What's new
By:
USCHO Fan Forum

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • The USCHO Fan Forum has migrated to a new plaform, xenForo. Most of the function of the forum should work in familiar ways. Please note that you can switch between light and dark modes by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right of the main menu bar. We are hoping that this new platform will prove to be faster and more reliable. Please feel free to explore its features.

2011 Minnesota Offseason Thread

Re: 2011 Minnesota Offseason Thread

HarleyMC said:
It won't be very effectual for PWR either. I'm frankly very surprised at the weak NC sked.
Click to expand...

How come? Can't say I've followed the Gopher NC conference religiously the past years, but hasn't it usually be Mich, Mich St. and then some puffs?
 
Re: 2011 Minnesota Offseason Thread

Happy said:
it could be in part because of the unknow in the future Big Ten schedule, and Lucia needs a winnning record.

a weak schedule didn't hurt Yale at all.
Click to expand...

Oddly enough we're playing 2 NC teams that Yale also faced last season in NC: Sacred Heart (6-25-6) and Vermont (8-20-6). Yale's remaining NC SOS last season (CC, AFA, Holy Cross) has a slight edge over the Gophers NC sked next season though.
 
Re: 2011 Minnesota Offseason Thread

^

This schedule actually makes a lot of sense to me.
It's obvious that the best recipe for earning an at-large bid is playing TUCs in the bottom half.
We will play either NU or Vermont, both of which should be in that area. We will play Notre Dame, a team that will certainly be a TUC. We will play MSU, who possibly will be a TUC. All of these teams are beatable, and will not be among the elite in the nation but still give us a boost in the PWR and provide opportunity to win comparisons.
Throw in the WCHA opponents and the schedule will be plenty strong. The cream puffs like Niagra and Holy Cross offer opportunity to maintain a decent winning percentage.

I understand the sentiment that it would be nice to see MN play the best in the country. But considering the last few years and the desire to earn an at-large bid, this schedule seems perfect.

And before someone comes back with a snarky comment about having to actually win some games, or about how the lesser teams gave the Gophers fits last season....that of course goes without saying. But if you had to set up a schedule that gives MN the opportunity to accrue a good record while still playing teams that will add to overall RPI and PWR comparisons, this schedule is difficult to beat.
 
Re: 2011 Minnesota Offseason Thread

...except that playing a schedule such as this one is a gigantic middle finger to all the season ticket holders who want to see quality competition at Mariucci. Why would anyone be interested in seeing games against these non-conference opponents? This type of schedule reminds me of college football, where the "factory" programs play the vast majority of their games at home, and the non-conference slate is often a complete joke filled with games that are expected to be blowouts.

Once upon a time, Minnesota would play teams like BU, BC, and UNH in the regular season. Often times, those games were highly entertaining and intense. Now we are expected to be happy to see teams like Sacred Heart. :rolleyes:
 
Re: 2011 Minnesota Offseason Thread

Whatever happens with the BTHC schedule, I hope UMinn keeps NoDak in the schedule as much as possible. It's hard to think of hockey at UND without the gophers being a part of the mix--not just an occasional NC game. From the Mariucci/Purpur beginning, it's been a joy.
 
Re: 2011 Minnesota Offseason Thread

Bakunin said:
...except that playing a schedule such as this one is a gigantic middle finger to all the season ticket holders who want to see quality competition at Mariucci. Why would anyone be interested in seeing games against these non-conference opponents? This type of schedule reminds me of college football, where the "factory" programs play the vast majority of their games at home, and the non-conference slate is often a complete joke filled with games that are expected to be blowouts.

Once upon a time, Minnesota would play teams like BU, BC, and UNH in the regular season. Often times, those games were highly entertaining and intense. Now we are expected to be happy to see teams like Sacred Heart. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

This schedule is the same as last year's, with the exception that the showcase is no longer occurring so we won't play Michigan. Otherwise it's just the same; and perhaps even stronger than how last year's looked at this time.

There will be plenty of top-notch competition so be seen in WCHA play.
 
