USCHO Fan Forum
This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
-
The USCHO Fan Forum has migrated to a new plaform, xenForo. Most of the function of the forum should work in familiar ways. Please note that you can switch between light and dark modes by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right of the main menu bar. We are hoping that this new platform will prove to be faster and more reliable. Please feel free to explore its features.
Penn State 2012-2013: Welcome to D1
- Thread starter slowe
- Start date
RIT Winters
Hey, you SUCK!
Re: Penn State 2012-2013: Welcome to D1
I'm sure Michigan felt pretty confident going into Thursday's game as well. On any given night, either team can come out on top.
I think that the ice will be tilted heavily in RIT's favor for reasons listed above, plus they play their best in front of the big crowd, but I don't think it's impossible for Penn State to bring the heat and surprise us. It's not very often a goalie sees 64 shots and only lets in 3. I'm hoping they don't, of course.
I'm sure Michigan felt pretty confident going into Thursday's game as well. On any given night, either team can come out on top.
I think that the ice will be tilted heavily in RIT's favor for reasons listed above, plus they play their best in front of the big crowd, but I don't think it's impossible for Penn State to bring the heat and surprise us. It's not very often a goalie sees 64 shots and only lets in 3. I'm hoping they don't, of course.
Re: Penn State 2012-2013: Welcome to D1
They play Buff State on Friday - I think they can win that one.
Congrats on the win, I'm sure it was a fun series for you guys. I have a feeling next weekend won't be as fun
They play Buff State on Friday - I think they can win that one.
Re: Penn State 2012-2013: Welcome to D1
6000 capacity sounds about right. Hopefully they start packing in the crowds in a few years.
6000 capacity sounds about right. Hopefully they start packing in the crowds in a few years.
Scally Lama
Dominik 2.0
Re: Penn State 2012-2013: Welcome to D1
Hey, guy who wrote those posts you referenced here!
The home opener on Friday did sell out - that afternoon. Granted, there was just standing room left at that point, but still...we're talking about a sellout being a reported crowd of 1300. And there's that whole "first game in DI history" thing, against a DI opponent, even if it's just AIC. Bye week for football, too. Re-reading my two posts, I no longer think things are quite as dire as I portrayed, but it still blows my mind that we're so slow in filling a tiny rink. The 5300 for the Saturday game in Wilkes-Barre is encouraging, so I'm latching on to that for now. Like I said in one of the posts, I unnecessarily bought ACHA season tickets in 2011-12 just to get priority for this season - I thought it would be an insane crush for tickets and that I was being pretty smart. I do think we'll manage to sell out this season, and the arena bump will help next year. After that, hopefully the program will have carved out a niche in what, frankly, is an oversaturated sports landscape, even for a large school. Maybe we'll even be winning a few big games by then, since our recruiting is taking a big step up starting with that year.
As for the schedule...that one's hard to fully explain. I think a lot of it is due to the fact that the Big Ten wasn't originally supposed to start up until 2014-2015. Rightly or wrongly (wrongly, in my opinion), administration has sort of treated the conference like the true finish line and was going to go through a very gradual transition building up to 2014. Last year, originally, was supposed to be like any other ACHA year. We hired Gadowsky in the spring of 2011, but ACHA coach Scott Balboni was to continue on that season while Gadowsky's staff simply recruited and helped implement their systems (for a brief time, Gadowsky and Balboni were actually listed side by side as head coaches on the ACHA team's website, until Balboni resigned). We scheduled accordingly, and were pretty heavily criticized in ACHA circles when we ended up playing that schedule (as opposed to more DIIIs or even a DI or two) with a Gadowsky-coached team and four NCAA transfers. This year, originally year two of the three-year transition plan, was scheduled as an in-between year, reflected in the schedule. Next year, would have been more or less a full DI independent schedule in the new arena, followed by the Big Ten in 2014. Scholarships were going to slowly be increased to the 18 along with that.
I'm oversimplifying a little bit for the sake of clear explanation, but I believe that we're still seeing the awkward effects of changing plans mid-stream, thanks mostly to the Big Ten (again, the finish line for PSU administration) moving up a year after it was too late to overhaul the schedule (Gadowsky has said that this year's schedule was mostly created before he was hired). The coach also, from what I've heard, played a role in that he wanted the collective foot a little heavier on the gas - hence his ultimately coaching in the ACHA last year.
I would have liked to have seen a more ambitious schedule, but at the same time, my roots are with the ACHA. So speaking as a fan of a program that struggled for years to schedule NCAA teams, I don't entirely mind giving three of them a shot at us this year. I actually hope that someday, ACHAs can be exempt from game limits - I'd much rather play an annual exhibition against Ohio (our biggest ACHA rival) than against [fill in your favorite CIS school].
Hope all of that helps somehow!
Hey, guy who wrote those posts you referenced here!
