Union College: 2023-2024

[Dutchman]

UNION will finish 5-8 and have home ice for the first round. This is much better than what I expedted at the year's start. Numbers 3 & 4 were there for the taking down the stretch, and it looks like Dartmouth and Colgate grabbed them. Looks like UNION will play either RPI or Brown.

 

[Mike Hutter]

Brown Union playoff game should be a good one. The rivalry has been there since U went DI. First game at Achilles this year was a toss up, both teams playing well. Second one was interesting, Brown controlling until costly injury to Scott and incredible effort by U to prevail. If Brown has some of its injured players back (played Harvard with a depleted roster), will be a close game and maybe even if not if Lawton stays hot.

 

[Dutchman]

In the past ten seasons, Union is 8-7-4 against Brown. Four of those Brown wins have occurred in Schenectady. In the last ten matchups since 2019, Brown is 5-3-2.

 

[Unionpalooza]

I wasn't concerned about the capacity for non-hockey. My point was hockey attendance only and building an arena today for only 2200 makes little sense unless their studies show that 2200 capacity will not be exceeded repeatedly. Certainly, you'll have trouble attracting NCAA regionals. 3000 would have been better.

I don't think you're right about the operational and maintenance costs of the rink. The lease payments will have to cover those costs because that is the only source of incoming funds when the rink is operational. For concerts and other events, they can cover those costs through renting the space, ticket revenue, booth rentals, signage, etc... Hockey doesn't generate that type of income flow so the lease payments are pretty much what will cover 'time on ice'. Unless they sell ad space along the boards.

The 2,200 capacity for hockey is the same as Messa, which hovers around 80% average capacity. Attendance peaked at ~90% in the title contending era, so this seems like a decent number for hockey; my understanding is that there was a strong desire to avoid a larger but often empty rink, given it what that does to game atmosphere. (One of the best things about Messa is that it is frequently pretty full, a sounds and feels it.)

I think there are pros and cons to the slightly-off-campus location. They probably lose a little student attendance, but gain a little local attendance now that parking will not be horrific.

Huge benefit to recruiting. They’ve put lipstick on it several times, but Messa is still a dump, especially at a day-to-day facility level.

And for finances, it’s basically a wash; the ~$1M a year in lease payments is about the same it would have cost to upgrade and maintain Messa at a “barely functioning” level for the foreseeable future. Union sheds the need to finance a major rink project, and eliminates any downside risk below it’s lease number. Messa will not continue to operate as a rink; it will become an indoor practice and locker room facility for other teams, which is big benefit to the football, lacrosse, soccer, and other teams.

So, it’s a no-brainer. Achilles is a super cool old rink with lots of charm and history, but it’s a money pit and problem in recruiting. A 6,000 person facility on campus would be cool, but it would never be filled, and would cost Union way too much. What we’re getting is a great result.

 

[Dutchman]

We will face off against Brown in Schenectady tonight. If we get by them, which is not certain, by any means, we could possibly face off against Colgate. This might bring back memories of March 13, 2011.
No. 4/4 Union falls 4-3 in overtime to Colgate in the deciding game of the ECAC Quarterfinals.
Colgate was at the time 11-26-3, and only 4-15-3 in the ECAC and the Dutchmen were 26-9-4, and 17-3-2 in the ECAC and heading for the NCAA Tournament. This was a shocker of a loss and a complete upset. We lost to Minnesota Duluth, the eventual National Champions, in the first round.

 

[Dutchman]

Nice win !! We started on a tear and never looked back. Does RPI win over Clarkson mean we head to Dartmouth? I like our chances. Dartmouth is a tough out this year. It's going to be hard to knock them out. They are tough at home. Dartmouth is a short drive from Schenectady. I hope they get a lot of fan support.

 

[Mike Hutter]

Any comments/thoughts on Union student opening door to Brown bench, entering and "mocking" Brown players until escorted out?

 

[Dutchman]

Any comments/thoughts on Union student opening the door to Brown bench, entering and "mocking" Brown players until escorted out?

Union Students should be expelled if they behave that way. It's disgusting behavior. I will write to the Director of Athletics and the President (seriously). The game had very few penalties, only 4 and 6 penalty minutes. Cannot figure out a motivation. Alcohol is not allowed at the games. Will advise.

 

[Mike Hutter]

Union Students should be expelled if they behave that way. It's disgusting behavior. I will write to the Director of Athletics and the President (seriously). The game had very few penalties, only 4 and 6 penalty minutes. Cannot figure out a motivation. Alcohol is not allowed at the games. Will advise.

Security threw out several students who were drinking during game. Problem was students leaving the rink between periods.

 

[Dutchman]

Going down the stretch, the young Dartmouth team was definitely improving. Not so much for the Dutchmen. The 3 & 4 slots were up for the taking, and Dartmouth clearly was hungrier. As much as I would love to see the Dutchmen make it to Lake Placid, I see them losing in two games, both of which are OT.

