2017-18 Schedules Thread

[Sean Pickett]

Re: 2017-18 Schedules Thread

I originally posted a reply in the NU thread in response to the following post about Quinnipiac:

Well we're certainly playing them like they're the 12th Hockey East team. Would love to see that actually happen, but they're in a good spot in the ECAC.

However, after I saw this thread I though it would be better a to post my thoughts here. Quinnipiac is certainly scheduling Hockey East teams like they want to be the 12th member. In the past four seasons they have played 33 of 50 (66%) non-league games vs Hockey East teams (and have gone 17-10-6 in those games) and their announced schedule for next season has them playing 10 of 12 non-league games vs Hockey East teams. That will make it 43 of 62 games (69%), which got me interested in seeing how many Hockey East games the other ECAC teams have scheduled over the same time, and vice versa. I created a spreadsheet that shows how many games each ECAC and Hockey East team has scheduled for the past four seasons, plus known games for next season. In the past four seasons Quinnipiac scheduled 11 more games vs Hockey East teams than any other ECAC team and with 10 scheduled for next season it seems that will increase even more. On the Hockey East side Vermont has scheduled the most games vs ECAC teams, 24, the past four seasons.

Sean

 

[brassbonanza]

Re: 2017-18 Schedules Thread

Is there any indication that the ASU tournament in Las Vegas will be the Desert Hockey Classic being moved there? I know it hadn't done well at Gila and this past year was apparently a disaster in that little arena in the middle of nowhere they had it. Seeing that the DHC was previously a Christmas tournament, that kind of sounds like the same thing. I'd heard BU was going to ASU for that tournament so I'd be pumped if it was in Las Vegas as opposed to Glendale or Prescott Valley.

 

[Revs89.2]

Re: 2017-18 Schedules Thread

Is there any indication that the ASU tournament in Las Vegas will be the Desert Hockey Classic being moved there? I know it hadn't done well at Gila and this past year was apparently a disaster in that little arena in the middle of nowhere they had it. Seeing that the DHC was previously a Christmas tournament, that kind of sounds like the same thing. I'd heard BU was going to ASU for that tournament so I'd be pumped if it was in Las Vegas as opposed to Glendale or Prescott Valley.

The Desert Hockey Classic is on hiatus for a year. This Vegas tournament is completely separate from the DHC. I have heard rumors of the teams coming in to Vegas, but not confirmed enough to commit to saying on the board. So BU will be playing in the Phoenix Metro area. There will be no determination on location until the NHL releases their schedule and ASU can find dates at Gila. My guess is BU, Penn State and those types will be at Gila.

The Prescott Valley idea was great, but the dates being Dec. 30 and 31 were not ideal at all. PV loves their hockey, but those dates didn't work for anyone. I know ASU would like to get the DHC back, but will be better when we have our on campus arena. While attendance has been a big concern for many about us, I just remind folks that it is a brand new program. In Phoenix, having every sporting event under the sun happening here, club sports get zero attention. So this is truly a ground floor project. But get a building on campus and it will start to jump. But I'm biased of course.

 

[Biddco]

Re: 2017-18 Schedules Thread

Per New Haven Register----- Yale hockey non-league games next year: home vs UNH, UMass, ASU (2), vs Sacred Heart in Bridgeport; vs. Duluth and UNH at Dartmouth tourney

Interesting!

 

[Biddco]

Re: 2017-18 Schedules Thread

UMD's October Schedule:

Icebreaker (Union, Minnesota-Twin Cities, and Michigan Tech)
Bemidji State (Home and Home)
Merrimack
@Maine

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: 2017-18 Schedules Thread

UMD's October Schedule:

Icebreaker (Union, Minnesota-Twin Cities, and Michigan Tech)
Bemidji State (Home and Home)
Merrimack
@Maine

I assume in that order?

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: 2017-18 Schedules Thread

With Michigan Tech playing in the Icebreaker and going to Alaska twice, I think it's safe to say they will not be playing all of the allotted number of games. Just a hunch.

 

[Biddco]

Re: 2017-18 Schedules Thread

I assume in that order?

yes

 

[redrocker]

Re: 2017-18 Schedules Thread

I originally posted a reply in the NU thread in response to the following post about Quinnipiac:

However, after I saw this thread I though it would be better a to post my thoughts here. Quinnipiac is certainly scheduling Hockey East teams like they want to be the 12th member. In the past four seasons they have played 33 of 50 (66%) non-league games vs Hockey East teams (and have gone 17-10-6 in those games) and their announced schedule for next season has them playing 10 of 12 non-league games vs Hockey East teams. That will make it 43 of 62 games (69%), which got me interested in seeing how many Hockey East games the other ECAC teams have scheduled over the same time, and vice versa. I created a spreadsheet that shows how many games each ECAC and Hockey East team has scheduled for the past four seasons, plus known games for next season. In the past four seasons Quinnipiac scheduled 11 more games vs Hockey East teams than any other ECAC team and with 10 scheduled for next season it seems that will increase even more. On the Hockey East side Vermont has scheduled the most games vs ECAC teams, 24, the past four seasons.

