Recap: UVM (W) 5, Northeastern 2

Yeah, I know, it’s been a while since I did a recap. I only really do those for games I’m at, and I’ve not had a working computer lately…

This was a complete 60-minute performance. The defense was solid; Sydney Scobee didn’t have to face very many high-danger chances. The offense took its chances, and Scobee made the necessary saves. So let’s go through this, goal-by-goal.

First goal kinda comes off a lucky bounce, now that I see it on replay. In real time I thought Mackenzie MacNeil had a sick spinning feed, but it turns out it hit the skate of a Husky defender, and of course it was none other than Ève-Audrey Picard who spun and scored on one knee to put UVM up 1-0.

Northeastern ties it up on a bit of a knuckleball from the point. Lauren Kelly took the shot, I thought it was tipped in real time, but it looks like it goes in clean on the replay. They utilized heavy traffic in front of Scobee – and traffic in front or deflections in front are going to be a recurring theme here.

Second UVM goal comes on the power play through a deflection. Taylor Willard with a point shot, looks from the replay like it took a dip in front that Kourtney Menches was able to tip past Brittany Bugalski, giving UVM a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

Picard got her second not too long after that. Katherine Pate takes a shot from the point that’s headed wide, but Picard jumps on it and tips it past Bugalski for an insurance goal.

The game broke open not too long after that with another UVM power play goal. Sammy Kolowrat fires one, again utilizing traffic in front. That beats Bugalski, and her night is done, in comes Aerin Frankel.

Northeastern did pull one back in the third on the PP. Taytum Clairmont skates into the high slot, uses some traffic in front as a screen, and rips one past Scobee.

And then the final UVM goal was an empty netter by Mackenzie MacNeil.

Some thoughts:

• I hope Katherine Pate is okay, you could hear her coughing as she came off the ice with what appeared to be a neck/throat injury. I thought she played well tonight.
• One thing I’ve noticed throughout the year – really starting with the Merrimack series – is that this team can really utilize those shots from the point if they get traffic in front. Kolowrat, Willard, O’Neill, Drobot, and Flaherty (who did not play tonight) can all really rip it from the point.
• Speaking of Drobot, she has been playing some of her best hockey of her career since the break, IMO. She looks a lot more confident with the puck.
• On the topic of confidence…you can feel it flowing right now. Players trying dangles and moves that they wouldn’t have before the break. Kristina Shanahan had a few nice moves out there.
• Ève-Audrey Picard was literally everywhere, with her 3 points in addition to some BIG defensive plays (including a poke to get the puck out of the zone with the score 4-2 and NU having pulled the goalie).
• UVM leapfrogs Merrimack into 7th in Hockey East with the W tonight. They’re 4 back of sixth-place BU with two games in hand and a matchup at Walter Brown next Friday.
• Cats are now 2-4-1 on that 9-game “gut check.” Going .500 is a realistic possibility, and against that level of strength of schedule, that would be a solid result for a young, developing team.

Rematch tomorrow at 4pm. Should be interesting.

 

Women’s Preview: Northeastern @ UVM (2x)

Morale is one thing we don’t think about when we talk about sports teams. Confidence plays a huge role in a team’s ability to function; a team low on confidence will have trouble executing in key moments, while a team high on confidence will be able to bang home those opportunities.

So UVM is 1-4-1 on this 9-game gut check stretch after being swept by BC. But I do feel this is a case of “better than the record shows.” I know there’s no such thing as moral victories, and close only counts in horseshoes and hand-grenades, but this team just looks flat-out better than it did over the break. Their confidence is definitely back, and their defense has been solid in limiting opponents’ scoring chances and forcing shots to the perimeter. USCHO’s Nicole Haase just published a story on their trip, which is worth checking out.

Next up is Northeastern. Like UVM, this team has defeated a pair of top-5 opponents, having beaten BC and Wisconsin. Predicted as the #2 seed in the conference in the preseason poll (and two coaches, one of whom was definitely BC’s Katie King-Crowley, had them in first), they instead sit 4th. One story this season has been the “struggles” of Denisa Křížová, who has been one of the best players in WHEA the last two years. Don’t get me wrong, 21 points in 26 games is a solid season for most players, but for a player with 104 points in the past two seasons, it’s solidly a disappointment, and no one has filled in as that go-to player. Goalie Brittany Bugalski has also regressed, dropping to an .898 SV%, and lost her starting job to freshman Aerin Frankel, who has been solid. All of Northeastern’s losses were quality teams too – Clarkson, Colgate, Providence, BC, and a surprising Maine team.