Re: 2011 Minnesota Offseason Thread

burd said:
Whatever happens with the BTHC schedule, I hope UMinn keeps NoDak in the schedule as much as possible. It's hard to think of hockey at UND without the gophers being a part of the mix--not just an occasional NC game. From the Mariucci/Purpur beginning, it's been a joy.
Click to expand...

I hope we stay true to our policy of not playing racially nicknamed teams. No need to play those hicks from the North. They need us and quite frankly we don’t need them. We will have Mich, Sconi, and Mich State…in 5 years the Mich vs Minny match up will better than the UND series ever was. Also, no more having to play a bunch of dirty 25 year old Canadians! Michigan’s coach doesn’t teach dirty play like Hakstool and they recruit mostly Americans! All around a better rival. You can still have the intense rivalry without having to put up with dumb *** No Dak fans. Go BTHC, can’t wait!!!!!
 
Re: 2011 Minnesota Offseason Thread

Bakunin said:
...except that playing a schedule such as this one is a gigantic middle finger to all the season ticket holders who want to see quality competition at Mariucci./QUOTE]

good. these "season ticket holders" dont even go to the games. i hope they stop buying tickets so theyre available for real fans.
Click to expand...
 
Re: 2011 Minnesota Offseason Thread

jerryj said:
Bakunin said:
...except that playing a schedule such as this one is a gigantic middle finger to all the season ticket holders who want to see quality competition at Mariucci./QUOTE]

good. these "season ticket holders" dont even go to the games. i hope they stop buying tickets so theyre available for real fans.
Click to expand...

Except many of those are corporate holders. So try again.
Click to expand...
 
Re: 2011 Minnesota Offseason Thread

Well maybe now with Bin Laden killed, this is a sign the world is returning to normal so the Gopher Hockey team returning to power will follow.
 
Re: 2011 Minnesota Offseason Thread

Stauber1 said:
This schedule is the same as last year's, with the exception that the showcase is no longer occurring so we won't play Michigan. Otherwise it's just the same; and perhaps even stronger than how last year's looked at this time.
Click to expand...
Last year's was also a weak schedule. The only way this one is stronger is if you attribute it to the fact that it has more games (thanks to the series at UAA + the HoF against Notre Dame).

Weak schedules and NCAA bubble teams year after year - this is an embarrassment for what is supposed to be an elite program.
 
Re: 2011 Minnesota Offseason Thread

cross cheque said:
Hope your family and friends stay safe :).



http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/ME03Df02.html?sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4dbead5ed72d2897,0

I only posted this because of PR disasters like Pat Tillman, take it for what it's worth.
Click to expand...

A cousin ended his Navy career this past June (his boot camp ended Aug '01, he was right out of high school, and was immediately sent "over there" after 9-11, and spent most of his Naval career there). A friend is still over there, somewhere in Afghanistan. Saw him this past summer at a friend's wedding, a couple days after his group lost a couple soldiers during an attack. Needless to say, he stuck around people he knew, since being around strangers made him very nervous. Surprisingly, he was quite frank in telling about his experiences there. And another cousin wasn't in the forces, but was scheduled to be at the targeted area of the Pentagon on 9-11. Last minute schedule change prevented him from being there. Our family didn't know about the change for a couple days.

I, and my family members and friends, were the lucky ones. :(

Anyway, This schedule is set, but what about next year? Is that set years ahead like football? I ask this because it's coming up on the "lame duck" year before the B1G Mistake, and wondering about reciprocating games/etc. If I were a WCHA member, I'd fight against not having a home game against MN and WI, since they're leaving anyway, that sort of thing.
 
Re: 2011 Minnesota Offseason Thread

Brenthoven said:
If I were a WCHA member, I'd fight against not having a home game against MN and WI, since they're leaving anyway, that sort of thing.
Click to expand...

I think now its the other way... they're now rare. I don't think that SCSU will not get to see MN and WI anymore, but we'll not only see them less, we're probably in a better spot than most WCHA teams. Those who are feeling like Gopher and Badger home games are about to be extinct are gonna come out in droves to see them. I wouldn't be surprised if a few arenas do some sort of marketing, like a "So Long and Good Riddance" tour.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top