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UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

After watching Maine play BU last night I can kinda get why they are here this week end. If they played with that intensity against us last WE-wow. BU didn't show up for 2 periods but yikes- what an exciting game! Here's hoping they send home BC too.
 
Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

saw that hutton might even get into the game tonight. the flyers' organizational depth at goaltender has taken a beating the last few weeks.
 
Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

UMLGoon said:
saw that hutton might even get into the game tonight. the flyers' organizational depth at goaltender has taken a beating the last few weeks.
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Carter did get the start tonight.
 
Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

Lowell needs to start taking Vermont's route to the NCAA's. Play a couple of tough non-con. opponents in October, then stumble through the season, knowing we're safe because of the PWR system that doesn't take into account a team just being flat out awful.

Unreal. They back into the HE tourney. They back into the NCAA's. Whaaaaaaat a joke.
 
Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

Patronick said:
Lowell needs to start taking Vermont's route to the NCAA's. Play a couple of tough non-con. opponents in October, then stumble through the season, knowing we're safe because of the PWR system that doesn't take into account a team just being flat out awful.

Unreal. They back into the HE tourney. They back into the NCAA's. Whaaaaaaat a joke.
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you know what, I wonder where we'd be right now had not lost that game out in Omaha and lost that 2nd game to Princeton. Their schedule strength was higher than ours and that's what appeared to be the difference. The rest of your post... man, its just whining.

Non-conf play sets the table for the rest, I keep saying it and it keeps coming true. We know how it works by now.
 
Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

Patronick said:
Lowell needs to start taking Vermont's route to the NCAA's. Play a couple of tough non-con. opponents in October, then stumble through the season, knowing we're safe because of the PWR system that doesn't take into account a team just being flat out awful.

Unreal. They back into the HE tourney. They back into the NCAA's. Whaaaaaaat a joke.
Click to expand...

They backed their way in sure...but they still did what was required to get in...yeah they sucked at times and did last night but if UML won their own games nothing UVM does is an issue.. and if UVM is awful what does that make UML (in my opinion both sucked)?

AND FYI... I don't think UVM deserves to be in it after how they played out the year but it but the fact they are in tells me how much the other teams suck..
 
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Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

Patman said:
you know what, I wonder where we'd be right now had not lost that game out in Omaha and lost that 2nd game to Princeton. Their schedule strength was higher than ours and that's what appeared to be the difference.
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Bingo.
 
Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

kdaddy said:
They backed their way in sure...but they still did what was required to get in...yeah they sucked at times and did last night but if UML won their own games nothing UVM does is an issue.. and if UVM is awful what does that make UML (in my opinion both sucked)?

AND FYI... I don't think UVM deserves to be in it after how they played out the year but it but the fact they are in tells me how much the other teams suck..
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I agree, it speaks to a larger degree about just how bad hockey was. Once you step down from the elite teams, there's a whole cluster of "so-so" and "ugh".

Lowell had a very disappointing season, no argument. My comments are directed at Vermont's past two seasons of hideous play down the stretch, and making the tournament based on NC wins from the beginning of the year.

BUT, at least Sneddon has the balls to schedule the elite teams - Lowell looks like they're facing another year of AH punching bags for 2010-2011
 
Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

Patronick said:
I agree, it speaks to a larger degree about just how bad hockey was. Once you step down from the elite teams, there's a whole cluster of "so-so" and "ugh".

Lowell had a very disappointing season, no argument. My comments are directed at Vermont's past two seasons of hideous play down the stretch, and making the tournament based on NC wins from the beginning of the year.

BUT, at least Sneddon has the balls to schedule the elite teams - Lowell looks like they're facing another year of AH punching bags for 2010-2011
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Good points...UVM was SAVED by the 6-1 out of conference record against some good teams. Say what you will about Yale but that win by UVM over Yale has them in it....

UVM has been saved by 1-0-1 vs Miami last year and 1-1 vs Denver (and wins against UMD, Yale, SLU, and the 2 BC wins).

Without that tough schedule in Oct UVM is toast but as they say it's the body of work not just part of it.
 
Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

Patronick said:
Lowell needs to start taking Vermont's route to the NCAA's. Play a couple of tough non-con. opponents in October, then stumble through the season, knowing we're safe because of the PWR system that doesn't take into account a team just being flat out awful.

Unreal. They back into the HE tourney. They back into the NCAA's. Whaaaaaaat a joke.
Click to expand...
Well Lowell could have put them out their misery, UNH could have done the same. Just like last year they took care of business early in the season against some pretty good teams and their in. I guess Cats do have nine lives.
 
Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

Patman said:
Non-conf play sets the table for the rest, I keep saying it and it keeps coming true. We know how it works by now.
Click to expand...

In 07/08 Lowell won their first 5 NC games, stretching from the beginning of the season to the break. They went 2-4-4 in thier first 10 HE games in the midst of that stretch.

In 04/05 Lowell went 9-0-1 NC. 0-5-2 in HE in before the break that season.

Additionally, even though UML won 20 games that year, the NC games were against Niagara (x2), Bentley, RPI, St. Lawrence, Clarkson, Dartmouth, Union and Brown. Two of those opponents had winning records that season. Only Dartmouth, if I'm not mistaken was a TUC that season.

Yes, winning NC is very important. But only if 1) you show up when conference play starts and 2) your NC is worth a ****. Which Lowell's hasn't been. And from what we hear, certainly won't be next season.
 
Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

kdaddy said:
Good points...UVM was SAVED by the 6-1 out of conference record against some good teams. Say what you will about Yale but that win by UVM over Yale has them in it....

UVM has been saved by 1-0-1 vs Miami last year and 1-1 vs Denver (and wins against UMD, Yale, SLU, and the 2 BC wins).

