University of Massachusets Athletics
LIVE GAME BLOG: UMass Hockey at #13 New Hampshire
January 10, 2009 | Hockey
Jan. 10, 2009
Hello everyone and welcome to tonight's live game blog for the UMass at New Hampshire hockey game. The teams played to a 2-2 overtime tie last night, the second tie of the three game series this year, so both team's are looking for some valuable points tonight. As tight as the league standings can get towards the end of the season, a win here for either team could pay huge dividends down the stretch. Goalie Dan Meyers gets his second nod of the weekend tonight as does Brian Foster of UNH.
Here are some helpful links for tonight's action:
The starting lineup for the Minutemen will be Alex Berry (left wing), Cory Quirk (center), Chris Davis (right wing), Topher Bevis (left defense), John Wessbecker (right defense) and Dan Meyers in goal.
For New Hampshire, the starting lineup is Greg Collins (left wing), Peter LeBlanc (center), Bobby Butler (right wing), Kevin Kapstad (left defense), Blake Kessel (right defense) and Brian Foster in goal.
Congrats to the Derek Kellogg and the men's basketball team for that tremendous win over Dayton in Hoops City, USA - Springfield. As we drove up for the game today, we listened to Josh Maurer and Tim Collins call the action and it was exciting. We also were able to switch over to 91.1 WMUA to hear the second half of the women's game as they defeated Fordham for their first A-10 win of the year as well.
Let's see if the Mass Attack can keep up the action tonight at the Whittemore Center.
If you believe in the whole concept of yin-&-yang where all in the universe eventually balances out, then you have to think that the Minutemen are due for a weekend sweep after last weekend where men's hoops, women's hoops and hockey all had tough losses. Maybe this will be the weekend where we get a complete Maroon & White sweep!
7:01 PM: Underway here at the Whittemore Center with a near sell-out crowd on hand.
7:03 PM: A flurry of in close shots for UNH where Meyers blocks a wrap-around and then gets lucky with a timely defenseman block and the help of a pipe on the third shot.
7:12 PM: Still 0-0 with 11:49 to go in the first. UNH is extremely fast in the defense-to-offense transition resembling a fast-break basketball team sometimes on the breakout. UMass, however, is keeping its position defenesively allowing Meyers to track the puck.
7:13 PM: It looked like Cory Quirk stuffed home a goal on the right hand side of the crease, but Foster was able to get a glove on it at the last second.
7:21 PM: Both goalies looking solid so far as Meyers has 10 saves and Foster has 12 with 5:30 left to go in the first period. Still 0-0.
7:23 PM: First penalty of the night goes against New Hampshire as Peter LeBlanc gets 2 minutes for boarding.
7:27 PM: UNH kills off the penalty despite several high quality chances by the UMass power play. Just over 1:00 to go until the first intermission.
7:29 PM: We close the book on the first period, 0-0. UNH holds the slight edge in shots, 15-to-13, but UMass holds the advantage in face-offs, 13-of-23. If you gave out a player of the period, it would have gone to Meyers who made several outstanding saves.
7:46 PM: Back in action here at the Whittemore Center. Just got an update on the ski teams this weekend. The men's team finished 3rd and the women's team finished 5th at the Colby-Sawyer Carnival at Mount Sunapee.
7:51 PM: Kevin Kapstad gets called for cross checking with just under 15 minutes to go in the second period. It's the second power play for UMass in the game.
7:54 PM: POWER PLAY GOAL!!! Chase Langeraap puts the Minutemen up 1-0 as he takes a beautiful centering pass from James Marcou and stuffs it inside the left post. It's Langeraap's first goal in 13 games which, ironically enough, was right here against New Hampshire earlier this year, was also a power play goal, and also gave UMass a 1-0 lead.
7:59 PM: UMass takes its first penalty as Scott Crowder is whistled for obstruction.
8:02 PM: The Minutemen kill off the penalty and as Crowder comes back towards the UMass bench from the box he takes a feed from Quirk walking in on Foster. He let's loose a hard wrister, but Foster reads it all the way. Still UMass 1-0 with 8 minutes left in the second period.
8:07 PM: Meyers has six saves in the second period so far giving him 21 for the game. His career high is 40 and he also has 31 and 36-save games this season.
8:11 PM: Another UNH penalty as Kapstad gets called for tripping with just over 3 minutes to go in the second period.
8:15 PM: UNH kills off the penalty making UMass 1-for-3 for the game. Just as the penalty expired, James Marcou and Danny Dries exchanged pleasantries and are now both sitting in the penalty box together (well, separately in their own boxes, but together for all intensive purposes). 4x4 hockey with 42 seconds to go in the second period.
8:18 PM: Put period 2 to bed as UMass leads 1-0 at the second intermission. UNH continues to hold a slight edge in shots, 26-to-24, as both teams fired 11 shots in the second period. UMass has won 25-of-45 face-offs in the game and is 1-for-3 on the power play, while UNH is 0-for-1. Meyers now has 26 saves and with his 29 from last night has 55 for the weekend and is up to 78 total against New Hampshire this season. Attendance tonight is 6,501 which is officially a sell-out - the sixth sell-out of the Whittemore Center this season.
8:32 PM: The third period is underway here in Durham. The Wildcats are sure to come out firing, looking for the equalizer. This will be a good test for the Minutemen to see if they can close out this game on the road for the league win. UMass is 7-1-0 this year when leading after two periods, but 0-7-2 when scoring under three goals.
8:35 PM: Just 57 seconds into the third period and UNH ties the game as Mike Sislo scores a power play goal just after T.J. Syner gets sent to the box for tripping. 1-1 with 19:03 to play.
8:43 PM: Will Ortiz GOAL!!! Ortiz tips home a Matt Irwin one-timer from the top of the left circle for the 2-1 UMass lead with 14:28 to go in regulation. Credit the second assist on the play to Casey Wellman who now has two helpers in the game. For Ortiz, it's his third goal in the last four games. Wellman now has 10 points (2g, 8a) in the last seven games.
8:49 PM: UNH gets a power play as Mike Lecomte is whistled for roughing/contact to the head and for unsportsmanlike conduct. Chase Langeraap will serve the second penalty on Lecomte. UNH's Bobby Butler is also in the box for roughting.
8:53 PM: UMass kills off the power play for UNH, but the Wildcats Thomas Fortney takes a feed from Jamie Fritsch and roofs it in the left corner to tie the game at 2-2 with 11:15 to go in the third period.
8:58 PM: UMass is whistled for its fourth penalty of the third period as Will Ortiz is called for hooking. What has been one of the league's top PK units this year needs to go to work now.
9:01 PM: UMass kills off the penalty, but somewhere in all of the action, Meyers' loses his stick as it ends up behind the goal. Brett Watson tosses Meyers' his stick, so Meyers is now playing with a regular stick. We finally get a whistle and UMass is back on the attack after winning the draw. Still 2-2 with 3 minutes to go.
9:07 PM: 1 minute to go, still tied 2-2, Meyers has tied his career-high with 40 saves. Marcou is called for tripping with 24 seconds to play, UNH power play. UNH calls time-out.
9:10 PM: The third period comes to a close and we are still tied at 2-2. This will be the third time this season these two teams have needed overtime to settle the affair.
9:12 PM: UMass has to go 1:36 without Marcou as he is still in the box.
9:15 PM: Bobby Butler ends the game with a power play goal with 3:24 left in overtime. He took a pass and skated in towards the bottom of the right circle where he wristed it past Meyers. Final score, New Hampshire 3, UMass 2. Thanks for joining us tonight and we will see you next Friday at the Mullins Center as UMass host Providence.
