Bemidji State Beavers: Defending the MacNaughton 2017-18

[beaverhockeyfan]

Re: Bemidji State Beavers: Defending the MacNaughton 2017-18

Should be some real quality there. Duluth will likely take a slight step back, but will still be good. NoDak is NoDak. Air Force was looking like Top 15 material before their goalie announcement, but should still be decent, and Princeton is on the rise (had a handful of recruits in the latest Central Scouting service rankings that came out today).

Yeah, it will be a good one, I think. I just hope the Green can get some wins in there.

[purpleinnebraska]

Re: Bemidji State Beavers: Defending the MacNaughton 2017-18

Here is what I have heard but not seen yet:

Bemidji with Duluth, home and home, October 13 and 14
Air Force at Bemidji, October 20 and 21
Bemidji and North Dakota, home and home, January 12 and 13
Bemidji at Princeton unknown at this time (Thanksgiving or New Year's maybe?)

Should be some real quality there. Duluth will likely take a slight step back, but will still be good. NoDak is NoDak. Air Force was looking like Top 15 material before their goalie announcement, but should still be decent, and Princeton is on the rise (had a handful of recruits in the latest Central Scouting service rankings that came out today).

[beaverhockeyfan]

Re: Bemidji State Beavers: Defending the MacNaughton 2017-18

Here is what I have heard but not seen yet:

Bemidji with Duluth, home and home, October 13 and 14
Air Force at Bemidji, October 20 and 21
Bemidji and North Dakota, home and home, January 12 and 13
Bemidji at Princeton unknown at this time (Thanksgiving or New Year's maybe?)

[beaverhockeyfan]

Re: Bemidji State Beavers: Defending the MacNaughton 2017-18

Congrats to Beaver Senior Brendan Harms on being named the 2017 Senior CLASS Award winner!

http://www.bsubeavers.com/mhockey/ne...r-class-award/

[gfmorris]

Re: Bemidji State Beavers: Defending the MacNaughton 2017-18

And, of course, the league is considering changes for 18-19, including dropping to 24 conference games.

I've been trying to noodle my way through an arrangement that works for that where there's not a long-term rotation of the schedule. You can't get to one Alaska trip a year for every league team: eight trips means that there are only five home league dates for each team in a world where each team gets six home WCHA weekends.

GFM

[davyd83]

Note: this is a thought experiment for me with anyone else interested getting to read it. I was basing two-in-nine based off of a draft presentation that UAH went to the WCHA with in their bid to get into the league.

With the current group you have, non-Alaska schools play five groups:
A: Rival, 4x guaranteed
B: $Alaska and one other
C: $Alaska and one other
D: Two others
E: Two others

Each year, you play one of B or C and D or E home-and-away. When you play B four times, you play C twice; the same for D and E.

What isn't clear: do the groups shift after four years? Obviously B and C will split the Alaskas every time, but would there be other considerations? As an example, would you try to split up the UP schools for Bemidji/Huntsville/Mankato (i.e., not putting two of the three in D or E). I haven't looked at the pairings for 13-14 through 16-17, but if I can find time, I'll do that and see how it's happening.

GFM <— apologizes for a bad memory

And, of course, the league is considering changes for 18-19, including dropping to 24 conference games.

[gfmorris]

Re: Bemidji State Beavers: Defending the MacNaughton 2017-18

Note: this is a thought experiment for me with anyone else interested getting to read it. I was basing two-in-nine based off of a draft presentation that UAH went to the WCHA with in their bid to get into the league.

With the current group you have, non-Alaska schools play five groups:
A: Rival, 4x guaranteed
B: $Alaska and one other
C: $Alaska and one other
D: Two others
E: Two others

Each year, you play one of B or C and D or E home-and-away. When you play B four times, you play C twice; the same for D and E.

What isn't clear: do the groups shift after four years? Obviously B and C will split the Alaskas every time, but would there be other considerations? As an example, would you try to split up the UP schools for Bemidji/Huntsville/Mankato (i.e., not putting two of the three in D or E). I haven't looked at the pairings for 13-14 through 16-17, but if I can find time, I'll do that and see how it's happening.

GFM <— apologizes for a bad memory

[beaverhockeyfan]

Re: Bemidji State Beavers: Defending the MacNaughton 2017-18

We're at Huntsville too. It's the same lineup as 2013-14 and the mirror of 2015-16. Four year rotation evens everything out, according to the league office. UAH has been to both Alaskas twice in 4 years. So has Bemidji.

BSU will be racking up the miles next year.... At Fairbanks, at Huntsville, at Bowling Green, at Ferris, at the Soo. Five of the six longest trips for the Beavers, just missing Anchorage....

[davyd83]

Who did y'all **** off?

GFM

We're at Huntsville too. It's the same lineup as 2013-14 and the mirror of 2015-16. Four year rotation evens everything out, according to the league office. UAH has been to both Alaskas twice in 4 years. So has Bemidji.

[gfmorris]

Re: Bemidji State Beavers: Defending the MacNaughton 2017-18

NMU has been at both Alaskas twice in four years and will do it again this year.

Who did y'all **** off?

GFM

[davyd83]

We say that mirroring thing, but that doesn't really work — each team is due to go to Alaska twice in one season just twice in nine seasons, so there's not symmetry.

That said, I welcome the shot to take the rodents down!

GFM

NMU has been at both Alaskas twice in four years and will do it again this year.

[gfmorris]

Re: Bemidji State Beavers: Defending the MacNaughton 2017-18

We say that mirroring thing, but that doesn't really work — each team is due to go to Alaska twice in one season just twice in nine seasons, so there's not symmetry.

That said, I welcome the shot to take the rodents down!

GFM

[beaverhockeyfan]

Re: Bemidji State Beavers: Defending the MacNaughton 2017-18

The 2017-18 WCHA schedule is supposed to mirror the 2015-16 schedule with the sites of the opponents you only played twice flipped. If that is the case, the Beavers' schedule next year would be:

Four games with:
-Mankato
-Huntsville
-Alaska
-Lake Superior
-Ferris

Two games at home with:
-Anchorage
-Northern

Two games on the road with:
-Bowling Green
-Michigan Tech

Non-conference games:
-Two with Air Force
-Two at Princeton
-Home and Home with Duluth
-Home and Home with North Dakota

[beaverhockeyfan]

Re: Bemidji State Beavers: Defending the MacNaughton 2017-18

Former Beaver Matt Read broke his are last week and will miss the Flyers' last five games. Rumor is he will be left unprotected in the expansion draft and would be available for the new Las Vegas team.

[gfmorris]

Re: Bemidji State Beavers: Defending the MacNaughton 2017-18

That is about all for now, discuss!

Beavers chew.

GFM