RIT made it nonetheless. I don't remember who they beat in the round of 16.
No Wisconsin men's players or alums should be chirping anybody lately at the rate they've been going.
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Utica University 2022-23: Is This The Year?
- Thread starter Pioneer247
- Start date
RIT made it nonetheless. I don't remember who they beat in the round of 16.
No Wisconsin men's players or alums should be chirping anybody lately at the rate they've been going.
RIT made it nonetheless. I don't remember who they beat in the round of 16.
No Wisconsin men's players or alums should be chirping anybody lately at the rate they've been going.
Sorry, I left out that they opened the tournament with a 2-1 victory over Denver. Again, Sorry.
It has been a painful decade or so for the few remaining Badger fans. I do know that some folks thought UW should have gone to an in-state former D-III hire when they hired the recently fired coaching staff as that seemed to work well when they hired basketball coach Bo Ryan.
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Krug for one.
No he doesn’t. If Adrian went 0-20 for 3 years in a row the school would take a look at different coaching options. If Utica went 0-20 for 3 years in a row the coaching situation still wouldn’t be a discussion. That is how secure it is.
No he doesn’t. If Adrian went 0-20 for 3 years in a row the school would take a look at different coaching options. If Utica went 0-20 for 3 years in a row the coaching situation still wouldn’t be a discussion. That is how secure it is.
How do you know this about Krug? You simply don't.
Coghlin is safe also I would assume.
How do you know this about Krug? You simply don't.
Coghlin is safe also I would assume.
You are right, I don’t. But I would be shocked if they were 1/5th the prominent community figure Heenan is.
CUgradUUfan
New member
How do you know this about Krug? You simply don't.
Coghlin is safe also I would assume.
I think JSlicedog is right. I think it comes down to this, if Adrian went 0-20 3 years in a row the school, which seems to take hockey extremely seriously since they have like 7 teams or something, would look at it and say this guy needs to be replaced, we should be doing far better. In Utica it’s quite the opposite, as much of the community (dare I say the less serious or less hockey knowledgeable) see Heenan as a celebrity or some sort of coaching Jesus. And some of that sentiment is shared by the school.
I will be shocked if I’m wrong, but I think the only way Heenan leaves is under his own choice.
PrezdeJohnson09
Proud supporter of Osmirwich hockey
RIT was in the D-1 Tourney in 2010. It was at the Igloo in Pittsburgh. I know this because earlier that day I had back surgery at the Jho Institute at Allegheny Medical. My room overlooked the city of Pittsburgh. I honestly cannot remember who they played or the outcome.
I'm pretty sure RIT won their two regional games at Albany (in front of large RIT crowds) and then the Frozen Four was hosted at Ford Field in Detroit.
CUgradUUfan
New member
Not so sure.
I didn't think that UU loafed at all, and I've had season tickets for 22 years. I've been publicly critical of Heenan here and there over the years, but he NEVER accepts a lack of effort. His guys play hard, or they sit.
It was very clearly sub-par goaltending that was the only weak link this season.
VERY clearly. The rest of the roster was outstanding.
If the only issue Saturday was goaltending, why was UU able to step it up about 4 notches for the last 15 min of the 3rd. If they truly were working so hard, we should have seen the domination they had in the last 15 the entire game. I reckon if we had played that hard and grinded that hard for a full 60 min, s**t even for 40 min, the score could have been 5-0. Instead we were out skated, out forechecked, and out tend’ed by the number 10 team as the number 1 team.
Goaltending may be the weakest link, but it was not the only weak link.
Krug would never have a team that went 0-feet, ever. Utica is about to make a jump to D2, then to 1. That’s a results first league.No he doesn’t. If Adrian went 0-20 for 3 years in a row the school would take a look at different coaching options. If Utica went 0-20 for 3 years in a row the coaching situation still wouldn’t be a discussion. That is how secure it is.
Krug would never have a team that went 0-feet, ever. Utica is about to make a jump to D2, then to 1. That’s a results first league.
It was clearly a hypothetical. You are either not from the area or very out of touch if you think he would ever be on the chopping block, regardless of results.
You are right, I don’t. But I would be shocked if they were 1/5th the prominent community figure Heenan is.
That's a pretty damning indictment of Utica as a community then when a coach who has won a sum total of ONE NCAA Tournament game - which was 10 years ago now - is viewed as some sort of deity.
You read that correctly. "Perennial national power" Utica has not won an NCAA Tournament game in a decade.
