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The Power Five => Big Ten => Topic started by: Brutus Buckeye on September 30, 2018, 12:23:41 PM

Title: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on September 30, 2018, 12:23:41 PM

Big Ten Ice Hockey gets underway this upcoming weekend, with Minnesota playing the defending National Champion Duluth H-A. Also Michigan hosts Vermont in a one off. Plus a bunch of exhibition games. 

2018-19 BIG TEN PRESEASON POLL
1. Ohio State
2. Michigan
3. Notre Dame
4. Minnesota
5. Penn State
6. Wisconsin
7. Michigan State

.

Notre Dame, OSU and Michigan all made it to the Frozen Four last year. 

Notre Dame is the defending Big Ten Champion, both Regular Season and Tourney
.

Preseason Top 20 (Uscho): 

1 Duluth
2 Notre Dame 
3 Ohio State
4 Michigan 
.
13 Minnesota
16 Penn State
Others receiving votes (ORV)
26 Wisconsin
Not receiving votes (NRV) 
Michigan State

(https://i2.wp.com/www.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000uthijymSWRc/s/640/426/20170225-OSUMIH-Michigan-RachelLewis-USCHO-12.jpg?w=640)
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Anonymous Coward on September 30, 2018, 01:43:30 PM
Pearson's first pass was a rousing success. We expected he was the right guy but that improvement rate was unexpected. 

The next step is harder, though Quinn Hughes is an ideal piece to build around. The premier defenseman in college hockey has a really solid chance at the Hobey.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: ELA on October 03, 2018, 06:38:20 PM
The next step is harder, though Quinn Hughes is an ideal piece to build around. The premier defenseman in college hockey has a really solid chance at the Hobey.
Watching some of the opening night coverage tonight, he seems to be the consensus #1 pick right now in the 2019 Draft.  So calling him the premier college defenseman seems like a bit of an undersell when you consider the last NCAA player selected #1 was Rick DiPietro in 2000, and the last position player was Joe Murphy from MSU in 1986.  So arguably, he's the top position player prospect in college hockey in 30 years.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: ELA on October 03, 2018, 06:48:37 PM
As for MSU, they should be improved, but the way this league is right now, tough to see them finishing any higher than 6th at best 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on October 08, 2018, 07:35:16 AM
Week 2
Minnesota went 1-0-1 against Duluth H-A
Michigan lost to Vermont 5-2 at home
(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RenKGI1Gv8w/WeCy2ixfNOI/AAAAAAAACqE/Lr8u_k5LwFkRRjGNcsEBJw11IDXukiOugCLcBGAs/s1600/Vermont%2BHockey%2BLogo.png)
Exhibition games:

Penn St beat Brock
Michigan St beat Windsor
Wisconsin beat Victoria
Michigan beat Waterloo
Notre Dame lost to Under 18
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: ELA on October 12, 2018, 04:47:39 PM
Regular season starts tonight right?
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on October 12, 2018, 04:53:36 PM
Michigan and Minnesota's games against Vermont and Duluth were regular season games, but the rest of us get underway this week.

Technically this is week three of the season, although week one was just Alaskan exhibition games against Canadian teams. 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on October 14, 2018, 10:36:13 AM
Week 3
Wisconsin swept BC at home
Penn St swept Clarkson at home
Mich St split with N Michigan at home
Notre Dame tied Mercyhurst and then beat Providence at the Ice Breaker
Ohio St swept Arizona St on the road

Exhibition games:
Michigan lost to Under18
Minnesota beat Under18
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on October 22, 2018, 09:31:18 AM

Week 4 

Notre Dame swept Omaha on the road
Wisconsin lost to Clarkson, but beat St Lawrence. Road trip. 
Ohio St split with UMass at home
Penn St swept Niagara at home
Michigan split with Western Michigan, with each team winning their home game

Exhibition Game
Minnesota beat Trinity Western
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: 847badgerfan on October 22, 2018, 10:24:04 AM
Week 3
Penn St swept #17Clarkson at home
Mich St split with N Michigan at home
Notre Dame tied Mercyhurst and then beat #4Providence at the Ice Breaker
Ohio St swept Arizona St on the road

Exhibition games:
Michigan lost to Under18
Minnesota beat Under18

UW played that weekend too. Swept Boston College in Madison.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on October 22, 2018, 10:53:49 AM
Thanks, I have modified that post accordingly.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: ELA on October 29, 2018, 10:34:26 AM
MSU got a road sweep over #8 Cornell over the weekend.

League could be even more of a doozy than expected this year.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on October 29, 2018, 10:56:13 AM
Week 5 

MSU swept Cornell on the road
PSU beat Princeton at home
W swept MI Tech at home
OSU went 0-1-1 vs BG, H-A
ND got swept by Duluth at home
MI swept St Lawrence at home
MN lost to N Dakota at home
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: MichiFan87 on October 29, 2018, 04:21:35 PM
Apparently Notre Dame is going to play Michigan outdoors after hosting the NHL outdoor game in January. Not sure why it was announced so late, but I guess considering they already have the logistics figured out it's not an issue.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: ELA on October 31, 2018, 10:04:03 AM
Even at 3-1-0 on the year, including a road sweep at #8, MSU remains just out of the rankings.  All 6 other conference teams are ranked, 5 in the top 12.

Seems like the weak Big Ten hockey from a couple years ago is dead.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: ELA on November 02, 2018, 11:41:24 PM
MSU wins again, 4-0 over Ferris.  No clue how useful the PWR is this point, but MSU is up to #4
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on November 04, 2018, 10:23:11 AM

Week 6
OSU split @ Notre Dame
MSU split with Ferris, each winning at home
PSU split with Arizona St at home
Minnesota got swept by Minnesota St, H-A
Wisconsin got swept by N Dakota on the road 
Michigan split with Lake Superior on the road 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Anonymous Coward on November 09, 2018, 10:48:27 PM
Michigan takes down Notre Dame in the first game this weekend.

