(R) College Hockey 2003-2004 Season Thread

Yeesh. The three posts that are left aren't particularly remarkable. One of the admin's infamous bad hair days, perhaps?

 

I only discovered the last 5 minutes, but the Michigan-Quinnipiac game was on NESN here in Boston tonight. Quinnipiac lead into the 3rd period in Ann Arbor. Are Atlantic Hockey and the CHA gaining ground, or are the big conferences still overlooking them enough to create tight games that would otherwise be blow-outs?

 

CHA has always been more competitive. Alabama-Huntsville had a season where early on, they were statistically one of the top teams in D1, Niagara had the season where they made the NCAAs (not sure if they were in CHA at the time) (and either that season or the season before, the Purple Eagles beat Michigan at Yost), last season Wayne State gave #1 seed CC a really good run in the regionals.

As to whether AH is gaining ground... hard to say. Those teams have been putting up isolated close games against the big boys for a while now. Remember Mercyhurst and Michigan in the NCAAs?

 

Thanks to my digital cable, I got to see both of the Wisconsin/St. Cloud State games (gotta like the commemorative "HB"s on SCSU's unis). St. Cloud state won the first one 2-1 and the second one 3-1 (IIRC). Not much to say, other than it looks like St. Cloud is better than they were given credit for in the pre-season WCHA polls, or Wisconsin is in for a long year.

 

Conclusive proof today that everyone involved in scheduling BC athletic events needs to be shot.

I go to pick up my season tickets and what do I discover? The BC-BU game at Kelley Rink takes place on January 16, the last Friday of our winter break. Because of this, the game is not included in the student season ticket packages. This is absolutely inexcusable. The biggest home game of the year (I'd argue that each game of the 2-game series is a bit bigger than the one-off game in December, which will also be at BC this year), and these *#*#*#*#*#*#*#s don't include it in our season ticket plan.

To make matters worse, BU will already be back in session by then. Every single ticket in the BU student section will be available to whoever wants to buy them. Now sure, the game is just a few days before BC classes resume, and many BC students live in the Boston area, so a lot of those seats normally reserved for students will be bought by BC fans. But a lot of them won't be.

In addition to royally screwing over both BC student fans, who will now have to cut our Christmas break short and pay an extra $12 to see the game, as well as the team, who will not be able to count on anything close to the level of support they usually enjoy at home games against BU, the *#*#*#*#ing idiots in the athletic department have dramatically increased the potential level of violence at the game. The section at Conte Forum usually reserved for BC students will now be a mixture of BC students, other BC fans, and BU fans--many of whom will be typical drunken BU punks trying to pick fights with unaccompanied BC females.

They did the same thing last year when they scheduled our home basketball games against UConn and Villanova during spring break. But those games, while they screwed over the student fans (and I paid the same price for my season tickets this year as I did last year, which hardly seems fair since the biggest home game has been removed from the schedule), did not put the team's success in jeopardy like this *#*#*#*#-up does.

Good job, *#*#*#*#*#*#*#s, you've screwed us over again.

 

Early Season Polls = Pointless

In the USCHO poll, UNH moved up to #1 after BC split a pair in Grand Forks against #4 North Dakota, which is ridiculous. Expected wins over Vermont and Merrimack didn't suggest this team is better than it was at the end of last season. Too many important pieces graduated.

Zenit, college hockey has long been a revenue sport at the schools that don't otherwise have successful athletic programs (like UNH) or that aren't even in D1 otherwise (like UND, CC and Denver). As for BC, the Boston D1 schools have long drawn big crowds for hockey, and except for BC football, not much else.

 

I'm still in shock about it. Un-*#*#*#*#in' believable.

I mean, I'll certainly come up to Boston a few days early and catch both games--but how many other BC students will?

NER, I wouldn't be surprised if an average BC hockey game fills a higher percentage of Conte Forum than an average BC football game does of Alumni Stadium. Our hockey games sell out when we play local BU, Harvard, Northeastern, UNH, and Maine, as well as for marquee games against faraway schools like Denver last year (wouldn't be surprised if we sell out or close to it for Notre Dame Friday night either, altho I won't be able to go unfortunately), and gets 85-90% of the seats filled the rest of the time. Football sells out for Miami and Notre Dame plus the Parent's Weekend game each year (Ball State this year and Central Michigan last year--more BC Athletic Department money grubbing at work), gets around 80-85% for Big East games (a little more for Va Tech and UConn), and around 60-70% for out of conference games against bad teams.

 

BC draws as well as the team is good. Compared to Maine and the CCHA / WCHA powers, the support is really shallow.

My freshman year ('89-90) they sold out nearly every game at 7800+ attendance, won HEA and made the Frozen Four. By my senior year, they were sub-.500 and getting 2K a game. Now that they are back, so to speak, attendance has spiked back up.

