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Utica College Pioneers 2011-2012

Re: Utica College Pioneers 2011-2012

Bash me all you want when I made the comment of Uticas fans being there for the beer, and toss the attendence from a few years ago with the final four playoffs there, but ill take Oswegos 2500 or Geneseos 2000 fans then Uticas 3500 who are the majority of the time more worried about what they will be wearing tommrow for work, or what they had for dinner the night before, or what time Aunt Mays plane gets in on Tuesday from Orlando.

If they had 3500 hockey fans the place would be amazing. Dont get me wrong its a great recruiting tool. But compare the old Plaatsburgh crowds of 3200 to Uticas 3500+ and you would see a huge difference. And I still stand firm that if Utica drops their alcohol, thier attendence drops by at least 1,000-1,500 on average per game. Still not shabby for a DIII school by any means but Uticas numbers are inflated because of the area and the alcohol. If those things didnt factor in you wouldnt have all the I-90 movement during the game up and down the isles. Maybe, just maybe I've just sat in the wrong sections when I've gone to a Utica game but I just dont hear or see the same stuff at any of the other major (attendence wise) rinks I've been to, which is pretty much all of them.
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2011-2012

psuchamps2001 said:
bash me all you want when i made the comment of uticas fans being there for the beer, and toss the attendence from a few years ago with the final four playoffs there, but ill take oswegos 2500 or geneseos 2000 fans then uticas 3500 who are the majority of the time more worried about what they will be wearing tommrow for work, or what they had for dinner the night before, or what time aunt mays plane gets in on tuesday from orlando.

If they had 3500 hockey fans the place would be amazing. Dont get me wrong its a great recruiting tool. But compare the old plaatsburgh crowds of 3200 to uticas 3500+ and you would see a huge difference. And i still stand firm that if utica drops their alcohol, thier attendence drops by at least 1,000-1,500 on average per game. Still not shabby for a diii school by any means but uticas numbers are inflated because of the area and the alcohol. If those things didnt factor in you wouldnt have all the i-90 movement during the game up and down the isles. Maybe, just maybe i've just sat in the wrong sections when i've gone to a utica game but i just dont hear or see the same stuff at any of the other major (attendence wise) rinks i've been to, which is pretty much all of them.
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Re: Utica College Pioneers 2011-2012

Gawd...Why is beer always mentioned as a drawing point ?? You're jealous is why, lol. It's great to be able to have a beer at the games. Yes, it's a drawing factor...so what ! Everyone would have beer if they could.

At other rinks fans get drunk "before" they go to the game. Get over it. They definitely aren't the most knowlegeable fans, but it sure beats playing in front of 2-300 fans, like many rinks.
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2011-2012

sshablak said:
Gawd...Why is beer always mentioned as a drawing point ?? You're jealous is why, lol. It's great to be able to have a beer at the games. Yes, it's a drawing factor...so what ! Everyone would have beer if they could.

At other rinks fans get drunk "before" they go to the game. Get over it. They definitely aren't the most knowlegeable fans, but it sure beats playing in front of 2-300 fans, like many rinks.
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Could not agree more. Right on point & well said.
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2011-2012

Why? Because it is. You said it yourself. If it wasn’t an issue it wouldn’t be as noticeable. Trust me dude, I’m so jealous of a team with how many NCAA appearances, let alone wins? I lived through one of the rowdiest crowds in all of DIII hockey. We didn’t need to sell beer to get people to the games. And we didn’t have fans complaining of people worrying about what shade of brown they should color their hair. Everyone probably would have beer, there is nothing wrong with it. But it also brings a lot of couch potato fans out who are just there to drink a brew and socialize with their buddies instead of watching what has become a great hockey team.

Not all of us have to get "drunk" to watch a game. As I said, its still a great crowd, but when people hear these large crowd numbers its very deceiving. Like I said, I'll take the 2,000 Geneseo fans and the 2,700 Oswego fans that don't need beer to be sold to go to a game over the 3,500 Utica fans any day. Hell the Potsdam crowd two weeks ago was louder then the nearly 4,000 fans they had last year against Elmira. There are some great sections at the Aud I’m sure with some very hockey knowledgeable fans. If every one of those 3,500+ fans had the passion as most of the Utica fans have on here, hands down it would be the most intimidating arena's to play in. I know Utica sells their attendance in recruiting, but it’s a common topic just how “rowdy” a place Utica isn’t with the numbers they get.

There is a great thing going on in Utica. It’s just sad that more people don’t get into it. That’s all people are saying. No one is putting down Utica or the great passionate fans they DO have.
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2011-2012

NUProf said:
All of this is true, it's just that I don't like to see random factors deciding championships. As far as that goes, don't ask me about MLB's scheduling practice and divisions. Mathematically/statistically it just makes no sense.

