-5 .6711 8 .5573 5
6t Minn-Duluth 23 22-9-6 .6757 7 .5533 7
6t Merrimack 23 24-8-4 .7222 4 .5524* 9
9 Union 21 26-9-4 .7179 5 .5529* 8
10 Notre Dame 20 23-11-5 .6538 11 .5492 10
11t New Hampshire 18 21-9-6 .6667 9t .5471 11
11t Western Michigan 18 18-11-10 .5897 16t .5300 14
13t Nebraska-Omaha 16 21-15-2 .5789 19 .5327 12
13t Colorado College 16 21-17-3 .5488 24 .5260 16
15t Dartmouth 15 18-11-3 .6094 13 .5308 13
15t Rensselaer 15 20-12-5 .6081 14 .5240 18
17 Boston University 13 19-12-8 .5897 16t .5280 15
18 Maine 12 17-12-7 .5694 21 .5243 17
19 Minnesota 11 16-14-6 .5278 25 .5190 20
20 Alaska-Anchorage 10 16-17-3 .4861 32 .5173 21
21 St. Cloud State 8 15-18-5 .4605 34 .5110 23
22t Alaska 7 16-17-5 .4868 30 .5090 24
22t Ferris State 7 18-16-5 .5256 27 .5082 25
24 Wisconsin 6 21-16-4 .5610 23 .5214 19
25t Princeton 4 17-13-2 .5625 22 .5113 22
25t RIT 4 18-10-8 .6111 12 .5065 26
25t Cornell 4 15-14-3 .5156 28 .5063 27
25t Bemidji State 4 14-17-5 .4583 37 .5047 29
29 Air Force 2 18-11-6 .6000 15 .5057 28
30 Quinnipiac 1 16-15-8 .5128 29 .5033 30
SCORING LEADERS IN HOCKEY EAST TOURNAMENT
Player GP G-A-P
Mike Sislo 10 3-5-8
Phil DeSimone 10 1-5-6
Paul Thompson 10 3-2-5
Steve Moses 7 2-2-4
Blake Kessel 7 1-1-2
Matt Campanale 7 0-1-1
Kevin Goumas 2 0-2-2
Austin Block 1 1-0-1
Mike Borisenok 5 0-1-1
Damon Kipp 7 0-1-1
Connor Hardowa 5 0-1-1
Brett Kostolansky 2 0-1-1
Kevin McCarey 5 0-1-1
Greg Manz 3 0-0-0
Dalton Speelman 5 0-0-0
John Henrion 4 0-0-0
Mike Beck 5 0-0-0
Greg Burke 3 0-0-0
Scott Pavelski 2 0-0-0
Jeff Silengo 2 0-0-0
Nick Sorkin 2 0-0-0
Goaltending Stats
Player GP/Min GA GAA W-L-T SV SV%
Di Girolamo 2/119:44 4 2.00 2-0-0 56 .933
Di Girolamo Game-by-Game in Hockey East Tournament
Date Min Res. Svs. GA Shots
3-11-11 59:49 W 31 1 32
3-12-11 59:55 W 25 3 28
Totals 119:44 2-0-0 56 4 60
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
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 36 games Paul Thompson numbers are better than Butler's in several categories.
Through 36 games G A P PPG PWG GWG
Thompson in 2010-11 28 24 52 1.44 12 7
Butler in 2009-10 27 23 50 1.39 7 4
21 wins for Di Girolamo: Matt Di Girolamo moved into sixth place on the single-season wins list.
Player Year Games Wins
1. Mike Ayer 2002-03 41 27
2. Sean Matile 1997-98 38 25
3. Kevin Regan 2006-07 35 24
4. Kevin Regan 2007-08 32 23
5. Ty Conklin 1999-00 37 23
6. Matt Di Girolamo 2010-11 36 21
two others tied 21
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.
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
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 33
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.
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.
SCORING BY CLASS: 2010-11 breakdown of scoring by class.
Class G-A-P G-A-P %.
Seniors: 53-100-153 42-46-45
Juniors: 27-57-84 21-26-25
Sophomores: 36-40-76 29-19-22
Freshmen: 10-19-29 8-9-8
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
3/14 10th 10th 2nd
THE NATIONAL POLLS:
USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's Hockey Poll (March 14)
Rk. Team, Points (FPV) Last Week Record Weeks
1 North Dakota, 505 (29) 1 28-8-3 23
2 Boston College, 479 (5) 2 28-7-1 23
3 Yale University, 425 3 25-6-1 23
4 University of Michigan, 414 5 25-9-4 23
5 University of Denver, 359 6 23-10-5 23
6 Miami University, 345 7 21-9-6 23
7 Merrimack College, 298 9 24-8-4 10
T-8 Union College, 248 4 26-9-4 20
T-8 Notre Dame, 248 8 23-11-5 20
10 New Hampshire, 213 10 21-9-6 23
11 Minnesota Duluth, 202 11 22-9-6 23
12 Western Michigan, 125 15 18-11-10 3
13 Colorado College, 86 NR 21-17-3 1
14 Nebraska Omaha, 58 12 21-15-2 19
15 Dartmouth College, 50 NR 18-11-3 1
Others receiving votes: Boston University, 13; University of Maine, 4; Rochester Institute of Technology, 4; Cornell University, 2; Rensselaer, 2.
USCHO.com Division I Men's Hockey Poll (March 14)
Rk. School (FPV) Record Points Lst Wk.
