UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

[Patman]

Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

The league wasn't mediocre, but some of the teams were as always. BC and UNH are always at the top for the most part along with BU who had a down year. Lowell, UMass, VT will always be middle of the pack teams and Maine will be the "X" factor. In the end, Boston College made the Frozen Four, UNH made a regional final, and BU/Maine were playing their best hockey at the end of the season but fell short.

Seems to me that Hockey East was the same as it always is, except BU and Maine fell just short.

so that would be "yes, hockey east had a down year".

 

[Onion Man]

Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

so that would be "yes, hockey east had a down year".

Umm, not, it would mean it is the same year. In the end, the best four teams were BC, UNH, BU, and Maine. The conference got another Frozen Four team again with a good shot of winning another championship. If anything, Hockey East overachieved in 2009 with Vermont in the Frozen Four and Lowell in the Hockey East final.

A mediocre year for Hockey East would be no teams in the Frozen Four or at least in the Regional Finals.

 

[Patman]

Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

A mediocre year for Hockey East would be no teams in the Frozen Four or at least in the Regional Finals.

*SIGH*

You know what... 15 games defines a championship... for the team that wins its 4 games... getting 1 team in not define a league.

 

[Onion Man]

Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

*SIGH*

You know what... 15 games defines a championship... for the team that wins its 4 games... getting 1 team in not define a league.

Teams that play well during March/April defines a championship. Again, Hockey East teams represented themselves very well. I guess you're using meaningless games in November to make you case, but its wrong.

 

[WisemanFromUmass-Lowell]

Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

Teams that play well during March/April defines a championship. Again, Hockey East teams represented themselves very well. I guess you're using meaningless games in November to make you case, but its wrong.

I'm with Patman on this. Yes, playing well in the spring is what makes a champion but games in November are NOT meaningless if we are looking at the quality of the league top to bottom. I think this was one of the weakest seasons for the league, perhaps ever. (Which makes UML's inability to do what they should have done even more hard to stomach.....)

 

[UMLGoon]

Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

Teams that play well during March/April defines a championship. Again, Hockey East teams represented themselves very well. I guess you're using meaningless games in November to make you case, but its wrong.

you must also be the kind of person that believes baseball games in september matter more than those in april

we call that kind of person "verifiably incorrect"

 

[UMLFan]

Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

I'm with Patman on this. Yes, playing well in the spring is what makes a champion but games in November are NOT meaningless if we are looking at the quality of the league top to bottom. I think this was one of the weakest seasons for the league, perhaps ever. (Which makes UML's inability to do what they should have done even more hard to stomach.....)

I'm in the same group. One more point in any game during the season, and this Lowell team might be playing right now. Every game matters ... and this season was weak for HE. Your last line is so perfectly poignant in that regard.

 

[UMLFan]

Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

It's kinda depressing to see UMass' OOC schedule for next year (also for an inexperienced team) and compare to ours. All credit to the Fear the Triangle Blog...

UMass will be opening the season October 8th and 9th with a two game series at Minnesota. Both Yale and Quinnipiac will be returning games at the Mullins Center and UMass will indeed play a yet undetermined opponent at Madison Square Garden. The MSG game is not part of the BU-Cornell series that has taken place there. UMass will end the 2010 calendar year with a two game series at Wisconsin.

 

[bottomdweller]

Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

It's kinda depressing to see UMass' OOC schedule for next year (also for an inexperienced team) and compare to ours. All credit to the Fear the Triangle Blog...

unreal...

 

[jrobes01]

Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

Although it's probably on this thread and I just didn't go back far enough, could someone post Lowell's out of conference schedule for next season?

Thanks!

 

[Gainzo]

Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

I'm kind of torn on this...

On one hand, the Devils leaving will probably have a positive effect on UML hockey. Families that once only went to Devils games might not take notice of the River Hawks and that'll probably boost attendance somewhat. Regardless of whether the Devils leave or not, UML will have full pick on practice/game times.

One the other hand I like AHL hockey and when the River Hawks are in the off-season or I just feel like getting a fix of hockey, Lowell Devils games are alright to go to. Seeing Ben Walter play again this season has been a treat, he's their leading scorer right now. I think the ticket prices are a little higher than they should be, but it's decent hockey. Especially with so many of this year's seniors heading up the AHL, it gives you a chance to still see some of these players.