The Cats need to put some HE points on the board, and these next 3 games present opportunities to get not only points, but quality points. And they need them, with UConn just two points back for the final tournament slot. Granted, UVM is also just 4 points back of BU in sixth with 2 games in hand and they play UConn, 7th-place Merrimack, and BU once each down the stretch, so it’s still anyone’s game.

Three Things to Look Out For:

1. Home Ice Edge. The Huskies have been a sub-.500 team in true road games. The Cats have struggled at home with a 2-7-2 record, but again, they’ve been a lot better since the break.
2. Heading to the Room. When leading after 1, Northeastern is 10-0-0, and leading after 2 they are 6-1-2.  But when trailing after 1, they’re 1-7-1, and after two, 2-8-0. If the first period ends in a certain score, odds are the game will end in a similar way.
3. Kříž! Okay, that mostly works when said (it’s roughly pronounced “SHEESH”)…but as I said earlier, Denisa Křížová has struggled a bit more than we’re used to. But great players may fall down, but will always get back up. It’s only a matter of time before she regains form and confidence.

Games are Friday at 7 and Saturday at 4 at the Gutt and on CatamounTV.

Let’s get some points on the board.

Go Cats.

Men’s Preview: UVM @ Merrimack (2x)

A win! I know I’ve been really harsh on the men’s team lately, but beating Lowell for the first time since the 2014 HE tournament is something to build on (although I still have some concerns, namely the nearly-blown 4-0 lead). This season is lost, but if we can build end-of-season momentum I’ll feel a bit better about next season.

Next up is the team just down 495 from the River Hawks, the Merrimack Warriors. Though the Warriors are struggling at 7-13-4, Lawler is a tough place to play at (just ask Denver). The smaller ice and the way Mark Dennehy has built his team leads to slow, low-event hockey and a defensive shell that is tough to crack. Their goaltending has been a bit shaky (Craig Pantano has been okay, with a .914 in 17 games, but Drew Vogler has been awful with a .874 in 8 games) and they’ve been awful on the road. But at home they’re a .500 team and never an easy out, with Denver being the highest-profile team to fall victim to the Lawler trap. It’s a veteran group with all three of Merrimack’s leading scorers being seniors; their highest-scoring freshman has 4 points.

Three Things to Look Out For

1. Intermission Leads. The way Merrimack plays makes playing from behind very difficult, and their records show it – they’re 0-9 when trailing after the first and 1-7-4 trailing after 2. If you can hold a lead going into the locker room, odds are you’re in good shape.
2. Get the Power. It’s no secret UVM’s PP has been struggling of late. Well, here’s the second-worst PK in the nation, with a 74.5% kill rate. The Cats should seize this opportunity to improve a PP that gave up 5 shorties in the span of 3 games earlier.
3. Gotta Go Fast. Given how Mack likes to play disciplined, defensive hockey, the Cats should try to utilize the speed they have on their roster and use that to slice and dice the Warriors’ defense.

Games are Friday and Saturday at 7. Saturday game is on NESN. Both games are on a site with a paywall – grrr!

Quick shoutout, if you’re going to the games, use order code COMMUNITY18. Saves $10!

Go Cats.

Women’s Preview: UVM @ #2 BC (2x)

The winless funk is over! What a win last weekend at Minnesota. Women’s hockey twitter was absolutely stunned that UVM went up 4-0. Congrats once again to Coach Plumer on becoming the winningest coach in program history…here’s hoping it doesn’t take as long to hit the second 71 wins 😉 The second game wasn’t as pretty, but I think the scoreline was a bit harsh as UVM was in it until the third (one might chalk that up to the D just getting tired after all the travel).

So it’s back to the conference grind. The Cats are 1-2-1 so far in the 9-game ‘gut check’ against the Boston schools plus Minnesota and Providence. But BC provides a huge test. The Eagles seem to be on a collision course with Wisconsin for the national title, and they are the only team in the conference Plumer hasn’t beaten. And Conte Forum has been a house of horrors for this team; UVM has been outscored 23-6 since 2014/15 in Chestnut Hill, including a 7-1 loss last year. Can the Cats buck that trend and win their third game against a top 5 foe this season?

Three Things to Look Out For

1. Watts with Daryl? Daryl Watts is legitimately be the best player in the nation. SHE’S A FRESHMAN. 65 points in 25 games is just incomprehensible. BC has the best offense of any team in a conference, and for good reason. UVM’s defending is going to have to be even better than it was through five periods last weekend.
2. Stay Out of the Box. UVM takes the tenth-most penalties in the nation, although they did a good job of remaining disciplined against Minnesota. They’ll have to be even better against BC, the nation’s top power play.
3. Take Advantage of the PP. If there’s one area where BC is somewhat vulnerable, it’s their mediocre PK. UVM’s PP has struggled this year, but they’ll have to step up this weekend to help the Cats get some points.

