Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

[gfmorris]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

No coaches' luncheon before the RPI series. One will happen on the 7th before the Bemidji series. I may keep my mouth shut the entire time and just stare at Tom, waiting for him to ask me what I'm thinking.

GFM

[Back check]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

So I was thinking about it tonight. 2-16-2. Ouch.

It's pretty simple, though. Without a conference, there shouldn't be any difference between one season and the next. All the Chargers' season is a postseason. Every week is a test. They haven't aced many of them this year. That doesn't mean stopping, though.

Every weekend matters, because every weekend is an opportunity to make an impression. Win? Awesome. Give a great effort and come up just short? Painful, but better than ... Lose while never being in it? Unacceptable.

I don't doubt that these guys aren't giving an effort. I don't doubt that the coaches are working, either. There are no off-weekends in this schedule, no familiar teams. The only teams UAH will play more than twice this season are BG and Ferris. That's it. Yes, there's familiarity in playing Robert Morris and Bemidji, but there aren't four or more games to learn about yourselves and what it takes for you to win. No, this schedule is more a gauntlet than anything else.

That doesn't excuse the results. It explains it, but it doesn't excuse it. I know fans and boosters are upset, but I don't think we're 5% as upset as any player or any coach.

Go Blue.

GFM

Agreed.

The rest of the schedule is by far the toughest part. All NCAA games are against ranked teams with the exception of Bemidji, who recently beat UNO twice when UNO was near the top of the rankings.

[beaverhockeyfan]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

Agreed.

The rest of the schedule is by far the toughest part. All NCAA games are against ranked teams with the exception of Bemidji, who recently beat UNO twice when UNO was near the top of the rankings.

According to strength of schedule rankings, Bemidji has played the second toughest schedule in the nation behind North Dakota. Hopefully it will get a little easier after the break and the Green can pick up a few wins.

[Back check]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

According to strength of schedule rankings, Bemidji has played the second toughest schedule in the nation behind North Dakota. Hopefully it will get a little easier after the break and the Green can pick up a few wins.

You had a close series with Wisconsin as well, went to OT twice with Minnesota-Duluth - BSU obviously a good team.

[Douglas]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a...
Merry Christmas

<========== and a =========>

Happy New Year!

*****http://www.knology.net/~dougeagan/Christmas%20Tree.jpg******

[21st Century Schizoid Man]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a...
Merry Christmas

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Happy New Year!

*****http://www.knology.net/~dougeagan/Christmas%20Tree.jpg******

Thanks Douglas, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to Charger Nation!

[beaverhockeyfan]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

Merry Christmas to you also, Douglas, and to the rest of the Charger fans! May the Chargers find a gift from a conference wrapped up under the tree!

[gfmorris]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

Merry Christmas to you also, Douglas, and to the rest of the Charger fans! May the Chargers find a gift from a conference wrapped up under the tree!

From your fingertips to Joe Bertagna's computer screen.

GFM

[Back check]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

Won't it be a few Xmases away (when Penn State starts conference play) before UAH can expect any news regarding the possibility of joining a conference?

[Douglas]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

Won't it be a few Xmases away (when Penn State starts conference play) before UAH can expect any news regarding the possibility of joining a conference?

Per the NCAA, PSU will play two seasons as an Independant meaning that the third year from now is the earliest (and expected) year they will begin play in a conference. Now, if you look at the time frame needed for scheduling conference and NC opponents to fill out a full DI season, you'll find that most of that will need to take place in the upcoming off-season. That further implies that the decision to form an BTHC will most likely be decided by the time the post-season meetings take place in April 2011. That means that if the decision is announced at/after those meetings, the other affected conferences current/anticipated schedules will go up in smoke and the "fun" will begin in earnest. The down-side is that based on the number of DI hockey teams in existence, we are still the odd-man-out. Meaning that starting a BTHC with six teams leaves the CCHA with eight teams and the WCHA with 10 teams. Those even numbers are highly desired by most conferences for scheduling ease.