A team leaving is kind of a poor reflection on the city and even though the crowds were often on the lighter side, it'll have an effect on the businesses nearby. Hopefully Marty is able to get something in there to fill the 40+ nights left behind if they do leave. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

AHL hockey was never going to work in Lowell. The only reason Lowell got an AHL team (the long forgotten Lock Monsters) was because of the Tsongas Arena.

I went to ULowell and lived in Lowell/Dracut from 1990-2002. Hockey talk at school/work was about the Boston Bruins or ULowell. The only time I went to Lock Monster/Devils games was to get drunk with my friends.

It is not a poor reflection of the City. It's actually a good thing as the Devils had a pretty sweet lease at Tsongas.

 

[boblav1]

Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

It's kinda depressing to see UMass' OOC schedule for next year (also for an inexperienced team) and compare to ours. All credit to the Fear the Triangle Blog...

I wonder if Minnesota and Wisconsin will be heading east to UMA in 2011 or is it a one way deal. Either way a pretty impressive OCC schedule for next season.

I believe Wisconsin discontinued their Xmas tourney so they now have some flexibility with the OCC schedule.

 

[John_Fuller]

Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

AHL hockey was never going to work in Lowell.

I'd have to agree with this, since Day One, I've always felt that Lowell would not be able to support two hockey teams playing in the same barn. There is simply not enough demographics, both in population and in economics to support this. Some people will only go to AHL games, I prefer the college game. In 15 years that the AHL team has been in the city, I've been to a total of five games. It may be six on Sunday as this could be the last regular season game at the Tsongas for an AHL affliate, so I'm thinking about going to the game.

The only reason Lowell got an AHL team (the long forgotten Lock Monsters) was because of the Tsongas Arena.

This goes both ways, if Lowell doesn't get an AHL team, UML doesn't get a downtown arena (circa 1995). If the AHL deal had fallen through, UML would have had the 4500 seat campus arena on the ballpark grounds and the ballpark would have been located where the Tsongas is now.

 

[John_Fuller]

Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

I believe Wisconsin discontinued their Xmas tourney so they now have some flexibility with the OCC schedule.

This was the last year of the Badger Showdown as the sponsors did not renew their contract.

 

[pressbox]

Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

I, for one, like having both teams in the same barn. The reason for this is I like to watch the progression of the players careers up the ladder toward the NHL. It makes it easier and unique at the Tsongas by having former HE college players make it to the AHL and then come back to play here again. I spoke with guys like Ben Walter, Stephen Gionta, and Mike McKenna of the Devils last night and when I broached this subject, it sent them down memory lane of the times when they used to play against each other. For those that may not have remembered, Mike McKenna played for St. Lawrence and made two trips to the Tsongas when they played against UML, one in his sophomore year and the other in his senior year. He remembers playing his sophomore year but was the backup his senior year. He was not sure about the outcome of either game but had a laugh or two about it talking with the other guys.

 

[UMLGoon]

Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

so julian melchiori is looking like an early-to-mid third-round pick according to the final central scouting ratings that came out today. he climbed from the 61st-rated north american skater to 45th.

 

[ScottK]

Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

Nevin was released from his ATO with Providence.

 

[UMLFan]

Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

so julian melchiori is looking like an early-to-mid third-round pick according to the final central scouting ratings that came out today. he climbed from the 61st-rated north american skater to 45th.

Here's hoping he doesn't leave early...

 

[John_Fuller]

Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

You may as well punch BC's ticket to Detroit; BC may be playing either Wisco or Cornell in the NC

Better call than some of my weather forecasts...yuck yuck..

 

[Babikian]

Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

Just thought this would be a funny story: So I just played some Intramural softball tonight and our team happened to be playing the UML hockey team. I pitched and they beat us 9-8. Hamilton and Hutton were both there. For a hockey player...Hutts can hit the ball deep he hit 3 solo homers. I int walked him once and he got really mad and flipped out at me. Thought it was funny when he hit the first homerun and he said "Babikian thats how we do it in the pros" and i said "yeah how long that last ya ".