University of Massachusets Athletics
LIVE GAME BLOG: UMass at No. 4 New Hampshire
October 24, 2008 | Hockey
Oct. 24, 2008
It's a sellout crowd at the Whittemore Center as the UMass hockey team opens Hockey East action at No. 4 New Hampshire tonight. As always, John Sinnett and Matt Houde of the media relations office here to help bring you the action.
6:54 PM - A bit late getting to the rink tonight as traffic on 495 North was absolutely terrible. Still, everything is ready to go. Brock Hines will be calling the play-by-play on the radio tonight and is joined by Jared Sharpe with the color commentary.
Your starting lineups tonight are Chase Langeraap (left wing), Casey Wellman (center), Chris Davis (right wing), Martin Nolet (left defense), Justin Braun (right defense), and Dan Meyers in goal.
This is the four-straight start for Meyers who has been stellar in the early part of the season. He has already set a career-high in saves (40 vs. North Dakota) and earned his first career shutout in the 6-0 win over RPI on Tuesday.
For New Hampshire, James van Riemsdyk (left wing), Phil DeSimone (center), Mike Sislo (right wing), Jamie Fritsch (left defense), Joe Charlebois (right defense) and Brian Foster in goal after the starters.
7:00 PM - The lineups have been announced, the starters are entering center ice, it's time for some UMass hockey!
7:18 PM - We are through the first 12 minutes of the first period and still no score for either team. UMass outshot UNH 8-0 in the first eight minutes of the game. New Hampshire had a nice scoring chance with 11 minutes left on the clock with a wrister from the right circle that deflected off Meyers' pads to the left side. UMass was able to freeze the puck, but it was enough to get a big stir from the home crowd.
7:21 PM - UNH has been assesed a five-minute major for hitting from behind. Ortiz was hit into the boards behind the UNH goal and looked pretty shaken. Athletic Trainer Jeff Smith went out on the ice and helped him back to the bench under Will's own power.
7:23 PM - Another UNH penalty giving UMass a full 5x3 power play with an additional 1:45 remaining from the major.
7:25 PM - Chase Langeraap capitalizes on the 5x3 with an unassisted goal. It was his first of the season in just his second game back from injury. It is also the fourth of his career. UMass has another 3:00 on the major penalty with a 5x4 power play.
7:29 PM - James van Riemsdyk just tied the game with an unassited short handed goal with 16 seconds left on the major penalty. He intercepted a pass, jumped through two UMass defensemen, skated into the slot and then fired a rocket to the top right corner of the goal.
UMass 1, UNH 1
So far this season, UMass is 2-0-0 when scoring first in a game and 2-0-0 when scoring a power play goal.
7:33 PM - A matching penalty has been called on Alex Berry and Joe Charlobois for roughing and hitting from behind, respectively, with 18 seconds remaining in the first period.
With that, the period ends tied a 1-1. UMass is outshooting UNH 15-to-7. UNH has 4 penalties for 19 minutes, while UMass has 1 for 2 minutes. The Minutemen were 1-for-2 on power play chances.
7:52 PM - The second period is under, but unfortunately Cory Quirk was called for tripping giving the Wildcats a 5x3 power play.
7:53 PM - Danny Meyers makes a terrific one-on-one save against Riemsdyk as the 5x4 power play ended. van Riemsdyk was called for a penalty giving UMass a power play. He was called for roughing the goaltender.
7:57 PM - UNH kills off the penalty and improves to 26-for-29 in that category on the season. Back to full strength.
8:01 PM - The eighth penalty of the game has been called with a minor for holding given to John Wessbecker. UMass is 10-for-12 on the PK this season.
Fans don't forget to join us next Tuesday as the Bud Light Coaches Show With Toot Cahoon returns to the Hangar Bar & Grill next Tuesday night at 7 PM. You can submit your questions for Coach Cahoon here
8:07 PM - Joe Charlebois is whistled for holding giving UMass it's fourth power play of the game.
8:13 PM - Another penalty on UNH was Jamie Fritsch is whistled for contact to the head (roughing). It is the eighth penalty on the Wildcats with 5 minutes remaining in the second period. New Hampshire had 33 penalties for 66 minutes in the three previous games.
8:17 PM - And, another penalty on UNH, this time to Greg Collins for boarding. UMass has its second 5x3 of the game.
8:24 PM - End of the second period, still tied 1-1 going into the third.
UMass is still outshooting UNH, 26-to-17, but have only been able to convert 1-of-6 power plays. UMass has three penalties for six minutes, while UNH has 8-for-27 minutes.
Faceoffs are a slight 26-to-25 edge to New Hampshire.
8:38 PM - UMass wins the opening face-off of the third period.
8:43 PM - A penalty with 16:11 remaining on John Wessbecker, his second of the night, for high sticking. It's just the fourth penalty on UMass tonight and the third power play for UNH.
UNH goalie Brian Foster currently has 28 saves, just shy of his season best effort of 31 against Boston University. His career best is 41 which he set on Nov. 19, 2007 at Providence. He has three shutouts in his career.
8:52 PM - The Minutemen just let loose several shots point blank but were unable to crack the UNH defense. In addition to Foster, one of the defensemen ended up just outside of the goal throwing his body into the path of one of Alex Berry's back-handed shots.
8:56 PM - Martin Nolet is whistled for a penalty with 8:40 remaining in the third period for a cross check. UNH is 0-for-3 on the power play tonight.
9:02 PM - Three minutes left, still 1-1, a lot of back-and-forth hockey being played right now.
9:06 PM - My favorite song ever is playing right now, Highway To The Danger Zone, the theme song from Top Gun. Unfortunately, it's because there is 1:38 remaining in the period and Justin Braun just got called for holding and UNH called a timeout. Face-off in the UNH zone, won by UMass and cleared out. Still tied 1-1. 9:09 PM - Headed to overtime. The UMass penalty kill units were able to clear the puck from the UNH offensive zone four separate times to make the Wildcats 0-for-5 on the power play tonight.
UMass has now killed off the last eight opponent power plays going 5-for-5 tonight and 3-for-3 at RPI on Tuesday. For the season, UMass is 14-for-16 on the penalty kill.
And here's the start of OT (five minutes, sudden death, if now one scores, iti's a tie).
9:15 PM - A matching minor Will Ortiz and Greg Collins for roughing with 2:38 remaining in OT. 4x4 hockey.
9:19 PM - And your final score, UMass 1, UNH 1 in overtime. Thanks for checking us out and remember the Minutemen open their home schedule next Friday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. against Providence. There will be all sorts of Halloween events, promotions and prizes during the game. Thanks and good night!