Really came up big on defense in the 3rd Q: despite ND having 4 PP minutes, Michigan outshot the Irish 16-2 in the final 20.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: DevilFroggy on November 11, 2018, 12:14:06 AM
ASU shuts out MSU 2-0. Nice. 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on November 11, 2018, 12:25:50 AM

Week 7

Minnesota split with Wisconsin on the road. 
Michigan split with Notre Dame on the road. 
Ohio St swept Colgate on the road. 
Penn St swept Robert Morris H-A
Michigan St got swept by Arizona St on the road. 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Anonymous Coward on November 11, 2018, 11:13:07 AM
Michigan had a goal review goal overturned. And just like that they went from up 2-0 to down 1-2 in game 2. Missed opportunity.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on November 18, 2018, 04:09:54 PM

Week 8
Notre Dame swept Michigan St on the road
Ohio St swept Wisconsin at home 
Michigan split with Penn St on the road 
Minnesota swept St Lawrence at home 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on November 25, 2018, 01:35:25 AM
Week 9

Penn St split with Ohio St on the road.

Michigan St split with Minnesota on the road.

Wisconsin and Michigan went 0-0-2-1 against each other in MI

Notre Dame beat N Michigan at home. 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on December 02, 2018, 01:16:27 AM

Week 10

Ohio St went 0-0-2-2 vs Minnesota on the road 
Michigan St went 1-0-1-1 vs Michigan H-A
Penn St went 0-1-1-1 vs Wisconsin on the road 
Notre Dame swept Rensselaer at home 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on December 09, 2018, 01:38:00 PM

Week 11

Notre Dame split with Penn St on the road. 
Wisconsin swept Michigan St at home. 
Michigan went 0-1-1-1 vs Minnesota at home. 



Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on December 09, 2018, 01:39:31 PM
No more Big Ten games until the first weekend in January.

Here are the big ten standings heading into winter break.







1.Ohio State (http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-hockey/sched/osu-m-hockey-sched.html)16842222113169434132
Wisconsin (http://www.uwbadgers.com/schedule.aspx?path=mhockey)161043312825188735751
3.Notre Dame (http://www.und.com/sports/m-hockey/sched/nd-m-hockey-sched.html)158530020211711515438
4.Minnesota (http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-hockey/sched/minn-m-hockey-sched.html)12832302320155644039
Michigan (http://www.mgoblue.com/schedule.aspx?path=mhockey)121024422832176745356
6.Penn State (http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-hockey/sched/psu-m-hockey-sched.html)118341138371711519063
7.Michigan State (http://www.msuspartans.com/sports/m-hockey/sched/msu-m-hockey-sched.html)8825111626166914251
Through all games on Dec. 8, 2018
.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on December 15, 2018, 11:21:13 PM
Week 12
Penn St tied Princeton on the road
exhibition:
Michigan St beat Under 18

The entire Big Ten is idle Christmas Weekend (week 13) of course, but New Years Weekend (week 14) has a hefty non-con slate including the big bad Great Lakes Invitational which will have the following bracket
Michgan Tech vs Michigan
Lake Superior vs Michigan St
That tourney generally results in an out of conference Michigan-Michigan St game, but lately it has happened in the consolation game with a lot more frequency than the championship game, including each of the past two seasons.
Also on the docket that weekend is Ferris @ Minnesota (x2), Mercyhurst @ Ohio St (x2), and the headliner BC @ Notre Dame for a one off.  
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on December 30, 2018, 07:46:17 PM
Make that three straight Michigan-MSU Great Lakes Consolation games. 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on January 02, 2019, 05:51:25 PM
Week 14

Minnesota split with Ferris at home

Ohio St swept Mercyhurst at home

Notre Dame beat Boston Col at home

Both of Michigan's Great Lakes games will officially go down as ties. They lost the shootout to Michigan Tech in the first game to determine who advances to the GL Final, and it does not appear that they bothered having a shootout after the Consolation game with MSU, inasmuch as I can ascertain.

Michigan St lost to Lake Superior, and of course tied Michigan in a nonCon game.

Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: ELA on January 04, 2019, 10:31:14 PM
MSU came back from down 7-4 in the final 5 minutes to beat OSU 8-7.

Also means MSU scored more against OSU in hockey than football.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on January 06, 2019, 09:02:57 AM
Week 15

Michigan St went 0-1-1-1 vs Ohio St at home

Minnesota split with Penn St at home

Wisconsin got swept by Denver at home

Michigan won a Conference road game vs Notre Dame, but then lost to Merrimack.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on January 12, 2019, 09:41:16 PM
https://twitter.com/OhioStateMHKY/status/1084275563605438464
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on January 12, 2019, 10:16:12 PM
Week 16

OSU split with Michigan at home
Minnesota swept Notre Dame on the road
MSU split with PSU on the road

Exhibition
Wisconsin got smoked by Under 18 at home.

So OSU is in the lead with 23 pts, while MSU is bringing up the rear with 13. Pretty tight race with seven weeks to go.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on January 20, 2019, 10:24:03 PM

Week 17

Ohio State swept Penn St on the road. 

Minnesota got swept by Michigan State on the road. 

Notre Dame went 0-1-1-1 against Wisconsin, in a A-N series. 

So OSU has 29 points, and the rest of the teams are just sorta log jammed into the 17-21 point range. 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: ELA on January 22, 2019, 12:18:05 PM
If Ohio State wins the conference tourney, is the Big Ten a one bid league this year?

Current PWR rankings
5. Ohio State
14. Notre Dame
18. Penn State
24. Minnesota
26. Michigan State
27. Michigan
30. Wisconsin
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on January 23, 2019, 06:02:10 PM
Uscho took a stab at some bracketology. 

1t St. Cloud State
1t Massachusetts
3 Denver
4 Minnesota Duluth
5 Ohio State
6 Quinnipiac
7 Northeastern
8 Minnesota State
9 Cornell
10 Clarkson
11 Arizona State
12 Bowling Green
13 Western Michigan
14t Notre Dame
14t Union
16 Providence
38 American International
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on January 27, 2019, 11:30:28 AM
Week 18

Penn St split with Michigan, a road loss and neutral win

Wisconsin split with Minnesota on the road 

Notre Dame went 1-0-1-1 vs Michigan St at home 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on January 27, 2019, 11:48:23 AM
Heading into February....
.






