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WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced
- Thread starter moose97
- Start date
dggoddard
New member
Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced
The good news: Probably the best way to cluster the teams.
The bad news: Obviously the schedules are going to be massively unbalanced. I suspect we'll see some runaway MacNaughton winners, based in large part on what the clustermates are that season.
All in all, I think the WCHA did a good job working out a difficult situation. No doubt certain programs are going to benefit big-time from this and others not so much.
The good news: Probably the best way to cluster the teams.
The bad news: Obviously the schedules are going to be massively unbalanced. I suspect we'll see some runaway MacNaughton winners, based in large part on what the clustermates are that season.
All in all, I think the WCHA did a good job working out a difficult situation. No doubt certain programs are going to benefit big-time from this and others not so much.
moose97
New member
Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced
Realized I forgot to post the article that quote was from:
http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/event/article/id/100012047/
Realized I forgot to post the article that quote was from:
http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/event/article/id/100012047/
dggoddard
New member
Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced
What the new WCHA schedule could mean to each program...
Minnesota - More games in state, lower travel costs and more opportunities for fans around the state see the team. Having Wisconsin as a clustermate means that the Gophers will always have one of the most challenging schedules in the league.
Wisconsin - Knowing that DU and/or UND will have easier schedules almost every year, while the Badgers draw the Gophers, will make winning the MacNaughton tougher than ever. Since they've only won the MacNaughton three times, but have 6 NC's probably means Sconnie won't be too bothered.
Bemidji - The big winner in the schedule sweepstakes. Not only do they get into the WCHA, but they don't get stuck with UAA. Serratore obviously has compromising photos of McLeod.
UNO - Probably would have preferred Mankato as a clustermate, but Bemidji may be an easier opponent so Deano won't be too upset as the Mavricks try and establish themselves in the league.
CC - If the recruiting continues to tail off, CC will be stuck playing DU and may really struggle in the "new" WCHA. Upgrades at SCSU, UMD & even UNO could really push CC out of the WCHA "elite."
DU - DU rise as a national program has seemingly come at the expense of CC. If CC is able to right the ship, DU will be hard pressed to keep up with the Sioux in the MacNaughton race each season. DU will suffer at the gate with less games against the WCHA elite.
UND - More easy games on the WCHA schedule should keep UND as the elite program in the WCHA. No team stands to gain as much from the unbalanced schedule as UND. The only fly in the ointment is if St. Cloud continues to make strides as a program.
SCSU - Having to play UND four times each season is brutal. Nonetheless, SCSU seems poised to become the 5th best program in the WCHA at CC's expense. Knowing that UMD has an easier schedule most years will be bothersome.
UAA - Brutal travel, an inability to keep elite Alaskan born players in-state and a slight decline in the BCHL make recruiting difficult up North. On the bright side more games against Bemidji, UNO and Mankato and less games against DU, UM, UND & Sconnie should bring some much need wins for the program.
Mankato - The new schedule isn't much help to the Mavericks. Somehow they still don't get an in-state rival and now will have even less big revenue dates against the Gophers. MSU was the school most negatively affected by the new schedule.
Tech - Gets to keep UMD as a "Lake Superior Rival." Brutal economy in Michigan and the worst barn in the WCHA won't help recruiting. Tech faces the prospect of battling Bemidji as the 12th place doormat.
UMD - A revamped building and easier games against Tech, will help fuel the Bulldogs rise in the WCHA. They are poised to battle SCSU for the 5th spot in the WCHA recruiting pecking order.
What the new WCHA schedule could mean to each program...
Minnesota - More games in state, lower travel costs and more opportunities for fans around the state see the team. Having Wisconsin as a clustermate means that the Gophers will always have one of the most challenging schedules in the league.
Wisconsin - Knowing that DU and/or UND will have easier schedules almost every year, while the Badgers draw the Gophers, will make winning the MacNaughton tougher than ever. Since they've only won the MacNaughton three times, but have 6 NC's probably means Sconnie won't be too bothered.
Bemidji - The big winner in the schedule sweepstakes. Not only do they get into the WCHA, but they don't get stuck with UAA. Serratore obviously has compromising photos of McLeod.
UNO - Probably would have preferred Mankato as a clustermate, but Bemidji may be an easier opponent so Deano won't be too upset as the Mavricks try and establish themselves in the league.