The home opener on Friday did sell out - that afternoon. Granted, there was just standing room left at that point, but still...we're talking about a sellout being a reported crowd of 1300. And there's that whole "first game in DI history" thing, against a DI opponent, even if it's just AIC. Bye week for football, too. Re-reading my two posts, I no longer think things are quite as dire as I portrayed, but it still blows my mind that we're so slow in filling a tiny rink. The 5300 for the Saturday game in Wilkes-Barre is encouraging, so I'm latching on to that for now. Like I said in one of the posts, I unnecessarily bought ACHA season tickets in 2011-12 just to get priority for this season - I thought it would be an insane crush for tickets and that I was being pretty smart. I do think we'll manage to sell out this season, and the arena bump will help next year. After that, hopefully the program will have carved out a niche in what, frankly, is an oversaturated sports landscape, even for a large school. Maybe we'll even be winning a few big games by then, since our recruiting is taking a big step up starting with that year.
As for the schedule...that one's hard to fully explain. I think a lot of it is due to the fact that the Big Ten wasn't originally supposed to start up until 2014-2015. Rightly or wrongly (wrongly, in my opinion), administration has sort of treated the conference like the true finish line and was going to go through a very gradual transition building up to 2014. Last year, originally, was supposed to be like any other ACHA year. We hired Gadowsky in the spring of 2011, but ACHA coach Scott Balboni was to continue on that season while Gadowsky's staff simply recruited and helped implement their systems (for a brief time, Gadowsky and Balboni were actually listed side by side as head coaches on the ACHA team's website, until Balboni resigned). We scheduled accordingly, and were pretty heavily criticized in ACHA circles when we ended up playing that schedule (as opposed to more DIIIs or even a DI or two) with a Gadowsky-coached team and four NCAA transfers. This year, originally year two of the three-year transition plan, was scheduled as an in-between year, reflected in the schedule. Next year, would have been more or less a full DI independent schedule in the new arena, followed by the Big Ten in 2014. Scholarships were going to slowly be increased to the 18 along with that.
I'm oversimplifying a little bit for the sake of clear explanation, but I believe that we're still seeing the awkward effects of changing plans mid-stream, thanks mostly to the Big Ten (again, the finish line for PSU administration) moving up a year after it was too late to overhaul the schedule (Gadowsky has said that this year's schedule was mostly created before he was hired). The coach also, from what I've heard, played a role in that he wanted the collective foot a little heavier on the gas - hence his ultimately coaching in the ACHA last year.
I would have liked to have seen a more ambitious schedule, but at the same time, my roots are with the ACHA. So speaking as a fan of a program that struggled for years to schedule NCAA teams, I don't entirely mind giving three of them a shot at us this year. I actually hope that someday, ACHAs can be exempt from game limits - I'd much rather play an annual exhibition against Ohio (our biggest ACHA rival) than against [fill in your favorite CIS school].
Hope all of that helps somehow!
UND92UMNLaw99
Registered User
Re: Penn State 2012-2013: Welcome to D1
In hindsight, opening with AIC was a good move for Penn State and having the transitional schedule was a good move. I mean, they had to fight through two overtime games just to get a split with perhaps the worst or second-worst team in D1 (sorry, UAH). What would it have looked like to casual Penn State fans if their new hockey team started the season getting blown out of the water by some more established hockey power? Better to start out with some wins and being able to compete with the opposition in order to prevent the fan base (and the team too) from getting demoralized.
In hindsight, opening with AIC was a good move for Penn State and having the transitional schedule was a good move. I mean, they had to fight through two overtime games just to get a split with perhaps the worst or second-worst team in D1 (sorry, UAH). What would it have looked like to casual Penn State fans if their new hockey team started the season getting blown out of the water by some more established hockey power? Better to start out with some wins and being able to compete with the opposition in order to prevent the fan base (and the team too) from getting demoralized.
Re: Penn State 2012-2013: Welcome to D1
I completely agree. If you would have started d1 against another Big10 opponent I fear that PSU would have been digging the puck out of the net most of this weekend.... AIC and most Atlantic Hockey teams are a good way to get into the d1 scene.
I completely agree. If you would have started d1 against another Big10 opponent I fear that PSU would have been digging the puck out of the net most of this weekend.... AIC and most Atlantic Hockey teams are a good way to get into the d1 scene.
MGoBlueHockey
Wolverine Devotee
Re: Penn State 2012-2013: Welcome to D1
What a joke it is that state and wisconsin scheduled PSU. Nothing like being desperate and wanting/needing guaranteed wins. Props to Michigan, minny and even ohio for taking the high road.
What a joke it is that state and wisconsin scheduled PSU. Nothing like being desperate and wanting/needing guaranteed wins. Props to Michigan, minny and even ohio for taking the high road.
RaceBoarder
Waiting for the Snow to fly...
Re: Penn State 2012-2013: Welcome to D1
Kinda like Michigan taking the high road by not scheduling Bentley...
