WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

[gfmorris]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

Hey gf, whats with equipment being stolen out of Von Braun preventing replay review last weekend?

That's 1) news to me and 2) really unfortunate. Given that they're back up in the catbird's seating area, they should have the ability to secure everything up there and then the monitors down at ice level, since there's a few lockable rooms down there to use.

GFM

[gfmorris]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

Three notes from Matt Hodson's weekly notes are ones I think this group needs to see:

Block Party: Seven of the NCAA's top 10 for blocked shots are WCHA players, led by UAH's Brandon Carlson (41). MTU's Matt Roy (39) is second and BSU's Sam Windle (35) is third. BSU's Matt Prapavessis and FSU's Ryan Lowney and Travis White are all tied for fourth (34), while MTU's Cliff Watson (32) is 10th.

Balanced Scoring: Ten of the WCHA's top 12 scorers (both overall and in league play) are either juniors or seniors. But, of the next 12 in league play, 10 are freshman and sophomores. Overall this year, WCHA scoring is nearly split, with upperclassmen providing 500 of the combined 983 points (50.8 percent).

Huntsville Special: While it has not always translated into wins, Alabama Huntsville is second nationally in combined special teams at 62.5 percent (90-of-144). Each of the other top five teams in the category (Harvard, Boston University, Minnesota and Vermont) are in the top 15 of the national polls.

GFM

[beaverhockeyfan]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

The WCHA is 23-21-5. Still above 50%. We are getting closer to that 25 win mark I predicted at the beginning of the year and I am hoping the WCHA blows right by it!

Also, I had hoped BSU would tally 3 wins, they are at two.

Alabama-Huntsville:
@Colorado College (2) Loss 3-2, Loss 4-3
@Northern Michigan (2) Tie 1-1, Loss 4-1
@Air Force (2) Win 4-2, Tie 3-3
@Nebraska-Omaha (2)

Alaska (5-1-0):
Wisconsin (1) Win 1-0
Maine (1) Win 5-2
Air Force (1) Win 4-3
Penn State (1) Win 4-3
@Western Michigan (2) Win 1-0, Loss 4-2

Alaska Anchorage (3-1-2):
Maine (1) Win 3-1
Wisconsin (1) Win 4-2
Penn State (1) Tie 3-3
Air Force (1) Win 4-1
@Maine (2) Loss 3-1, Tie 3-3

Bemidji State:
North Dakota home and home Win in Grand Forks 5-1, loss in Bemidji 2-1
@Minnesota (2) Loss 5-2, Loss 5-3
St. Cloud (2) Loss 6-3, Win 4-1
North Star Cup (Duluth, Minnesota/Mankato)

Bowling Green:
Miami home and home Win in Bowling Green 3-2, loss in Oxford 3-2
@Clarkson (2) Tie 2-2, Win 5-4
Ohio State home and home Loss 3-2 in Bowling Green, win 3-2 in Columbus
Robert Morris home and home

Ferris State:
Michigan (1) Win 4-3
@St. Lawrence (2) Win 3-2 (OT), Loss 2-0
@Michigan State (2) Win 1-0, Loss 4-1
@Wisconsin (2) Tie 1-1, Loss 5-3
GLI (Michigan State, Michigan/Michigan Tech)

Lake Superior State:
@Robert Morris (2) Loss 3-1, loss 3-0
@Notre Dame (2) Loss 5-3, Loss 5-1
@North Dakota (2) Loss 7-4, Loss 3-1
Florida Classic (Cornell, Miami/Notre Dame)

MSU-Mankato:
@Nebraska-Omaha (2) Loss 5-3, Win 4-2
Duluth home and home Win 5-4 (OT) in Duluth, Loss 6-2 in Mankato
Princeton (2)
North Star (Minnesota, Bemidji/Duluth)

Michigan Tech:
Michigan (2) Win 4-1, Win 6-1
Duluth (2)
@Wisconsin (2)
GLI (Michigan, Ferris/Michigan State)

Northern Michigan:
Wisconsin at Green Bay (2) Win 2-0, Win 4-1
Alabama-Huntsville (2) Tie 1-1, Win 4-1
@Penn State (2)
@Duluth (2)

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

Thoughts?
http://danmyers.blogspot.com/2014/12...ut-fix-is.html

[PerkyforPrez]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

Thoughts?
http://danmyers.blogspot.com/2014/12...ut-fix-is.html

If that were to happen I would not be sad because it would keep the three UP schools together. Other then Alaska I could see any of the road trips being very doable with Huntsville being a nice treat or winter break. The Alaska schools would not separate though in my opinion.

