Re: Penn State's Impact on Women's Hockey
The last few posts have contained a number of good insights. Combine them, and you get a fairly decent road map for PSU to follow in the early years.
Scheduling
First, as ARM notes, North Dakota played an independent schedule for their first two seasons. Penn State would be well advised to do the same. Certainly independent scheduling isn't a foreign concept to the Nittany Lions.
Beyond being wise, it may be one of the few viable choices. As Skate79 argues, PSU isn't likely to be admitted to Hockey East or the ECAC. Joining the WCHA as brand new program would likely be an 0-28 suicide mission. The CHA might be less overwhelming. But at this point, it's not at all clear that's in the best interests of either side. (my previous post.)
In building an independent schedule, I completely agree with Lt. Powers that the two in-state rivals are a great place to start. Mercyhurst and Robert Morris should have permanent places on the PSU schedule, IMHO. Further IMHO, the Buckeyes and the Nittany Lions should begin an annual series at the earliest possible time.
Like Skate79 and Hux, I also believe that match-ups with Minnesota and Wisconsin would serve Penn State's interests well. On a Men's Hockey thread, it was suggested that the new PSU teams would do well to play some early games in the Boston area. I'll sign on to that thought. Why not make inquiries with each of the four Beanpot schools? You'd probably get a nibble or two. Likely all would be interested; the stumbling block would be availability.
That's a half season worth of games right there. For the remainder, I would first seek out other fledging programs, with Syracase at the top of the list. Finally, programs that have struggled a bit lately would provide some needed balance. Penn State's brand name would open some of those doors.
Conference Affiliation
It will be a couple years before PSU hits the ice, IIRC. Add couple more seasons as an independent, and we've got 4 years of breathing room on the question. Perhaps the Big Ten's plans, or lack thereof, will have crystallized at that point. If the Spartans and Wolverines really go D-1 in Women's Hockey, a Women's BTHC could be at hand.
Personally, I'm not sold on the idea of a six team BTHC -- for either gender. But there have been appealing rumors that Illinois and Indiana are considering D-1 Hockey. That may be mere wishful thinking. But if it all comes to fruition, and there actually are 8 BT teams playing Women's D-1, the BTHC happens. In other words, conference affiliation becomes a non-issue for PSU.
But what if the other BT schools stay at the club level? Selfishly, I would like to see PSU join the Women's WCHA. It's a great, great league, and all 4 BT teams would be together in the same conference. Both factors would be attractive incentives for Penn State. On the WCHA's side, adding a ninth team would create scheduling complications. Giving up the tidy 8 team schedule would be difficult for some to accept. But the sacrifice would probably be worth it to gain a school of Penn State's stature.
Naturally if a Women's BTHC is a long way off, the CHA will want to make a pitch for PSU. If the Nittany Lions were truly available for the indefinite future, as opposed to just passing through, they'd be a great catch. If that transpired, I imagine OSU would get a renewed inquiry, and we'd at least have to listen. The CHA, as currently constituted, isn't an attractive option compared to the WCHA. But add Penn State, and say Notre Dame, and maybe you have something that starts looking like the equivalent of the Men's CCHA. Personally I'd want to OSU to remain in the Women's WCHA, with the creation of the BTHC as the only exception. But it must be conceded that Penn State's decision will have quite an impact on the relevant incentives.
Sean, was this the kind of post you had in mind?