1 North Dakota (42) 28-8-3 991 1
2 Boston College (7) 28-7-1 953 2
3 Yale (1) 25-6-1 874 3
4 Michigan 25-9-4 848 5
5 Denver 23-10-5 772 6
6 Miami 21-9-6 757 7
7 Merrimack 24-8-4 650 9
8 Notre Dame 23-11-5 619 8
9 Union 26-9-4 602 4
10 New Hampshire 21-9-6 584 10
11 Minnesota-Duluth 22-9-6 571 11
12 Western Michigan 18-11-10 417 15
13 Colorado College 21-17-3 368 16
14 Nebraska-Omaha 21-15-2 318 12
15 Dartmouth 18-11-3 298 18
16 Boston University 19-12-8 244 13
17 Maine 17-12-7 222 14
18 Rensselaer 20-12-5 117 20
19 Wisconsin 21-16-4 98 19
20 Cornell 15-14-3 58 NR
Others Receiving Votes: Minnesota 39, RIT 30, Alaska-Anchorage 23, Northeastern 20, Ferris State 18, Air Force 4, Bemidji State 3, Colgate 1, St. Cloud State 1
Wildcats Among National leaders (THRU 3/14): Below is a list of where UNH players and team rank nationally.
Individual Rank Stats
Points Per Game:
Paul Thompson 4th 1.44 ppg
Mike Sislo 17th 1.28 ppg
Phil DeSimone 35th 1.11 ppg
Goals Per Game:
Paul Thompson 4th 0.78 gpg
Assists Per Game:
Mike Sislo 4th 0.92 apg
Phil DeSimone 13th 0.83 apg
Paul Thompson 42th 0.67 apg
Power Play Goals:
Paul Thompson 1st 12 ppg
Game-Winning Goal:
Paul Thompson 2nd 7 gwg
Defensemen Scoring:
Blake Kessel 17th 0.72 ppg
Goals Against Average:
Matt Di Girolamo 27th 2.47 gaa
Save Percentage:
Matt Di Girolamo 15th .922
Winning Percentage:
Matt Di Girolamo 13th .667
Team
Scoring Offense 11th 3.50
Scoring Defense 15th 2.53
Scoring Margin 8th 0.97
Power Play 15th 20.4
Penalty Kill 29th 82.0
Combined Special Teams 33th 49.1
Winnning Percentage 9th .667
Among the League Leaders (THRU 3/14): Where some of the Wildcats rank in Hockey East.
Player All Games HE Games
Points Paul Thompson 1st(52 pts) 1st (42 pts)
Mike Sislo 5th (48 pts) 6th (32 pts)
Phil DeSimone 8th (40 pts) 12th (27 pts)
Goals Paul Thompson 1st (28 g) 2nd (23 g)
Mike Sislo 17th (13g) 42nd (6 g)
Stevie Moses 17th (13g) 33rd (7 g)
Assists Mike Sislo 1st (33 a) 1st (26 a)
Phil DeSimone 4th (30 a) 6th (20 a)
Paul Thompson 9th (24 a) 7th (19 a)
PP Points Paul Thompson 3rd (22 pts) 1st (18 pts)
Mike Sislo 6th (17 pts) 11th (12 pts)
Blake Kessel 17th (14 pts) 14th (10 pts)
Phil DeSimone 27th (11 pts) 23rd (8 pts)
PP Goals Paul Thompson 1st (12 ppg) 1st (9 ppg)
Mike Sislo 21st (4 ppg) 34th (2 ppg)
SH Points Five Tied 17th (1 shp) n/a
Connor Hardowa 21st (1 shp) 16th (1 pt)
SH Goals Dalton Speelman 12th (1 shg) n/a
Stevie Moses 12th (1 shg) n/a
Connor Hardowa 12th (1 shg) (1 shg)
GW Goals Paul Thompson 1st (7 gwg) 1st (7 gwg)
Mike Sislo 8th (3 gwg) 25th (1 gwg)
Def. Scoring Blake Kessel 2nd (26 pts) 2nd (18 pts)
Brett Kostolansky 7th (19 pts) 6th (15 pts)
GAA Matt Di Girolamo 3rd (2.47) 2nd (2.16)
Save% Matt Di Girolamo 2nd (.922) 3rd (.931)
Win% Matt Di Girolamo 3rd (.667) 3rd (.704)
Saves Matt Di Girolamo 2nd (1057) 2nd (797)
Minutes Matt Di Girolamo 1st (2184:52) 1st (1636:04)
Wins Matt Di Girolamo 3rd (21) 2nd (17)
WHERE UNH IS RANKED IN HOCKEY EAST (THRU 3/14):
Overall HE games
Goals/per game 3.50/3rd 3.33/3rd
GAA 2.53/3rd 2.19/2nd
Power Play 20.4/3rd 22.0/2nd
Penalty Kill 82.0/6th 83.8/5th
Special Teams Net +4/4th +4/4th
1st Period Scoring 30/6th 25/4th
2nd Period Scoring 50/1st 35/1st
3rd Period Scoring 44/2ndd 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
MARCH 18 VS. MERRIMACK (HE semis) NESN 8:00 pm
MARCH 19 HOCKEY EAST FINALS NESNplus 7:00 pm
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.
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
Matt Di Girolamo HE Defensive Player of the Week 3/14
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 spe nt 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.
