Boston University - 2017-2018 season - thread numero uno

[Bomber]

Re: Boston University - 2017-2018 season - thread numero uno

Nice of the Monday Hockey East Blog to not mention us. (They're calling Lowell done. If Lowell's done...)

I don't want to to get too dramatic in November, but I think this upcoming weekend is important for the Terriers. Lose 'em both, and.... (Cue the band)

 

[Scarlet]

Re: Boston University - 2017-2018 season - thread numero uno

You did? On one of these? *******https://www.google.com/search?q=rad...iw=1536&bih=735#imgrc=e-6RBvbuckJvRM:********

I have the app on my iPad and listened to game when I was traveling to Orlando a couple of years ago and it was clearer than trying to listen on the radio in my car.

 

[BU Fan 84]

Re: Boston University - 2017-2018 season - thread numero uno

You did? On one of these? *******https://www.google.com/search?q=rad...iw=1536&bih=735#imgrc=e-6RBvbuckJvRM:********

Oh, no, the internet-radio.

 

[Friend_of_BU_Hockey]

Re: Boston University - 2017-2018 season - thread numero uno

A few observations after 10 games:

Their record doesn't quite bother me as much as this BU seem clearly seems to lack "it". They don't appear to be a tough team to play against, a team that makes life difficult for their opponent.

The mental breakdowns in their last 2 losses that have led to untimely goals (the buzzer-beater NU scored & the egregious Cloonan giveaway behind his own net -> PC goal to start the 2nd @ PC) have been beyond frustrating and frankly, shouldn't be tolerated. Such giveaways IMO are a trait of an ill-prepared team.

This is also a dull and ineffective team to watch. D-zone coverage has been all over the place. The lack of grade-A chances and odd-man rushes created on offense.

For all of the apparent successes in recruiting, a couple of points to consider are:

1. High roster turnover. BU lost 7 of its 15 forwards on last year's roster, and have 7 new forwards & 3 new defensemen on this year's roster. It's not the expected early departures as much as the rotisserie of depth players & surprise departures (JFK, Bellows) that cause roster instability. Last season the turnover was similar in scale, although it was a larger Senior class that needed to be replaced, but returning players who played regularly like Baillargeon & Fortunato left the program to play elsewhere.

2. Max Letunov ending up at UCONN and Henrik Borgstrom ending up at Denver. BU & DU were all-in on Borgstrom, and then the 2016 Regionals game happened which (according to sources) swayed Borgstrom to DU. Borgstrom would've very likely made a similar impact in BU's lineup as he has at DU.

 

[Bomber]

Re: Boston University - 2017-2018 season - thread numero uno

A few observations after 10 games:

Their record doesn't quite bother me as much as this BU seem clearly seems to lack "it". They don't appear to be a tough team to play against, a team that makes life difficult for their opponent.

The mental breakdowns in their last 2 losses that have led to untimely goals (the buzzer-beater NU scored & the egregious Cloonan giveaway behind his own net -> PC goal to start the 2nd @ PC) have been beyond frustrating and frankly, shouldn't be tolerated. Such giveaways IMO are a trait of an ill-prepared team.

This is also a dull and ineffective team to watch. D-zone coverage has been all over the place. The lack of grade-A chances and odd-man rushes created on offense.

For all of the apparent successes in recruiting, a couple of points to consider are:

1. High roster turnover. BU lost 7 of its 15 forwards on last year's roster, and have 7 new forwards & 3 new defensemen on this year's roster. It's not the expected early departures as much as the rotisserie of depth players & surprise departures (JFK, Bellows) that cause roster instability. Last season the turnover was similar in scale, although it was a larger Senior class that needed to be replaced, but returning players who played regularly like Baillargeon & Fortunato left the program to play elsewhere.

2. Max Letunov ending up at UCONN and Henrik Borgstrom ending up at Denver. BU & DU were all-in on Borgstrom, and then the 2016 Regionals game happened which (according to sources) swayed Borgstrom to DU. Borgstrom would've very likely made a similar impact in BU's lineup as he has at DU.

Great post, but now I'm depressed.

 

[Bomber]

Re: Boston University - 2017-2018 season - thread numero uno

I have the app on my iPad and listened to game when I was traveling to Orlando a couple of years ago and it was clearer than trying to listen on the radio in my car.

I didn't know about the app. But still have to use data.

 

[defkit]

Re: Boston University - 2017-2018 season - thread numero uno

2. Max Letunov ending up at UCONN and Henrik Borgstrom ending up at Denver. BU & DU were all-in on Borgstrom, and then the 2016 Regionals game happened which (according to sources) swayed Borgstrom to DU. Borgstrom would've very likely made a similar impact in BU's lineup as he has at DU.

FWIW, I thought Letunov would be in the NHL by now. He was an older freshman (I think, drafted maybe a whole year before entering NCAA?), and what is he now, a junior? Without looking at his yearly totals, my sense is that his production has tailed off, or at least leveled off. When we lost him, I thought of him as a two and done-type of player.

