.png&type=webp)
University of New Hampshire Athletics
Eric MacAdams and the Wildcats are looking for points this weekend against Vermont and UMass Lowell.
Photo by: China Wong
2/10/2022 5:07:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey, UNH Insider
'Cats in Vermont Friday, Home Sunday vs. UMass Lowell at 2 p.m.
DURHAM, N.H. – The University of New Hampshire men's hockey team lost a little ground in the Hockey East standings last weekend.
The Wildcats will be out to gain some of that territory back with games this weekend. They play at Vermont on Friday night at 7 and follow up with a Sunday matinee against No. 13-ranked and league-leading UMass Lowell at home in the Whittemore Center at 2 p.m.
"Last weekend is one we'd like to have back," said senior forward and assistant captain Eric MacAdams. "I think we have seven games left and we have to push that weekend behind us and look forward to the next two games. They're big opponents for us. Six points this weekend could get us right back into it and nobody really knows what can happen after that."
UNH plays UMass Lowell three times down the stretch of the regular season, starting with Sunday's contest, presented by Dunkin'. The teams will also meet in a home-and-home series to close out the regular season, in Durham on Friday March 4 and in Lowell the next night.
Individual and group tickets for home games are available at www.unhwildcats.com and by calling the Whittemore Center Box Office at 603-862-4000. Under the school's COVID-19 regulations, all spectators, regardless of vaccination status, must wear masks at all indoor athletic events.
The Wildcats lost at Merrimack and home against Connecticut last weekend and those teams have widened the gap on them in the standings.
UNH's immediate target is clear and present: Boston College.
The top five teams in the final regular season standings earn a bye for the first round of the league playoffs. Teams six through eight play host to teams nine through eleven in the first round.
The Wildcats are hoping to at least be one of the teams hosting a first-round game. They currently rank ninth, a single point behind BC and that last home ice spot.
Northeastern, Merrimack and Providence are the teams battling for the fifth, sixth and seventh spots for the moment and are several points ahead of Boston College.
"You definitely take a peek at the standings," MacAdams said. "You don't try to focus your whole day around it. But those six points this weekend are huge for everybody. With the end of the season games coming up, it's all playoff hockey from here on out."
The Wildcats have not played at Vermont in two full years, so the team's freshmen and sophomores have not played in Gutterson Field House.
"It's definitely a fun barn to play in," MacAdams said. "It's for sure a difficult place to play, but it's a blast up there. Everyone's right on top of you and it's really loud. You've got to be mentally prepared to play there."
New Hampshire and Vermont played a pair of games at the Whittemore Center in mid-November. UNH won the Friday night game, 2-1, and the teams tied 3-3 the next night.
UNH brings a 12-13-1 overall record and 6-10-1 mark in Hockey East into the weekend. Vermont is 5-18-2 overall and 3-10-2. Vermont and Maine are tied for 10th in the league with 10 points each. The Wildcats are nine points ahead of both teams in the standings.
The Hockey East playoffs are single elimination in all rounds this year and moving into that top eight and nailing down home ice for a first-round game is key, said UNH coach Mike Souza.
"It's huge," he said. "We start out wanting to be a top four team and if we're not there, we want to be a team that plays on home ice in the first round, there's no doubt about it."
Freshman defenseman Alex Gagne will be among the Wildcats bidding to slow down the Catamounts and help kickstart the offense again.
Gagne is looking for his first goal. He has five assists and leads the team with 32 blocked shots.
Blocking a shot can lift the team, Gagne said.
"I've got equipment," Gagne said with a smile. "Just get in front of it and hopefully it hits you. It's automatic: the puck's in front of you, no matter what, eat it. Your teammates will like that. They'll get a kick out of it, get the energy going."
THE ROAD AHEAD
· UNH plays at Vermont in Gutterson Field House on Friday at 7 p.m.
· The Wildcats face UMass Lowell on Sunday at 2 p.m. in a game presented by Dunkin' at the Whittemore Center.
· No. 13 UMass Lowell is 16-6-3 overall and 12-5-1 in Hockey East.
· The River Hawks play Northeastern at home on Friday night.
· Every Hockey East game will be livestreamed for free on College SportsLive.
· All UNH games are also available on the Wildcat Sports Radio Network.
· Fans can purchase 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.
· The Wildcats have seven games remaining. All are Hockey East contests.
· They play a pair of games at Maine on Friday, Feb. 18 at 7 :30 pm. and Saturday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m.
· UNH faces Merrimack at home on Saturday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m.
· The Wildcats close out the regular season with a series against UMass Lowell.
· They are home for Senior Night on Friday, March 4 at 7 p.m.
