WILDCATS HOPE TO REBOUND AGAINST BC AND LOWELL
After some major struggles against the University of Wisconsin last weekend, UNH will look to get back to their winning ways this Friday and Sunday when they face-off against Hockey East opponents Boston College and UMass-Lowell. The Wildcats will host BC at the Whittemore Center on Friday, then travel to Lowell on Sunday afternoon to take on the Riverhawks. Both games will be televised, with Friday’s tilt on NESN beginning at 7PM and Sunday’s on ESPNU at 5PM.

Scouting Boston College
Last year was not one of the best in recent memory for the Eagles. After winning the national championship in 2008 (their third straight trip to the national final, eighth to the Frozen Four in eleven years), last season they finished 18-14-5. Their high watermark came when they swept UNH in the quarterfinal round of the Hockey East playoffs. So far this year BC is 2-2-0 (1-2-0 in Hockey East), including a split with Merrimack and a loss at Vermont.

Although they lost top scorer Brock Bradford, current San Jose Shark Benn Ferriero, and rugged defenseman Nick Petrecki, BC returns several familiar faces. Notable players up front are junior Brian Gibbons (9-29-38 last season, 2-3-5 currently), senior Ben Smith (6-11-17, 2-2-4), and junior Joe Whitney (7-8-15, 2-2-4). A newcomer to watch is forward Chris Kreider, a 6’2” speedster who was the first round (17th overall) pick of the New York Rangers in last spring’s NHL draft.

On defense BC will be young, with only senior Carl Sneep (2-9-11, 1-2-3) and sophomore Tommy Cross returning. They will look to get some help from freshmen Philip Samuelsson (1 assist), Brian Dumoulin, and Patrick Wey, all of whom were drafted by NHL teams (Carolina, 2nd round, Pittsburgh, 2nd round, Washington, 4th round respectively). In goal will be junior John Muse, who sputtered a bit last year after backstopping BC’s run to the title as a freshman. So far this season he is off to a slow start, going 1-2-0 with a 3.70 goals against average and .843 save percentage.

Scouting UMass-Lowell
The Riverhawks turned it on in the late stages of last season. Barely over .500 during the regular season (17-15-2), they made a run in the Hockey East playoffs with a quarterfinal sweep at Vermont, a semi-final win over Northeastern and a heroic 1-0 loss to Boston University in the final. With only two players graduated and their top seven scorers returning, UML was the sexy pick in a lot of pre-season polls. This season they are off to a good start, going 4-2-0 (2-1-0 in Hockey East), including a split with BU last weekend, each team winning at the other’s rink.

One of the reasons for optimism is at forward where Lowell has ten returnees who had at least ten points. Leading the way are Scott Campbell (14-16-30 last season, 3-2-5 currently), Kory Falite (14-8-22, 2-4-6) and David Vallorani (9-18-27, 2-4-6). One newcomer to watch is Riley Wetmore, who had 75 points with Green Mountain in the EJHL last year and already has three points in his first six games for Lowell.

On the blue line the Hawks return three who had more than 20 points – Maury Edwards (11-18-29, 1-3-4), Nick Schaus (5-17-22, 2-3-5) and Jeremy Dehner (3-23-26, 3 assists). Barry Goers and Tim Corcoran also return. Carter Hutton and Nevin Hamilton will once again split the goaltending for Lowell. Last year their combined goals against was 2.11, with a save percentage of around .920. Hutton already has a shut out this season, a 3-0 win vs. St. Lawrence.

WILDCATS VISIT MADISON FOR TWO GAME SET
After last week’s exhilarating sweep of Hockey East opponents Northeastern and Maine, this weekend UNH will be taking on another non-conference opponent, this time in Madison, WI where they will face-off against the University of Wisconsin. The Badgers will enter the two games with a 1-2-1 record, with their only victory a 6-0 win at Minnesota State (Mankato) last weekend.

Last season was not one of the best in the storied history of Wisconsin Hockey, a program that has won six national titles. After opening the season with a 5-1 loss to UNH at the Whittemore Center, the Badgers finished with a 20-16-4 record, were unceremoniously bounced in the semi-final round of the WCHA playoffs, and did not qualify for the NCAA tournament.

Wisconsin had only four seniors on last year’s squad and, as a result, they return plenty of experience up front and on the blue line. Seniors Blake Geoffrion (grandson of NHL Hall of Famer Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion) and Andy Bohmbach, plus sophomore Derek Stepan, were among the leading scorers last year and have opened this season where they left off. On defense, juniors Brendan Smith and Cody Goloubef lead the way while, in goal, Brett Bennett and Scott Gumandson have split the time.

Leading freshmen are defenseman John Ramage, son of the NHL’s Rob Ramage, and forward Derek Lee, a highly touted forward from the BCHL, who will be playing his first games this weekend after clearing up some academic issues. Not playing will be freshman forward Craig Smith, a Madison, WI native who was suspended for two games (one from the league, one from the school) after receiving a hit-from-behind game disqualification last weekend.

Read the UNH-UW head to head history here. Read more »