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  • #61
    Re: Atlantic Hockey Future

    Originally posted by irishfan85 View Post
    If I'm a fan of Mercyhurst, Niagara, Canisius, RIT, RMU, AFA, UAH and Army, I'd much prefer an 8 team league if it means losing AIC, Bentley and Sacred Heart.
    I suspect that you don't reflect the thinking of either Army or Air force since both left the CHA and joined the AHA where they have thrived. Of your group I suspect maybe Mercyhurst RMU and Niagara might favor a new full scholarship league.RIT, Army and Air Force all voluntarily joined the AHA, with 2 of the 3 moving from a full scholarship league. I'm less sure about the others. To say nothing of the fact that RMU and Niagara would likely be on the outside looking in without the AHA and RIT would be D-3 since nobody else was taking them. In a sense it is pretty funny that schools that had no other option, and it sin't as if the ECAC or anyone else was lining up to take those programs, are suddenly too good for the league that saved them. I find RMU and Niagara fan commnets particularly ironic in that the AHA/MAAC was there for both from the beginning. The one thing about the AHA is that it has survived and actually thrived as a league while others have struggled with membership. the problem with a new league would be many, and the question would be what would you gain? Not much I suspect.

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    • #62
      Re: Atlantic Hockey Future

      Originally posted by komey1 View Post
      The CHA had a LOT more non-conference games available to increase their strength of schedule. The AHA only has 7. An AHA team would need to win 5 where those 5 have to be at least middle of the road in their conference AND be a top team in the league without winning the tournament but probably needs to make the finals.
      Just thinking about what even bentley would've had to do last season versus that schedule of OOCs. They'd have to a) find a team like Michigan and Yale again to play them in the same season, and then b) win them all to make up for the fact that the conference schedule is markedly weaker.

      What nobody has mentioned in this is that the AHA is actually getting a *better* in-conference SOS because UConn is leaving. UConn was the 8th or 9th best AHA team last year, and they've rarely had a great season. They made the conference semifinals because the AHA was experimenting with a weird playoff setup that year, which prevented them from playing a first round game (which would've been on the road that year), and they ended up at home because enough teams in front of them lost. If the breaks don't break the way they do, UConn is most likely out in the first round or second round series that year.

      AHA is actually improving by subtracting. I think that's getting lost in all of this.
      Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.

      STAY UP #94 #58

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      • #63
        Re: Atlantic Hockey Future

        Originally posted by Jim View Post
        I find RMU and Niagara fan commnets particularly ironic in that the AHA/MAAC was there for both from the beginning.
        I find it on about the same level as people who are supporting UConn's move to HE. UConn did nothing for the AHA all the years they were there, but suddenly they can find money and commitment when they think it will work better for them. So I guess UConn looking out for themselves is OK, but not the other AHA schools.

        Originally posted by Humanoid View Post
        AHA is actually improving by subtracting. I think that's getting lost in all of this.
        That could be true as UConn added nothing to the AHA in terms of SOS.
        My Four Favorite teams:
        RIT and anyone who is beating Canisius
        Cornell and anyone who is beating Harvard

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        I am not afraid of terrorism, and I want the Government to stop being afraid on my behalf. I understand that it will not be possible to stop all terrorist acts. I am not afraid!!!!

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        • #64
          Re: Atlantic Hockey Future

          It's hard to look at last year for "at large" possibilites because there was no true dominant team. I think that there would need to be one that just happened to have a bad game in the conference tournament.
          2006-07 Atlantic Hockey Champions!
          2008-09 Atlantic Hockey Co-Champions!
          2009-10 Atlantic Hockey Champions!
          2010 Frozen Four participant
          2010-11 Atlantic Hockey Champions!

          Member of the infamous Corner Crew

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          • #65
            Re: Atlantic Hockey Future

            When I think of the AHA earning an at-large berth, I'm thinking of two teams being ranked in the top 16. In other words: two teams getting in based on their national merits, instead of one team on national merits and one for winning the league tourney, or just one for the league tourney. Then the AHA will have arrived in my opinion.
            bigmrg74: "You can't drink the day away if you don't start early!"
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            All great men are dead and I'm not feeling well.
            A Margarita! in every hand and another Margarita! in the other hand!

