ECAC Mid Season banter

[kdiff77]

Clarkson still sucks!

Happy?

That's more like it.

[Ralph Baer]

Re: ECAC Mid Season banter

Isn't this supposed to be a banter thread? Where's all the smack talk?!

Someone verbally eviscerate someone! Come on!

Clarkson still sucks!

Happy?

[Dutchman]

Re: ECAC Mid Season banter

I haven't seen much of the Midwest teams, of course, but what exactly does Harvard have to do to be ranked above BU

Actually, if you consider the pairwise, Harvard is ranked higher than BU. As the season progresses, the coaches and sportswriters whose individual ratings make up the USCHO poll, will more often than not, conform their judgments to the pairwise. Harvard is now ranked fourth in the pairwise and Boston University is now ranked ninth. However, things are little more complicated. For example, Minnesota Duluth is ranked third in the pairwise with a 12 - 6 record. How can this happen when Harvard's record is 9 – 1? The pairwise takes into consideration the strength of schedule and not only how good your opponents are but also how good their opponents are. Teams with strong out of conference records are helped with the pairwise. Last year teams like Vermont and Colgate made the NCAA playoffs in part due to their outstanding out of conference records. Below are the current out of conference records, this year in the ECAC.

At the start of the season, the polls don't mean a lot. It takes time to make believers out of many sportswriters who may have selected Harvard to finish the year at the bottom of the standings. At this point there is not a strong correlation between pairwise and were a team stands in their USCHO poll.

Harvard has only 3 more nonconference games. The 6 Ivy League teams in the ECAC only have 7 out of conference games. Two of the remaining nonconference games on Harvard schedule are Beanpot games against Boston University and either Northeastern or Boston College.

It would help if our conference performed better in out of conference matchups going forward. For example, Robert Morris has a record of 11–2–3 but is 21st in pairwise due to their leagues (AHA) weakness. Given our record thus far it is not likely that we will fare any better for the remainder of the out of conference schedule.

37-34-4 OOC when counting OOC against non-league opponents

Who is helping > or = .500 in OOC
For these 8 teams, their OOC record is an outstanding 29-12-2

HARVARD 4-0-0 as of 12/14/2014 Remaining NC - 3
DARTMOUTH 3-0-0 as of 12/14/2014 Remaining NC - 4
YALE 2-0-0 as of 12/14/2014 Remaining NC - 4
UNION 6-2-0 as of 12/14/2014 Remaining NC - 4
BROWN 2-1-0 as of 12/14/2014 Remaining NC - 4
COLGATE 6-4-0 as of 12/14/2014 Remaining NC - 2
QUINNIPIAC 4-3-1 as of 12/14/2014 Remaining NC - 4
CORNELL 2-2-1 as of 12/14/2014 Remaining NC - 2

Who is not helping < .500 in OOC
For these four teams, their OOC record is a very dismal 8-22-2

ST. LAWRENCE 3-5-0 as of 12/14/2014 Remaining NC - 2
PRINCETON 1-3-1 as of 12/14/2014 Remaining NC - 1
CLARKSON 2-6-1 as of 12/14/2014 Remaining NC - 1
RPI 2-8-1 as of 12/14/2014 Remaining NC - 2

Harvard needs to stay focused and stay healthy.

[kdiff77]

Re: ECAC Mid Season banter

Isn't this supposed to be a banter thread? Where's all the smack talk?!

Someone verbally eviscerate someone! Come on!

[sshablak]

Re: ECAC Mid Season banter

Hey,

We've been game-attending Harvard fans for a few years now. This season we decided to go see some away games as well, taking us to new-to-us arenas at Chestnut Hill, Comm Ave, Lowell, and Hamden, CT. Needless to say, we've been very pleased, and it's been fun to visit those places anyway.

Now I am somewhat new to following the polls closely, and it has seemed that despite a strong run, Harvard (with just one loss) is having a heck of a time ascending in the rankings among all those teams with 3 and 4 losses, or more. It seemed particularly strange when Harvard was way down in polls while having the second-most first place votes. I haven't seen much of the Midwest teams, of course, but what exactly does Harvard have to do to be ranked above BU, for example? Even if we argue that Hockey East is tougher, Harvard's beaten all the top teams in that conference, away, yes?

Very much looking forward to the second half, and we are ready with our Beanpot tickets certainly.

I would speculate play more games. Due to the Ivies always late start they are three weeks behind. Didn't they jump from #18 to #9 in one week, then #9 to #4 the next week, then stay at #4 for one week ? Give them time.

[Crimson on the Glass]

Re: ECAC Mid Season banter

Hey,

We've been game-attending Harvard fans for a few years now. This season we decided to go see some away games as well, taking us to new-to-us arenas at Chestnut Hill, Comm Ave, Lowell, and Hamden, CT. Needless to say, we've been very pleased, and it's been fun to visit those places anyway.

Now I am somewhat new to following the polls closely, and it has seemed that despite a strong run, Harvard (with just one loss) is having a heck of a time ascending in the rankings among all those teams with 3 and 4 losses, or more. It seemed particularly strange when Harvard was way down in polls while having the second-most first place votes. I haven't seen much of the Midwest teams, of course, but what exactly does Harvard have to do to be ranked above BU, for example? Even if we argue that Hockey East is tougher, Harvard's beaten all the top teams in that conference, away, yes?

Very much looking forward to the second half, and we are ready with our Beanpot tickets certainly.

[Dutchman]

Re: ECAC Mid Season banter

sshabak:

Glad you started this thread. First some trivia:

Since 1962 Brown has never won an ECAC Tournament. They have been runner up 4 times
Since 1962 Dartmouth has never won an ECAC tournament. They have been runner up 2 times
Since 1962 Quinnipiac has never won an ECAC tournament. They have been runner up 1 time.

This is a crazy year in College Hockey. I don't know what to make out of it

[sshablak]

With not too much to talk about over the holidays how do you think your team has done at this point ? Obviously Harvard has been the biggest surprise on the positive side and maybe Brown the biggest disappointment. How about prognostications for the second half, playoff predictions, Lake placid etc.

I'll start with Colgate, picked #1 by the coaches and media, has been a nightmare for coach Vaughan. Spink not playing, second line center Borkowski done for the year, and Murphy out two games for disciplinary reasons had the Raiders without three of their top six forwards . The first two lines in disarray forced a lot of jumbling of the lines. With Spink and Murphy back I'm wondering if Gate will put together a nice run to the post season ? Panowyk(frosh) has done a great job on faceoffs between Spink and Baun. At 3-2-1 ECAC and sixteen games left it will be very interesting. Discuss your team.