As for the concept that "over the years it evens out," that doesn't help a team that has one only one shot at it, and then loses a big senior class. Totally a theoretical idea, but that's what I trade in.
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Yes, I suppose you have a point, but one could also argue that a given program's continuity of quality play negates the year-to-year randomness to a large extent.

Truly, one can never assess what a schedule put in place months or years in advance is going to yield when the puck drops in any given game against anyone... Elite programs -such as Oswego and Norwich- just look to see what's on their plate on game night and eat it up, as a general rule. I'm hoping/thinking that Utica is going to get to that same place soon, too.
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2011-2012

PSU, Shabby, Jconnor (and probably others,too)... All of you are dead-on about the Utica attendees who appear to think that they're at a f84k1ng square dance, not a hockey game. I feel murderous impulses deep in my heart every time I go there.

I have never seen such unconscious behavior during any of the hundreds of D-1 games I've attended, but I have seen the same heedlessness at Hamilton, Elmira, and even Geneseo and Fredonia. Seems that free/cheap admission at the D-3 levels renders the event into an opportunity to allow the kids a night to wander around aimlessly, in many negligent parents' minds.

Thanks for the input; I'm gonna cite St. Larry's and Colgate policies when I call The Aud to complain! (Been to both places, BTW, and never had a problem at either hoary, yet great, venue.)
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2011-2012

Not a hard concept as far as "wait for the whistle"...put up a few BIG signs,coupled with a few verbal words,and people will get the point.................if not, off with their heads:eek:
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2011-2012

bakdraft21 said:
Not a hard concept as far as "wait for the whistle"...put up a few BIG signs,coupled with a few verbal words,and people will get the point.................if not, off with their heads:eek:
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I think decapitation would make a much better first intermission entertaiment than kiss fm!
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2011-2012

Nazarath Got accepted offically today into the EcacWest for the 2012-2013 season.

Their Tentative schedule says they come to Utica Twice next season. I like this, always exciting to see a new team, especially when they visit you a few times in their inagural season. :cool:

Should get VERY interesting next year if Nazarath doesn't put up a Lebanon Valley season.. :rolleyes:
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2011-2012

Good to see another team on board, no matter who it is, and one more team remains to be added, just for the sake of numbers... (I don't see any start-up D-3 program being especially competitive in the W, but as has been said before, the selection committee clearly values volume over quality.)

More importantly right now, UC has to go to Aston and bring home 2-3 league points. Neumann looks every bit as as good as they've been in the past few recent years, so that's a tall order... But it's time for the program to take the next step, if Utica has NCAA aspirations.
 
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Re: Utica College Pioneers 2011-2012

What do you mean the selection committee clearly values volume over quality?
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2011-2012

My guess is the intent of the statement was about number of teams required for an automatic bid... volume over quality.

Of course, the selection committee has nothing to do with that... that's an NCAA rule across sports.
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2011-2012

Pioneers#1 said:
Should get VERY interesting next year if Nazarath doesn't put up a Lebanon Valley season.. :rolleyes:
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My guess is that Naz will be more competitive in their first season of play than LV was in their last. They have a totally legit coach starting up that program.

I say not quite Adrian first season good, but I'd imagine a lot better than first season Concordia, WI.

Adrian has provided a blueprint for all start up programs who desire to be competitive right off the bat.
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2011-2012

altazo said:
My guess is that Naz will be more competitive in their first season of play than LV was in their last. They have a totally legit coach starting up that program.

I say not quite Adrian first season good, but I'd imagine a lot better than first season Concordia, WI.

Adrian has provided a blueprint for all start up programs who desire to be competitive right off the bat.
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I agree that George Roll will have a team that will compete right out of the gate. Their schedule will be much more difficult than the one Adrian faced so it shouldn't take them nearly as long to earn credibility with "DIII nation". It would be really neat if Adrian and Nazareth can schedule N/C game(s) next year.
 
Re: Utica College Pioneers 2011-2012

altazo said:
My guess is that Naz will be more competitive in their first season of play than LV was in their last. They have a totally legit coach starting up that program.

I say not quite Adrian first season good, but I'd imagine a lot better than first season Concordia, WI.

Adrian has provided a blueprint for all start up programs who desire to be competitive right off the bat.
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At the time Adrian also entered easily the weakest conference in D-III where as Nazareth will be entering arguably the toughest.

Now that being said, I think Adrian's commitment to winning has helped raise the level of play in the MCHA to the point it is now a very legit conference with Marian, MSOE, and Adrian all capable of beating pretty much anybody in D-III on a given night. Even Lawrence has quietly crept up into being a legit team that can give those top three hassles on most nights.
 
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