1.Ohio State (http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-hockey/sched/osu-m-hockey-sched.html)2914833249292415547753
2.Notre Dame (http://www.und.com/sports/m-hockey/sched/nd-m-hockey-sched.html)2515762239422514837759
3.Minnesota (http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-hockey/sched/minn-m-hockey-sched.html)24167630544525101147870
4.Michigan (http://www.mgoblue.com/schedule.aspx?path=mhockey)2115564243452591067477
5.Penn State (http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-hockey/sched/psu-m-hockey-sched.html)201669116268261410211898
Wisconsin (http://www.uwbadgers.com/schedule.aspx?path=mhockey)2014554142452491147781
Michigan State (http://www.msuspartans.com/sports/m-hockey/sched/msu-m-hockey-sched.html)2016583245602691347681
Through all games on Jan. 26, 2019
.
*pts in bold, GP in italics
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on February 01, 2019, 09:46:13 PM
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DyXg1pTW0AA1Jb1.jpg)
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on February 02, 2019, 10:49:52 PM
Week 19

Ohio State swept Notre Dame at home.
Wisconsin went 0-1-1-1 vs Michigan State on the road.
Michigan split with Minnesota on the road.

So Minnesota overtakes Notre Dame for second place. Michigan and Michigan State are tied for fourth place, one point behind Notre Dame. Wisconsin noses ahead of Penn State, who had a bye week.

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dycf2ryWwAAIl1I.jpg)
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: ELA on February 03, 2019, 12:42:37 AM
MSU has one elite, and I mean elite, line surrounded by a roster of dog poo.  
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on February 10, 2019, 08:37:29 AM
Week 20

Ohio St swept Wisconsin on the road.

Michigan swept Michigan St at home, but then lost at Notre Dame on Tue.

Penn St swept Minnesota at home.

Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Anonymous Coward on February 10, 2019, 11:39:03 AM
In every series, that's the weekend Michigan needed to jump up to #2.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: RestingB!tchFace on February 10, 2019, 06:10:19 PM
Let's go SCSU!!!
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Anonymous Coward on February 12, 2019, 10:18:06 PM
I'm not sure I really knew the definition of gallows humor until now:
https://twitter.com/internetraj/status/1095516995586387968
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: ELA on February 12, 2019, 10:59:34 PM
Shouldn't Kelly mean stick to basketball?
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Anonymous Coward on February 12, 2019, 11:30:26 PM
bah
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: SFBadger96 on February 14, 2019, 03:03:54 PM
Honest question from someone who has basically lost touch...

Has the Big Ten hockey conference killed college hockey at the Big Ten's preeminent hockey schools?

Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, and to some degree probably Michigan State used to be consistently top-tier programs. Seems like not so much now.

Wisconsin's attendance seems way down, too. Averaging closer to 10K--only about 2/3 of the Kohl Center's capacity.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on February 14, 2019, 03:23:18 PM
I sure hope the fan apathy at the "Hockey schools" is the driving force behind their new found mediocrity.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on February 14, 2019, 08:54:02 PM

It is kind of funny how the Big Ten "hockey schools" were so incensed about having to be in a conference with lowly OSU and PSU, but fast forward to today and those two along with Notre Dame are the only ones that are ranked in the Top 20. 

Poetic Justice....
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Anonymous Coward on February 14, 2019, 09:59:06 PM
Don't let me get in the way of something you think is funny, but there weren't any arguments against a Big Ten conference that had to do with M/MSU/Minn/UW not wanting to be with OSU/PSU. For starters, Michigan and MSU were already associated with OSU in the CCHA. And neither ever wanted OSU out of the CCHA. Then there was PSU. They joined college hockey and our fanbases basically celebrated it (though it was effortless to be happy when no one expected them to get into the tournament for a decade).

So the Big Ten argument wasn't "not wanting to be with OSU/PSU," it was not wanting to be away from the CCHA and WCHA. Meaning that OSU had the same perspective as Michigan and MSU. And the CCHA teams didn't too badly seem to care. Michigan and MSU were bummed to drop WMU/FSU/LSSU, etc., but generally preferred the idea of the Big Ten conference. I figured OSU felt the same. In the WCHA, UW cared more than we did but moved on pretty quickly. Minnesota is the only one who's still bent out of shape.

Maybe you are conflating some of the common opinions from the inaugural Big Ten year, when we sucked. OSU and PSU were part of that, but really everyone was to blame.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on February 14, 2019, 10:04:01 PM
It was definitely a gripe that was somewhat unique to Minnesota fans. I'll give you that. 

Although I don't think the "hockey schools" struggles can solely be attributed to their fan bases bemoaning the fact that they are no longer in a Conference with a bunch of in-state D2 teams. I'm sure that Maryland fans are not exactly thrilled to be in the Big Ten Lacrosse Conference, yet they have carried on at an elite level, competing for National Championships. 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Anonymous Coward on February 14, 2019, 10:15:20 PM
I don't think there's a strong argument for Michigan, UW, and Minnesota being down *because* of the Big Ten. The explanation is coaching/coaching transitions. 

Granato hasn't been there long, but maybe UW already needs another coach. Michigan is in good shape in the long term but lost a lot to the pros after their FF run last year and it shows. Minnesota is also (probably) in good hands for the long run. MSU is harder to address. They sorely needed and made a coaching change but their AD no longer seems invested in hockey, so they are different to project. 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Anonymous Coward on February 14, 2019, 10:34:46 PM
I also think that this year's conference standings is partially explained by roster age. Minnesota and Michigan always have among the youngest rosters in college hockey. That's inevitable when signing this many NHL draft picks. Ditto for UW and Notre Dame (who probably join M and Minn as the best recruiters in the conference). These are by far the youngest teams in the conference (https://www.collegehockeynews.com/almanac/funfacts-ageavg.php) and among the very youngest in the country. Because the other teams, with fewer NHL draft picks incentivizing them to recruit young, go to the other extreme and recruit "old men," signing guys who are well into their 20s as true freshmen.

