University of New Hampshire Athletics
Senior Jackson Pierson scored with 19 seconds left in OT in Saturday's win over No. 8 Providence. (Rick Wilson photo)
Photo by: Rick Wilson
Insider Report: 'Cats Aim to Build Off Big Win
11/4/2021 2:12:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey, UNH Insider
Weekend Series vs. Northeastern Opens Friday at the Whitt
DURHAM, N.H. – Jackson Pierson pounced on a loose puck and deposited it behind the Providence College goaltender in overtime to lift the University of New Hampshire men's hockey team a nice 2-1 win over a Top 10 team and snap a four-game losing streak in the process last Saturday night in the Whittemore Center.
Down a couple of veteran defensemen, the Wildcats will see what they can do to follow up on the triumph with a pair of games against another of the best teams in Hockey East and the country this weekend.
UNH, 3-4 overall and 1-2 in league play, takes on Northeastern, 5-3 overall and 2-2 in Hockey East, on Friday night at the Whittemore Center at 7 p.m. The teams meet again on Saturday night at 7 in Matthews Arena in Boston.
Individual and group tickets are available at www.unhwildcats.com and by calling the Whittemore Center Box office at 603-862-4000.
Pierson, a senior forward, scored his first goal of the season with 19 seconds left in OT to give junior goalie David Fessenden a much-deserved victory in his starting debut for the Wildcats.
"David's competitiveness was outstanding," said UNH head coach Mike Souza. "I thought he tracked the puck well. He had some really tough saves to make and he made them. I thought he anticipated well, really well. He was real solid for us."
Fessenden had 31 saves for the win, six of them including a couple of especially tough ones, in a wide-open overtime that is played with teams going three-against-three in skaters.
A 6-foot-6 and 230-pound junior, Fessenden transferred to UNH from Alabama-Huntsville after that school suspended its hockey program.
UNH bounced back after losing two straight games to the Friars, 2-0 on Sunday, Oct. 24 at home and then 6-1 in Providence last Friday night. The Friars were No. 8 in the country going into last weekend.
"All night we did all the little things," said senior forward Eric MacAdams, who had an assist on UNH's first goal on Saturday. "We got on the forecheck. We hit bodies. Our 'D' played very well. Our offense did very well and our goalie played unbelievable, too. Moving forward it's definitely a confidence boost, something we're going to build off."
Northeastern is coming in off a weekend sweep of Maine at home with a 5-0 win Friday and 3-2 decision Saturday. The Huskies received votes in this week's USCHO poll and were the first team outside the Top 20.
"They want it to be a track meet," Pierson said. "They're a really skilled team and that's where they thrive, off the rush. So we want to be heavy and put pucks behind their 'D' and limit their odd-man rushes as much as possible."
UNH's challenge in slowing down the Huskies gets a bit tougher with senior defensemen Will MacKinnon, the captain, and Ryan Verrier, one of the assistant captains, both out for this weekend and for an extended but undetermined time with injuries.
MacKinnon left last Friday's game against Providence with an injury and did not play Saturday and Verrier was hurt in the second period Saturday.
"It's going to have to be a group effort to replace them," Souza said. "As we told the team, there are going to be a lot of minutes available and whoever plays well will eat up some of those minutes."
Freshman defenseman Colton Huard made his debut on Saturday and played well and junior Kalle Eriksson will be relied on even more, Souza said.
Alex Gagne, a 6-foot-4 and 207-pound freshman out of Bedford, N.H., is another candidate to step up on defense. He also had an assist on Tyler Ward's first goal Saturday night.
"Alex is a real cerebral player and then he's big and strong to go along with it and his feet are coming," Souza said. "If you're someone that enjoys watching guys move pucks - not necessarily the fancy, home run plays, but those 10-foot, 8-foot, 5-foot passes – he takes a lot of pride in those and I think that's why people are starting to notice him."
Gagne and sophomore Luke Reid lead the team's defensemen in points with three each. Reid has two goals and an assist and Gagne has three assists.
The win over Providence was one to savor, but no longer.
"Flip the script," Souza said. "It's a new week with a new team that poses new challenges for us. They pose threats in all sorts of areas. We've got to make sure we're defending the right way and that we're hard to play against."
THE ROAD AHEAD
THE HUSKIES
Down a couple of veteran defensemen, the Wildcats will see what they can do to follow up on the triumph with a pair of games against another of the best teams in Hockey East and the country this weekend.
