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University of New Hampshire Athletics
Joseph Cipollone had the game-winning goal against Union.
Insider Report: No. 8 Friars Back in Town Saturday Night
10/29/2021 10:17:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey, UNH Insider
Cipollone, 'Cats Focus on Goal Scoring in Weekend Series
DURHAM, N.H. – The University of New Hampshire men's hockey team gets a couple of shots at a top 10 team this weekend.
The Wildcats finish off a three-game stretch of games against No. 8 Providence College with tests on Friday night at Schneider Arena at 7 p.m. and then Saturday night at 7 at the Whittemore Center for a Halloweekend game.
Individual and group tickets are available at www.unhwildcats.com and by calling the Whittemore Center Box office at 603-862-4000.
Providence was No. 12 in the USCHO Top 20 poll last Sunday when it posted a 2-0 win over the Wildcats at the Whittemore Center. The Friars moved up four spots in this week's poll, thanks to a come-from-behind win over Denver last Friday night at home and then the victory at the Whitt.
A primary focus for the Wildcats this weekend is to get some goals.
"We made some adjustments this week in practice," said senior forward Joseph Cipollone. "I think a big thing for us is we want to get more guys to the net. We didn't feel we had enough presence at the net."
The Wildcats are 2-3-0 overall and 0-1-0 in Hockey East. Providence is 5-2-0 and 2-0-0.
UNH has scored just two goals in its last three games.
Goal scoring becomes an even bigger challenge going up against the stingy Friars.
"They make it hard for you to get to the front of the net," said UNH coach Mike Souza. "It's a little bit of a mindset, too. Don't let yourself get boxed out. It's not necessarily a guy having a confrontation with someone. It's maybe using your head and not having you stick tied up and then getting pucks through."
Defensemen can help with that.
"I think our 'D' could have done a better job getting off the line and off the boards," Souza said. "I thought we relied on going 'D' to 'D' the other night. I think that can be easy to defend sometimes. Then it's recovering pucks and not being afraid to put the puck on net from bad angles."
Cipollone has not been known as a scorer during his UNH career, but he's earned playing time for other contributions and scored the team's most clutch goal thus far this year employing the get-to-the-net and get-pucks-on-the-net approach.
Senior forward Filip Engaras had scored midway through the third period to tie up the team's second game of year against Union, but time was now running short on getting a win and sweeping the opening series of the season.
Souza sent Cipollone over the boards and into the game as it headed into the final minute.
"The play was developing up top and Luke Reid was getting the puck to the net," Cipollone said. "I tried to battle in the net front with the defenseman to get position and the puck popped out. I was scrambling for the puck and saw a little opening and that the goalie was out of position. I tried to throw it back in between his legs. If it doesn't go in, it was going to pop out to someone else."
The puck went in and the Wildcats held on for the sweep. Cipollone had his third career goal, his second game-winner.
"Coach calling my name to go out there with a minute left, obviously that's a huge deal with the trust factor there,' Cipollone said.
"Joe Cip is a great teammate," said Souza, who also praised Cipollone's work on the penalty kill. "He's found himself in and out of the lineup his first few years here. It's, 'What can I do to contribute?' He's embraced what we've asked of him. It's great to see guys like that get rewarded. You root for guys like that."
Cipollone and his teammates will look to come up with more goals this weekend against the Friars and likely their standout goalie, junior Jaxson Stauber.
Stauber stopped all 26 of UNH's shots Sunday for his first shutout of the season and fifth of his career. He has a 2.17 goals against average and .926 save percentage. In two Hockey East games this season he's allowed two goals with a .960 save percentage.
THE ROAD AHEAD
Allen Lessels
@UNHInsider
Allen.Lessels@unh.edu
The Wildcats finish off a three-game stretch of games against No. 8 Providence College with tests on Friday night at Schneider Arena at 7 p.m. and then Saturday night at 7 at the Whittemore Center for a Halloweekend game.