Without help from the NCAA, the possible splitting of another conference into divisions, the benevolence of any other conference, or another DI hockey start-up, we are not gauranteed a place in a conference. With that said, I'm guessing that we will know a whole lot more before next season. It's no doubt that some realignment will take place. How extensive that is remains to be seen. An "indy" schedule relies on the benevolence of many hockey teams, VBC availability, and the percieved desirablility of playing our team... especially on the road in our barn.

The point of this explanation is to point out the tough road ahead for our school's President, new AD when found, and coaches to get us into a conference. It's certainly not impossible, but it won't be easy either. It will test our mettle, fortitude, and determination. The point is that it won't be "a few Xmases away" before we know the route we must take to secure our hockey future. We have to wait for the first domino to fall, then we can see which direction they are falling.

On the plus side, we are still recruiting with gusto and scheduling for a bright future. Take that as positive support for our hockey program by the powers-that-be and the coaches. To my knowlege, no one is planning for anything other than a future playing DI hockey at this time. JMHO

[Back check]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

Thanks Douglas.

The CCHA opted for 11 teams for this year, so hopefully they will consider an odd number later on.

[gfmorris]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

I'm with Doug. We're going to know a lot more about the path forward this offseason. The game of musical chairs will be played quickly, as a change that affects this many schools will need to be coordinated quickly. IF there's a Western interlock, which I think is likely, schools will want to hammer that out pretty quickly so they know how it affects future scheduling. This is a tectonic shift in Western college hockey, but I don't think anyone wants it to build pressure for as long as it can before it erupts into an earthquake. Coaches and ADs will want to get out ahead of this.

GFM

[ChargerBlue]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

Per the NCAA, PSU will play two seasons as an Independant meaning that the third year from now is the earliest (and expected) year they will begin play in a conference.

Since Penn State is already a DI institution, why would they have to play two years as an independent? I don't remember reading that anywhere previously. I know that would be the case if a program elevated from two perhaps. I think PSU would be elligible to play in any league in their first year if they desired.

[moose97]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

Since Penn State is already a DI institution, why would they have to play two years as an independent? I don't remember reading that anywhere previously. I know that would be the case if a program elevated from two perhaps. I think PSU would be elligible to play in any league in their first year if they desired.

Correct. Technically, the NCAA doesn't care about conferences anyway. All that matters as far as the NCAA is post-season eligibility, and since PSU is D-I already, they could have had their club team play D-I varsity hockey this season and made the NCAA Tourney (as long as they were able to schedule the minimum number of games to become eligible and as long as they were selected by the committee) - not that that would have been likely to happen...

The most recent team to move to D-I is RIT, and they had D-III to D-I re-classification issues (so decided to be independent their first year D-I and then couldn't win the AHA AQ even though they finished first in the conference in '06-'07). The most recent true start-up that only had a club team would be RMU, and they were in the CHA (as, if you recall, the CHA needed a sixth team when Findlay dropped hockey) in year one. And, being already D-I (as Penn State is), the Colonials could have made the NCAA's in year one too, had they won the CHA Tourney.


edit - If I recall, the stated reason for two years of independent status is for PSU to get its feet under them, rather than any NCAA mandate. I.E., to avoid getting stomped by UM, UM, MSU, UW and maybe OSU with a bunch of Freshmen week in and week out, they get three recruiting classes under their belts and give PSU a fighting chance in BTHC play...

[Douglas]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

I stand corrected and even knew that was the case. Why I said "per the NCAA" I don't know other than I'm old! It should have read Per PSU...
Moose and everyone else is correct about PSU's DI eligibiltiy and I entirely agree it was a wise choice to get a couple of years under their belts before taking on their BigTen brethren. Still, the chips just have to start falling this year (2011) for scheduling to have a chance. As for the CCHA playing with and odd number this year, I'm convinced Anastos was aware of the impending PSU move and did nothing to further our cause of joining the CCHA as he wanted PSU to join them. I seriously doubt that will happen only because of the BigTen TV implications which, to my way of thinking, almost mandates a BTHC even though they are going to say all the "right" things between now and its formation. At that time they will announce that after carefull consideration of everyone and everything and in the best interests of college hockey and their member schools, they feel it is in their best interests to start a BTHC... or something to that effect. I wonder what the Vegas odds makers are giving on whether a BTHC will form? Hmmmm... I got five bucks that says it will form.