Michigan and Minnesota won't get much older in future years, but this is the rare year where they have the tough trifecta of hyperyoung roster + restocking roster + new coach. I don't think we should expect OSU to be a permanent fixture at the top of the conference. They have good coaching and shouldn't plummet. But there are at least 4 or 5 good coaches in the Big Ten.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Anonymous Coward on February 14, 2019, 10:47:05 PM
Honest question from someone who has basically lost touch...

Has the Big Ten hockey conference killed college hockey at the Big Ten's preeminent hockey schools?

Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, and to some degree probably Michigan State used to be consistently top-tier programs. Seems like not so much now.

Wisconsin's attendance seems way down, too. Averaging closer to 10K--only about 2/3 of the Kohl Center's capacity.
I missed this, but I think the answer has to be mixed. UW's attendance may be partly due to joining the Big Ten conference. But it has to also be due to poor coaching/poor product. And coaching is also the best explanation for Michigan's and Minnesota's recent dips. Michigan dipped out of the NCAA tournament for the first time in 22 years in 2013. That wasn't because the CCHA was dying. It was because Berenson was holding on too long. 
Berenson then held on for 4 additional years, and Michigan only made the tourney one of those. Blaming the Big Ten alignment for any of them seems misplaced. Red just retired too late. Then Mel Pearson took Berenson's last roster to the Frozen Four on his first try. I'd say Michigan is in good shape. Not this year, of course. Michigan is rebuilding because of both the coaching transition and from losing so many guys last year when we couldn't afford to. None of that seems due to Big Ten alignment. I feel the same about UW and Minnesota. Minnesota seems to have found a good coach. UW, I'm not sure. 
But yeah, just coaching. Bad coaching and tough transitions with good coaches (for M and Minn) or all the time bad coaching (for UW).
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on February 15, 2019, 10:06:08 PM
It is kind of funny how the Big Ten "hockey schools" were so incensed about having to be in a conference with lowly OSU and PSU, but fast forward to today and those two along with Notre Dame are the only ones that are ranked in the Top 20.

Poetic Justice....
And like clockwork all three of the ranked teams were upended by the lowly "hockey schools" tonight. 
I ought to start selling my remarkable jinxing abilities for profit. 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: ELA on February 15, 2019, 11:01:39 PM
I mean you also kind of made up the point yourself.  UM and MSU were already with OSU.  So going back to the CCHA means dumping Minnesota and Wisconsin, not OSU.  And likewise, going back to the WCHA for those schools means dumping all of the CCHA schools, not just OSU.  I've never gotten the impression they wanted to be with UM or MSU any more than with OSU.

MSUs drop has nothing to do with the Big Ten.  They made back to back bad coaching hires.  They were bad in the final days of the CCHA too
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: MichiFan87 on February 16, 2019, 12:20:59 AM
Apparently Illinois will make a decision on adding hockey this spring. There's an article about it on USCHO that makes it seem more likely than not.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on February 16, 2019, 05:44:22 AM
I mean you also kind of made up the point yourself.  UM and MSU were already with OSU.  So going back to the CCHA means dumping Minnesota and Wisconsin, not OSU.  And likewise, going back to the WCHA for those schools means dumping all of the CCHA schools, not just OSU.  I've never gotten the impression they wanted to be with UM or MSU any more than with OSU.

MSUs drop has nothing to do with the Big Ten.  They made back to back bad coaching hires.  They were bad in the final days of the CCHA too
I specifically recall a Gopher fan (draftnik, I believe) declaring that there is NO WAY that Gopher fans can get excited about playing 8 games against OSU and PSU. 
For the record I am well aware of who was in the CCHA and the WCHA, all the way down to how the Alaska twins were divvied up. I am not under the erroneous impression that OSU hockey came up at the same time as Penn St. 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: 847badgerfan on February 16, 2019, 06:46:56 AM
I was excited about the Big Ten because I thought I would get to see a lot of hockey on TV. Not so much. I'd rather UW and Minnie go back to the WCHA for that reason alone.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: 847badgerfan on February 16, 2019, 08:03:30 AM
I was thinking about the coaching comment by dudekd above as it relates to UW. Yeah, just about the same problem. Mike Eaves stayed too long (was allowed to stay too long). It's hard to fire guys like him, but it finally happened. Enter Tony Granato, another former Badger player, for the 2016-17 season.


Recruiting had slipped under Eaves, and that seems to be changing under Tony. The rebuild continues but things are looking better. We'll see in another year or two.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on February 16, 2019, 08:22:23 AM
I was excited about the Big Ten because I thought I would get to see a lot of hockey on TV. Not so much. I'd rather UW and Minnie go back to the WCHA for that reason alone.
The gals still play in the Wcha since the state of Michigan apparently doesn't find it proper for women to play the sport. I like to go to one game a year because it's free and because the old ice rink is cool (this year it was OSU knocking off the #1 ranked Badgers O0 ).

Oddly enough the Michigan rivalry still plays a central role in their game day experience even though they don't have a team. Whenever the PA guy says "There is one minute remaining in the period" the entire crowd responds with "...and Michigan still sucks!" No idea how or when it started, but it has been going on for years.

Technically it's true I suppose, since it would quite literally be like playing against air. But kind of strange, nonetheless.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on February 16, 2019, 09:52:52 PM
Week 21

Minnesota swept Ohio St on the road. 
Penn State split with Michigan St on the road. 
Wisconsin split with Notre Dame on the road. 

So Minnesota moves up to second place, but can't overtake the Buckeyes with only two games left. Third place Notre Dame and fourth place Michigan, however, are in Prime Pouncing Position. Particularly the Wolverines, who get OSU twice at home. 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on February 24, 2019, 08:23:27 AM
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D0IYuaDX0AEm-qP.jpg)

Week 22

Wisconsin split with Penn St on the road
Minnesota split with Notre Dame at home
Ohio St goes 0-1-1-1 vs Michigan on the road, clinching the Big Ten regular season Title.