UNH, 3-4 overall and 1-2 in league play, takes on Northeastern, 5-3 overall and 2-2 in Hockey East, on Friday night at the Whittemore Center at 7 p.m. The teams meet again on Saturday night at 7 in Matthews Arena in Boston.
Individual and group tickets are available at www.unhwildcats.com and by calling the Whittemore Center Box office at 603-862-4000.
Pierson, a senior forward, scored his first goal of the season with 19 seconds left in OT to give junior goalie David Fessenden a much-deserved victory in his starting debut for the Wildcats.
"David's competitiveness was outstanding," said UNH head coach Mike Souza. "I thought he tracked the puck well. He had some really tough saves to make and he made them. I thought he anticipated well, really well. He was real solid for us."
Fessenden had 31 saves for the win, six of them including a couple of especially tough ones, in a wide-open overtime that is played with teams going three-against-three in skaters.
A 6-foot-6 and 230-pound junior, Fessenden transferred to UNH from Alabama-Huntsville after that school suspended its hockey program.
UNH bounced back after losing two straight games to the Friars, 2-0 on Sunday, Oct. 24 at home and then 6-1 in Providence last Friday night. The Friars were No. 8 in the country going into last weekend.
"All night we did all the little things," said senior forward Eric MacAdams, who had an assist on UNH's first goal on Saturday. "We got on the forecheck. We hit bodies. Our 'D' played very well. Our offense did very well and our goalie played unbelievable, too. Moving forward it's definitely a confidence boost, something we're going to build off."
Northeastern is coming in off a weekend sweep of Maine at home with a 5-0 win Friday and 3-2 decision Saturday. The Huskies received votes in this week's USCHO poll and were the first team outside the Top 20.
"They want it to be a track meet," Pierson said. "They're a really skilled team and that's where they thrive, off the rush. So we want to be heavy and put pucks behind their 'D' and limit their odd-man rushes as much as possible."
UNH's challenge in slowing down the Huskies gets a bit tougher with senior defensemen Will MacKinnon, the captain, and Ryan Verrier, one of the assistant captains, both out for this weekend and for an extended but undetermined time with injuries.
MacKinnon left last Friday's game against Providence with an injury and did not play Saturday and Verrier was hurt in the second period Saturday.
"It's going to have to be a group effort to replace them," Souza said. "As we told the team, there are going to be a lot of minutes available and whoever plays well will eat up some of those minutes."
Freshman defenseman Colton Huard made his debut on Saturday and played well and junior Kalle Eriksson will be relied on even more, Souza said.
Alex Gagne, a 6-foot-4 and 207-pound freshman out of Bedford, N.H., is another candidate to step up on defense. He also had an assist on Tyler Ward's first goal Saturday night.
"Alex is a real cerebral player and then he's big and strong to go along with it and his feet are coming," Souza said. "If you're someone that enjoys watching guys move pucks - not necessarily the fancy, home run plays, but those 10-foot, 8-foot, 5-foot passes – he takes a lot of pride in those and I think that's why people are starting to notice him."
Gagne and sophomore Luke Reid lead the team's defensemen in points with three each. Reid has two goals and an assist and Gagne has three assists.
The win over Providence was one to savor, but no longer.
"Flip the script," Souza said. "It's a new week with a new team that poses new challenges for us. They pose threats in all sorts of areas. We've got to make sure we're defending the right way and that we're hard to play against."
THE ROAD AHEAD
- This weekend's games are the fourth and fifth 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.
- Friday's game against the Huskies is on NESN+.
- The Wildcats 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.
THE HUSKIES
- Sophomore goalie Devon Levi is on Canada's Junior National team.
- The 5-0 win over Maine marked Levi's fourth shutout in his first seven career games.
- He was named Hockey East's Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Month for October.
- Levi has a 1.92 goals against average and .933 save percentage.
- Senior Jordan Harris and junior Jayden Struble lead the Northeastern defense.
- Sophomore forward Ty Jackson has a goal and seven assists for eight points.
- Junior forward Aidan McDonough is at 6-1-7.
- UNH and Northeastern have each excelled in penalty killing.
- The Wildcats have allowed two goals on 25 opponent power plays.
- The Huskies have allowed one goal on 22 power plays.
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Tuesday, February 24
Sunday, February 22