· They finish out the regular season with a game at UMass Lowell on Saturday, March 5.
Allen Lessels
@UNHInsider
Allen.Lessels@unh.edu
The Wildcats will be out to gain some of that territory back with games this weekend. They play at Vermont on Friday night at 7 and follow up with a Sunday matinee against No. 13-ranked and league-leading UMass Lowell at home in the Whittemore Center at 2 p.m.
"Last weekend is one we'd like to have back," said senior forward and assistant captain Eric MacAdams. "I think we have seven games left and we have to push that weekend behind us and look forward to the next two games. They're big opponents for us. Six points this weekend could get us right back into it and nobody really knows what can happen after that."
UNH plays UMass Lowell three times down the stretch of the regular season, starting with Sunday's contest, presented by Dunkin'. The teams will also meet in a home-and-home series to close out the regular season, in Durham on Friday March 4 and in Lowell the next night.
Individual and group tickets for home games are available at www.unhwildcats.com and by calling the Whittemore Center Box Office at 603-862-4000. Under the school's COVID-19 regulations, all spectators, regardless of vaccination status, must wear masks at all indoor athletic events.
The Wildcats lost at Merrimack and home against Connecticut last weekend and those teams have widened the gap on them in the standings.
UNH's immediate target is clear and present: Boston College.
The top five teams in the final regular season standings earn a bye for the first round of the league playoffs. Teams six through eight play host to teams nine through eleven in the first round.
The Wildcats are hoping to at least be one of the teams hosting a first-round game. They currently rank ninth, a single point behind BC and that last home ice spot.
Northeastern, Merrimack and Providence are the teams battling for the fifth, sixth and seventh spots for the moment and are several points ahead of Boston College.
"You definitely take a peek at the standings," MacAdams said. "You don't try to focus your whole day around it. But those six points this weekend are huge for everybody. With the end of the season games coming up, it's all playoff hockey from here on out."
The Wildcats have not played at Vermont in two full years, so the team's freshmen and sophomores have not played in Gutterson Field House.
"It's definitely a fun barn to play in," MacAdams said. "It's for sure a difficult place to play, but it's a blast up there. Everyone's right on top of you and it's really loud. You've got to be mentally prepared to play there."
New Hampshire and Vermont played a pair of games at the Whittemore Center in mid-November. UNH won the Friday night game, 2-1, and the teams tied 3-3 the next night.
UNH brings a 12-13-1 overall record and 6-10-1 mark in Hockey East into the weekend. Vermont is 5-18-2 overall and 3-10-2. Vermont and Maine are tied for 10th in the league with 10 points each. The Wildcats are nine points ahead of both teams in the standings.
The Hockey East playoffs are single elimination in all rounds this year and moving into that top eight and nailing down home ice for a first-round game is key, said UNH coach Mike Souza.
"It's huge," he said. "We start out wanting to be a top four team and if we're not there, we want to be a team that plays on home ice in the first round, there's no doubt about it."
Freshman defenseman Alex Gagne will be among the Wildcats bidding to slow down the Catamounts and help kickstart the offense again.
Gagne is looking for his first goal. He has five assists and leads the team with 32 blocked shots.
Blocking a shot can lift the team, Gagne said.
"I've got equipment," Gagne said with a smile. "Just get in front of it and hopefully it hits you. It's automatic: the puck's in front of you, no matter what, eat it. Your teammates will like that. They'll get a kick out of it, get the energy going."
THE ROAD AHEAD
· UNH plays at Vermont in Gutterson Field House on Friday at 7 p.m.
· The Wildcats face UMass Lowell on Sunday at 2 p.m. in a game presented by Dunkin' at the Whittemore Center.
· No. 13 UMass Lowell is 16-6-3 overall and 12-5-1 in Hockey East.
· The River Hawks play Northeastern at home on Friday night.
· Every Hockey East game will be livestreamed for free on College SportsLive.
· All UNH games are also available on the Wildcat Sports Radio Network.
· Fans can purchase 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.
· The Wildcats have seven games remaining. All are Hockey East contests.
· They play a pair of games at Maine on Friday, Feb. 18 at 7 :30 pm. and Saturday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m.
· UNH faces Merrimack at home on Saturday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m.
· The Wildcats close out the regular season with a series against UMass Lowell.
· They are home for Senior Night on Friday, March 4 at 7 p.m.
· They finish out the regular season with a game at UMass Lowell on Saturday, March 5.
Allen Lessels
@UNHInsider
Allen.Lessels@unh.edu
Players Mentioned
D
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice HockeySunday, October 25
Saturday, October 24
Sunday, March 08
Tuesday, March 03