UNH’s annual Granite State Football Clinics get started on Tuesday. The clinics are a chance for the Wildcat coaches to get out and see the area’s coaches and players and share some of what they do in practices and drills. . . . The first clinic is Tuesday at Londonderry. Coach Sean McDonnell and his staff will be at Manchester West on Wednesday, at Stellos Stadium in Nashua on Thursday, at the Hampshire Hills Dome in Milford on Thursday and at Marshwood High in South Berwick, Maine, on Monday, June 9. . . . “They’re fast-paced and a lot of fun,” McDonnell said. “High energy.” . . . Registration is at 4:30 each day. An offensive individual period starts at 5, a defensive individual period at 6. Seven-on-seven drills and offensive/defensive linemen one-on-ones begin at 6:55. . . . There is a $15 fee for each clinic. Players should dress in shorts, t-shirts and cleats. More information may be obtained by calling Bob Callahan at 862-5098.
Former UNH quarterback Ricky Santos is one of seven quarterbacks on the roster of the Montreal Alouettes as of today. The Alouettes will likely keep three quarterbacks said Brad Blank, the agent for Santos. Blank thinks the Alouettes may release a couple of the other QBs before training camp opens on Sunday. “I haven’t dealt with the CFL in a while,” Blank said. “But I know it’s very much a revolving door, until you become the starter and then you can be like Warren Moon or Doug Flutie. But otherwise, they’re constantly churning the roster. I don’t think it’s that unusual to have seven quarterbacks under contract right now.” . . . Anthony Calvillo, 35, is the incumbent starter and has been with the team 11 years. Marcus Brady, out of Cal State Northridge, and Iowa’s Brad Banks were backups last year. Josh Harris of Bowling Green, Will Proctor of Clemson and Adrian McPherson of Florida State are also on the roster. . . . Reports out of Montreal indicate McPherson may be in the mix at wide receiver.
Jason Krog, who won the Hobey Baker Award as the best player in college hockey in 1999, and his former UNH teammate, Darren Haydar, lead their Chicago Wolves into the American Hockey League Calder Cup finals on Thursday. The Wolves take on Wilkes-Barre Scranton, which finished off a seven-game series with the Portland Pirates over the weekend. Krog was the league’s MVP with 39 goals and 73 assists for 112 points in 80 regular season games. He has nine goals and 19 assists in 18 games to lead all players in the playoffs. Haydar has eight goals and 12 assists for 20 points.
Less than five months to go to the start of another men’s hockey season. The 2008-09 campaign opens with a home game against Wisconsin on Oct. 11. Among the early season highlights is a two-game set at Minnesota on Nov. 7 and 8. . . . The Wildcats, who played only a game against Dartmouth at the Verizon Wireless Arena last season, will go back to playing two regular season games there next year. They will meet Dartmouth in one Manchester game and will also play one of their two home games against Maine at the Verizon in early February. . . . That’s in part to prepare for the NCAA’s Northeast Regionals which will be played for the third time at the Verizon in March of 2009. . . . If the Wildcats qualify for the Regionals, they are guaranteed a spot in Manchester. . . . The goal beyond that is to be playing in April. Next year’s Frozen Four is at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. with the United States Naval Academy and the Greater Washington Sports Alliance as hosts.
UNH is signing up fans for its season-opening game at Army on Sept. 6. Information on tickets in a UNH fan section, as well as for a pre-game reception, is available at www.unhwildcats.com. . . . Army will have played a game when the Wildcats come to town. The Black Knights open at home against Temple on Aug. 29. . . . Army was 3-9 last season and lost its last six games. . . . The Black Knights needed overtime to beat Rhode Island, 14-7, for their first win. . . . UNH was 7-5 last season. The Wildcats beat Rhode Island 49-36.
Inside College Hockey is taking an early look at the 2008-09 season. . . . The web site has defending champion Boston College installed as its No. 1 for the pre-season. The rankings came out early this month, before Nathan Gerbe signed with the Buffalo Sabres, passing up his senior season with the Eagles. . . . UNH is at No. 9 on the list. Boston University is at No. 6. . . . The rest of the Top 10 looks like this: Michigan at two, Notre Dame at three, Colorado College at four, St. Cloud State at five, Wisconsin at seven, Denver at eight and Princeton at ten.
The Boston University women’s lacrosse team beat UNH 13-6 today in Boston to advance to the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament. The Terriers finished off a 3-0 sweep of the Wildcats with the win. BU beat UNH 7-6 in the regular season and 9-8 in the finals of the America East tournament. All three games were played at BU. . . . No. 7 seed BU moves on to play No. 2 Penn, which knocked off Colgate 16-7. . . . UNH, which was in the NCAAs for the first time since 2004, closes the season at 13-6.
UNH basketball coach Bill Herrion signed a pair of players this week. Russell Graham, a 6-foot point guard out of Norristown, Pa., and 6-6 forward Abby Kabba, who is from Oklahoma City and played at Northern Oklahoma Junior College, signed their letters of intent and will be joining the Wildcats in the fall. . . . Graham scored 13 points and had eght rebounds and eight assists a game to help Norristown High School to a 32-2 record. Kabba had 10 points and five rebounds a game. He has two years of eligibility remaining. . . . UNH will in effect have five new players next season. Brian Benson, a 6-8 frontcourt player from Rochester, N.Y. signed during the early period in November. Radar Onguetou, who missed most of last year with a knee injury, will return. And Colbey Santos, a transfer from James Madison, will be eligible after sitting out last season.
The UNH women’s lacrosse team will try to avenge a couple of tough losses to Boston University on Sunday in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The teams meet at BU at noon. UNH lost a regular season game at BU, 7-6, on April 12 and two weeks later lost to the Terriers, 9-8 in overtime in the America East championship game. . . . BU, 17-2, is the No. 7 seed in the tournament. UNH, 13-5, drew one of the eight at-large berths in the event. UNH was the only team to hold the Terriers under double figures in a game all season. . . . The BU-UNH winner advances to the quarterfinals and will play the winner of a game between Colgate, 11-9, and Penn, 14-1.
James vanRiemsdyk, UNH’s third-leading scorer last season, has told coach Dick Umile that he intends to return to Durham for his sophomore season in the fall. . . . The Philadelphia Flyers picked vanRiemsdyk No. 2 overall in the draft least year. VanRiemsdyk said from the time he was drafted that he would play his freshman season and then take it year-by-year after that as far as when he might leave and pursue his professional career. . . . VanRiemsdyk recently informed Umile of the decision he and his family had reached, according to UNH sources. . . . His return is a major plus for the Wildcats. . . . VanRiemsdyk had 11 goals and 23 assists for 34 points in 31 games last season and he finished the season strongly. He had eight assists in UNH’s four post-season games and assisted on all three of the team’s goals in its 7-3 loss to Notre Dame in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
