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Ccc 2021-2022
- Thread starter dinocoach
- Start date
Sort of an expected start to the Conference play with maybe the exception on the UNE/Nichols score. Not sure anyone saw that lopsided a score coming at this point in the season. The Endicott/Salve game, at least in the box score, seems to have been dominated by Salve with shots being very lopsided, it Endicott must have turned it on in the 3rd.
I know the season is early, but the thought through the conference was that there would be 5 or six teams contending for the Conference Championship. I’m not sure there are that many. I am also uncertain if the Conference schedule will help teams that play well but don’t win the conference championship. Playing each other 3 times, and we all know how tough it to beat a team 3 times in a season! This gives lots of chances for teams to get complacent.
Glad the season is on, and lets hope we make it through to March!
I know the season is early, but the thought through the conference was that there would be 5 or six teams contending for the Conference Championship. I’m not sure there are that many. I am also uncertain if the Conference schedule will help teams that play well but don’t win the conference championship. Playing each other 3 times, and we all know how tough it to beat a team 3 times in a season! This gives lots of chances for teams to get complacent.
Glad the season is on, and lets hope we make it through to March!
I don’t usually rag on officials, but last night in Biddeford these guys were worse than awful! Both of the refs had trouble getting out of the way of the players and the play. They often go caught in the middle of plays, and not just along the boards. There was on situation where neither ref was in position to see a play where the UNE player was knocked to ice and play had to be stopped. The back ref was beyond the red line with these 2 guys behind him! I thought that was the purpose. Even with this, a player was given a major and game disqualification, with no explanation as to what the actual call was. When the ref made the call, he gave the penalties to the wrong player. He was nowhere near where the foul occurred. That kid definitely got screwed.
The kicker came with Nichols on a 5-3 power play goal with one second left on the penalty first penalty. The penalty time keeper took the first penalty off the board and left the second time, as he should have. Play started with both teams skating 5 on 5 and the penalty time on the clock. After about 10 second the ref stopped play, probably because the Nichols bench was yelling that UNE had too many men. It took a good 10 minutes to figure out the situation and UNE, which should have had time remaining on the second penalty, got the man back and Nichols lost a power play chance!
All of these are pretty monumental, but this call took the cake. A UNE skater with the puck, skating out of his end, toe picked and fell. The closest Nichols player was 6 to 8 feet away from him and the ref called an “embellishment” penalty on the UNE player!
In any event, all this long winded rant is to say that the CCC better do a much better job with their officials if they want to be a top conference. Certainly, the level of play for the majority of teams in the CCC demands that they have some quality guys out there.
So much for my Sunday morning rant! Enjoy the week, and I am really happy to be watching hockey live again!
The kicker came with Nichols on a 5-3 power play goal with one second left on the penalty first penalty. The penalty time keeper took the first penalty off the board and left the second time, as he should have. Play started with both teams skating 5 on 5 and the penalty time on the clock. After about 10 second the ref stopped play, probably because the Nichols bench was yelling that UNE had too many men. It took a good 10 minutes to figure out the situation and UNE, which should have had time remaining on the second penalty, got the man back and Nichols lost a power play chance!
All of these are pretty monumental, but this call took the cake. A UNE skater with the puck, skating out of his end, toe picked and fell. The closest Nichols player was 6 to 8 feet away from him and the ref called an “embellishment” penalty on the UNE player!
In any event, all this long winded rant is to say that the CCC better do a much better job with their officials if they want to be a top conference. Certainly, the level of play for the majority of teams in the CCC demands that they have some quality guys out there.
So much for my Sunday morning rant! Enjoy the week, and I am really happy to be watching hockey live again!
OK so what's up with the Poll this week?? Two other CCC teams need a little more love. Salve Regina even though they are 3-2 have two one goal losses to #7 Endicott & #4 Norwich, but also beat Endicott. But what about undefeated Curry. 5-0-1 exhibition win at Norwich and a opening Tournament win over #15 UMass Boston???
Thoughts??
Thoughts??
bakdraft21
Well-known member
There seems to be a HUGE amount of parity going around the D3 ranks, that said don't worry to much about the polls yet..In the SUNYAC we have several close games with a few of the teams who are usually also-rans,so you never know this year, may take awhile to shake out and/or there will be a ton of close games and conference races???
I think the CCC is a very strong conference. Endicott, UNE, Salve, Curry, Nichols, Wentworth and now WNEU and Suffolk are all capable of beating anyone. I think UNE and Endicott get extra attention because they’ve been “there” for a few seasons, and I would hate to think that Salve gets dissed because of their reputation (I am sure they aren’t!). Curry may still suffer because of the ECAC-NE and folks not thinking they are quite there.
I really worry that the CCC teams will be beating each other up all season and when it comes time for the post season, only the Conference Champion will get consideration. It’s hard enough for any team to beat an opponent 3 times in a season, then you have the post season game for a fourth time!
I do think that the polls will work themselves out. It is still very early in the season and, hopefully, the cream will rise to the top. This sort of parity is great for college hockey and makes each weekend fun and worth looking forward to.
I really worry that the CCC teams will be beating each other up all season and when it comes time for the post season, only the Conference Champion will get consideration. It’s hard enough for any team to beat an opponent 3 times in a season, then you have the post season game for a fourth time!