 

[Scarlet]

Re: Boston University - 2017-2018 season - thread numero uno

Nik Olsson suspended for Friday’s game by Hockey East after hit to the head this past Saturday.

 

[Sean Pickett]

Re: Boston University - 2017-2018 season - thread numero uno

BU should really go to the tiered pricing structure that BC uses. Sell the upper corner seats for $10 a pop. It was great to be able to walk up to Conte on a night BU wasn't playing and buy a ticket for less than the cost of a movie.

Upper corner seats at Conte are obstructed view; Agganis has no obstructed view seats.

Sean

 

[Sean Pickett]

Re: Boston University - 2017-2018 season - thread numero uno

How about cheaper parking in the garage ?

You likely don't recall, but BU did raise parking from $10 to $12 dollars a number of years ago before rolling it back to $10. Parking for non-BU sports events at Agganis are $15-$25.

Sean

 

[brassbonanza]

Re: Boston University - 2017-2018 season - thread numero uno

Upper corner seats at Conte are obstructed view; Agganis has no obstructed view seats.

Sean

About 20% of those seats that are on sale for $10 are obstructed. You can easily get a $10 ticket that is not obstructed, that's not the reason they're priced that way.

 

[Sean Pickett]

Re: Boston University - 2017-2018 season - thread numero uno

Attendance is a major issue.

While attendance is not near the 6200 capacity of Agganis or the median for the first few seasons after it opened, it is still mostly higher than the capacity of Walter Brown. However, keeping those new fans over the ensuring decade has been much harder than getting them in the first place.

Sean

 

[J.D.]

Re: Boston University - 2017-2018 season - thread numero uno

Upper corner seats at Conte are obstructed view; Agganis has no obstructed view seats.

Sean

I've sat just about everywhere...what are you considering obstructed? The fact you can't see one of the game clocks from certain seats?

 

[mookie1995]

I've sat just about everywhere...what are you considering obstructed? The fact you can't see one of the game clocks from certain seats?

Yah
Don’t recall issues up there. Other than the walk

 

[brassbonanza]

Re: Boston University - 2017-2018 season - thread numero uno

I've sat just about everywhere...what are you considering obstructed? The fact you can't see one of the game clocks from certain seats?

If you sit in the upper corners in the far back rows all the way against the wall you can't see the net in the zone right below you. It's a pretty significant obstruction, but there's only ~30 seats in each of the four corners that have this predicament.

 

[Friend_of_BU_Hockey]

Re: Boston University - 2017-2018 season - thread numero uno

While attendance is not near the 6200 capacity of Agganis or the median for the first few seasons after it opened, it is still mostly higher than the capacity of Walter Brown. However, keeping those new fans over the ensuring decade has been much harder than getting them in the first place.

Sean

100% agree w/ your retention assessment. IMO several factors have contributed to this:

- Decline in season ticket renewals due to any/all of these factors: product, time, cost

- Even amongst season ticket holders, I've noticed a growing trend of STH missing more games compared to years past, and not finding others to use their available tickets

- Students (Part 1): Steep drop in student interest/knowledge in the program. The Dog Pound doesn't appear to be as organized even compared to a couple of years ago. There's also a noticeable drop in hockey knowledge among the current student fans. One of my big pet peeves with the current student fans is whenever they start cheering en masse when BU gains possession of the puck towards the offensive zone; it reminds me of what bandwagon BC and UMASS fans did whenever I went to games @ Conte and @ Mullins.

- Students (Part 2): The student demographic at BU has shifted even since the start of this decade. BU is more competitive than ever academically and admissions-wise. I think one byproduct of that is that there are more students than ever at BU for whom college athletics is not a priority nor even an area of interest.

- Recent Alumni: There seems to be an alarming lack of recent grads who attend games. Even many of the hard core Dog Pound members from just a few years ago are nowhere to be seen, including some whom I believe still live in greater Boston. I know some of this is also attributed to the seemingly mass exodus of BU grads to other parts of the country/world to start their careers or for grad school.

- Arena Management: As brassbonanza mentioned, arena security going to extremes in years past to curb the student fan experience. Not to mention the lack of proactive, creative marketing and outreach on campus, off-campus and online.

- Scheduling: The front-loaded home schedule. 8 home games by the 1st week of November. 6 home games by the 1st week of November was the most BU has ever scheduled (2015-16); in most other years it's been anywhere between 2-5 home games by this point of the calendar. Too much too soon?

The "red flags" have been there the last couple of years, but the attendance decline this year has been precipitous. I'm sure it's been noticed by the players and coaches.

 

[Sean Pickett]

Re: Boston University - 2017-2018 season - thread numero uno

A few quick observations:

- Students (Part 1): Steep drop in student interest/knowledge in the program. The Dog Pound doesn't appear to be as organized even compared to a couple of years ago. There's also a noticeable drop in hockey knowledge among the current student fans. One of my big pet peeves with the current student fans is whenever they start cheering en masse when BU gains possession of the puck towards the offensive zone; it reminds me of what bandwagon BC and UMASS fans did whenever I went to games @ Conte and @ Mullins.

