Re: Merrimack Offseason: ya, so that was fun.........
I'm unable to make a direct comparison because I was too young during that season. It's hard to make comparisons between decades, and the difference between Division II, Division II/Division I Independent and Division I Hockey East only complicates things.
I think for me what nudges the '88 team to the forward is that they were straddling the gap between Division I and II at the time. They didn't have a full Division I schedule, but I think they would have done well if they had. The only league championship they were allowed to compete for, they won. They only won one round in the NCAAs-- compared to the '78 championship-- but it was the Division I tourney they were playing in, and in it, they beat the Hockey East and Beanpot champ to advance to the next round, and won the first game in the next round, against the eventual champion, at home, in what I think was their first and only home loss that year. It's hard to understate what was accomplished that season.
Yes, the '78 team won everything they could have one at the level they were competing at. The '88 team also won everything they could at that level (I'm not sure if there was a Division II national tourney that year, but even if there was, I think they could not possibly have been eligible for that tournament AND the Division I NCAA tourney) AND went further than I think just about anyone could have reasonably expected in the big dance. That's still as far as any Merrimack team has gotten in that tournament; that's two game wins and one series win, and since that time, the mark in the books is still zero NCAA tourney wins.
So this season had an awful lot of firsts, especially if you look only at the Hockey East era. All-time, though, I'd say the program still has steps to take in terms of being consistently good, and in terms of postseason achievements. I might very well take Da Costa as a player to build around over Vesey, and I'll admit that this year's team is definitely the best and deepest since '88... but if I were to pit the '88 team against this year's team, both at their peaks... I'm not sure this year's squad would win that, and my doubt there starts in net. Purely an armchair exercise, of course.
I'm unable to make a direct comparison because I was too young during that season. It's hard to make comparisons between decades, and the difference between Division II, Division II/Division I Independent and Division I Hockey East only complicates things.
I think for me what nudges the '88 team to the forward is that they were straddling the gap between Division I and II at the time. They didn't have a full Division I schedule, but I think they would have done well if they had. The only league championship they were allowed to compete for, they won. They only won one round in the NCAAs-- compared to the '78 championship-- but it was the Division I tourney they were playing in, and in it, they beat the Hockey East and Beanpot champ to advance to the next round, and won the first game in the next round, against the eventual champion, at home, in what I think was their first and only home loss that year. It's hard to understate what was accomplished that season.
Yes, the '78 team won everything they could have one at the level they were competing at. The '88 team also won everything they could at that level (I'm not sure if there was a Division II national tourney that year, but even if there was, I think they could not possibly have been eligible for that tournament AND the Division I NCAA tourney) AND went further than I think just about anyone could have reasonably expected in the big dance. That's still as far as any Merrimack team has gotten in that tournament; that's two game wins and one series win, and since that time, the mark in the books is still zero NCAA tourney wins.
So this season had an awful lot of firsts, especially if you look only at the Hockey East era. All-time, though, I'd say the program still has steps to take in terms of being consistently good, and in terms of postseason achievements. I might very well take Da Costa as a player to build around over Vesey, and I'll admit that this year's team is definitely the best and deepest since '88... but if I were to pit the '88 team against this year's team, both at their peaks... I'm not sure this year's squad would win that, and my doubt there starts in net. Purely an armchair exercise, of course.
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His twin brother Ryan was a great goalie in high school, too.
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