CC - If the recruiting continues to tail off, CC will be stuck playing DU and may really struggle in the "new" WCHA. Upgrades at SCSU, UMD & even UNO could really push CC out of the WCHA "elite."
DU - DU rise as a national program has seemingly come at the expense of CC. If CC is able to right the ship, DU will be hard pressed to keep up with the Sioux in the MacNaughton race each season. DU will suffer at the gate with less games against the WCHA elite.
UND - More easy games on the WCHA schedule should keep UND as the elite program in the WCHA. No team stands to gain as much from the unbalanced schedule as UND. The only fly in the ointment is if St. Cloud continues to make strides as a program.
SCSU - Having to play UND four times each season is brutal. Nonetheless, SCSU seems poised to become the 5th best program in the WCHA at CC's expense. Knowing that UMD has an easier schedule most years will be bothersome.
UAA - Brutal travel, an inability to keep elite Alaskan born players in-state and a slight decline in the BCHL make recruiting difficult up North. On the bright side more games against Bemidji, UNO and Mankato and less games against DU, UM, UND & Sconnie should bring some much need wins for the program.
Mankato - The new schedule isn't much help to the Mavericks. Somehow they still don't get an in-state rival and now will have even less big revenue dates against the Gophers. MSU was the school most negatively affected by the new schedule.
Tech - Gets to keep UMD as a "Lake Superior Rival." Brutal economy in Michigan and the worst barn in the WCHA won't help recruiting. Tech faces the prospect of battling Bemidji as the 12th place doormat.
UMD - A revamped building and easier games against Tech, will help fuel the Bulldogs rise in the WCHA. They are poised to battle SCSU for the 5th spot in the WCHA recruiting pecking order.
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Slap Shot
I got nothing
Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced
Becky doesn’t typically give the Gophers too much trouble, and adding more games with the in-state little sisters is a bonus.
Raise your hand if you don’t have a sense of humor
Becky doesn’t typically give the Gophers too much trouble, and adding more games with the in-state little sisters is a bonus.
Raise your hand if you don’t have a sense of humor
SCSU Euro
New member
Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced
Huh? How does UND gain the most by the unbalanced schedule?
According to your writeup, the only "elite" teams year in and out are MN, UW, UND and DU, and I won't even disagree with that. But there's no way the WCHA was gonna break up MN-UW or DU-CC. So, since they can't be paired with another elite, they get SCSU, which you basically stated is the best non-elite program in the WCHA.
Also, playing UND is tough, no doubt, but we've been playing them 4 times a year in the regular season since 2002, so its nothing new. And while SCSU is not at UND's level, in the last four years they've gone 5-7-4, which is a respectable .4375 winning percentage. Not bad considering MN and DU only have a .375 winning percentage against UND over the same time period.
Huh? How does UND gain the most by the unbalanced schedule?
According to your writeup, the only "elite" teams year in and out are MN, UW, UND and DU, and I won't even disagree with that. But there's no way the WCHA was gonna break up MN-UW or DU-CC. So, since they can't be paired with another elite, they get SCSU, which you basically stated is the best non-elite program in the WCHA.Also, playing UND is tough, no doubt, but we've been playing them 4 times a year in the regular season since 2002, so its nothing new. And while SCSU is not at UND's level, in the last four years they've gone 5-7-4, which is a respectable .4375 winning percentage. Not bad considering MN and DU only have a .375 winning percentage against UND over the same time period.
Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced
So what you're saying is you hate CC. How exactly has their recruiting tailed off? They have definitely had a couple tough breaks this offseason, but I don't think that translates to their recruiting going down the tubes. They will be fine. Who holds the Gold Pan again? (Hint: It is not the team on the rise at CC's expense)
So what you're saying is you hate CC. How exactly has their recruiting tailed off? They have definitely had a couple tough breaks this offseason, but I don't think that translates to their recruiting going down the tubes. They will be fine. Who holds the Gold Pan again? (Hint: It is not the team on the rise at CC's expense)
Beer Pong Horn
soldier of fortune
Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced
To be fair, Northern Michigan owns a much better 08-09 record than Michigan Tech, but we won the Ramada Cup (that apparently no longer exists, except when Northern wins it...)