UC (at that time, and, likewise, many ECAC West teams) didn't get a free ride to the NCAA's. There were, like, 3 BS Pool C berths, and they weren't granted on the basis of anything remotely objective. Both Hobart, UC, and a number of other W teams were screwed each and every year.
.
This is true but also not true. At that time you remember the Pool B bid, right? There were 3 Pool C bids and 1 Pool B. Pool B was reserved for teams from a conference that did not have an AQ. For most of that time it was the ECAC-W and the old MCHA. The MCHA was considered a step down from the rest of D3. For all intents and purposes, the Pool B was the ECAC-W’s AQ.
That's a pretty damning indictment of Utica as a community then when a coach who has won a sum total of ONE NCAA Tournament game - which was 10 years ago now - is viewed as some sort of deity.
You read that correctly. "Perennial national power" Utica has not won an NCAA Tournament game in a decade.
Buddy we get it, you’ve been beating the same drum for over a year now.
Buddy we get it, you’ve been beating the same drum for over a year now.
Which doesn't address my point that the standards of the Utica fanbase appear to be appallingly low when it comes to who they put on a pedestal based on what they actually accomplish.
CUgradUUfan
New member
Which doesn't address my point that the standards of the Utica fanbase appear to be appallingly low when it comes to who they put on a pedestal based on what they actually accomplish.
One thing you have to remember is UU probably has just as many if not more serious fans that understand this is an issue than St Norbert has fans in attendance on a given night. Based on USCHO stats average attendance for St Norbert is 542, UU has nearly 4 times that in season ticket holders alone. Now the reason I say this is not to poke fun at St Norbert, instead it’s to say that going to those games must be fairly niche, and likely the people that follow it are more hardcore fans and understand the game better. In Utica, going UU games is more about it being a thing to do. People in Utica enjoy hockey, so they go to games. But that’s the extent, they enjoy going to and watching games and watching their team win, a large majority of them know nothing about D3 beyond Utica, nor do they really care. They just want to watch a team win, and under Heenan the team wins the vast majority of games. They don’t always win where it counts, but to the casual fan (which makes up a large majority of the attendance) they see a team that goes 24-2-2 (I can’t be bothered to remind myself of the exact record, this is just for an example) and go “damn, this team and coach must be pretty great!”
And this is why when the team goes to D1, and they start loosing the majority of the games we will see the attendance plummet.
Well put.One thing you have to remember is UU probably has just as many if not more serious fans that understand this is an issue than St Norbert has fans in attendance on a given night. Based on USCHO stats average attendance for St Norbert is 542, UU has nearly 4 times that in season ticket holders alone. Now the reason I say this is not to poke fun at St Norbert, instead it’s to say that going to those games must be fairly niche, and likely the people that follow it are more hardcore fans and understand the game better. In Utica, going UU games is more about it being a thing to do. People in Utica enjoy hockey, so they go to games. But that’s the extent, they enjoy going to and watching games and watching their team win, a large majority of them know nothing about D3 beyond Utica, nor do they really care. They just want to watch a team win, and under Heenan the team wins the vast majority of games. They don’t always win where it counts, but to the casual fan (which makes up a large majority of the attendance) they see a team that goes 24-2-2 (I can’t be bothered to remind myself of the exact record, this is just for an example) and go “damn, this team and coach must be pretty great!”
And this is why when the team goes to D1, and they start loosing the majority of the games we will see the attendance plummet.
One thing you have to remember is UU probably has just as many if not more serious fans that understand this is an issue than St Norbert has fans in attendance on a given night. Based on USCHO stats average attendance for St Norbert is 542, UU has nearly 4 times that in season ticket holders alone. Now the reason I say this is not to poke fun at St Norbert, instead it’s to say that going to those games must be fairly niche, and likely the people that follow it are more hardcore fans and understand the game better. In Utica, going UU games is more about it being a thing to do. People in Utica enjoy hockey, so they go to games. But that’s the extent, they enjoy going to and watching games and watching their team win, a large majority of them know nothing about D3 beyond Utica, nor do they really care. They just want to watch a team win, and under Heenan the team wins the vast majority of games. They don’t always win where it counts, but to the casual fan (which makes up a large majority of the attendance) they see a team that goes 24-2-2 (I can’t be bothered to remind myself of the exact record, this is just for an example) and go “damn, this team and coach must be pretty great!”
And this is why when the team goes to D1, and they start loosing the majority of the games we will see the attendance plummet.
