Utica University 2025-26 - The Road (back) To Utica

[JSicedog]

Scratch that - 5 regulars who are graduating. I forgot the two D1 transfers who will also be departing.

 

[altazo]

You're going this weekend, right?

 

[JSicedog]

You're going this weekend, right?

Only so Sir Nubs doesn't scold me for not being in attendance with the final 4 in town. I do think it will be quiet, though, unless Hamilton makes it to the final. I did not realize they have the 3PM game on Friday. Locals won't go out of their way at 3PM on a Friday to watch them.

To add onto it, Michigan and Penn State are playing in Albany for the D1 regional. Some casuals may rather take the ride down 90 to watch those games.

 

[UCBadger]

Only so Sir Nubs doesn't scold me for not being in attendance with the final 4 in town. I do think it will be quiet, though, unless Hamilton makes it to the final. I did not realize they have the 3PM game on Friday. Locals won't go out of their way at 3PM on a Friday to watch them.

To add onto it, Michigan and Penn State are playing in Albany for the D1 regional. Some casuals may rather take the ride down 90 to watch those games.

So who do you like there (and please don't say Penn State)? If the Badgers were in Albany I would be very tempted to go. I saw then play there in past tournaments. With final 4 in town this weekend it is a bit too far to go to see Wisconsin in Worcester on Thursday (plus I would have to cancel class).

 

[UCBadger]

You're going this weekend, right?

You betcha!

 

[JSicedog]

So who do you like there (and please don't say Penn State)? If the Badgers were in Albany I would be very tempted to go. I saw then play there in past tournaments. With final 4 in town this weekend it is a bit too far to go to see Wisconsin in Worcester on Thursday (plus I would have to cancel class).

Michigan will be hard to beat. Bentley has Utica native (and Hobart grad/former assistant) on the bench, can’t root against that!

 

[Fishman'81]

Only so Sir Nubs doesn't scold me for not being in attendance with the final 4 in town. I do think it will be quiet, though, unless Hamilton makes it to the final. I did not realize they have the 3PM game on Friday. Locals won't go out of their way at 3PM on a Friday to watch them.

To add onto it, Michigan and Penn State are playing in Albany for the D1 regional. Some casuals may rather take the ride down 90 to watch those games.

I'm thinking that the Albany regional is going to be an attendance disaster. There'll be next-to-none local interest in that one. Been to three regionals there, and the only factor that had the place even half-full was how well Maine traveled.

Worcester might be OK. likewise Loveland. but imagine if the dopes on the committee had sent Merrimack, PC and the Q to Albany. Place would have been buzzing, and the bracket integrity would have been essentially identical.

 

[Fishman'81]

I feel like it took awhile for the team to gel. That being said, they went further than I expected after seeing the first 4 or 5 games. I thought the embellishment call against Utica was ridiculous. Coach Heenan mentioned that the player required stiches as a result of the exchange. I'm encouraged that the majority of the team next year will be a well tested collection of players, many of whom have been very good.

Yes, "embellishment" my ass. Should have been a 5-minute for an elbow to the head, if anything.

Again, total shit officiating.

 

[PrezdeJohnson09]

I'm thinking that the Albany regional is going to be an attendance disaster. There'll be next-to-none local interest in that one. Been to three regionals there, and the only factor that had the place even half-full was how well Maine traveled.

Worcester might be OK. likewise Loveland. but imagine if the dopes on the committee had sent Merrimack, PC and the Q to Albany. Place would have been buzzing, and the bracket integrity would have been essentially identical.

Albany is also a 16K seat arena…so no matter what, it’s going to look empty.

Gavin McKenna should draw some fans. Michigan will draw some fans.

It won’t be great, but it also won’t be the worst attended regional I’ve ever seen

 

[JSicedog]

Albany is also a 16K seat arena…so no matter what, it’s going to look empty.

Gavin McKenna should draw some fans. Michigan will draw some fans.

It won’t be great, but it also won’t be the worst attended regional I’ve ever seen

Albany used to get decent crowds before Covid. The two they hosted in ‘21 and ‘22 were terrible attendance wise, only a couple thousand if that. $100 ticket will push families away too.

 

[PrezdeJohnson09]

Albany used to get decent crowds before Covid. The two they hosted in ‘21 and ‘22 were terrible attendance wise, only a couple thousand if that. $100 ticket will push families away too.

I was there in 2008 I believe when Michigan was there and they played Clarkson in the regional final and there was a decent crowd there, but even then I think the official box score only listed it around 4K or 5K.

 

[Fishman'81]

Albany used to get decent crowds before Covid. The two they hosted in ‘21 and ‘22 were terrible attendance wise, only a couple thousand if that. $100 ticket will push families away too.

Yeah, it's too much for the casual fan.

 

[OZFEST]

OK, do any Utica fans care to write a requiem regarding this season? (Trolls need not apply).

My take:

UU added a bunch of players this year, and some of them were quite good. Thing is, the team took too long to gel, IMO. Not sure that it ever really did.

Utica couldn't beat good teams. When they scored, the 'tending looked shaky, and when they struggled to score, the 'tending didn't help much. Curtain (.905 on the season) wasn't bad, but opposing goalies looked like Patrick Roy and Dom Hasek rolled into one when they faced UU. (Monaco last night being a prime example.)

This isn't sour grapes, but the officiating last night was abysmal, even by D-3's lowly standards. Might have been the most hapless crew I've ever seen during my 26 years of watching D-3 refs fuck things up, and I've seen plenty of D-3 refs fuck things up. (I mean, 2 minutes for a face-off violation? That's a first for me.)

I'm hoping a couple of you guys will weigh in. I could use some help processing my disappointment.

Not trolling, but sometimes mercenaries don't make good soldiers....not just UU; this is everywhere in college sports as everyone just "re-loads"