UMaine Hockey Offseason: Insert Funny Title Here

[BlackI]

Re: UMaine Hockey Offseason: Insert Funny Title Here

Since it would be a whopping 25 minute trek, I suppose I could make it.

Odds are I'd be covering the games though, so I'll save the $85 for concessions.

25 minutes? You are one of the lucky. Had a house in Hollis. Miss it.

 

[Fishman'81]

Re: UMaine Hockey Offseason: Insert Funny Title Here

Living in Portland, absolutely.

I'd have to make a 6-hour drive to even show up. I'd probably need to have a dog in the hunt (say, UML, where my nephews went, and very certainly Maine, should lightening strike in 2020, but nobody else) to even consider dropping $200 on the games.

I'd expect the Boston-area fans to attend if enough of their teams make the field... But for the rest of us, with every game on TV at no additional expense, never mind the drive, the lodging, etc., it might well be iffy.

 

[BlackI]

Re: UMaine Hockey Offseason: Insert Funny Title Here

I'd have to make a 6-hour drive to even show up. I'd probably need to have a dog in the hunt (Say, UML, where my nephews went, and very certainly Maine, should lightening strike in 2020) to even consider dropping $200 on the games... But I'd expect the Boston-area fans to attend if enough of their teams make the field.

You had nephews go to UML? Actually I am a huge proponent of UML. Not from hockey, from engineering. Who are your nephews?

 

[Fishman'81]

Re: UMaine Hockey Offseason: Insert Funny Title Here

You had nephews go to UML? Actually I am a huge proponent of UML. Not from hockey, from engineering. Who are your nephews?

They both earned degrees from UML, and are both gainfully employed in the bio-med tech business as we speak. Neither of them are much into hockey, but I'm proud of them, and a bit of a Lowell fan as a result.

 

[BlackI]

Re: UMaine Hockey Offseason: Insert Funny Title Here

They both earned degrees from UML, and are both gainfully employed in the bio-med tech business as we speak. Neither of them are much into hockey, but I'm proud of them, and a bit of a Lowell fan as a result.

We employ a lot Lowell grads. I am an engineering type, you know that.

 

[BlackI]

Re: UMaine Hockey Offseason: Insert Funny Title Here

We employ a lot Lowell grads. I am an engineering type, you know that.

Nothing is better than a UMaine engineering degree. Bar none. Maybe MIT, or UCBerlkley. Everyone will say its' better, but it isnt. Spoken from patent holder. And want more from Maine smartest of kids.

 

[BlackI]

Re: UMaine Hockey Offseason: Insert Funny Title Here

BC is third youngest in this league. We are second youngest. We have to think about the difference end of it.

 

[Pucknut]

Re: UMaine Hockey Offseason: Insert Funny Title Here

Couldnt agree more, have posted similar. Nothing against Ben or Alfie or Brad, other than recruiting we dont know what his coach skills are. Id like to hear why people think Ben would be a great head coach.

His name hasnt surfaced yet as a possible good candidate for Merrimack.

Speaking of which, CHN has brought up Cav. as a possible candidate for reasons they laid out. If Cav has his toe in the water I can only hope that Maine would be smart enough to talk with him, and pay the salary. Said to be 300k.

Cav was available when Tim left more so then than now.

 

[chickod]

Re: UMaine Hockey Offseason: Insert Funny Title Here

I would absolutely go. Of course, we can stay with our friends in Saco (but I’d still go)

 

[J.D.]

Re: UMaine Hockey Offseason: Insert Funny Title Here

Don't remember much from Romeo at Maine but he looks pretty good right now

 

[walrus]

Re: UMaine Hockey Offseason: Insert Funny Title Here

Don't remember much from Romeo at Maine but he looks pretty good right now

He never got much of a chance and Red kicked him to the curb. The chances he did get weren't very pretty. Another reason.............

 

[amkirby10]

Re: UMaine Hockey Offseason: Insert Funny Title Here

How aggressively do you all think Red will schedule for next season? There’s a lot of non-conference slots open this year, I believe only Duluth is set. We’ve welcomed the defending national runner-up to Orono two years running now, do you expect that to continue? Would you rather see an easier slate of ECAC and even Atlantic teams , or a more challenging blend of NCHC and B1G teams?

 

[Drew S.]