Dude! Where have you been the last 10 years? Your voice has been needed in this forum.
I've never been to Utica, but I have inferred and have no doubt that attending UU hockey games is a fun thing to do on weekends there. I must admit though, I have always wondered how big of a role serving beer has played with attendance. Utica has hosted the D3 Frozen Four before, in 2017. The teams that qualified that year were: Norwich, Trinity, Adrian, and SNC. By all accounts, a true D3 blue-blood final weekend. Attendance was dismal and word is that it detracted from the experience for many players. Great hockey, but no beer for NCAA tournament games (at the time, don't know if that's changed.) To be fair, Lake Placid also looks pretty empty when they host, but that town has the story and history to help offset that.
Yes, I wish SNC had 1/3 of the bodies in the stands that UU has. Crowds used to be better and more rowdy at SNC, but administration started to curtail student behavior at hockey games about 10 years ago. During that era, SNC had something like 10,000 home games in a row where they didn't lose when leading after 2 periods. Those days are over.
CUgradUUfan
New member
Dude! Where have you been the last 10 years? Your voice has been needed in this forum.
I've never been to Utica, but I have inferred and have no doubt that attending UU hockey games is a fun thing to do on weekends there. I must admit though, I have always wondered how big of a role serving beer has played with attendance. Utica has hosted the D3 Frozen Four before, in 2017. The teams that qualified that year were: Norwich, Trinity, Adrian, and SNC. By all accounts, a true D3 blue-blood final weekend. Attendance was dismal and word is that it detracted from the experience for many players. Great hockey, but no beer for NCAA tournament games (at the time, don't know if that's changed.) To be fair, Lake Placid also looks pretty empty when they host, but that town has the story and history to help offset that.
Yes, I wish SNC had 1/3 of the bodies in the stands that UU has. Crowds used to be better and more rowdy at SNC, but administration started to curtail student behavior at hockey games about 10 years ago. During that era, SNC had something like 10,000 home games in a row where they didn't lose when leading after 2 periods. Those days are over.
The AUD is an excellent place to watch a game. And Utica and the surrounding area loves hockey, when they have a stake in it. UC used to sell out most home games, and then the Comets came to town and people went there instead because it’s more of a production, a thing to do beyond just watching the hockey. As for beer, or lack there of for NCAA games, that plays a huge roll in it.
Placid feels empty sometimes, but it’s also a much bigger arena. Placid has history and a story. Utica is not well presented in many cases (crime, poverty, etc) but by and large is a great city that is on the rise, but no hockey fan ever has been like “you know where I wanna travel for a game, Utica!” it just doesn’t happen.
One thing you have to remember is UU probably has just as many if not more serious fans that understand this is an issue than St Norbert has fans in attendance on a given night. Based on USCHO stats average attendance for St Norbert is 542, UU has nearly 4 times that in season ticket holders alone. Now the reason I say this is not to poke fun at St Norbert, instead it’s to say that going to those games must be fairly niche, and likely the people that follow it are more hardcore fans and understand the game better. In Utica, going UU games is more about it being a thing to do. People in Utica enjoy hockey, so they go to games. But that’s the extent, they enjoy going to and watching games and watching their team win, a large majority of them know nothing about D3 beyond Utica, nor do they really care. They just want to watch a team win, and under Heenan the team wins the vast majority of games. They don’t always win where it counts, but to the casual fan (which makes up a large majority of the attendance) they see a team that goes 24-2-2 (I can’t be bothered to remind myself of the exact record, this is just for an example) and go “damn, this team and coach must be pretty great!”
And this is why when the team goes to D1, and they start loosing the majority of the games we will see the attendance plummet.
This is a good post. I still think they will put up solid attendance numbers as a pedestrian D1 team, though. Even in the years that the Comets struggle they sell out every game. While I am sure there is overlap, both teams have respective fan bases. The atmosphere is much more friendly and catered around the fans with the college games. Even as a .500 team I don't see a scenario where they don't bring in at least 2,000 a night. Not to mention it will sell out whenever a big name team comes to town.
True. Even when it was in Lewiston Maine, and the final was between St Norbert and Stevens Point, attendance was higher than at Utica with two Eastern Teams in the finals.Placid feels empty sometimes, but it’s also a much bigger arena. Placid has history and a story. Utica is not well presented in many cases (crime, poverty, etc) but by and large is a great city that is on the rise, but no hockey fan ever has been like “you know where I wanna travel for a game, Utica!” it just doesn’t happen.