Games are Friday at 7 and Saturday at 2…WITH STREAMING! BC dumped their paywall this year in favor of broadcasting games on ESPN3. So go there if you want to watch.

Let’s get ourselves another top 5 foe down this season.

Go Cats.

Women’s Preview: UVM @ #6 Minnesota (2x)

Here we go.

When you think of women’s college hockey, what programs come to mind? I’d think that the Minnesota Golden Gophers are amongst the first 3 teams you thought of. They have been the gold standard in women’s hockey for some time, with 6 national titles, including four in five years from 2012 to 2016, as well as a perfect season in 2012-13. Only once this decade have they missed the NCAA tournament. This series, the final out-of-conference series of the season, is a measuring stick to see where the UVM program is at.

Good news for the Cats: Even though the Gophers are 16-5-2 and a top team in the nation, they’ve struggled a bit at Ridder Arena, with a “meh” 6-5-2 record. Admittedly, 3 of those losses were to ranked Wisconsin and Ohio State, but the other two came at the hands of Merrimack, a team UVM’s already beaten, and a .500 Bemidji State.

The goaltending save percentage numbers for the Gopher goalies are both somewhat low (Sidney Peters has a .916, and backup Alex Gulstene has a .904), but there’s a reason for that – they don’t face a lot of shots. On average, Minnesota gives up 23.1 shots per game. They’re solid enough goalies in their own right, but I’m not sure one would call them elite.

In terms of skaters, this is not a team that relies on one great player. They do score goals – 7th most in the nation outside of that weird independent scheduling alliance, despite none of their top 6 scorers last season playing this year – but they rely on their ability to roll four lines. Twelve players have at least double digit points, led by Grace Zumwinkle’s 26. Last season they did have Sarah Potomak and Kelly Pannek, but both are missing the season due to centralization. They get a lot of shots – an average of 30 a game – and they have a very young, hungry group of players.  UVM has shown that they can compete with these kinds of teams, but on the road after a flight to Minneapolis is going to be a difficult, difficult series.

Games are Friday at 8pm and Saturday at 6pm. Stuck behind a paywall. Blech.

Go Cats.

Men’s Preview: UMass @ UVM

Quick note before this preview: Brian Bowen has left the program, per Erin Cofiell. That’s…bad. Very bad. Bowen was a top player on last year’s team. The only news we got was he was going pro.

It’s hard writing about this team. It’s not that I don’t want to – I love UVM hockey and I love writing about it – but because I don’t have the motivation to do so when the team goes out and plays another crap 60 minutes. Your best response to finishing dead last in your own tournament, and having your coach get a contract extension that had been hidden from the public for months (it was agreed before the season)…is to get walloped 6-0 by the worst Lowell team of the Bazin era.

And in past years this would be the perfect bounceback game… but UMass, at least with Cale Makar, is at least competent this year. They sit at .500 but have struggled in Hockey East play at 3-5, which though second-worst in HE, is understandable given they have about a gazillion games in hand with everyone else.

They also have the potential to be better, as their goaltending has struggled (again) this year (.885 SV% is fourth-lowest in the country). Unlike last year when their defense and goaltending was a shambles and they couldn’t buy a goal, they’re putting the puck in the net thanks to freshmen Oliver Chau, Mitchell Chaffee, John Leonard, Makar, and Mario Ferraro, along with shrewd transfer pickup Niko Rufo.

Three Things to Look Out For

1. Makar Your Own Luck. UVM courted Cale Makar during his recruitment, but the Colorado Avalanche lottery pick chose the Minutemen instead. This is a player  who can single-handedly turn the tides of a game with his offensive capabilities, and his defense is pretty solid too. Slowing him down will be the key to victory.
2. Play Pissed. After getting crushed 6-0 by Lowell, the team better come out angry and ready to play. Because they did not look ready to play at Tsongas last weekend. (To be fair, neither did Amherst when they played Lowell a day later, falling by an 8-3 score.)
3. Goalie Gaffes. As stated earlier, UMass has had trouble between the pipes this year. Ryan Wischow has a .901 SV%, while freshman Matt Murray has a .885. If UVM can get chances, this could be a chance to build some confidence for the forwards.

Games are Friday and Saturday at the Gutt and on CatamounTV.

