Re: 1/27-1/28/2017 - This weekend's Scores and Alternative Scores.
Forgive me for interrupting the Hobart HateFest, but I did a little math (I'm sure you can double check me here Prof) with what we assume will be the NEHC Travel, and what Hobart just did this year for ECAC West with the following:
Hobart -> Leb Valley (235)
Leb Valley->Stevenson (103)
Stevenson -> Hobart (291)
Hobart -> MVille (277)
Mville->Neumann (146)
Neumann -> Hobart (280)
Hobart -> Naz (40)
Naz -> Utica (132)
Utica -> Hobart (105)
Hobart -> Elmira ->Hobart (102)
NEHC Assuming Partners
Hobart -> Norwich (321)
Norwich -> Castleton (74)
Castleton -> Hobart (247)
Hobart -> NEC (320)
NEC -> USM (124)
USM -> Hobart (462)
Hobart -> UMB (359)
UMB -> Suffolk (0.5)
Suffolk -> Hobart (359)
Hobart -> Babson (348)
Babson -> JW (49)
JW -> Hobart (357)
Hobart -> Skidmore -> Hobart (384)
If you take out the travel partners (Skidmore/Elmira)
Yes, average one way is :
347 NEHC
205 ECAC W
but...
Average "Friday Night Travel Partner"
NEHC 62
ECAC W 127
Having said all that, its roughly an average trip in miles of:
NEHC: 755 per weekend trip
ECAC W: 537 per weekend trip
A difference of 218 round trip or 108 miles one way. Not overly huge IMO. So the whole Hobart is traveling to timbucktoo and back isn't so much different than what they are doing now, and would be doing come UCHC time.
I just rounded the numbers on here, so my excel form might be a mile or 2 off give or take.
This is without adding in the new members of UCHC Conference since who the heck knows who will even be there. But adding games in Chatham (they're still in it right?) at 324 miles and the others at 170+ miles the bridge would close.
That's only IF others don't jump ship leaving the UCHC with out an autobid once again....
So why not go? Guarantee auto bid. Not much (if any) drop off in competition. Especially with the addition of the "new" UCHC teams..who knows how they will be. Guarantee auto bid. Play perennial power Norwich. Tons of games in the hockey hot bed of Boston. Guarantee auto bid. No offense to Rochester, Elmira and Utica, but its not Boston in terms of hockey talent recruiting wise. Did I mention Guarantee auto bid?
Sorry back to your regularly scheduled program....