Re: UMaine Hockey Offseason: Insert Funny Title Here

How aggressively do you all think Red will schedule for next season? There’s a lot of non-conference slots open this year, I believe only Duluth is set. We’ve welcomed the defending national runner-up to Orono two years running now, do you expect that to continue? Would you rather see an easier slate of ECAC and even Atlantic teams , or a more challenging blend of NCHC and B1G teams?

I'd like to see Maine play a couple games against a big time program(Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Denver), a couple against a second tier team(Miami, UMD, Ohio St., Michigan St., etc), a couple against a decent ECAC team(this changes over time obviously but Union, Quinnipiac, Cornell are decent examples), a couple winnable games against either a weak ECAC team or Atlantic Hockey team, and a couple wildcards(maybe a tournament or a team like Arizona St.) This is the formula I would use every year. Apparently money was part of the problem, but this is an area I think Timmy deserves a lot of criticism. Maine's schedule consistently declined until it was an absolute train wreck at the end of his tenure.

 

[umhockey91]

Re: UMaine Hockey Offseason: Insert Funny Title Here

An NCAA ice hockey tournament with no Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, BC, UNH, Maine....no wonder interest in this tourney is dwindling.

 

[ticapnews]

Re: UMaine Hockey Offseason: Insert Funny Title Here

How aggressively do you all think Red will schedule for next season? There’s a lot of non-conference slots open this year, I believe only Duluth is set. We’ve welcomed the defending national runner-up to Orono two years running now, do you expect that to continue? Would you rather see an easier slate of ECAC and even Atlantic teams , or a more challenging blend of NCHC and B1G teams?

What are your goals? If the objective is a NCAA tournament bid, schedule non-con as easy as possible, preferably from the AHA. Look at the difference between Boston College and Northeastern. BC scheduled Denver, St Cloud, Wisconsin, both WCHA finalists...and ran away with Hockey East but failed to make the NCAA. Northeastern played AIC, RIT, Sacred Heart, Bentley and were a lock for the NCAA's since before the Beanpot because of their NC dominance. Of course if Maine schedules all AHA teams attendance will suffer. If you want attendance, try to get teams from out west to come in. But be prepared to miss the NCAA again.

 

[Fishman'81]

Re: UMaine Hockey Offseason: Insert Funny Title Here

He never got much of a chance and Red kicked him to the curb. The chances he did get weren't very pretty. Another reason.............

He was fairly awful in his few Maine appearances, but JHC has he turned it around. Saw him four times this season and he looked like an entirely different goalie. (Maybe he has a little better D in front of him at OSU..? )

 

[Ma#1ne Hky]

Re: UMaine Hockey Offseason: Insert Funny Title Here

A strong NC schedule is a must...to go with the regular Hockey East schedule, which the League should rebound some from what was a "down" year.

 

[Fishman'81]

Re: UMaine Hockey Offseason: Insert Funny Title Here

What are your goals? If the objective is a NCAA tournament bid, schedule non-con as easy as possible, preferably from the AHA. Look at the difference between Boston College and Northeastern. BC scheduled Denver, St Cloud, Wisconsin, both WCHA finalists...and ran away with Hockey East but failed to make the NCAA. Northeastern played AIC, RIT, Sacred Heart, Bentley and were a lock for the NCAA's since before the Beanpot because of their NC dominance. Of course if Maine schedules all AHA teams attendance will suffer. If you want attendance, try to get teams from out west to come in. But be prepared to miss the NCAA again.

SOS was a a key factor re: the PWR until recently, when the pervasive parity in college hockey has favored win % somewhat more...

But, having said that, Maine's SOS this year was too weak to have them near a PW berth, even when they (temporarily) had a decent win%. I don't know the answer, but probably it would behoove Maine to schedule OOC in a high/low fashion. (To wit, pile-up wins against lesser teams and schedule a few really strong ones, and -crucially- win one or two of those games.)

They didn't really have a high-quality win all year, aside from vs. the resurgent BU, and it hurt them... I'm not at all sure that Maine has it in 'em to beat the better teams, anyway, but I do think that they must provide themselves that opportunity.

 

[ticapnews]

Re: UMaine Hockey Offseason: Insert Funny Title Here

We should be getting an announcement out of Orono anytime now...

 

[Runsub5]

Re: UMaine Hockey Offseason: Insert Funny Title Here

We should be getting an announcement out of Orono anytime now...

You must have some inside info. I think the statement will confirm what most of us expect it to be.