Sean

Quinnipiac does seem to prefer Hockey East opponents. But the likely answer is the convenience and competitiveness of Hockey East as opposed to multiple plane trips to the Midwest or Atlantic Hockey opponents that don't do much for SOS.

Also keep in mind that the Ivies, which represent half the league, can only schedule seven NC games per season as opposed to 12 for the non-Ivies. Yale, Dartmouth, Princeton, Brown and Harvard have all scheduled NC games against each other over the past five years, facts that might skew the numbers in the spreadsheet a bit. Looking at the previous four seasons for Yale, 13 of its 21 NC games (not including seven NC games vs. Ivy/ECAC opponents) were against Hockey East, or 62 percent, more in line with Quinnipiac's 69 percent. I'd guess if Yale was saddled with finding an additional five NC games per season, that 62 percent figure would go even higher, same for the other New England Ivies.

 

[Sean Pickett]

Re: 2017-18 Schedules Thread

Quinnipiac does seem to prefer Hockey East opponents. But the likely answer is the convenience and competitiveness of Hockey East as opposed to multiple plane trips to the Midwest or Atlantic Hockey opponents that don't do much for SOS.

Also keep in mind that the Ivies, which represent half the league, can only schedule seven NC games per season as opposed to 12 for the non-Ivies. Yale, Dartmouth, Princeton, Brown and Harvard have all scheduled NC games against each other over the past five years, facts that might skew the numbers in the spreadsheet a bit. Looking at the previous four seasons for Yale, 13 of its 21 NC games (not including seven NC games vs. Ivy/ECAC opponents) were against Hockey East, or 62 percent, more in line with Quinnipiac's 69 percent. I'd guess if Yale was saddled with finding an additional five NC games per season, that 62 percent figure would go even higher, same for the other New England Ivies.

I looked at all 24 ECAC and Hockey East teams to see how many each one scheduled against the other league. Vermont was closest, with 9 less games, while 3 Hockey East teams had 23 each and 3 ECAC and 2 Hockey East teams had 22 each. So, yes, I know many of the teams are scheduling games with teams from the other league for convenience and competitiveness, but Quinnipiac is still far out ahead of any other team in doing so.

As for the Ivies and their reduced schedule, which they insist on in hockey (but I don't believe they reduce the schedule as much, if at all, for other sports), I see no reason to ignore any non-league games they decide to schedule against other Ivies. Also, I only found 6 such games scheduled by Yale, the most of any Ivy, with Princeton only having 4, and Harvard, Dartmouth and Brown 2 each. Also, 12 of those 16 were played in the two Liberty Invitational and one Capital City Classic tournaments hosted by Princeton from 2013-15. The only other Ivy on Ivy non-league games have been the two Harvard-Yale games at Madison Square Garden, neither which occurred this past season.

Also, those Ivy vs Ivy non-league games had no overall impact on the scheduling of Hockey East teams. In 2013-14 the Ivies played 10 non-league games vs other Ivies and 22 games vs Hockey East teams; in 2014-15 it was 4 vs Ivies and 17 vs Hockey East teams; in 2015-16 it was 2 vs Ivies and 22 vs Hockey East teams; and in 2016-17 it was 0 vs Ivies and 19 vs Hockey East teams. I have update my spreadsheet to show how many games the Ivies have played against each other and Hockey East teams the past four seasons.

Sean

 

[redrocker]

Re: 2017-18 Schedules Thread

As for the Ivies and their reduced schedule, which they insist on in hockey (but I don't believe they reduce the schedule as much, if at all, for other sports), I see no reason to ignore any non-league games they decide to schedule against other Ivies. Also, I only found 6 such games scheduled by Yale, the most of any Ivy, with Princeton only having 4, and Harvard, Dartmouth and Brown 2 each. Also, 12 of those 16 were played in the two Liberty Invitational and one Capital City Classic tournaments hosted by Princeton from 2013-15. The only other Ivy on Ivy non-league games have been the two Harvard-Yale games at Madison Square Garden, neither which occurred this past season.

Also, those Ivy vs Ivy non-league games had no overall impact on the scheduling of Hockey East teams. In 2013-14 the Ivies played 10 non-league games vs other Ivies and 22 games vs Hockey East teams; in 2014-15 it was 4 vs Ivies and 17 vs Hockey East teams; in 2015-16 it was 2 vs Ivies and 22 vs Hockey East teams; and in 2016-17 it was 0 vs Ivies and 19 vs Hockey East teams. I have update my spreadsheet to show how many games the Ivies have played against each other and Hockey East teams the past four seasons.