A championship series between rivals has absolutely nothing to do with a team's yearly performance.
So what you're saying is you hate CC. How exactly has their recruiting tailed off? They have definitely had a couple tough breaks this offseason, but I don't think that translates to their recruiting going down the tubes. They will be fine. Who holds the Gold Pan again? (Hint: It is not the team on the rise at CC's expense)
To be fair, Northern Michigan owns a much better 08-09 record than Michigan Tech, but we won the Ramada Cup (that apparently no longer exists, except when Northern wins it...
)A championship series between rivals has absolutely nothing to do with a team's yearly performance.
Puck Swami
New member
Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced
Had CC been able to hold on to John Moore and Colton St. Clair, and had CC's freshman class last year produced more than they actually did, I think DG would not be saying that CC's recruiting has tailed off. He's not saying that CC has gone down the tubes into failure territory, but the reality is is that I do think CC is not recently landing the numbers of impact players they once landed with more regularity, hence the "tailed off" is in relation to perceptions of talent at other top programs. The reason why the WCHA coaches picked CC eighth this year has everything to do with lack of production from recent recruits, as well as the many seniors that have not produced very well to date. That's not to say that CC won't be competitive, but the perception of talent level there has dropped recently....whether or not they can overcome this perception remains to be seen.
So what you're saying is you hate CC. How exactly has their recruiting tailed off? They have definitely had a couple tough breaks this offseason, but I don't think that translates to their recruiting going down the tubes. They will be fine. Who holds the Gold Pan again? (Hint: It is not the team on the rise at CC's expense)
Had CC been able to hold on to John Moore and Colton St. Clair, and had CC's freshman class last year produced more than they actually did, I think DG would not be saying that CC's recruiting has tailed off. He's not saying that CC has gone down the tubes into failure territory, but the reality is is that I do think CC is not recently landing the numbers of impact players they once landed with more regularity, hence the "tailed off" is in relation to perceptions of talent at other top programs. The reason why the WCHA coaches picked CC eighth this year has everything to do with lack of production from recent recruits, as well as the many seniors that have not produced very well to date. That's not to say that CC won't be competitive, but the perception of talent level there has dropped recently....whether or not they can overcome this perception remains to be seen.
dggoddard
New member
Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced
INCH's Recruiting Rankings For CC<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>
<a href="http://www.insidecollegehockey.com/7Archives/Features/0910/recruitsteam_0801.htm">2009 </a> Unranked
<a href="http://www.insidecollegehockey.com/7Archives/Features/0809/recruitsteam_0702.htm">2008</a> Unranked
<a href="http://www.insidecollegehockey.com/7Archives/Features/0708/recruitsteam_0602.htm">2007</a> Unranked
<a href="http://www.insidecollegehockey.com/7Archives/Features/0607/recruitsteam_0501.htm">2006</a> #5
<a href="http://www.insidecollegehockey.com/7Archives/Features/recruitsteam_0352.htm">2005</a> #9
<a href="http://www.insidecollegehockey.com/7Archives/Features/recruitsteam_0301.htm">2004</a> Unranked
</div>
INCH's Recruiting Rankings For CC<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>
<a href="http://www.insidecollegehockey.com/7Archives/Features/0910/recruitsteam_0801.htm">2009 </a> Unranked
<a href="http://www.insidecollegehockey.com/7Archives/Features/0809/recruitsteam_0702.htm">2008</a> Unranked
<a href="http://www.insidecollegehockey.com/7Archives/Features/0708/recruitsteam_0602.htm">2007</a> Unranked
<a href="http://www.insidecollegehockey.com/7Archives/Features/0607/recruitsteam_0501.htm">2006</a> #5
<a href="http://www.insidecollegehockey.com/7Archives/Features/recruitsteam_0352.htm">2005</a> #9
<a href="http://www.insidecollegehockey.com/7Archives/Features/recruitsteam_0301.htm">2004</a> Unranked
</div>
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Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced
IMO, with an addition of a brand new arena I fully expect more elite northern Minnesota players to play in their backyard. The arena has always been a sticking point and with a new arena I wouldn't be suprised if UMD consistently finishes in the top 5 year in and year out. They have the most to gain from a new arena and a new WCHA.