Last game before classes start again.

Go Cats.

Women’s Preview: #8 Providence @ UVM (2x)

After a 3-0 weekend up in Montréal at the Theresa Humes Invitational, UVM women prepare for their first NCAA game since December 9 with a pair of afternoon battles with Providence.

The Friars, who UVM beat in the playoffs last year, have been one of the most impressive teams in the nation thus far and sit #8 in the USCHO poll. That 6-1 stomping of UVM on opening night really set the tone for a great season; they currently sit 9th in the Pairwise as well, which would be the second-last team out (#8 St. Lawrence would be pushed out by the CHA autobid).

How have they done this? Goals. Lots of goals. 3.24 goals per game. The 7th most goals in the country (6th if you exclude Sacred Heart). This team can put the puck in the net, led by their top six forwards (Maureen Murphy, Cassidy MacPherson, Christina Putigna, Brooke Boquist, Blair Parent, and Megan Rickard), all of whom have at least fifteen points. Throw in a solid blueline led by Kate Friesen and Avery Fransoo, and a solid goalie in Colchester native Madison Myers, and the Cats will have their hands full. That said, Friesen and Putigna both missed PC’s game against Brown on Tuesday. But even without those two this is a formidable squad.

UVM has to remember that opening night humiliation and serve it as fuel.

Three Things to Look Out For

1. Offense Sans Picard. Ever since she first came to campus last fall, Éve-Audrey Picard has established herself as one of the best offensive players UVM has seen. However, she is on international duty this weekend with Team Canada at the Nations Cup in Germany. The return of Saana Valkama, who missed a few games but returned during the Theresa Humes games, should help offset that loss a little.
2. Locking Down MacPherson. Now I’m of the belief that it’s most important to shut down a team’s playmaker over their finisher. The playmakers are the heart through which the offense flows. Cassidy MacPherson has 15 assists so far and has proven to be a very solid, unselfish player who sets up her teammates for success. Slowing her down will be key.
3. Set Up Momentum. The upcoming 9 game stretch for UVM is a HUGE gut check. Two at home against Providence, then four games on the road at ranked foes Minnesota and BC, then back home for two against Northeastern and one back on the road against the red-hot BU Bachs. Starting strong is crucial here, especially after a successful road trip north of the border.

Games are Saturday at 4 and Sunday at 2 at Gutterson and will of course be on CatamounTV.

Go Cats.

Men’s Preview: UVM @ UMass Lowell

When was the last time we got this deep into the season and UMass Lowell was not ranked?

So what’s the problem? They’re a positive possession team, after all. There’s two reasons: One is that the offense took a step back, but that’s to be expected after losing CJ Smith, Joe Gambardella, and Michael Kapla. The other, we’ll get to in Three Things. They don’t have a single standout star offensively, but rather rely on their ability to roll four lines and get contribution anywhere in the lineup.

Expected to be a favorite in HE and a national contender as they usually have been under Norm Bazin, Lowell flopped to an 0-3 start, including being swept by UNH. Then they started to turn it around…or so we thought. BOOM. Loss to Bentley, then a 9-3 hammering at the hands of BU, and then getting shut out by a St. Lawrence team that had been slumping in the Catamount Cup.

Three Things to Look Out For: 

1. In Goal: Either #31, Dr. Jekyll, or #33, Mr. Hyde. Goaltending has long been a strength of Bazin’s teams. Doug Carr. Connor Hellebuyck. Kevin Boyle. Last year, it looked like Tyler Wall would continue the trend as he led the River Hawks to a Hockey East double. On the contrary, he’s been next-tier awful. An .823 SV% and 5.71 GAA in 6 games, all of which he took the L in and only finishing three of them. Christoffer Hernberg has done well to put out some of Wall’s fires with a .928 SV% (T-4th nationally) and 1.94 GAA (7th). If Wall starts, UVM has a chance with how dreadful he’s been. If he doesn’t…well, UVM’s gonna be stuck up the creek without a paddle.
2. Powerless Play. Only BC and UMass Amherst have a worse PP in Hockey East than the River Hawks. UVM’s 15th-ranked PK has been one of the few bright spots this year, so that could be an interesting matchup to watch.
3. Don’t Expect Many of Your Own, Though. UMass Lowell is the sixth-least penalized team in the nation. Norm Bazin’s men are very disciplined. Their PK is averaged, but that means nothing when they rarely need it.

Game is 7pm tomorrow at Tsongas Center. It’ll be streamed on the River Hawk site which costs money. BOOOOO!

Go Cats.