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            • #66
              Re: Atlantic Hockey Future

              Regarding at-large teams, I love the fact that there was a change in at-large selection process a few eyars back that is actually termed "The Bentley Rule", when Holy Cross was up for an at-large had they lost the conference championship game to a Bentley squad that had a PWR/RPI of something like 58. You would have seen both Bentley and HC in the tourney that year, had the Falcons pulled off the upset in the championship game. I think Michigan State was the last bubble team that would have been bounced by the Falcons.

              That has little to do with this, but I thought I would reminisce for everyone.
              Bentley University Hockey
              On-campus arena: Build it, and they will come...

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              • #67
                Re: Atlantic Hockey Future

                Originally posted by schiegs View Post
                Regarding at-large teams, I love the fact that there was a change in at-large selection process a few eyars back that is actually termed "The Bentley Rule", when Holy Cross was up for an at-large had they lost the conference championship game to a Bentley squad that had a PWR/RPI of something like 58. You would have seen both Bentley and HC in the tourney that year, had the Falcons pulled off the upset in the championship game. I think Michigan State was the last bubble team that would have been bounced by the Falcons.

                That has little to do with this, but I thought I would reminisce for everyone.
                Come on now, it's the "Mookie Rule"

                What happened was back then any AQ was counted as a TUC. Holy Cross had a 4-0 record against Bentley that season, and would have rocketed the Crusaders up to a #3 seed had they lost to Bentley (based on winning PWR comparisons due to an inflated record against TUCs). Instead, Holy Cross beat Bentley, wound up as the last #4 seed, and then shocked #1 overall seed Minnesota in the first round of the NCAAs. Following that season (I believe) they adopted the "Mookie Rule" (as our own Mookie was the first to discover the oddity prior to the Atlantic Hockey Tournament final weekend). Now, AQs are not TUCs unless they meet the RPI threshold to be a TUC.
                North Dakota
                National Champions: 1959, 1963, 1980, 1982, 1987, 1997, 2000, 2016

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                • #68
                  Re: Atlantic Hockey Future

                  The reality for the AHA is half the teams want out. The AHA4 would have been out already if the two CCHA teams joined them last summer and one or two other schools went along. RIT really wants to be in the ECAC and UConn already has their bus packed for HockeyEast. If the Ivy's ever split with the ECAC the AHA is done. Sorry Bentley, AIC, and Sacred Heart, either play "real" D-1 hockey or return to D-3 or club status. Real D-1 hockey could have a ready conference for expansion if these three schools just accepted the reality they are D-1 in name alone and let those who want to compete with the other fifty or so schools do just that.

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                  • #69
                    Re: Atlantic Hockey Future

                    Originally posted by THEMICK View Post
                    The reality for the AHA is half the teams want out. The AHA4 would have been out already if the two CCHA teams joined them last summer and one or two other schools went along. RIT really wants to be in the ECAC and UConn already has their bus packed for HockeyEast. If the Ivy's ever split with the ECAC the AHA is done. Sorry Bentley, AIC, and Sacred Heart, either play "real" D-1 hockey or return to D-3 or club status. Real D-1 hockey could have a ready conference for expansion if these three schools just accepted the reality they are D-1 in name alone and let those who want to compete with the other fifty or so schools do just that.
                    Do you have any evidence for your wild claims, or are you just speculating?


                    Powers &8^]

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                    • #70
                      Re: Atlantic Hockey Future

                      Originally posted by THEMICK View Post
                      The reality for the AHA is half the teams want out. The AHA4 would have been out already if the two CCHA teams joined them last summer and one or two other schools went along. RIT really wants to be in the ECAC and UConn already has their bus packed for HockeyEast. If the Ivy's ever split with the ECAC the AHA is done. Sorry Bentley, AIC, and Sacred Heart, either play "real" D-1 hockey or return to D-3 or club status. Real D-1 hockey could have a ready conference for expansion if these three schools just accepted the reality they are D-1 in name alone and let those who want to compete with the other fifty or so schools do just that.
                      Once again, Holy Cross doesn't exist.