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D0JP3OxWoAAG1Ij.jpg)
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on March 03, 2019, 12:00:58 AM
Week 23

Wisconsin swept Michigan at home.
Michigan St split with Ohio St on the road.
Penn St split with Notre Dame on the road.
Minnesota swept Arizona St at home
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D0tVk-EWwAU7UaM.jpg)

final standings

1.Ohio State (http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-hockey/sched/osu-m-hockey-sched.html)462413743795234209510776
2.Notre Dame (http://www.und.com/sports/m-hockey/sched/nd-m-hockey-sched.html)37241111226365341813310182
3.Minnesota (http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-hockey/sched/minn-m-hockey-sched.html)362411103076753516154110103
4.Penn State (http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-hockey/sched/psu-m-hockey-sched.html)3524111211101963419132157126
5.Wisconsin (http://www.uwbadgers.com/schedule.aspx?path=mhockey)34249105269813413165104117
 Michigan (http://www.mgoblue.com/schedule.aspx?path=mhockey)34249105276753413147107107
7.Michigan State (http://www.msuspartans.com/sports/m-hockey/sched/msu-m-hockey-sched.html)3024812426888341217599119
Through all games on March 2, 2019
.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on March 08, 2019, 11:04:54 PM
Minnesota, Wisconsin and Notre Dame each take game one. 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on March 09, 2019, 10:41:02 PM
Minnesota and Notre Dame swept the Michigan schools, while Penn St forced a game three on Sunday vs Wisconsin.

Nevertheless Minnesota and Notre Dame will meet in the semifinals, while Ohio St will get the Penn St-Wisconsin game 3 winner. 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on March 11, 2019, 04:35:03 PM
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D1VzDftXcAIpGk8?format=jpg&name=900x900)
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: ELA on March 11, 2019, 05:14:34 PM
Didn't realize they had made the smart move and went to on campus games.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Anonymous Coward on March 13, 2019, 12:27:11 AM
Those last two weekends were rough. Guess it's onto 2019-2020 for Michigan. The incoming recruiting class is a doozie in several ways, but the real eye popper is its size. Obviously the calculus is way different in college hockey, where fractional scholarships are allowed and conventional. Even still, if you were to tell me this is the largest class in M hockey history, I wouldn't flinch.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: RestingB!tchFace on March 15, 2019, 07:16:52 AM
Gophers need to win @ ND and then beat the winner of OSU/PSU.  PSU has given the Gophers fits.  But that would be on home ice.  OSU is the best team pointwise in the conference.  Gophers just swept them on their ice a couple weeks ago.  Either way....the only way into the tournament is a Big Ten Championship.

Oh.....and I'm also a Saint Cloud alum.  Trumps my love for the Gophers.  They're #1 and have a decent shot at a title.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: 847badgerfan on March 15, 2019, 07:57:19 AM
Gophers need to win @ ND and then beat the winner of OSU/PSU.  PSU has given the Gophers fits.  But that would be on home ice.  OSU is the best team pointwise in the conference.  Gophers just swept them on their ice a couple weeks ago.  Either way....the only way into the tournament is a Big Ten Championship.

Oh.....and I'm also a Saint Cloud alum.  Trumps my love for the Gophers.  They're #1 and have a decent shot at a title.
Mrs. 847 is one of those.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: RestingB!tchFace on March 15, 2019, 09:48:05 AM
Mrs. 847 is one of those.
Ah!  So while I hate on the Badgers and you hate on the Gophers.....we can at least root for the Huskies!
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Anonymous Coward on March 15, 2019, 12:55:41 PM
Oh.....and I'm also a Saint Cloud alum.  Trumps my love for the Gophers.  They're #1 and have a decent shot at a title.
Sounds like you've always had that lean. I'm reading that your fan base is growing fast.

I'd be curious of your opinion on the shrinking UMinn hockey fan base, measured by plummeting attendance. It seems perfectly correlated with the Big Ten hockey inauguration, mixed in with poor decisions by the AD - ticket licensing, and mandatory combos for season hockey tickets with football.
My main curiosity is the affected demographics. Are we actually talking students and alumni fleeing UMinn hockey, or is this about the unaffiliated  Minnesotans leaving and flocking to other in-state teams like UMD and SCSU?

My guess would be that alumni/students are most likely to stick to their team despite unpopular decisions and non-alumni would be fastest to bail.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on March 17, 2019, 10:53:16 AM
Notre Dame defeated the Gophers in OT, in the first semifinal. 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on March 17, 2019, 05:47:27 PM
It will be Notre Dame and Penn St in the Final. 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: RestingB!tchFace on March 18, 2019, 12:35:36 PM
Sounds like you've always had that lean. I'm reading that your fan base is growing fast.

I'd be curious of your opinion on the shrinking UMinn hockey fan base, measured by plummeting attendance. It seems perfectly correlated with the Big Ten hockey inauguration, mixed in with poor decisions by the AD - ticket licensing, and mandatory combos for season hockey tickets with football.
My main curiosity is the affected demographics. Are we actually talking students and alumni fleeing UMinn hockey, or is this about the unaffiliated  Minnesotans leaving and flocking to other in-state teams like UMD and SCSU?