I do think that the polls will work themselves out. It is still very early in the season and, hopefully, the cream will rise to the top. This sort of parity is great for college hockey and makes each weekend fun and worth looking forward to.
Fishman'81
Black Bear since D-2
Well, only the conference TOURNAMENT "champion" will be guaranteed a berth, never mind the actual RS champ... If some CCC team comes out of nowhere to win the silly PS tourny, it'll likely displace a demonstrably more deserving CCC team in the span of 10 days. Rinse and repeat as far as other tournament upsets go.
Truly a stupid way to select the field.
I don’t disagree with you, Fish, it is a dumb way to select a representative for your conference. There definitely needs to be more weight placed on a season long performance rather than getting hot for three games. Saying this, I also realize we live in an imperfect world.
Speaking of imperfect worlds, still trying to figure out the Poll from last week. UNE and Endicott played two close games, UNE winning at Endicott and Endicott winning at UNE, Endicott moves up in the Poll and UNE moves down. Figure that one out!
Speaking of imperfect worlds, still trying to figure out the Poll from last week. UNE and Endicott played two close games, UNE winning at Endicott and Endicott winning at UNE, Endicott moves up in the Poll and UNE moves down. Figure that one out!
All you would have to do is convince your conference, the CCC to send the regular season champion to the NCAAs. The conference determines who goes and they could change their choice to the regular season champion. Of course then, there would be no need or appetite for a Conference tourney at the end of the season.
Fishman'81
Black Bear since D-2
Well, the polls mean nothing, and when the PW comes out, I expect to see a heavy CCC presence in the top 16. It looks to be the deepest conference in the East right now.
PrezdeJohnson09
Proud supporter of Osmirwich hockey
The NEHC would like a word…
I would have agreed with your statement about the strength of the CCC before the season began. I thought there would be a real tight race between UNE, Nichols, Endicott, Salve, Curry with WNEU and Wentworth just a step below. Nichols is the real surprise so far. They have played some really great hockey against UNE and Endicott only to come up empty. I think Salve has been disappointing, as well as I really thought Wentworth would start out stronger.
I know we’re still early, and there is a lot of hockey still to come. As for the NEHC, who had USM beating Skidmore on the Bingo Card? Especially after losing top J&W!
Fishman'81
Black Bear since D-2
Not as good at the top, but maybe "deeper"... Guess we'll see. There's insufficient data right now, for sure.
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PrezdeJohnson09
Proud supporter of Osmirwich hockey
Not as good at the top, but maybe "deeper"... Guess we'll see. There's insufficient data right now, for sure.
What do you mean not as good at the top?
Norwich beat Salve Regina, NEC beat Suffolk, Castleton beat Wentworth.
Wentworth beat Skidmore and Curry beat UMass Boston.
Babson is 4-1-2, Hobart is 6-1-1 and Norwich is 3-0-3. NEHC has three teams ranked in the top 10, five in the top 15 and seven receiving votes...
Fishman'81
Black Bear since D-2
You misunderstood. Clearly, the CCC isn't as good at the top. That's what I meant.
Anyhoo, it's way too early to make draw any decent comparisons between the two. We can revisit the topic later, when there's some actual statistical evidence to consider, as opposed to the utterly extraneous polls.
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This last weekend before schools head out for the holiday break could be big in determining where the strength of the conference is. The big games will be at Curry and Endicott on Friday and Saturday, as they face each other in a showdown of the top two teams in the conference. UNE will have to play their best to keep pace with Curry and Endicott when the play WNEU on Friday and Saturday. I also think that Salve could have its hands full with a very spunky Suffolk team.
I know this may seem trite, but this is the weekend that Nichols must breakout against an up-and-down Wentworth team. I seem to remember, pre pandemic, that Nichols started this way and went on to win the conference championship. I think…, my memory seems to lapse as I get older! Enjoy these weekend games, and then enjoy the holidays and stay safe from omicron!
I know this may seem trite, but this is the weekend that Nichols must breakout against an up-and-down Wentworth team. I seem to remember, pre pandemic, that Nichols started this way and went on to win the conference championship. I think…, my memory seems to lapse as I get older! Enjoy these weekend games, and then enjoy the holidays and stay safe from omicron!
Two really good games between Curry & Endicott. Both home teams taking home the wins. Curry did play without their #1 Goalie Cooper but Polosak was outstanding on Friday night. Whalgren played well tonight and if not for a couple tough calls and non-call by the officials the game may have been different. No goal changed to goal after puck went in after the whistle on Endicott second goal and a goalie interference no call on goal #3. But Endicott is a very talented team. Two pretty evenly matched teams. Top 4 teams in CCC are good and hopefully as one reader has said many times, hope they don’t beat the hell out of each other before the season ends.
I think we can officially move Nichols out of the top tier in the CCC and resign to the fact that there are 4 teams who can be considered as competitive.Really disappointed in Nichols, thought they could have had a respectable club to compete with anyone in the country. There are still a couple of potential clubs who could still surprise,
Not really sure what is happening at Nichols. Anyone have any insight?
Not really sure what is happening at Nichols. Anyone have any insight?