 

[Skate79]

Going down the stretch, the young Dartmouth team was definitely improving. Not so much for the Dutchmen. The 3 & 4 slots were up for the taking, and Dartmouth clearly was hungrier. As much as I would love to see the Dutchmen make it to Lake Placid, I see them losing in two games, both of which are OT.

Don't be too sure. Dartmouth hasn't been in this position in a long time. This is new territory for them. Cashman is an experienced tournament coach so that may help swing the series to the Green. Still think it's going the distance.

 

[Dutchman]

Don't be too sure. Dartmouth hasn't been in this position in a long time. This is new territory for them. Cashman is an experienced tournament coach who may help swing the series to the Green. Still think it's going the distance.

I hope you are right. When an opponent scored first this year, Dartmouth was 2-9-7. When Dartmouth trailed after 1, it was 1-5-2. The Dutchmen scored the first and led 1-0 in the second period. Dartmouth still pulled it out. Since January 20, Dartmouth has only lost twice: once to Q-pac and once to Colgate in overtime (8-2-3). It's going to be very hard to end their season.

 

[Dutchman]

"I hate being right all the time ... it's a real burden."

 

[Dutchman]

A good team improves as the year progresses, which is a sign of a good coach. Union just drifted along this year. Little improvement as the year progressed. Union has always fired or driven off its best coaches in its drive for mediocracy. Dartmouth is peeking at just the right time. They tied Cornell twice in the regular season. Sometimes, a new coach will unlock talent that has been there all along. Should Dartmouth have replaced Gaudet earlier? Dartmouth may take it all in the ECAC. I am not sure Dartmouth has ever won the Whitelaw Cup in the league's entire history. I don't think you will find a Darmouth flag hanging from the rafters at Lake Placid. It could be the first time. Cornell better not underestimate Dartmouth.

 

[Dutchman]

Security threw out several students who were drinking during the game. The problem was students leaving the rink between periods.

This incident did not seem to hit the radar of many of the people that I spoke with. Usually, the school is super sensitive to any form of harassment, and this would be especially true for opposing athletic teams. It does not take a lot to get you thrown out of school.

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Any comments/thoughts on Union student opening door to Brown bench, entering and "mocking" Brown players until escorted out?

If true, that student should feel blessed that they did not receive a butt end to the forehead....it would have been warranted!

 

[Thomas Kaine]

A good team improves as the year progresses, which is a sign of a good coach. Union just drifted along this year. Little improvement as the year progressed. Union has always fired or driven off its best coaches in its drive for mediocracy. Dartmouth is peeking at just the right time. They tied Cornell twice in the regular season. Sometimes, a new coach will unlock talent that has been there all along. Should Dartmouth have replaced Gaudet earlier? Dartmouth may take it all in the ECAC. I am not sure Dartmouth has ever won the Whitelaw Cup in the league's entire history. I don't think you will find a Darmouth flag hanging from the rafters at Lake Placid. It could be the first time. Cornell better not underestimate Dartmouth.

Not sure what you’re getting out regarding firing or driving off coaches in a drive for mediocrity. Obviously they fired Bennett but that was a coaching conduct issue; maybe it was a poor decision, but no one knows the full facts, and the fact that Bennett hasn’t and probably won’t ever land another college coaching job probably tells you that was not entirely unwarranted. (Being the only D1 coach over the past few decades who has thrown punches on the ice probably isn’t helping him, either.). Sneddon and Leaman left for greener pastures that could offer scholarships at the time; can’t blame Union for that, and Sneddon certainly never had the success at UVM that Bennett had at Union. Going back further, Stan Moore and Bruce Delvanthal were manifestly not up to D1’s challenges.

I agree that the team as a whole didn’t improve much over the year, but I thought a number of the underclassmen (Mell, Korpi, Buhr, Prokop, Hanley, etc.) made major strides. The real problem was a dearth of upperclassmen talent, especially at the senior level, such that we lived or died based on talented but green young guys. I suspect that this team will take another step forward over the next few years as Hauge is working with a complete and mature roster.

It’s crazy to consider what happens in an alternative world in which Union didn’t bleed talent to the transfer portal like they did in the coaching change. The ECAC first-team includes three guys that started their careers at Union (Prokop, Seger, and Graf), and another transfer out of Union was a first-teamer this year in the NCHC (Dylan Anhorn). That would have been a pretty good team. If only Rick Bennett had taken a few anger management classes back in the day.

 

[Dutchman]

I just saw Cornell vs. Denver. Cornell was the better team and should have won. I cannot believe the penalty call with two minutes left. That was clearly one of the better Cornell teams I have seen in the past many years.

 

[DrewQU99]

I just saw Cornell vs. Denver. Cornell was the better team and should have won. I cannot believe the penalty call with two minutes left. That was clearly one of the better Cornell teams I have seen in the past many years.

Cornell is going to be a force to be reckoned with next season. They're loaded with young talent (10 freshmen) and they only lose 2 players to graduation, one of which is the back-up goalie. The Big Red should be the pre-season favorite to win the ECAC.

 

[Dutchman]

Cornell and Q-Pac represented the ECAC very well, and both came within one goal of making the FF. Hopefully, the league will do even better next year.