My guess would be that alumni/students are most likely to stick to their team despite unpopular decisions and non-alumni would be fastest to bail.
Ever since I attended school there.  The Huskies were fairly good when I went there.....but they've REALLY good for the past few years now.  Motzko was a great coach.....and since he bailed.....I'm glad he went to the Gophers.  Are you a Red Wings fan?  Nick Jensen graduated a year after me in high school and played for the Huskies.  I know that he plays for the Caps now.....but he was drafted in 2009 by the Red Wings.
And the Gophers attendance issues are pretty well known.  There are several reasons for that.  After the two titles in the early 00's.....Lucia started to get lazy and performance suffered.  But Motzko should be able to right the ship.  Another thing about the declining attendance has to do with the athletic department.  Huge chunks of the best seats in Mariucci go to corporate sponsors.  These tickets often go unused.  It doesn't help that UMD is consistently good.....and teams like SCSU and MSU Mankato are now really good as well.  Both are top 3 in the country....and they've been siphoning high end talent in the state.  But Motzko took some high end recruits with him when he went to the Gophers.  Another issue is the Big Ten.  A lot of the Gophers natural rivalries were in the WCHA, which became the NCHC when the Big Ten stole a couple of teams and the WCHA as it once was dissolved.  Finally....the Gophers tournament game was going on during the high school hockey tournament....which is a HUGE event here in MN. 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on March 23, 2019, 10:40:14 PM

Notre Dame beat Penn St in the Big Ten Ccg. 

Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on March 24, 2019, 07:13:30 PM
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D2da8BOW0AAfJyp.jpg:large)
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: DevilFroggy on March 24, 2019, 07:19:20 PM
Pretty huge for ASU hockey to make the tournament. What Coach Powers has done for the program is remarkable.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Anonymous Coward on March 24, 2019, 08:04:14 PM
Ever since I attended school there.  The Huskies were fairly good when I went there.....but they've REALLY good for the past few years now.  Motzko was a great coach.....and since he bailed.....I'm glad he went to the Gophers.  Are you a Red Wings fan?  Nick Jensen graduated a year after me in high school and played for the Huskies.  I know that he plays for the Caps now.....but he was drafted in 2009 by the Red Wings.

I grew up an enormous(!) Red Wings fan. I haven't followed any professional sports in 15 years -- college has been easier and more than enough of a work load as fandom and "keeping up" goes -- but the next time I watch the NHL playoffs, it'll be because the Red Wings are doing well again ... and even then I'll have skipped the regular season.
And the Gophers attendance issues are pretty well known.  There are several reasons for that.  After the two titles in the early 00's.....Lucia started to get lazy and performance suffered.  But Motzko should be able to right the ship.  Another thing about the declining attendance has to do with the athletic department.  Huge chunks of the best seats in Mariucci go to corporate sponsors.  These tickets often go unused.  It doesn't help that UMD is consistently good.....and teams like SCSU and MSU Mankato are now really good as well.  Both are top 3 in the country....and they've been siphoning high end talent in the state.  But Motzko took some high end recruits with him when he went to the Gophers.  Another issue is the Big Ten.  A lot of the Gophers natural rivalries were in the WCHA, which became the NCHC when the Big Ten stole a couple of teams and the WCHA as it once was dissolved.  Finally....the Gophers tournament game was going on during the high school hockey tournament....which is a HUGE event here in MN. 

That's what I figured, though I didn't know about the state HS tournament. No doubt that distorted the narrative. The place looked as active as a mausoleum in the photo I saw.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Anonymous Coward on March 26, 2019, 01:11:58 PM
It's too bad that D-I college hockey isn't a 120-300 school club. I'm not at all a fan of holding kids out of college after high school, delaying them from entering the real world, until they are 2-4 years older and big enough to beat the 17-year-old blue chip prospects. Granted, I'm biased because Michigan (and most of the Big Ten) is the latter kind of program, but I like to think this would seem crooked no matter my team. Unfortunately, changing the rules is impractical because the small schools require this strategy to compete and will never vote oppositely. Likewise, breaking away is impractical because the sport barely has a sustainable number of D-I schools as it is. Ef
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: ELA on March 26, 2019, 01:20:18 PM
Pretty huge for ASU hockey to make the tournament. What Coach Powers has done for the program is remarkable.
What Penn State and now Arizona State have done has made me wonder if it's better for MSU to scrap the program for a decade, then bring it back with excitement, rather than the stale thing it has become, with total fan apathy.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on March 26, 2019, 01:41:56 PM
What Penn State and now Arizona State have done has made me wonder if it's better for MSU to scrap the program for a decade, then bring it back with excitement, rather than the stale thing it has become, with total fan apathy.
You guys could test that theory by bringing your lacrosse program back from the dead.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: ELA on March 26, 2019, 01:59:49 PM
You guys could test that theory by bringing your lacrosse program back from the dead.
No thanks
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on March 26, 2019, 02:06:08 PM
I knew that you were going to say that. 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: ELA on March 26, 2019, 02:14:19 PM
Why spread our resources out even thinner?
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on March 26, 2019, 02:20:50 PM
In order to test your hypothesis, of course.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Anonymous Coward on March 26, 2019, 02:27:37 PM
Why spread our resources out even thinner?
You wouldn't unless it were mandated. Interestingly, MSU (the Big Ten) might prefer it to be mandated. I'm curious of the ramifications to the world of CFB, for example, if every P5 (emphasis on: SEC) school were required to fully fund, say, 32 revenue sports. If "spreading thin" were a relative game, doing it could be attractive for MSU. Moreso nationally than in conference, though.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on March 26, 2019, 02:58:06 PM
He does raise a strong point. Most schools that play Hockey and Lacrosse are making money hand over fist compared to Michigan State.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Anonymous Coward on March 26, 2019, 03:30:00 PM
Is that true, BB? Maybe something has changed but a decade ago hockey was only a profit-bearing sport for the helmet schools like Michigan, Minnesota, BC, etc. The rest only did it because they loved it / they were a small school and this was their best chance at "mainstream" fame. After Title IX, cutting hockey was a priority for many schools. I suspect dollars and cents were a big part of that, so this can't have (generally) been a revenue sport then and it wasn't 10 years ago when the sport was still contracting either. Clearly something has changed of late, because now we're growing. But I am skeptical of that thing being a revenue revolution. Isn't the better explanation for PSU, ASU and maybe Illinois next that some places have money bags donors willing to bank roll something that is otherwise unworkable. Lacrosse is different of course. Because hockey rinks are different. Expensive.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on March 26, 2019, 03:34:13 PM
(https://thumbs.gfycat.com/GratefulBeneficialFreshwatereel-small.gif)
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: ELA on March 26, 2019, 03:35:44 PM
Is that true, BB? Maybe something has changed but a decade ago hockey was only a profit-bearing sport for the helmet schools like Michigan, Minnesota, BC, etc. The rest only did it because they loved it / they were a small school and this was their best chance at "mainstream" fame. After Title IX, cutting hockey was a priority for many schools. I suspect dollars and cents were a big part of that, so this can't have commonly been a revenue sport..
There was a time when hockey was a revenue sport at MSU, it actually still I believe breaks even-ish.  Most recent data I can find is from 2 years ago, showing UM with $3.1 million in hockey revenue and MSU with $2.9 million, I'm assuming expenses are probably close?  I'm not sure if BTN breaks it down by sport as to how much each school gets.
So hockey isn't the money pit that it seems to be at MSU, but I'm certainly not interested in adding sports, MSU seems stretched too thin as it is.  I'm guessing MSU is up there behind UM, OSU and PSU (and I'm guessing Maryland?) in terms of sponsored varsity sports.  There's no reason for that to be the case.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Anonymous Coward on March 26, 2019, 03:42:56 PM
Oooohhhhhhhhhhhhh
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on March 26, 2019, 03:50:19 PM
Maryland doesn't play all that many sports. Nebraska is barking with the big dogs though.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: SFBadger96 on March 26, 2019, 04:07:52 PM
I wonder where Wisconsin is on the revenue side of things. Traditionally hockey was a money maker, but with dropping ticket sales, I'm not sure now. Probably still breaking even, but it can't be a good sign.

