Sunday Gravy - Quinnipiac, Holy Cross Hockey East Thoughts | The Boneyard

Sunday Gravy - Quinnipiac, Holy Cross Hockey East Thoughts

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From Chip Malofronte's Sunday Gravy column in today's New Haven Register...

>> There doesn’t appear to be any mutual interest between Hockey East and Quinnipiac. Greg Amodio, the athletic director at Quinnipiac, confirmed as much on Friday. “We’re incredibly happy and pleased with where we are now,” Amodio said. “We’re with the right group of schools with a similar mindset. It’s a great situation for our men’s and women’s hockey programs, who are both well-positioned to compete for national championships. We’ve had zero conversations with Hockey East. Our commitment is with ECAC Hockey.”

Bentley University announced plans for a new 2,000-seat campus hockey arena. We hear the school has an eye on the ECAC, should something open soon, though it’ll need a women’s program to be considered for membership. Bentley should there be an opening soon. Holy Cross, our sources say, is lobbying hard for an invite to Hockey East.<<
 
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The ECAC is the easier route to NCAA tournaments for QU. They can do fine in the ECAC with Pecknold. I know Pecknold uses the females of QU as a recruiting tool.
 
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The ECAC is the easier route to NCAA tournaments for QU. They can do fine in the ECAC with Pecknold. I know Pecknold uses the females of QU as a recruiting tool.
Their facility helps them in recruiting as well. This is gonna be an issue that needs to be addressed at UConn soon with the condition of the XL Center ice making system.
 
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The most disappointing thing was not seeing the on campus facility listed in the athletic fundraising brochure sent out. Until there is an on campus facility, the program will not make a move toward the top of Hockey East. It is a big detriment for recruiting. I think the incoming class, besides Huska, is an example of that.
 
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The most disappointing thing was not seeing the on campus facility listed in the athletic fundraising brochure sent out. Until there is an on campus facility, the program will not make a move toward the top of Hockey East. It is a big detriment for recruiting. I think the incoming class, besides Huska, is an example of that.
100% agree with you mac!!! I'm hoping that we will see something soon...hopefully by the end of the season.
 
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FDNY, what are your thoughts on the staff not being able to bring in a couple immediate impact top six forwards to go along with Letunov and Thompson?

I feel the coaching staff missed a huge opportunity to take advantage of having them here for one more year. Especially, considering Cavanaugh was talking about making a run at the NCAA tournament this season. I think the chances of that are nil as it stands now.

Currently, they are going into this season with only 13 forwards. I do not think there is another school going into the season with only 13 forwards. They also only have 8 defensemen. Its crazy especially considering the injuries they had last season.
 
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There doesn’t appear to be any mutual interest between Hockey East and Quinnipiac. Greg Amodio, the athletic director at Quinnipiac, confirmed as much on Friday. “We’re with the right group of schools with a similar mindset.”
Undoubtedly, a reference to highest caliber academics. :rolleyes:
 
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Notre Dame's Exit A Chance For Hockey East To Fix Mistakes And Get It Right

There's no close #2. This writer also thinks we don't have much of a shot at the Big Ten.

If the Rhode Island Rams were interested into getting into big time hockey, they would be a perfect fit for Hockey East. However, it just doesn't seem to be in the cards. I recall there were rumors from a couple of years ago that Atlantic Hockey was interested in URI if they ever got their hockey act together, but even on that level it hasn't happened.
 
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FDNY, what are your thoughts on the staff not being able to bring in a couple immediate impact top six forwards to go along with Letunov and Thompson?

I feel the coaching staff missed a huge opportunity to take advantage of having them here for one more year. Especially, considering Cavanaugh was talking about making a run at the NCAA tournament this season. I think the chances of that are nil as it stands now.

Currently, they are going into this season with only 13 forwards. I do not think there is another school going into the season with only 13 forwards. They also only have 8 defensemen. Its crazy especially considering the injuries they had last season.
I think that there is an issue with what they have on campus. When the kids have too stretch in the lobby of Freitas before practice you are definitely way behind in the facility race. It is no surprise that when PC put some money into their on-campus facility and hired Leaman..he was able to recruit some really good kids. Can and his staff I think can recruit (he did it at BC, and Periera has shown the ability to bring in some good kids)...but right now they have an uphill battle when kids come to campus and see Freitas after seeing Agganis and Conte in Boston, and even up in Hamden at QU with what Pecknold has there. Again no coincidence that his program has risen to where it is now after their facility was built. Huska was a VERY important get for them...but you are right..there is definitely some holes in the roster. I think realistically this season should see this team get home ice advantage in HE playoffs and win that series to move on to the quarter finals.
 