[beaverhockeyfan]

Thoughts?
http://danmyers.blogspot.com/2014/12...ut-fix-is.html

I have had the same thoughts about another shake up in the near future....

[Bale]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

The Alaska schools may not have much of a choice.if this were to happen (and it's a big IF), the other 16 schoolso could just say take it or leave it. I don't like that approach just saying it could be the reality.

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

Last year, I joined the small chorus who concluded that swapping Bemidji and Mankato for Miami and Western made a lot of sense from a travel standpoint. I don't think it's much of a secret anymore that Western and Miami have already expressed concerns over travel costs that they feel were either underestimated and/or misrepresented when the NCHC was thrown together.

Of course, few people accounted for splitting up the Alaskas, but as has been pointed out above, they won't be given the choice if that turns out to be part of what is financially necessary to fix the situation.

I hope it's only Bob Mo or Mercyhurst that comes over from the Atlantic. I think a 12-team conference is untenable in the long run.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

Oh god. Now it's only a matter of time before Donald comes in here and *****es about how important the Alaska schools are.

[gfmorris]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

Waaaaaaaaaaah, we're 1.5 seasons into the WCHA and NCHC and rivalries haven't formed. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

Relax, people. Any changes in conference alignments will come in minimizing operating costs.

GFM

[huskyfan]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

If

[Chris Clark Fan Club]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

Every point in Dan's article is pretty spot on. I used to know many of the players across the conference and now I don't.

I just don't see me caring about a rivalry say with Tech, Ferris or Bowling Green because I don't know any fans of any of the teams.

Talking SCSU with my father in law, or any Gopher hockey fan makes the games mean that much more.

We shall see how it all shakes out in the year or years to come.

[gfmorris]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

I mean, UAH was in the CHA, a league full ... well, full of teams looking to make it in Division I that couldn't make it into a more prestigious league. The league was geographically disparate: Air Force, Bemidji, Huntsville, Niagara, Wayne State, Findlay, Robert Morris, and Niagara were all a part at one point or another. (Army was supposed to be, then bolted for the MAAC.) The only real rivalry to start with was UAH-BSU.

But trust me, after 2-3 years, there was a lot of hate out there. You'll get to the point where we're all getting kids from the same leagues that have histories with each other — we're a good bit of the way there now. Through 1.5 seasons in the league, UAH has played Bemidji 74 times, Mankato 47, the Alaska schools 21 each (thanks to the early '90s independent days), BG 14 times, Ferris 11 (four of those in 10-11), Lake and Northern eight times, and Tech just four times. Most UAH fans understand the rivalry with the Beavs, but you have to go back to the D-II days for fans to get the Mankato and Alaska rivalries.

While this isn't the case for everyone else, given that the rest of the league was either in the WCHA or CCHA, those rivalries haven't had a chance to form. Mavs fans probably don't have any hate for Ferris despite their race to the wire last season; will that last after Motte graduates this spring, since the Mavs have depth across classes? Will there be a rivalry between the Mavs and the Falcons? Will playing in the same league deepen the rivalries in the UP?

All I know is that I still hate Bemidji and don't like BG because Ryan Satkowiak and Dajon Mingo talked crap about UAH last season.

GFM

[Seawolf Fan]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

Some guy blogs his wife won't go to a hockey game and all of a sudden a bunch of folks on this thread are all in a dither.
Really doesn't take a rocket scientist (no pun on Huntsville) to figure out it's all about the money.
Over the next several years things will shake out and any realignments (plural) will be based on a financial basis.
Some talk about the Alaska schools being too expensive. The Alaska schools have always been willing to pay their way.
If some school is in Podunctsville or they're either unable or unwilling to pay their way that's their choice.
The Alaska schools will always be playing Division 1 hockey in a Division 1 conference.
Take it to the bank.

[Chris Clark Fan Club]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

Some guy blogs his wife won't go to a hockey game and all of a sudden a bunch of folks on this thread are all in a dither.
Really doesn't take a rocket scientist (no pun on Huntsville) to figure out it's all about the money.
Over the next several years things will shake out and any realignments (plural) will be based on a financial basis.
Some talk about the Alaska schools being too expensive. The Alaska schools have always been willing to pay their way.
If some school is in Podunctsville or they're either unable or unwilling to pay their way that's their choice.
The Alaska schools will always be playing Division 1 hockey in a Division 1 conference.
Take it to the bank.

Alaska has D1 hockey?