ScoobyDoo
NPC
Re: Penn State 2012-2013: Welcome to D1
Sure. That's why Penn State forced the Big 10 conference into existence.
Sure. That's why Penn State forced the Big 10 conference into existence.
Dirty
#BanBiddy
Re: Penn State 2012-2013: Welcome to D1
Or RIT. Though that plan sort of backfired on the Wolverines.
Or RIT. Though that plan sort of backfired on the Wolverines.
Re: Penn State 2012-2013: Welcome to D1
Thanks for the reply.
Nevertheless, I think Penn State will pay mightily for scheduling patsies this season come next season.
Since I just saw UNO play Army in Kansas City at the Icebreaker, a team with a good goaltender that was nonetheless completely over-matched and couldn't even begin to skate with UNO, I'll be interested in seeing how Penn State matches up with them on Friday the 26th in West Point.
Actually, I'd like to see UNO play a game or two against the Husker team (ACHA members) as well, even if just an exhibition. I think it would be fun for all involved, particularly, the Huskers, who don't even play their home games in Lincoln, they play them at Sidner Ice Arena in Fremont, NE.
Thanks for the reply.
Nevertheless, I think Penn State will pay mightily for scheduling patsies this season come next season.
Since I just saw UNO play Army in Kansas City at the Icebreaker, a team with a good goaltender that was nonetheless completely over-matched and couldn't even begin to skate with UNO, I'll be interested in seeing how Penn State matches up with them on Friday the 26th in West Point.
Actually, I'd like to see UNO play a game or two against the Husker team (ACHA members) as well, even if just an exhibition. I think it would be fun for all involved, particularly, the Huskers, who don't even play their home games in Lincoln, they play them at Sidner Ice Arena in Fremont, NE.
MGoBlueHockey
Wolverine Devotee
Bentley isn't a ACHA transitioning to NCAA program last time I checked. Nice try though.
Flashy Man
Misfit Emeritus
Re: Penn State 2012-2013: Welcome to D1
They're still transitioning from NCAA DII.
They're still transitioning from NCAA DII.
RIT Winters
Hey, you SUCK!
Re: Penn State 2012-2013: Welcome to D1
Anyone who thinks RIT is an assured win at this point has not been following the NCAA for the last 2-3 years.
Anyone who thinks RIT is an assured win at this point has not been following the NCAA for the last 2-3 years.
owslachief
occupe toi de tes oignons
UND92UMNLaw99
Registered User
Re: Penn State 2012-2013: Welcome to D1
I have to say that I'm not very impressed with the fan support of PSU hockey that I'm seeing on this site and on PSU hockey related sites. It looks like there is one PSU fan who posts on USCHO, and it is the same guy who runs the main PSU hockey blog, the Thank You Terry blog. There was no PSU vs AIC score update thread on either Friday or Saturday. And there is pretty much no commenting activity on that Thank You Terry blog or the discussion forum that he links to. This is for a future Big 10 hockey program, in a state with two NHL teams, on a campus with a very large student body, for a program that is building a brand new $100 million arena. Contrast that with UAH - it looks like they have about 10x the fan support/presence on USCHO and on their own sites - and that's for an independent school in the middle of ALABAMA with a very questionable future.
PSU, you need to prove that you know and support something other than football.
I have to say that I'm not very impressed with the fan support of PSU hockey that I'm seeing on this site and on PSU hockey related sites. It looks like there is one PSU fan who posts on USCHO, and it is the same guy who runs the main PSU hockey blog, the Thank You Terry blog. There was no PSU vs AIC score update thread on either Friday or Saturday. And there is pretty much no commenting activity on that Thank You Terry blog or the discussion forum that he links to. This is for a future Big 10 hockey program, in a state with two NHL teams, on a campus with a very large student body, for a program that is building a brand new $100 million arena. Contrast that with UAH - it looks like they have about 10x the fan support/presence on USCHO and on their own sites - and that's for an independent school in the middle of ALABAMA with a very questionable future.
PSU, you need to prove that you know and support something other than football.
RIT Winters
Hey, you SUCK!
Re: Penn State 2012-2013: Welcome to D1
If all else fails, throw money at the problem until it goes away.
Penn State has a lot of money.
If all else fails, throw money at the problem until it goes away.
Penn State has a lot of money.
MGoBlueHockey
Wolverine Devotee
Re: Penn State 2012-2013: Welcome to D1
Exactly. I wasn't taking RIT lightly at all. I was a little concerned when I saw them scheduled as the first series in a season where Michigan has to replace their greatest goaltender in program history with a 18 year old Freshman.
I'm a little curious to see the atmosphere at RIT when Michigan plays there next in the return series.
Exactly. I wasn't taking RIT lightly at all. I was a little concerned when I saw them scheduled as the first series in a season where Michigan has to replace their greatest goaltender in program history with a 18 year old Freshman.
I'm a little curious to see the atmosphere at RIT when Michigan plays there next in the return series.