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I think that there is an issue with what they have on campus. When the kids have too stretch in the lobby of Freitas before practice you are definitely way behind in the facility race. It is no surprise that when PC put some money into their on-campus facility and hired Leaman..he was able to recruit some really good kids. Can and his staff I think can recruit (he did it at BC, and Periera has shown the ability to bring in some good kids)...but right now they have an uphill battle when kids come to campus and see Freitas after seeing Agganis and Conte in Boston, and even up in Hamden at QU with what Pecknold has there. Again no coincidence that his program has risen to where it is now after their facility was built. Huska was a VERY important get for them...but you are right..there is definitely some holes in the roster. I think realistically this season should see this team get home ice advantage in HE playoffs and win that series to move on to the quarter finals.
I don't know about that. Have you ever seen where BC practices? At least they don't need to take the T to practice. I actually think that UConn at the XL was much more successful than had been expected even with 3rd choice on dates. That has made an on campus arena a lower priority.

Fwiw I hear Holy Cross for the ND slot. QU didn't want to give up a) it's rivalry with Yale and b) an easier route to the NCAA on an annual basis.
 
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Fwiw I hear Holy Cross for the ND slot. QU didn't want to give up a) it's rivalry with Yale and b) an easier route to the NCAA on an annual basis.
Unfortunately I've heard from traction for HC as well. Games would be at the garbage dump that is the DCU Center. It'd be a terrible move for HE. HC is a junk program with virtually no following and that facility is total mess. I hope it's not true, but it may be. I'd take RPI over HC any day of the week if QU is off the table.
 
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I know UConn was a stretch but we had a history of athletic success and the resources to make the jump. And we have met or exceeded expectations. I'm not sure Holy Cross brings any of that.
 
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I know UConn was a stretch but we had a history of athletic success and the resources to make the jump. And we have met or exceeded expectations. I'm not sure Holy Cross brings any of that.
UConn had built-in resources and brand recognition that made it a good add for HE. There's an established fan base for the athletic program bigger than any other HE school, the athletic department has monetary and human resources superior to most other HE schools, and while the facility and location is far from ideal it's miles ahead of the DCU Center. UConn has shown the ability and dedication to building their programs to be contenders, Holy Cross has shown the ability to not give two craps if their programs succeeded on the playing field. It'd be a bad addition to the league and water down the overall competitive level of play.
 
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I don't know about that. Have you ever seen where BC practices? At least they don't need to take the T to practice. I actually think that UConn at the XL was much more successful than had been expected even with 3rd choice on dates. That has made an on campus arena a lower priority.

Fwiw I hear Holy Cross for the ND slot. QU didn't want to give up a) it's rivalry with Yale and b) an easier route to the NCAA on an annual basis.
If you think that Cav can build a program on what he has at Freitas you are on crack! I have seen what BC has for a team facility...take a look at this video:

You want to build a championship contending program..you build what QU has on campus or a practice facility that is comparable! If HE doesn't add a team and UCONN doesn't break ground to fulfill their end of the HE membership requirements watch how fast it gains traction to send us packing. That will put the league back to 10.
 
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If you think that Cav can build a program on what he has at Freitas you are on crack! I have seen what BC has for a team facility...take a look at this video:

You want to build a championship contending program..you build what QU has on campus or a practice facility that is comparable! If HE doesn't add a team and UCONN doesn't break ground to fulfill their end of the HE membership requirements watch how fast it gains traction to send us packing. That will put the league back to 10.

While it's true UConn will never recruit on par with the top tier of Hockey East so long as home games are at XL and there's no arena/practice facility on campus, if HE were to annex a member, I still think Merrimack is first on the list. The arena's a joke, their fan base is incredibly small and despite a few good seasons recently, they've shown little ability to compete in the league. I doubt anyone gets sent packing, but I don't think UConn would be first.

That said, if they don't make good on their pledge to build a new facility and continue to schedule Tuesday games left and right at XL because the circus is in town, that's asking for trouble.
 
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While it's true UConn will never recruit on par with the top tier of Hockey East so long as home games are at XL and there's no arena/practice facility on campus, if HE were to annex a member, I still think Merrimack is first on the list. The arena's a joke, their fan base is incredibly small and despite a few good seasons recently, they've shown little ability to compete in the league. I doubt anyone gets sent packing, but I don't think UConn would be first.

That said, if they don't make good on their pledge to build a new facility and continue to schedule Tuesday games left and right at XL because the circus is in town, that's asking for trouble.

The circus comes into Hartford every May. It doesn't impact UConn Hockey..
 
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I know UConn was a stretch but we had a history of athletic success and the resources to make the jump. And we have met or exceeded expectations. I'm not sure Holy Cross brings any of that.
Holy Cross has the highest student to athlete ratio in the country. It's a historical school, even athletically. They'd be more successful than Merrimack, at least. And maybe UMass.
 
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That said, if they don't make good on their pledge to build a new facility and continue to schedule Tuesday games left and right at XL because the circus is in town, that's asking for trouble.

Did you look at the UConn schedule this year BU fan?
3 weekday home games for the entire season this year . The rest FRI/SAT.
6 Tuesday games last year. UConn still had #12 in the nation with 5,129 compared to #17 for BU (4,360).

