Re: 2013-2014 Union Dutchmen - Can U Three Peat?
Why points are important in the ECAC:
In the first week of the ECAC Tournament, the top 4 Conference teams get a bye while the bottom 8 go head to head. In the second week, the four survivors of the first week, play the top four teams. These top 4 teams have home field advantage. Having the three games played in your barn is very very big. Finishing in the top 4 is no guarantee of an invite to Lake Placid (ECAC final 4) but its going to put you at a decided advantage. You definitely want to finish the season in the top 4.
ECAC teams have 22 conference games. Most teams thus far have only played 6-8 games. Here is how many points it took to make the top 4 in seasons past.
2012-2013
37 Q
27 RPI
25 Yale
24 Union
2011-2012
32 Union
30 Cornell
25 H
23 Colgate
2010-2011
36 Union
35 Yale
26 Dartmouth
24 RPI
2009-2010
32 Yale
31 Cornell
28 Union
26 Colgate
2008-2009
32 Yale
29 Cornell
28 Princeton
26 St. Lawrence
2007-2008
33 Clarkson
28 Princeton
26 H
25 Union
At this point those top 4 slots are wide open. No one has been eliminated and no one has a guarantee and the competition is going to stiffen come January. 12 teams want to land in those top 4 slots. Lots of the ECAC teams have more talent than what they have shown and down the stretch you are not going to recognize some of them. Right now only a few weekends separate the bottom rung from the top rung, point wise.
December
I hope we have a great December because we have a great hockey team. However, I would be very happy with just two wins, Princeton and Dartmouth, which equal 4 points. The points are going to get harder to come by in January as it always does. Q is going to be very very tough. Most people who saw the games against Providence and Yale thought that Q dominated both games and Providence and Yale were lucky to escape with ties. I actually believe that Q is the best team in the Country and should be ranked #1. I could go on about Q and why we don't match up well against them and the fact that parts of our game are not hitting on all 8 cylinders, (which is a tribute to the parts that are), Carr might be out, etc. but I won't.
Whatever happens on Saturday, we will get another shot against Q in January when we will be at full strength.
The other problem we have in December is scheduling. I believe we could beat St. Cloud in their barn but we will be playing with virtually no rest coming off of a game vs Dartmouth at night on Wednesday and turning right around and playing on Friday night and Saturday night in Minnesota. How do you spell exhaustion?
Princeton and Dartmouth both have something to prove and we don't want them to prove it at our expense. Lets make these our big signature wins in December. Lets be at our best for 60 minutes. Lets beat the stuffing out of them.
Give me 4 points in December and continue to develop those Freshman because we are really going to need them down the stretch. We have 16 more ECAC hills to climb. Lets plant our flag on at least two more in December.
Why points are important in the ECAC:
In the first week of the ECAC Tournament, the top 4 Conference teams get a bye while the bottom 8 go head to head. In the second week, the four survivors of the first week, play the top four teams. These top 4 teams have home field advantage. Having the three games played in your barn is very very big. Finishing in the top 4 is no guarantee of an invite to Lake Placid (ECAC final 4) but its going to put you at a decided advantage. You definitely want to finish the season in the top 4.
ECAC teams have 22 conference games. Most teams thus far have only played 6-8 games. Here is how many points it took to make the top 4 in seasons past.
2012-2013
37 Q
27 RPI
25 Yale
24 Union
2011-2012
32 Union
30 Cornell
25 H
23 Colgate
2010-2011
36 Union
35 Yale
26 Dartmouth
24 RPI
2009-2010
32 Yale
31 Cornell
28 Union
26 Colgate
2008-2009
32 Yale
29 Cornell
28 Princeton
26 St. Lawrence
2007-2008
33 Clarkson
28 Princeton
26 H
25 Union
At this point those top 4 slots are wide open. No one has been eliminated and no one has a guarantee and the competition is going to stiffen come January. 12 teams want to land in those top 4 slots. Lots of the ECAC teams have more talent than what they have shown and down the stretch you are not going to recognize some of them. Right now only a few weekends separate the bottom rung from the top rung, point wise.
December
I hope we have a great December because we have a great hockey team. However, I would be very happy with just two wins, Princeton and Dartmouth, which equal 4 points. The points are going to get harder to come by in January as it always does. Q is going to be very very tough. Most people who saw the games against Providence and Yale thought that Q dominated both games and Providence and Yale were lucky to escape with ties. I actually believe that Q is the best team in the Country and should be ranked #1. I could go on about Q and why we don't match up well against them and the fact that parts of our game are not hitting on all 8 cylinders, (which is a tribute to the parts that are), Carr might be out, etc. but I won't.
Whatever happens on Saturday, we will get another shot against Q in January when we will be at full strength.
The other problem we have in December is scheduling. I believe we could beat St. Cloud in their barn but we will be playing with virtually no rest coming off of a game vs Dartmouth at night on Wednesday and turning right around and playing on Friday night and Saturday night in Minnesota. How do you spell exhaustion?
Princeton and Dartmouth both have something to prove and we don't want them to prove it at our expense. Lets make these our big signature wins in December. Lets be at our best for 60 minutes. Lets beat the stuffing out of them.
Give me 4 points in December and continue to develop those Freshman because we are really going to need them down the stretch. We have 16 more ECAC hills to climb. Lets plant our flag on at least two more in December.
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