Individual and group tickets are available at www.unhwildcats.com and by calling the Whittemore Center Box office at 603-862-4000.
Providence was No. 12 in the USCHO Top 20 poll last Sunday when it posted a 2-0 win over the Wildcats at the Whittemore Center. The Friars moved up four spots in this week's poll, thanks to a come-from-behind win over Denver last Friday night at home and then the victory at the Whitt.
A primary focus for the Wildcats this weekend is to get some goals.
"We made some adjustments this week in practice," said senior forward Joseph Cipollone. "I think a big thing for us is we want to get more guys to the net. We didn't feel we had enough presence at the net."
The Wildcats are 2-3-0 overall and 0-1-0 in Hockey East. Providence is 5-2-0 and 2-0-0.
UNH has scored just two goals in its last three games.
Goal scoring becomes an even bigger challenge going up against the stingy Friars.
"They make it hard for you to get to the front of the net," said UNH coach Mike Souza. "It's a little bit of a mindset, too. Don't let yourself get boxed out. It's not necessarily a guy having a confrontation with someone. It's maybe using your head and not having you stick tied up and then getting pucks through."
Defensemen can help with that.
"I think our 'D' could have done a better job getting off the line and off the boards," Souza said. "I thought we relied on going 'D' to 'D' the other night. I think that can be easy to defend sometimes. Then it's recovering pucks and not being afraid to put the puck on net from bad angles."
Cipollone has not been known as a scorer during his UNH career, but he's earned playing time for other contributions and scored the team's most clutch goal thus far this year employing the get-to-the-net and get-pucks-on-the-net approach.
Senior forward Filip Engaras had scored midway through the third period to tie up the team's second game of year against Union, but time was now running short on getting a win and sweeping the opening series of the season.
Souza sent Cipollone over the boards and into the game as it headed into the final minute.
"The play was developing up top and Luke Reid was getting the puck to the net," Cipollone said. "I tried to battle in the net front with the defenseman to get position and the puck popped out. I was scrambling for the puck and saw a little opening and that the goalie was out of position. I tried to throw it back in between his legs. If it doesn't go in, it was going to pop out to someone else."
The puck went in and the Wildcats held on for the sweep. Cipollone had his third career goal, his second game-winner.
"Coach calling my name to go out there with a minute left, obviously that's a huge deal with the trust factor there,' Cipollone said.
"Joe Cip is a great teammate," said Souza, who also praised Cipollone's work on the penalty kill. "He's found himself in and out of the lineup his first few years here. It's, 'What can I do to contribute?' He's embraced what we've asked of him. It's great to see guys like that get rewarded. You root for guys like that."
Cipollone and his teammates will look to come up with more goals this weekend against the Friars and likely their standout goalie, junior Jaxson Stauber.
Stauber stopped all 26 of UNH's shots Sunday for his first shutout of the season and fifth of his career. He has a 2.17 goals against average and .926 save percentage. In two Hockey East games this season he's allowed two goals with a .960 save percentage.
THE ROAD AHEAD
- This weekend's games are the second and third in a string of nine straight Hockey East contests.
- Fans can purchase season, group and individual game tickets at UNHWildcats.com/Tickets or by calling the UNH Wildcats box office at 603-862-4000 (Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm).
- Fans must wear masks while inside the Whittemore Center.
- Every home game and away Hockey East game will be livestreamed for free on College SportsLive.
- Saturday's game against the Friars is on NESN+.
- The Wildcats play Northeastern at home next Friday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m.
- They are at Northeastern the next night.
- They play a pair of home games against Vermont on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 12 and 13.
- UNH plays at Massachusetts on Friday, Nov. 19 and faces the Minutemen at home on Saturday, Nov. 20.
Allen Lessels
@UNHInsider
Allen.Lessels@unh.edu
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Ice Hockey
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/ Men's Ice HockeySunday, March 08
Tuesday, March 03
Tuesday, February 24
Sunday, February 22