The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

[davyd83]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Could they up the games next season to 32 games and not play one team in the WCHA?

No. The scheduling is nearly complete and non-conference contracts are set. Adding more league games to the schedule would be very difficult any time soon.

[Jimjamesak]

Me too. I would also like to see the final weekend against your travel partner. UAA-UAF, Bemidji-Mankato, Tech-NMU, etc...

I thought it is. I know UAA goes to UAF the final weekend.

[gfmorris]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

I was looking at your spreadsheet in google docs (because I had tried a similar predictive assessment myself). Yours is far more objective. However, I noticed that next weekend, you predict a split between UA and MTU, but your standings after that week show MTU accumulating two losses. I noticed this because your final prediction was a .500 record for MTU, but you have them sweeping UAH and splitting the rest of the series. If that happens, they should be 2 games over .500. Am I missing something?

I'm gonna look at that here in the next little bit and check for that and any other mistakes. It's worth doing another time.

GFM

[Pink Pony]

No. The scheduling is nearly complete and non-conference contracts are set. Adding more league games to the schedule would be very difficult any time soon.

With the Alaska games exempt wouldn't it be easier to add games.

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

With the Alaska games exempt wouldn't it be easier to add games.

In theory but NC contracts are likely signed and many are 2 for 1s or whatever and involve 2-3 more years of games. Example, the North Star Cup has 3 years left so MSU and BSU have 2+ games accounted for over the next 3 years.

[gfmorris]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Why would it be so hard to not have a bye for any team over the last 4 weeks of the season? The only excuse I could come up with is giving a team a weekend off after returning from Alaska but I think that's extremely overhyped.

You solve that by giving any team playing in Alaska have either a conference home date or a bye week in the conference schedule. If you choose to go to Fairbanks one weekend and Northeastern another weekend, well, that's on you. As it is, UAH is on weekend two of Fairbanks-Houghton-Mankato. We're happy to be in the league and happy to take a hit on the schedule this year (we got one of the slots to go to #49 twice), but if we had a relevant team right now, this would be a brutal stretch hockey-wise. As it is, it's still pretty tough for our guys trying to be student-athletes in this. The first exam slot for UAH is next week (I know, I have two of them), and our guys will have been away from campus for a lot of the preparation/procrastination time leading up to it. Yes, they can study on their own, but studying in groups with non-student-athletes is big, too.

GFM

[gfmorris]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

I'm gonna look at that here in the next little bit and check for that and any other mistakes. It's worth doing another time.

Indeed, Tech and Northern are now 3/4, and I'll have to look at the conference tiebreakers to see how that comes down. As I've noted before, I'll do that either in Week 22 or 23, probably 22 because I said that I would. Thanks, oldish husky.

Edit: post is updated: http://uahhockey.com/blog/2014/02/02/krach-schedule-2/

GFM

[Pink Pony]

In theory but NC contracts are likely signed and many are 2 for 1s or whatever and involve 2-3 more years of games. s.

Do most teams have anymore then six NC games locked for the next 2 to 3 years?

[purpleinnebraska]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Me too. I would also like to see the final weekend against your travel partner. UAA-UAF, Bemidji-Mankato, Tech-NMU, etc...

Agree completely with this. That's one thing college football gets right, with the final weekend for the traditional rivals. I'm looking forward to us finishing the year against Tech, because of their skill and the fact that they appear to be coming on strong, but Tech really should be closing the season in the UP.

[uaafanblog]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Who are we going to offer? Do you think Michigan is coming to Marquette an extra time for money? No. They'll come once in exchange for other teams making 2 or 3 trips to Ann Arbor. Im sure Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin are lighting up Matt's phone wanting to know the best places to eat for their next trip to Anchorage. Tell them Glacier Bay, Moose's Tooth and Snow City are all good options.

Why do you think your piddling school "deserves" to have BIG non-conf games? Or even play the Butt Hurts? Go schedule AHA teams and ECAC teams or Hockey East teams. Many many of them would be amenable to having their travel covered. But again, your school has to be committed to hockey ...(committed - willing to spend the necessary money to make the program succeed).

Yes, many of the team you covet playing actually are standing in line to play UAA and UA_. Scheduling isn't an issue; because both schools are economically committed to their hockey programs.

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

they actually are. Scheduling isn't an issue for uaa or ua_. Because they are economically committed to pay programs to play there and those games don't count against the schedule limit.

fyp

[uaafanblog]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

fyp

And WHY aren't these other WCHA schools likewise committed? UAA and UA_ are willing to pay for everyone's travel (including whiney conference mates). And yes, the NCAA rightfully decided that the geographic disadvantages which the 49th and 50th states have could be rectified by making games exempt that are played in those states. It helps rectify the geographic inequity. Yeah, other WCHA schools don't have the exemption ... but they still could pony up the travel expenses for non-conference opponents to come to their barn ... as UAA and UA_ do.

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

And WHY aren't these other WCHA schools likewise committed? UAA and UA_ are willing to pay for everyone's travel (including whiney conference mates). And yes, the NCAA rightfully decided that the geographic disadvantages which the 49th and 50th states have could be rectified by making games exempt that are played in those states. It helps rectify the geographic inequity. Yeah, other WCHA schools don't have the exemption ... but they still could pony up the travel expenses for non-conference opponents to come to their barn ... as UAA and UA_ do.

Because they aren't in Alaska, don't have oil money coming out of every orifice and want to remain in the black. Additional home dates don't do you much good if you pay someone all the profits to come to your building.

Not to mention, I doubt many schools would travel to the non-alaska WCHA schools in a 1-1 even with travel expenses covered because that would mean less home games for the B1G/NCHC schools. Alaska's advantage really is the combination. Wisconsin can do a 1-1 with 2 games in madison and 2 games in an Alaska tournament with travel covered because they can still 2 home games against MTU or NMU in the year they go to Alaska without changing anything.

[manurespreader]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Geoff,
you might want to review your prognosis. You have Tech in there twice.
Who has the tie breaker between Alaska and Lssu. I have them tied for 8th at the end.

As far as how scheduling goes, first, I am totally in favor of a bye after a trip north. Second, I don't care so much about the unbalanced schedule as long as the race is interesting, and I have to say this is the most interesting race in a long time. Third, it would be good if we could collectively figure out how to reduce travel costs and time.

I think there could be a lot of surprises these last few weeks. And if someone doesn't figure out how to beat Ferris, we will end up with only one team in.

[Squarebanks]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Look everyone...breaking news! The WCHA is cold!

Bemidji, MN -11
Mankato, MN 1
Sault Ste Marie, MI 9
Houghton, MI 10
Marquette, MI 10
Fairbanks, AK 10
Bowling Green, OH 19
Big Rapids, MI 21
Anchorage, AK 30
Huntsville, AL 50

For an average temperature this hour of 14.9 degrees Fahrenheit. Anchorage and Huntsville are really dragging us up.

That is all...resume mud slinging.