Off to Ogden? Headed to Holy Cross? Or taking on Holy Cross at home? . . . The playoff possibilities are many for the UNH football team. . . . The first order of business is nailing down a spot in the 16-team tournament for a sixth straight season. UNH is 8-2 and plays Maine, 5-5, at home tomorrow at noon. UNH would probably get into the tournament at 8-3, but Coach Sean McDonnell and his guys will be much more comfortable sitting at 9-2 and waiting to hear from the NCAA selection committee. . . . The Wildcats hope to get a home game if they are 9-2, but it’s probably more likely they will be sent on the road. . . . Numerous potential destinations, from Holy Cross to Weber State in Ogden, Utah, have been tossed out by various prognosticators. Appalachian State and Northern Iowa, where UNH’s season has ended the last two years, are among other possible landing sites.
It makes sense that if the UNH football team is picked for the Football Championship Subdivision tournament, the selection committee will at least look at matching up the Wildcats against Holy Cross in the first round. The Crusaders are 9-1 and have clinched the Patriot League title going into Saturday’s game at Bucknell. . . . UNH is 8-2 going into Saturday’s home game against Maine. . . . The Wildcats would probably still get a spot at 8-3, but a win over Maine and 9-2 would take a lot of the anxiety out of Sunday afternoon’s selection show. . . . UNH and Holy Cross have played only 11 times and the Crusaders hold a 6-5 edge in the series. . . . UNH won the last game, 14-13, in 1984.
The UNH football team slipped three spots to No. 11 in the Sports Network poll released today. The Wildcats, who lost at No. 5 William & Mary 20-17 on Saturday, close out the regular season at home against Maine on Saturday. . . . UNH is 8-2 overall and needs a win to pretty much insure a spot in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the sixth straight season. . . . The Wildcats will likely still get into the tournament if they lose on Saturday, but there are no guarantees. . . . Maine is 5-5 overall and playing for a winning season, a share of the CAA North title as well as the Brice-Cowell Musket that is awarded to the winner of the game each year. . . . UNH has won the last six games against Maine.
The men’s basketball opens the season on Saturday night at Lundholm Gymnasium with a 7 p.m. game against Suffolk University. . . . Likely starters for the Wildcats: Juniors Alvin Abreu, Tyrone Conley and Dane DiLiegro; freshman Chandler Rhoades at point guard; and sophomore Brian Benson. . . . Rhoades will be sharing time with sophomore Russell Graham. “Chandler has a high basketball IQ and is a tough kid,” said UNH coach Bill Herrion. “He and Russell give us something we haven’t had the last few years, two guys who can really pressure the ball for 40 minutes. We sub one in, and he can come in and do it. That’s important. It all starts with playing the ball. . . . UNH and Dartmouth’s seasons are previewed in today’s print editions.
Author Jackie MacMullan will be in the building to help the UNH women’s basketball team open the season against St. Joseph’s tonight at 7 in Lundholm Gymnasium. MacMullan, a 1982 graduate of UNH and a former Wildcat player, will be signing copies of her new book, “When the Game Was Ours,” beginning at 6 p.m. The book, which has been drawing rave reviews, explores the relationship between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. . . . On the floor, UNH will look to get off to a good start without the two players who were expected to be its top point guards a month ago. Both Kelsey Hogan, a freshman out of Nashua, and Abigail LaRosa, a sophomore out of Hampton and Winnacunnet, have suffered knee injuries and are out for the season. . . . There are previews on the women’s and men’s basketball teams in today’s print edition.
UNH senior defensive tackle Jordan Long remains under indefinite suspension and will not play in Saturday’s game at William & Mary, coach Sean McDonnell said today. . . Long was suspended two weeks ago for breaking team and athletics department rules. He missed the last two games against Rhode Island and Northeastern. Originally suspended with only academic support, Long was allowed to return to the team and began practicing this week.
Saturday’s game between New Hampshire and William & Mary in Williamsburg will match the No. 8 and No. 5 teams in the country. UNH and William & Mary, both 8-1 overall and 5-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association, retained the same spots in the Sports Network poll that they held last week. . . . There was some movement at the top of the poll, thanks to Villanova’s 21-20 win over Richmond. Richmond dropped from No. 1 to No. 4. Villanova moved from No. 4 to No. 3. Southern Illinois, 8-1, took over the top spot and Montana, 9-0, is No. 2. . . . Elon is at No. 5 and Appalachian State at No. 7.
The Sports Network is picking No. 8 New Hampshire to beat Rhode Island, 44-13, and No. 4 William & Mary to beat Towson, 35-16, in Colonial Athletic Association games this weekend. If UNH and William & Mary win, they both will be 8-1 going into a showdown a week from tomorrow in Williamsburg, Va. . . . UNH has not beaten the Tribe since 1998. . . . TSN is picking Villanova to win tomorrow at Richmond, 27-21, in this week’s featured CAA game. Defending national champion Richmond is 8-0 and Villanova is 7-1 with its only loss at UNH.
They’re talking about championship month around the No. 8-ranked University of New Hampshire football team. . . . The Wildcats, 7-1 overall, take on Rhode Island on Saturday at Cowell Stadium at noon. One more win and they get to eight, the number that usually gets a team into the Football Championship Subdivision tournament. UNH is at William & Mary next week and closes out the regular season with a home game against Maine on Nov. 21. The field for the 16-team tournament will be announced the next day. First-round games are on Nov. 28. . . . “You win in November, you get to play in December,” said UNH quarterback R.J. Toman. “It’s in our minds. We know how important it is. But it’s like we always say, we’ve got to take each week one week at a time.”
The men’s soccer team, the No. 1 seed for the America East tournament, is in a holding pattern. The Wildcats play a tournament semifinal game at home next Wednesday, Nov. 11 at noon. Their opponent is still to be determined. UNH plays the winner of the quarterfinal game between No. 4 seed Binghamton and No. 5 seed Maryland, Baltimore County. Those teams are playing at Binghamton on Saturday at 7. . . . The Wildcats, 9-6-2 overall and 6-0-1 in America East, beat both teams during the regular season. They won at UMBC, 2-0, on Oct. 10 and beat Binghamton, 2-1, in Durham on Oct. 28.