Need to start winning more.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: ELA on March 26, 2019, 04:09:57 PM
To show the level of apathy, MSU has it's best sketer in years, Taro Hirose, who led the NCAA in points, won Big Ten Player of the Year, and is a Hobey Baker finalist.  I doubt most MSU fans even know his name.

He already signed and made his NHL debut with the Red Wings, keeping up those points, with 4 of them in his first 4 NHL games.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on March 26, 2019, 04:26:26 PM
Do the skeeters get pretty bad up in Michigan?
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: 847badgerfan on March 26, 2019, 04:35:42 PM
I wonder where Wisconsin is on the revenue side of things. Traditionally hockey was a money maker, but with dropping ticket sales, I'm not sure now. Probably still breaking even, but it can't be a good sign.

Need to start winning more.
I'm told it still makes money, but they can feel free to start winning any time now.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: SFBadger96 on March 26, 2019, 06:08:09 PM
Mark Johnson was passed over as the head coach in 2002, for Eaves. They each won their first national title in 2006. Johnson has four more since then. Eaves returned to one NCAA final, in '10, but in the intervening years the team was all over the place, and afterward it sucked. When Granato was hired in '16, I heard Johnson said he wasn't interested, but I'm definitely not in the loop. He was interested when Penn State made the jump to varsity in 2012.

The women's program is different than the men's in a lot of ways, but how would things have gone with Johnson at the helm?
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: 847badgerfan on March 26, 2019, 06:12:47 PM
I thought about that on Sunday, for obvious reasons. Not sure why he was not interested or never got a look.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on March 29, 2019, 07:46:04 PM
The Buckeyes're done. 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on March 29, 2019, 07:46:39 PM

(https://www.ncaa.com/sites/default/files/public/images/2019-03-24/2019-frozen-four-bracket-ncaa-hockey.jpg)
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on March 29, 2019, 11:02:44 PM
Notre Dame wins in OT. 

UMass beat Harvard, and St Cloud got upended by American International. 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Anonymous Coward on March 30, 2019, 12:23:45 AM
I can't believe that happened again. Wow.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on March 30, 2019, 07:46:07 PM
Duluth survived BG in OT, Minnesota St got whooped upon by Providence, and Northeastern got absolutely annihilated by Cornell in the early games. 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on March 30, 2019, 09:07:44 PM
UMass edged Notre Dame 4-0 in the quarterfinals. 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Anonymous Coward on March 31, 2019, 02:31:35 AM
Because I'm petty and Michigan can't extend its NC record, now's the time when I root against anyone who might tie them at 9. NoDak didn't make the field either, and Denver is the only other program at 8. They are onto the Frozen Four. So I guess ... go UMass! They're #4/16 seed, which is promising, though I haven't paid enough attention to either to know how they match up.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on March 31, 2019, 08:31:55 AM
Yeah, Denver and Qunnipiac won the late games. 

Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on March 31, 2019, 09:25:05 PM
So the Frozen Four will be Denver vs UMass, Providence vs Duluth
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on April 12, 2019, 01:00:15 AM
NCG: UMass vs Duluth
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Anonymous Coward on April 13, 2019, 09:58:17 PM
I was v. happy about Denver getting knocked off. Not sure who I'm rooting for, but UMD is up 2-0 heading into the third. 

UMD as a program has really come on of late. This would be their third NC (both all-time and this decade). I'd say good for them and mean it, but there's no doubt that their first NC still grates Michigan fans. Blowing a NC-winning goal off because of an "intent to blow the whistle" claim was super lame.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on April 14, 2019, 12:02:56 AM
Duluth won
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: MichiFan87 on May 06, 2019, 12:15:50 PM
Apparently Illinois hockey is going to officially announce it's going to go D1 next week.... Not expecting it, of course, but hopefully the league will drop Notre Dame before the Illini join....

https://twitter.com/USCollegeHockey/status/1125375031943618561 (https://twitter.com/USCollegeHockey/status/1125375031943618561)
https://twitter.com/JoeMeloni/status/1125388369696047106 (https://twitter.com/JoeMeloni/status/1125388369696047106)
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on June 25, 2019, 07:21:49 PM

Schedules are getting dropped. 

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D8UMjF9UIAAyJ-O.jpg)

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DUGwIdYWAAACvkS.jpg)
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: MichiFan87 on June 25, 2019, 11:08:16 PM
Michigan has a pretty tough schedule this year with 2 games each with Clarkson, Lake Superior, Western Michigan (H/A), and at New Hampshire, along with Ferris State in the GLI in non-con play.