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                      • #71
                        Re: Atlantic Hockey Future

                        Originally posted by THEMICK View Post
                        The reality for the AHA is half the teams want out.
                        Is it the same half that voluntarily joined recently? The door is wide open...

                        I am quite confident the administrators at these institutions thought about their decision quite a bit more than you did with that brilliant post.
                        Last edited by schiegs; 06-07-2012, 04:22 PM.
                        Bentley University Hockey
                        On-campus arena: Build it, and they will come...

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                        • #72
                          Re: Atlantic Hockey Future

                          Now if the half that doesn't want out quits, the half that wants out will stay for they will have what they want without leaving and that statement would turn out to be 100% wrong.

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                          • #73
                            Re: Atlantic Hockey Future

                            Originally posted by THEMICK View Post
                            Sorry Bentley, AIC, and Sacred Heart, either play "real" D-1 hockey or return to D-3 or club status.
                            Obviously you are so well versed in AHA teams that you know that Bentley and AIC are D-II programs while SHU is D-I.
                            Can't we all just get along?
                            Always remember... This is just a game we're talking about here. Let's not take it all too seriously.

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                            • #74
                              Re: Atlantic Hockey Future

                              Originally posted by Humanoid View Post
                              RIT did that and look at them now; they're clearly the class of AHA over the last five years....
                              I'm not sure I'd say "THE class of the AHA"... Scoreboard: AFA - 5 Championships; RIT - 1 Championship. Definitely amongst the class of the AHA with all the regular season success and the one FF appearance. But in a one-bid league, the Tigers have lost far more than they've won when it matters the most. I have to give the nod to Air Force on that one (sadly).

                              Originally posted by Humanoid View Post
                              In present day terms, RIT has a great thing going. They're consistently to be top four, with a few dips here and there due to the cyclical nature of college hockey.
                              A few dips? They have only finished out of the top TWO once and never out of the top three. Not that dips aren't possible going forward, but to this point there have been none in that sense.
                              Can't we all just get along?
                              Always remember... This is just a game we're talking about here. Let's not take it all too seriously.

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                              • #75
                                Re: Atlantic Hockey Future

                                Originally posted by THEMICK View Post
                                The reality for the AHA is half the teams want out. The AHA4 would have been out already if the two CCHA teams joined them last summer and one or two other schools went along. RIT really wants to be in the ECAC and UConn already has their bus packed for HockeyEast. If the Ivy's ever split with the ECAC the AHA is done. Sorry Bentley, AIC, and Sacred Heart, either play "real" D-1 hockey or return to D-3 or club status. Real D-1 hockey could have a ready conference for expansion if these three schools just accepted the reality they are D-1 in name alone and let those who want to compete with the other fifty or so schools do just that.
                                What nonsense. Both Army and Air Force actually left the CHA, a "real" conference by you rdefinition, I think, to join the AHA. RIT isn't leaving any time soon, I imagine, though I would guess they or any of a number of others would seriously think about leaving if they were approached by the ECAC. In point of fact, the only people who are somewhat unhappy in the AHA are the 3 newcomers, Niagara (the most disappointed I think), Robert Morris and to a lesser degree Mercyhurst. Beyond that, you do know that AIC, Bentley, Sacred Heart, and Holy Cross are among the founding members of the league, right? I keep hearing Canisius and RIT are unhappy, but I don't see it. Historically Canisius was a supporter of the scholarship limit for example. RIT, I would guess doesn't want to put itself at a disadvantage as the only non-scholarship program in the league. The Mercyhurst coach wanted more scholarships, but I'm not sure his administration has always been 100% behind that concept.

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