And Alex, they haven't sold winter break tickets to students as part of the season ticket package ever. 85% of the student section would be empty, even for BU on the Friday before classes restart. Thing is, you're not paying for them. Your season ticket cost is lower because you don't get those games. So get over it.

 

Yeah, but BC is in Boston. What the hell else is there to do in Durham or Orono or Grand Falls or Duluth?

I don't have a problem with that. I'm not bitching that I don't have tickets to the Merrimack game being played over Thanksgiving or even the Northeastern game played during our winter break. My problem is with the fact that the BU game was scheduled for this date in the first place. There's no excuse for it.

Besides, even if 85% of the student section was empty, at least those tickets wouldn't be in the hands of BU fans like they will be now.

 

Just a note on Denver: they are D-1 in all sports now, but the change was recent. Historically, NER_MCFC is 100% correct about hockey being the big revenue generator. Heck, it still is now.

 

Sure there is -- they have to get the game into the HEA schedule. You have no idea what the scheduling process is, and I highly doubt that BC is deliberately trying to dilute their home ice advantage.

Unless the tickets say "Beanpot" on them, my history is that most BU people don't care. They can't even sell out their dinky 3000-seater for most games.

 

You really think that if DeFillippo saw the proposed schedule and said "Wait a minute, hold on here, we can't play BU at home on January 16, that's in the middle of our winter break--we'll have to move those games to another weekend", that the HE officials wouldn't have went along?

True, but "most games" aren't against BC.

 

I'm pretty sure they also care about games against BC (heck, their juvenile power play cheer is focused on BC). Also, I think the indifference toward other opponents is a recent development, I remember Walter Brown being pretty full when I went to a Northeastern game there back in 1994 or 1995.

 

They actually chant that even when they're not playing BC. Last year for the Beanpot we went early and showed up about 5 minutes into the second period of the BU-Harvard game (BC-Northeastern was the second game) and they were still chanting "BC sucks"--even while they were down 1-0 to Harvard. *#*#*#*#in' idiots.

Like BC, they'll sell out for the other Boston teams, Maine, UNH, and big-name teams from out west (Denver, etc.). This is actually the last year for Walter Brown Arena, next year they'll be playing at a nice-looking facility at Comm Ave and Pleasant Street (I'll have to get my friend Rich, whose claim to fame was clearing out an entire aisle of the packed BC section at WBA last year by puking at the end of the 2nd period, to "christen" the new building).

 

Someone mention my name?
Things have been crazy this semester so I haven't had much time to mess around on here as much as I used to.

I'm always torn when the Gophs play UMD though. I've always be a fan of both teams. Even though I'm a Gopher fan and UofM student, I'm from northern Minnesota so I have a soft spot for UMD (and their coach just happens to be from my hometown). I also went to UMD for a year and attended all but 2 or 3 home games....

I might have to take you up on that offer (if you haven't given it to someone else yet). My girlfriend and I were planning on going to the Sat. game. A friend of mine who was lucky enough to get season tix can't go and offered his ticket to us. If you still haven't found anyone to take your extra, I'll probably take it.

Send me a PM or you can email me at jarv0059@umn.edu

 

Believe me, I know all about the stupid cheer, hence my "juvenile" description. There was a time when I looked up to the BU fanbase, as much as I despised them for their sense of entitlement. It's slipped badly in the last few years, though.

Yes, I drive by it going to and from the airport every time I come up to visit my parents.

 

BU is going to move into a big new rink on the Commonwealth Armory site. Heck, Providence schooled them left and right last year.

I think Jackie Parker is a great guy. And some dynamite players have come out of BU. But I can't stand their fans.

Alex, don't sweat the January game with those clowns. Save the energy for the first round of HE playoffs.

Adam, good to hear from youse.

 

What is wrong with BC? Couldn't even win the Catholic Bowl? Idiots. Nice way to ruin the BC-ND weekend.

http://www.hockeyeastonline.com/boxes/0304/102403/bc-nd.html

 

*#*#*#*#in' a.

At least we're gonna smack them around in football.

 

RESULT.

 

Looks like it'll be a long season for Northeastern if they don't get their act together. Getting smacked around by Merrimack in the conference opener does not inspire a whole lot of confidence.

 

Brent, you see the football game?

Beautiful, my man, beautiful

 

Just finished watching most of Minnesota-Denver. Gophers kind of controlled the game, but didn't dominate all that much. 2 early goals 13 seconds apart, both off rebounds, did Denver in. Berkhoel needs to make cleaner first stops, and the D has to clear out rebounds and deny second chances. Other than that, Minny looks strong again but may end up missing Ballard over the next month, didn't tonight.

 

Yea it was a night of blowouts of college hockey on TV MSU won 8-0 its nice having a game of the week now on CSTV. UNH vs BU next should be a good game