I can't believe you're gonna go see a BC/UConn football game and then root for BU against UConn later in the day.

UConn won't see a on campus hockey facility until the soccer, baseball, softball facilities are done.
 
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[QUOTE="ct06111, post: 1739922, member: 6413"UConn won't see a on campus hockey facilty until the soccer, baseball, softball facilities are done.[/QUOTE]

I would think this is true. Soccer and baseball facilities definitely seem to be the priority at this point, and I get the idea that UConn athletics wants to get them into construction in the next few years. To illustrate the point, while there was much mention of the fundraising drive in the most recent UConn Donor guide. There was really no mention of upgrading hockey facilities in that Donor Guide. Fundraising for hockey facility upgrades will no doubt be left to future Donor Guides not too far down the line.
 
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Did you look at the UConn schedule this year BU fan?
3 weekday home games for the entire season this year . The rest FRI/SAT.
6 Tuesday games last year. UConn still had #12 in the nation with 5,129 compared to #17 for BU (4,360).

I can't believe you're gonna go see a BC/UConn football game and then root for BU against UConn later in the day.

UConn won't see a on campus hockey facility until the soccer, baseball, softball facilities are done.

I just like to point out that the NCAA attendance # is wrong:

Arizona State – 4,404
Boston University – 5,225
Notre Dame – 5,190
UMass – 5,075
Army – 3,883
Quinnipiac – 5,476
Boston College – 7,219
UMass-Lowell – 4,811
Merrimack – 4,814
Vermont – 6,442
Sacred Heart – 3,610
Brown – 3,636
Providence – 6,884
Northeastern – 5,689
New Hampshire – 6,254
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Season – 5,240 (78,606/15)
vs Conference – 5,760 (57,599/10)
 
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Did you look at the UConn schedule this year BU fan?
3 weekday home games for the entire season this year . The rest FRI/SAT.
6 Tuesday games last year. UConn still had #12 in the nation with 5,129 compared to #17 for BU (4,360).

I can't believe you're gonna go see a BC/UConn football game and then root for BU against UConn later in the day.

UConn won't see a on campus hockey facility until the soccer, baseball, softball facilities are done.
Hadn't looked at the full schedule, UConn fan but that's good to see. Hopefully it's a sign that UConn got the message that random Tuesday games in favor of Cirque du Soleil or whoever is in town on a weekend, which has happened multiple times over the past two seasons, won't sit well with other league members. You're still glossing over my overarching point that UConn is absolutely not first in line to be booted from HE, something that is highly, highly unlikely for the league to consider for any of its members.

I'll ignore the attendance number argument since we have inherent disagreements.

It's actually quite easy to root for both on the same day - I grew up following UConn basketball and football so I continue to root for them, even when they play (or played) BU. I never followed UConn's hockey team and have followed my alma mater since my freshman year a decade ago, so it's pretty easy to root for them. I don't actively root against UConn there, it's just rooting for my school to win. Not really a difficult proposition, and one I hope to be in as opposed to being forced to choose which game to go to if they're in the same time slot.

It would be quite unfortunate if hockey is ignored once again in favor of the other sports. The program's facilities haven't been upgraded in nearly two decades, and even then the upgrade was building them a freaking indoor rink. If UConn wants the program to compete against the power programs of Hockey East, putting Band-Aids on XL and building nothing on campus is a recipe to become the next UMass.
 
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It would be quite unfortunate if hockey is ignored once again in favor of the other sports. The program's facilities haven't been upgraded in nearly two decades, and even then the upgrade was building them a freaking indoor rink. If UConn wants the program to compete against the power programs of Hockey East, putting Band-Aids on XL and building nothing on campus is a recipe to become the next UMass.

OK, I agree on this, but you have to blame the big wigs at UConn for the non-campus facility. You can't blame this on city or state officials on trying to prop up Hartford by keeping games there, the attendance #s they get, etc. Uconn higher ups want $$$ and hockey games @ XL makes UConn at least some $. You have to put this on money grubbing Herbst, BoT, donors, and the AD. They don't want to spend $ on an on campus rink.

The new AD Benedict seems to like football and baseball way more than hockey. And his sidekick Goetz is a former soccer coach. Warde seemed to get the ball rolling or at least attempted to get an on campus rink. I saw him at nearly every game going down the stairs in between periods.

Benedict was sworn in as AD and while still in CT, the 1st potential UConn game he coulda went to was the 1st round playoffs against Vermont. Benedict was a no show. He says he looks forward to a game, but we'll see how that goes.

The new order fee is only going to raise like 1.5 million a year and that won't cover the required funds for the 3 facilities they seem to want first. No mention of the order $ going to hockey. I want them to build one, but apparently it's not on their priority list.

Back to league scheduling.... Why is the home and AWAY for BC this year on a Tuesday? It's not just UConn that is scheduling games on Tuesday.
 
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