Without that tough schedule in Oct UVM is toast but as they say it's the body of work not just part of it.
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Also worth noting (my post directly below emphasies it) that WHO your NC schedule contains is also very important. Nothing but kudos to UVM for taking care of business against some of the top teams in the country this season. Lowell is going no where scheduling the likes of Ala-Huntsville and Bentley (nothing but love for the Chargers, but it's not helping.)
 
Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

Patronick said:
Also worth noting (my post directly below emphasies it) that WHO your NC schedule contains is also very important. Nothing but kudos to UVM for taking care of business against some of the top teams in the country this season. Lowell is going no where scheduling the likes of Ala-Huntsville and Bentley (nothing but love for the Chargers, but it's not helping.)
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I agee, but keep in mind that the NC schedule is sometimes made years in advanced. Princeton was suppose to be a top team in the ECAC this season but struggled. Lowell also played in two tournaments, I'm not sure how much control they had on the teams involved. The key is win those game regardless of who you play.

I agree about scheduling, I would rather play a tough schedule regardless of the results.
 
Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

Lowell was able to schedule apperances at Michigan (1998), Alaska, Badger Showdown, CC/Denver, Denver Cup, Minnesota's tourney, Michigan State, Omaha, Duluth. With the exception of Michigan, all of these have come under Blaise's tenure. The point is well taken, we can't take it to the next level unless we continue to schedule high-quality teams.

However, even with an expected rebuilding year next year, scheduling the likes of Bentley (with no disrespect to the Falcons, but hockey is not a priority at that school) isn't going to get us closer to the NCAA. RIT and Princeton were part of a package deal so our hands were tied. Niagara was probably a good filler considering the travel to the Genesse region of New York.

Merrimack is doing things the right way but are travelling to the big boys. You can't get the big boys to come to you unless you can

a. draw the crowd required
b. become a national relevance.

I'd like to see us pair up with a HE team and head west every other year, go to the St. Clouds, NMU/LSU, Ferris, Bemidji, UND. At least Mankato is coming to the Tsongas in the upcoming year and in all likelihood, we will have to return the favor in two or three years. I'd like to see us in either the Denver Cup, Badger Showdown, or other Western tourney in the next three years. As has been stated, these usually worked out years in advance, so the time for planning is now.

About the tourney briefly...UNH and UVM are in deep trouble; even if UNH makes it past Cornell, they don't beat Denver. The only thing that is saving UVM is that they don't have to play Wisco on the big ice. You may as well punch BC's ticket to Detroit; by far it's the easiest bracket of the four and on their home ice being only six exits down on the Mass. Pike, they should beat UND. BC may be playing either Wisco or Cornell in the NC. Rooting for Ala. Huntsville to give the CCHA the number #1 salute :p and wondering how many closet Nanook fans will make it to ORH. ;)
 
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Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

Patronick said:
In 07/08 Lowell won their first 5 NC games, stretching from the beginning of the season to the break. They went 2-4-4 in thier first 10 HE games in the midst of that stretch.

In 04/05 Lowell went 9-0-1 NC. 0-5-2 in HE in before the break that season.

Additionally, even though UML won 20 games that year, the NC games were against Niagara (x2), Bentley, RPI, St. Lawrence, Clarkson, Dartmouth, Union and Brown. Two of those opponents had winning records that season. Only Dartmouth, if I'm not mistaken was a TUC that season.

Yes, winning NC is very important. But only if 1) you show up when conference play starts and 2) your NC is worth a ****. Which Lowell's hasn't been. And from what we hear, certainly won't be next season.
Click to expand...

Well, the kicker is that out of conference performance can do some good things for common opponents type of considerations. I'd also say that you do need to be able to win those games or at least split them well. Strength of schedule and secondary strength is a strong component as well.

I'd say that we should probably use the non-conf play to set targets. Still like the fact that we schedule Minn-Duluth as we did despite having fits with them. Frankly, in conference play is so static and we know each other too well... and all the minutiae that goes along with playing them. To me conference play is starting to become very boring because there's no flavor to it. So much "same as it ever was".

Ideally, the AHA teams are to be used to round out home dates, the ECAC teams are to trade home dates and then tournaments, WCHA/CCHA teams are used when we want to give home dates. I would prefer, if we can to get a target team... maybe we don't win... sure. But you know, it puts them out there and it isn't the same bland "we know them already" conference opponent. Seems like slow torture in some ways where this all should be interesting.

---

Honestly though, no schedule in particular will give us a bid... but I think it'd be better risk/reward to play our schedule up than down. The bar should be set higher so that you strive to hit that bar. Scheduling weaker opponents means you'll take that part of the schedule for granted. You need to know, internally, that you need to perform.
 
Re: UML offseason looking towards 2010/11 season

boblav1 said:
I agee, but keep in mind that the NC schedule is sometimes made years in advanced. Princeton was suppose to be a top team in the ECAC this season but struggled. Lowell also played in two tournaments, I'm not sure how much control they had on the teams involved. The key is win those game regardless of who you play.

I agree about scheduling, I would rather play a tough schedule regardless of the results.
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The control lies in the teams you schedule. Princeton or SLU may or may not be good teams. So they are iffy when scheduling. UVM has for instance played Miami, or DU their last 3-4 years now. You know those teams are going to be TUC's when the season shakes out. Looks like DU will be at the Gutt for 2 next season along with games against Minn. But I agree with everyone, you have to have a strong OOC schedule to make the NCAA plain and simple. Playing two against Bently, two against UAH and two against Dartmouth isn't going to go far. Especially considering even if you win they get dropped as they actually bring your RPI down. You lose and its a big loss. Those easy OOC games.....there is no upside.
 
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