The student section has been on a downward spiral since the 90's. No smart chants, spelling out T-E-R-R-I-E-R-S, etc. They even need an adult to fire them up.

- Students (Part 2): The student demographic at BU has shifted even since the start of this decade. BU is more competitive than ever academically and admissions-wise. I think one byproduct of that is that there are more students than ever at BU for whom college athletics is not a priority nor even an area of interest.

BU has had the same issues since at least the 80's. Anyone remember when BU had football? Few students went to the games when they did.

- Arena Management: As brassbonanza mentioned, arena security going to extremes in years past to curb the student fan experience. Not to mention the lack of proactive, creative marketing and outreach on campus, off-campus and online.

I can't speck to security, but BU has had proactive, creative marketing and outreach. I see the social media efforts BU does, as well as some of the on campus efforts. What do you suggest they do differently or more of?

- Scheduling: The front-loaded home schedule. 8 home games by the 1st week of November. 6 home games by the 1st week of November was the most BU has ever scheduled (2015-16); in most other years it's been anywhere between 2-5 home games by this point of the calendar. Too much too soon?

A minor point, but you are counting the Canadian exhibition game. In the past home attendance has mostly been quite good for the first half dozen (non-exhibition) games since Agganis opened, except for 2013-14. Maybe having so many games in September/October did spread out the attendance, but still, not one game topped 4,500, which most early games in past seasons have done. So there is more to it than just the number of games in October. It is likely the 2 losses to Minnesota State hurt attendance, since most regular BU fans likely thought they should be wins. The continued poor play, especially at Agganis, is only likely to further depress attendance.

The "red flags" have been there the last couple of years, but the attendance decline this year has been precipitous. I'm sure it's been noticed by the players and coaches.

Yes, the median attendance to date is the second worst since Agganis opened, ahead of only 2013-14. However, there are still some big home games upcoming including UNH on Saturday and BC next month and Maine in January.

Sean

 

[Friend_of_BU_Hockey]

Re: Boston University - 2017-2018 season - thread numero uno

The student section has been on a downward spiral since the 90's. No smart chants, spelling out T-E-R-R-I-E-R-S, etc. They even need an adult to fire them up.

I think up 'til a few years ago there was consistent leadership within the student section. Even if one didn't agree w/ the chants (i.e. vulgarity), at least the energy level was more sustained during the earlier Agganis years.

BU has had the same issues since at least the 80's. Anyone remember when BU had football? Few students went to the games when they did.

Valid points. Maybe it's not the student demographic and more so in the product??? When BU football had those 2 very successful years in the 90s, there were several games where Nickerson was packed.

If BU had won the NC in 2015, would that have resulted in strengthening the student fan base? Would another generational-type player like Eichel retain interest amongst students? Perhaps going to a 2+ hour live sporting event doesn't mesh with the instant gratification and what-have-you-done-for-me-lately (lack of) attention span that typifies the current student generation?

BU has had proactive, creative marketing and outreach. I see the social media efforts BU does, as well as some of the on campus efforts. What do you suggest they do differently or more of?

It's very possible that out of those who follow the hockey program and/or BU Athletics' social media accounts, there's a significant portion of followers that are outside greater Boston as well as those who are already supporting the program via attendance. While it may be an effective means for those fans to stay up to date about the program, it may not be moving the needle among those within greater Boston whom they're attempting to engage with and convert those people into increased attendance.

A minor point, but you are counting the Canadian exhibition game. In the past home attendance has mostly been quite good for the first half dozen (non-exhibition) games since Agganis opened, except for 2013-14. Maybe having so many games in September/October did spread out the attendance, but still, not one game topped 4,500, which most early games in past seasons have done. So there is more to it than just the number of games in October. It is likely the 2 losses to Minnesota State hurt attendance, since most regular BU fans likely thought they should be wins. The continued poor play, especially at Agganis, is only likely to further depress attendance.

Yes, the median attendance to date is the second worst since Agganis opened, ahead of only 2013-14. However, there are still some big home games upcoming including UNH on Saturday and BC next month and Maine in January.

For my comps, I included all previous years' October exhibition games. The alarm for me, especially when compared to even a year ago, is that there hasn't been a single game where attendance has topped 4,500. Even last season the 10/22/2016 Quinnipiac and the 11/05/2016 Northeastern games topped 5,500; however, those were the 2nd & 3rd regular-season home games last season compared to 7 RS home games already this season. When this most recent NU game on the same 1st Saturday in November couldn't even top 3,900, that comp w/ the previous year is particularly troublesome.

 

[mookie1995]

Re: Boston University - 2017-2018 season - thread numero uno

good news is bu didn't lose last night!

 

[chickod]

One of my big pet peeves with the current student fans is whenever they start cheering en masse when BU gains possession of the puck towards the offensive zone.

At last Friday’s Providence game, nothing of any note was going on (at least IMO) when suddenly this huge roar went up. I starting looking around saying “What happened??” People must have thought I was nuts. Apparently BU had “gained possession.” Jeez...big whoop! Have times changed...