IMO, with an addition of a brand new arena I fully expect more elite northern Minnesota players to play in their backyard. The arena has always been a sticking point and with a new arena I wouldn't be suprised if UMD consistently finishes in the top 5 year in and year out. They have the most to gain from a new arena and a new WCHA.
Flashy Man
Misfit Emeritus
Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced
Have not been aware of the renovations going on in the MacInnes? They have been working seriously to improve facilities. I'm quite certain that much of the backend facilities are nicer than many of the other WCHA teams. Just this year they've added 10 suites and 2 skyboxes to the west end of the arena. In the near future there are plans to acquire a video screen that will be higher resolution and larger than both UND's and the UW's.
Have not been aware of the renovations going on in the MacInnes? They have been working seriously to improve facilities. I'm quite certain that much of the backend facilities are nicer than many of the other WCHA teams. Just this year they've added 10 suites and 2 skyboxes to the west end of the arena. In the near future there are plans to acquire a video screen that will be higher resolution and larger than both UND's and the UW's.
FadeToBlack&Gold
Kettle Medallion
Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced
Agreed - the barn is barely a factor in Tech's recruiting situation, especially if you've ever seen the results of all the money poured into the locker room and player facilities in the past decade. Even the 'female situation' is not a huge issue due to the gradually improving ratio and hockey players always being the BMOC. The main obstacles will always be two factors that will never change - difficult academics and remote, small town location. Both of which require finding players who are a 'fit'.
Agreed - the barn is barely a factor in Tech's recruiting situation, especially if you've ever seen the results of all the money poured into the locker room and player facilities in the past decade. Even the 'female situation' is not a huge issue due to the gradually improving ratio and hockey players always being the BMOC. The main obstacles will always be two factors that will never change - difficult academics and remote, small town location. Both of which require finding players who are a 'fit'.
Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced
Strange, even the 05 and 06 class listed by INCH highlighted such players as Drew O'connell and Addison Deboer. As it turns out to date they were/have been simple role players. Good thing the game is still played on the ice.
By the way, Denver should win the 09/10 National Championship.
Strange, even the 05 and 06 class listed by INCH highlighted such players as Drew O'connell and Addison Deboer. As it turns out to date they were/have been simple role players. Good thing the game is still played on the ice.
By the way, Denver should win the 09/10 National Championship.
huskyfan
New member
Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced
MTUs barn an issue?? huh?? our locker room and training facilities are among the best. and the arena itself is way better than SCSU, UMDs and certainly on par with Mankato. in many ways it is better than the half filled huge arena CU plays in and the terrible design of DUs arena (non existent site lines). and lets not even go there with UAA.
MTUs barn an issue?? huh?? our locker room and training facilities are among the best. and the arena itself is way better than SCSU, UMDs and certainly on par with Mankato. in many ways it is better than the half filled huge arena CU plays in and the terrible design of DUs arena (non existent site lines). and lets not even go there with UAA.
SCSU Euro
New member
Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced
Yeah, but SCSU and UMD are getting makeovers, and I could be wrong but I think they're getting more extensive ones than Tech.
Yeah, but SCSU and UMD are getting makeovers, and I could be wrong but I think they're getting more extensive ones than Tech.
Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced
Having been to both MacInnes and the NHC, the Mac was much better even before improvements this year (which I will also see in Dec). The NHC is louder, but that a $3 gets you a crappy coffee at Starbucks.
Now, if and when the NHC gets renovations, I will re-judge. As it stands now, I agree that the remote town and academics is what hurts Tech.
Having been to both MacInnes and the NHC, the Mac was much better even before improvements this year (which I will also see in Dec). The NHC is louder, but that a $3 gets you a crappy coffee at Starbucks.
Now, if and when the NHC gets renovations, I will re-judge. As it stands now, I agree that the remote town and academics is what hurts Tech.
Jimjamesak
Already insane, UAA making it worse
Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced
What? I'll say it. Our arena sucks. Not a secret.
Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced
That doesn't show recruiting tailing off, it shows that CC had 2 classes that were above average for them. I couldn't find older rankings (which are subjective and typically a poor predictor anyhow) but I would guess that CC would have a similar looking patter going back a long way. They have never been loaded with NHL talent, and probably never will be. I'm not a fan of Scottie as a coach, but I think he does a great job bringing in the right kind of talent for the program and don't see a drop there.