Sean

Just nitpicking here, but Yale's seventh ECAC as NC was actually vs. Clarkson this year. The Liberty Classic was originally the Ivy shootout, started a few years earlier specifically so the Ivies involved could open the season against fellow Ivies in the same boat (an opponent with zero games played, not 6-8 already under its belt.) When it morphed into the Liberty, Ivies still made sure they played each other in the opening round. So it had some impact on scheduling of Hockey East teams because in those instances there were fewer true NC games to schedule.

No doubt QU leans toward Hockey East, but my point is that, like most of those Ivies, it's merely a scheduling preference. Quinnipiac is on record saying it's not interested in leaving ECAC Hockey.

 

[davyd83]

Nope not for at least two more years.
Tech will be part of the icebreaker at Duluth which I believe opens with Union. They have ASU coming to Houghton for two at some time early in the season.. Also the Aforementioned GLi,.... MSU and someone else.

GLI 4th team is Bowling Green. ASU will remain independent this year.
Northern Michigan will be at Omaha, play Wisconsin in Green Bay and have a home & home non-conference series with LSSU.

 

[Sean Pickett]

Re: 2017-18 Schedules Thread

Just nitpicking here, but Yale's seventh ECAC as NC was actually vs. Clarkson this year. The Liberty Classic was originally the Ivy shootout, started a few years earlier specifically so the Ivies involved could open the season against fellow Ivies in the same boat (an opponent with zero games played, not 6-8 already under its belt.) When it morphed into the Liberty, Ivies still made sure they played each other in the opening round. So it had some impact on scheduling of Hockey East teams because in those instances there were fewer true NC games to schedule.

No doubt QU leans toward Hockey East, but my point is that, like most of those Ivies, it's merely a scheduling preference. Quinnipiac is on record saying it's not interested in leaving ECAC Hockey.

The Ivies are the ones who set their games limit 5 less than the NCAA limit and set a starting date later than the NCAA, so that is on them, nobody else. They also chose to use some of their limited non-league games to play each other, no one forced them to, so I see no reason to not count them as true non-league games.

Sean

 

[Sean Pickett]

Re: 2017-18 Schedules Thread

On a scheduling note, between what I have read here and heard elsewhere BU's non-league schedule is starting to come into focus.

know games:
Cornell at MSG on 25 Nov 2017
Beanpot semifinal vs Harvard, 5 Feb 2018
Beanpot cons/championship vs BC/NU, 12 Feb 2018
at Quinnipiac
at Arizona State (likely x2)

That likely leaves only 4 games, which BU will want to have at home to have a 16 game home schedule. If that does happen the annual BU-Harvard game will have to be at Agganis for the second season in a row or be put on hold for a season. Colgate should be coming to BU for a game in return for the game at Colgate this season, but it has been stated earlier in this thread that that will not happen next season. I have also heard the possibility that Penn State may be coming to BU for 2 games, which if true would leave BU with either 1 or 2 home dates.

Sean

 

[beaverhockeyfan]

Re: 2017-18 Schedules Thread

I have heard Bemidji will be at Princeton for two and have home and homes with Duluth and North Dakota. That leaves two games to fill.

BSU's rumored non-conference schedule:

Two at Princeton
Two at home with Air Force (at Air Force the next year)
Home and Home with UMD
Home and Home with UND

 

[alslammerz]

Re: 2017-18 Schedules Thread

On a scheduling note, between what I have read here and heard elsewhere BU's non-league schedule is starting to come into focus.

know games:
Cornell at MSG on 25 Nov 2017
Beanpot semifinal vs Harvard, 5 Feb 2018
Beanpot cons/championship vs BC/NU, 12 Feb 2018
at Quinnipiac
at Arizona State (likely x2)

If that does happen the annual BU-Harvard game will have to be at Agganis for the second season in a row or be put on hold for a season.

Sean

I feel like we usually skip the game between us when we're already meeting in the Beanpot semis - at least, that's seemed like the trend.

 

[Sean Pickett]

Re: 2017-18 Schedules Thread

I feel like we usually skip the game between us when we're already meeting in the Beanpot semis - at least, that's seemed like the trend.

No. They did skip the annual regular season game during the 2008-09 season when the 2 met in the Beanpot semifinals, but that was the only time they didn't play a scheduled regular season game since the 1995-96 season.

Sean

 

[Gophers #1]

Re: 2017-18 Schedules Thread

Only thing i have on Minnesota is the home non conference series with Clarkson which was notice in this thead, plus 2 at North Dakota.

 

[First Time Long Time]

Re: 2017-18 Schedules Thread

Not officially released yet but Motzko has said St. Cloud will host BC...have H/H with Kato and MN...Host Alaska and go to Princeton.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: 2017-18 Schedules Thread

GLI 4th team is Bowling Green. ASU will remain independent this year.
Northern Michigan will be at Omaha, play Wisconsin in Green Bay and have a home & home non-conference series with LSSU.

Think you'll get another series in, perhaps at home? You're allowed two more, but it's more than likely one will remain on the table. Who knows what could get negotiated in Naples...