A tale of two teams moving in opposite directions. The white hot New Hampshire Wildcats, 6-1-2 over their last nine, were not what the doctor ordered for a reeling UConn team that has lost nine consecutive conference games following a promising 2-1-1 start. Apathy has set in across the great city of Hartford, where the Huskies have struggled to generate the type of support they enjoyed last year, when rollicking crowds of up to 7,300+ would cram into the XL Center, creating an intimidating home environment matched by very few.
Now, with the Huskies postseason hopes on life support, they'll need every bit of help available in order to catch the surging Wildcats in the standings. Junior Forward Liam Blackburn has driven opposing coaches mad with a 13 game point streak, with Sophomore Goaltender Mike Robinson sometimes re-defining physics in the crease. Merrimack peppered him with shot after shot last Friday night, their players seemingly incredulous that they could not break through. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have a team full of mad men volunteering their well-being for the sake of redirecting a flying missile off it's intended course. Sophomore Defenseman Benton Maass has been a shot blocking menace, to the point that he's been targeted in the Special Counsel Investigation by former FBI Director Robert Mueller.
But the Huskies have been a thorn in our side for what feels like a generation, having defeated us in six consecutive contests. A chill runs down my spine whenever I think back to last year's series, when a festive Durham crowd saw a late 2-1 lead dissipate in a matter of moments, followed by yet another excruciating defeat in Hartford the next day. The mention of Spencer Naas' name is still forbidden throughout much of the state, where his ghost threatens to re-appear at the mere sight of UConn's trademark blue sweaters.
Wildcat fans have been walking on eggshells all week awaiting this match-up. The prospect of our age-old demons cropping up again, at this joyous moment in our team's ascent, frightens the daylights out of us. The thought of UConn trimming our lead to three points in the standings and taking our momentum with them into the stretch run is too bleak a thought to bear.
On the other hand, as Boston College found out the hard way, this Cats team has expressed no interest in deferring to history. Something has to give.
Now, with the Huskies postseason hopes on life support, they'll need every bit of help available in order to catch the surging Wildcats in the standings. Junior Forward Liam Blackburn has driven opposing coaches mad with a 13 game point streak, with Sophomore Goaltender Mike Robinson sometimes re-defining physics in the crease. Merrimack peppered him with shot after shot last Friday night, their players seemingly incredulous that they could not break through. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have a team full of mad men volunteering their well-being for the sake of redirecting a flying missile off it's intended course. Sophomore Defenseman Benton Maass has been a shot blocking menace, to the point that he's been targeted in the Special Counsel Investigation by former FBI Director Robert Mueller.
But the Huskies have been a thorn in our side for what feels like a generation, having defeated us in six consecutive contests. A chill runs down my spine whenever I think back to last year's series, when a festive Durham crowd saw a late 2-1 lead dissipate in a matter of moments, followed by yet another excruciating defeat in Hartford the next day. The mention of Spencer Naas' name is still forbidden throughout much of the state, where his ghost threatens to re-appear at the mere sight of UConn's trademark blue sweaters.
Wildcat fans have been walking on eggshells all week awaiting this match-up. The prospect of our age-old demons cropping up again, at this joyous moment in our team's ascent, frightens the daylights out of us. The thought of UConn trimming our lead to three points in the standings and taking our momentum with them into the stretch run is too bleak a thought to bear.
On the other hand, as Boston College found out the hard way, this Cats team has expressed no interest in deferring to history. Something has to give.