Meanwhile, Illinois' still trying to go D1 in hockey by 2022. https://www.uscho.com/2019/06/19/illinois-still-banking-on-new-program-would-join-big-ten-if-rink-built-by-2022/ (https://www.uscho.com/2019/06/19/illinois-still-banking-on-new-program-would-join-big-ten-if-rink-built-by-2022/)
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 26, 2019, 06:57:38 AM
I'd really like this failed B1G hockey experiment to end. 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on June 26, 2019, 08:11:42 AM
If it did, how would the resulting realignment shake out? 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: 847badgerfan on June 26, 2019, 08:24:48 AM
UW and Minnie reunited with NDak, Denver, CC, St. Cloud, etc...
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Anonymous Coward on June 26, 2019, 09:22:43 AM
I miss the CCHA's scheduling and traditions but I also haven't given up on Big Ten hockey. Our biggest problem here is that we have major scheduling issues as a 7-team league. And going to 8 (assuming Illinois finds the $250MM to build The Yards) doesn't really fix any of those in a satisfactory way. 

At present, with 7 teams, each member plays six opponents four times (2H, 2A). That's 24 games with room for 10 OOC. A reasonable ratio. But the way we have to spread them out makes for long home ice droughts and late-season bye weekends. That sucks!

The problem with Illinoising ourselves into an 8-member league is that then we're stuck with a goofier number: 7 opponents each. If we get there and keep the same format (2H, 2A per opponent), we'll spend 28 of our 34 regular season games in conference. 

6 OOC games isn't much, especially for M and MSU who are indefinitely contracted to play OOC in the GLI. That would leave the whole conference vulnerable to poor pairwise outcomes. That's because this is a high variance sport. An oddball OOC upset of a good Big Ten teams is statistically likely. And there'll be precious few opportunities to make up for it, especially against good OOC teams, before we hide in-conference for the other 28 contests.

Of course, there are different formats -- 




But those are all uneven ways to determine a champ.

I guess in that sense, I like the Big Ten but am disappointed we added ND. Not because I'm your common Big Ten anti-ND hawk but because a six-team conference was much more mathematically sound: 5x4 games in-conference with 14 OOC to spare.
 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: ELA on June 26, 2019, 09:52:37 AM
Yeah, I think absent a return to the before, I'd just prefer more Big Ten teams adding hockey, and shedding Notre Dame.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on June 26, 2019, 01:44:35 PM
Okay, so if Wisconsin and Minnesota go to the Nacho, I suppose OSU, ND and the Michigan siblings would have to go to the WCHA. Penn State I guess would shop around the Eastern conferences, none of which would be a great fit really. Or they could just fold I suppose, since they weren't part of the nostalgia to begin with. 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on July 06, 2019, 07:42:59 AM

The WCHA will soon be on the market for some new members.

https://www.uscho.com/2019/06/28/seven-wcha-schools-exploring-idea-of-forming-new-conference-for-2021-22-season/ (https://www.uscho.com/2019/06/28/seven-wcha-schools-exploring-idea-of-forming-new-conference-for-2021-22-season/)

Seven NCAA Division I men’s teams have announced the exploration of a new Division I men’s hockey conference that would begin play with the 2021-2022 season.

The seven schools include current WCHA members Bemidji State, Bowling Green State, Ferris State, Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech, Minnesota State and Northern Michigan.


.

So that leaves Huntsville and the Alaska twins. 
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: MichiFan87 on July 07, 2019, 02:32:38 PM
It appears that the Alaska programs are at risk of shutting down regardless due to significant budget cuts. It sounds like UAH is going to try to keep its program, and Arizona State has proven that it is possible to get into the tournament as an independent.

I do think this is actually good for college hockey longer-term, though. The default assumption is that the WCHA defectors all stay together. If that's true, there's still room for it to grow. I know Oakland did a feasibility study to add hockey, and I think it would make a lot of sense because they're not a football school, they have a decent sized student body, and they'd have natural rivalries with the other Michigan schools in the league. I think there are other schools in the Great Lakes region that could be successful in adding D1 hockey as well (eg. Green Bay, Northern Illinois, Toledo)..... The alternative is to add the westernmost schools from the Northeast leagues (Robert Morris, Mercyhurst, Canisius, Niagara), which would then allow other schools in the Northeast to add hockey with a conference to go to. Apparently Navy is seriously considering going D1. Schools like Delaware, Drexel, Penn, Lehigh, Bucknell, Rhode Island, Central Connecticut, and NJIT could all be successful programs, as well..... Beyond that, there are also rumors of some schools out west, including UNLV, going D1.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: ELA on July 07, 2019, 03:13:33 PM
I know Oakland did a feasibility study to add hockey, and I think it would make a lot of sense because they're not a football school, they have a decent sized student body, and they'd have natural rivalries with the other Michigan schools in the league.
Agreed.  Robert Morris here in Pittsburgh did something similar, and IMO, if Penn State hadn't added hockey, RMU would be a formidable hockey school by now.  I'll be interested to see how both schools do with the resurgence of youth hockey in Western PA as a result of the Pens last decade of success.  The kids who were starting to pick sports when the Penguins reached the Stanley Cup in 2008 are hitting the upper levels of high school, and I think RMU is the only D1 program between PSU and OSU geographically.  Obviously, Michigan has far more established hockey programs than Pennsylvania, but I think Oakland could exist in that same realm of spending money on hockey, because they don't have to on football.
Title: Re: ~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~
Post by: Anonymous Coward on July 07, 2019, 04:24:07 PM
One guaranteed positive effect of the Big Ten hockey conference is that until its formation, growth of the sport was highly unrealistic. Things are in motion (one might argue: unstable), and that's to say nothing of the traditions lost, but no one can say the sport's growth potential is equal to or less than it used to be. We now have room in multiple conferences and ever more modern templates for how to break in from scratch.