Re: Utica College Pioneers '13-'14 = Lewiston or Bust
After finally catching a couple of home games last week I am going to say neutral.
The crowd was defiantly down from Nuemann games in the past both games I would be surprised if the actual crowd exceeded 2500. But that being said I think in the future it will help. Utica is going to have to go on the road more in the future which should help them make the argument come selection time if they can get more road wins over decent to good teams. Second and what I think is the most import the rink and surrounding area are getting some serious capital improvement (the ice is a million times better it was even still in good shape being played on right after the women's game in previous years when they did double headers like that the ice was slop by the time the men took to it and I could actually hear and understand what the penalty announcer was saying) second if the plans for the phantom parking garage finally come through it is going to make going to games so much less of a hassle in the future some of those missing fans may find their way back to the Aud. The only thing that really bothered me about the place now the the comets are in there is the simple fact that the green and blue color skim is not the Utica Memorial Auditorium and I wish they would bring the old orange walls back. Sprry a little long winded but those are my thoughts.
Good post... I tend to agree with 95% of it.
A couple of comments:
I don't know of any objective measure out there that makes any distinction between home and away games; there is just no statistically-reasonable manner to weight that factor. If the W as a whole gets back up to snuff re: their OOC record, UC can schedule as many home games as they usually do and be fine via SOS when the PS cards on on the table. (And let's not forget that teams are lining-up to come here, because there is a rare D-3 payday to be had, and SOS points of their own to play for.)
I've only missed one home game this year, have seen the "SOLD OUT" signs on the windows at most of the rest, but usually estimate only about 2,500 actual human beings in the seats, just as you have... Like UCBadger, I have 4 season tickets, but we only account for all four asses-in-the-seats about half the time. (The large blocks of empty seats I assume are owned by local businesses; I don't know.)
I was a bit ambivalent regarding how all that money was allotted for the The Aud, vs. for the incredible amount of infrastructure improvements needed around here... But, to me, if it was going to be thrown towards something fairly trivial, it was all about the ice, which was ghastly at least half the time in the past... The games there are always watchable now, at least in terms of the surface.
(BTW, did a little digging, and that parking-thing is still on hold, from what I hear... Apparently, Vancouver is still being coy about their plans.)
....Next year's schedule will be the litmus test. I do like most of the improvements to the Aud...not really wild about the jumbotron and the ads played there, but I understand the economic realities of losing the wall/board advertising revenue to the Johnie-come-lately team. It is interesting that I don't think they sell candy anymore (at least at the stand I frequent)....perhaps to keep folks from throwing M&Ms 
. The ticket issue, with lots of season tickets sold, but not always used....color me guilty-have 4, only use 1-3 at any game.....has made the crowds smaller, but I doubt as low as 2500. To be honest, it has been a better environment, sharing the Aud, than I expected. Based on what I hear sometimes around me, it appears that there are some pro fans who are now coming to the UC games.