UNH sophomore James van Riemsdyk had a goal and two assists to help the United States to a 12-0 win over Kazakhstan in the World Juniors tonight in Ottawa. The U.S. improved to 3-0 in the tournament and has only a game against Canada tomorrow night remaining in Pool play. . . . Van Riemsdyk has four goal and three assists in the three games and is his team’s second-leading scorer. . . . The tournament quarterfinals are on Friday.
UNH sophomore James van Riemsdyk had a goal and an assist to help the United States to a 4-3 win over the Czech Republic in the World Junior tournament in Ottawa. . . . Van Riemsdyk scored the third goal for the U.S. on the power play and then assisted on the game-winner. The last goal was one of two on the night for van Riemsdyk’s linemate, Jordan Schroeder, who plays at the University of Minnesota. That goal made it 4-1 early in the third period and the U.S. had to hold on from there. . . . The United States is 2-0 in Pool play and faces Kazakhstan on Tuesday night. Its last game in Pool play is Wednesday night against Canada.
The UNH football team finished No. 8 in the final Sports Network poll of the season released earlier this week. The Wildcats were one of four Colonial Athletic Association teams in the top eight. Richmond, which won its first Football Championship Subdivision national championship, was No. 1. James Madison was No. 3 and Villanova No. 6. . . . Maine finished No. 18 and William & Mary No. 20. . . . Because of the CAA’s rotating schedule, UNH did not play Richmond or James Madison this season and will not play them next season, either. The Wildcats did play Villanova and William & Mary _ and suffered their only two regular season losses to those schools _ and will play them again next year.
The UNH men’s basketball team must deal with Hofstra point guard Charles Jenkins when the teams meet tomorrow at 4 in Lundholm Gymnasium. . . . “He’s a scorer with great size,” said Wildcat coach Bill Herrion. . . . Jenkins is a 6-3, 220-pound sophomore who averages 19.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists a game. . . . Hofstra is 8-3 but has lost its last two games. . . . UNH is 3-6 and has lost three straight and has had its problems in the frontcourt in particular. “There’s so much pressure on our perimeter, on offense and defense,” Herrion said. “If we get beat on the perimeter, are the guys behind them going to step up? The frontcourt is not playing real well.”
The UNH men’s basketball team made only four of its 20 three-point shots and lost 60-56 at Fordham tonight. UNH fell to 3-6 for the season and Fordham improved to 2-7. . . . The Wildcats play Hofstra at home on Saturday at 4 p.m. Hofstra lost its opener to Clemson, 98-69, and then ran off eight straight wins. But the Pride have fallen in their last two games. Hofstra lost to Massachusetts, 97-81, on Saturday night and to Iona, 67-64, tonight. . . . After Hofstra, UNH plays Santa Clara at home on Sunday, Jan. 4 and then opens the America East portion of its schedule at home against Hartford on Wednesday, Jan. 7.
UNH sophomore James van Riemsdyk scored two goals and added an assist as the United States routed Latvia 13-2 on Sunday night in a warm-up game for the World Junior tournament. UNH freshman Blake Kessel got on the score sheet with a first-period boarding penalty. . . . The United States plays Russia in its second and final pre-tournament game on Tuesday night. . . . The U.S. takes on Germany in its opening game of pool play on Friday night. . . . The Czech Republic, Kazakhstan and Canada join the United States in Pool A. . . . The World Juniors are being held in Ottawa and run from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5.
Richmond’s 24-7 win over Montana in Chattanooga on Friday night for its first national championship gave the Colonial Athletic Association its third title in the last six years. Delaware won in 2003 and Delaware in 2004 before Appalachian State ran off three straight. . . . Richmond beat Appalachian State in the quarterfinals and Northern Iowa _ after the Panthers had beaten UNH _ in the semifinals. UNH, with the CAA’s rotating schedule, did not play Richmond this year and will not play the Spiders next year either. Last year, Richmond beat UNH 45-38 in Virginia. UNH beat Richmond 27-17 the year before in Durham. . . . Richmond will should be in good shape to bid for a repeat next year. The Spiders started four seniors on offense and only two _ along with five sophomores_ on defense against Montana.
Here’s an example of what the administration of the UNH athletic department is up against as it tries to schedule football games for the Wildcats: The interest level of one of the many Football Bowl Subdivision teams the school has talked to about playing next fall cooled a bit after UNH beat Army to open the 2008 season. The schools were still talking for a few weeks and then the prospective opponent played Army. And got clobbered. So much for that game. The school was not inclined to pay UNH a bunch of money to come in and play, and then have to face a team that beat a team it could not handle. . . . The UNH administrator relating the story didn’t name names, but Army won only three games this past fall. And the only time the Black Knights won by more than a touchdown was in a 44-13 decision over Tulane. So cross the Green Wave off the list of possible opponents.
Sophomores Mike Sislo and James van Riemsdyk and senior Jerry Pollastrone are off to a nice start as a Wildcat line. . . . The trio accounted for seven goals in UNH’s 9-4 win over Holy Cross last Thursday in the team’s last game before its holiday break. . . . Sislo had four goals, Pollastrone a pair and van Riemsdyk a goal. Van Riemsdyk had four assists, Pollastrone three and Sislo two. . . . Sislo was the first Wildcat to score six points in a game since Darren Haydar did it against Brown on Dec. 28, 2001. He was named the Player of the Week by Inside College Hockey for his efforts. . . . The line had a goal in each of its first two games together the week before against UMass-Lowell.
The UNH men’s hockey team is ranked No. 15 in the USCHO poll this week. It’s the same spot the Wildcats held last week. They did move up one notch to No. 14 in the USA Today/USA Magazine poll. . . . The Wildcats rode a three-game winning streak into their holiday break. They are 8-6-3 and don’t play again until they go to Orono to face Maine on Sunday, Jan. 4. . . . Notre Dame is No. 1 in the USCHO poll and Miami No. 2. . . . UNH is one of five Hockey East teams in the Top 15. Boston University is No. 3, Northeastern No. 6, Boston College No. 7 and Vermont No. 13. Dartmouth is No. 20.
