UConn Hockey 2012-13

[freescooter]

Nan,
I really think Q's situation is an example of what UConn could become if done right. It won't work in the XL Center but with a 4000 seat on campus arena and some national significance, the huskies could become a hot ticket. While we'll never be Boston, if you had nationally competitive teams at Yale, Quinnipiac and UConn, with a rebuilt Sacred Heart playing "spoiler" it could be a pretty big deal. It isn't going to fill the XL, but then again, an NCAA regional wouldn't be out of the question. Bridgeport hosted a couple of years ago.

 

[Adios]

If I am correct, Bridgeport hosts another in 2014.

 

[freescooter]

If I am correct, Bridgeport hosts another in 2014.

I think you might be correct on that. It would be nice to see the Huskies take the ice there for it.

 

[Adios]

That would be a great way to go out the AHA. Too bad this is Grogan's last year. According to UConn's web site, he is a redshirt junior. WTF happened?

It's still hard to believe only 424 people showed up for UConn-Sacred Heart in Bridgeport. It appeared to be less than 424. I was the only person yelling consistently. Sacred Heart's set up with the scoreboard at that game was horrible. No mention of shots on goal, etc. I might have to talk to Bobby Valentine, if he is accessible.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Sacred Heart is well known to be one of the most poorly run programs in the country. Its amazing they still have a program. Q would be a good example of what UConn could be....IF IT WERE KEPT ON CAMPUS! Of course Q is having a dream season (though they're inflated at #1, they're not the best team in the nation - look who they've lost to! Harvard!) but they've always had a decent following, and its proving that people in the state will follow a competitive hockey program. Put UConn on campus in a brand new 5k arena, playing the big time HE schools and if they can start winning a few games and people see how exciting Hockey East is, they'll start coming much more consistently.

Bridgeport is on a regular rotation for the NCAA regional along with Worcester, Manchester, NH, and seemingly now Providence. Nice to see them get the bye, while they'd need to auto bid and winning in Rochester against RIT and their 10,000 fans at Blue Cross is near impossible, it'd be a huge step for the program.

 

[freescooter]

Sacred Heart is well known to be one of the most poorly run programs in the country. Its amazing they still have a program. Q would be a good example of what UConn could be....IF IT WERE KEPT ON CAMPUS! Of course Q is having a dream season (though they're inflated at #1, they're not the best team in the nation - look who they've lost to! Harvard!) but they've always had a decent following, and its proving that people in the state will follow a competitive hockey program. Put UConn on campus in a brand new 5k arena, playing the big time HE schools and if they can start winning a few games and people see how exciting Hockey East is, they'll start coming much more consistently.

Bridgeport is on a regular rotation for the NCAA regional along with Worcester, Manchester, NH, and seemingly now Providence. Nice to see them get the bye, while they'd need to auto bid and winning in Rochester against RIT and their 10,000 fans at Blue Cross is near impossible, it'd be a huge step for the program.

Right, I agree that an on-campus rink needs to be the ultimate goal. Hockey is a niche sport. Bigger than some and it has really loyal fans but it isn't going to fill a 16000 seat venue except in unique situations. the current facility is too small and the seating is, well, let's say quaint, But the location is fine. I hope they go forward with the plan to upgrade it fairly quickly. I'm not sure that RIT is going to be in Rochester for the AHA finals this year. They first have to get passed AIC then go on the road to play one of the top 4. If things play out as teams are currently ranked, they have to play at Niagara, which won't be any picnic.

 

[BleedHuskyBlu]

Sacred Heart is well known to be one of the most poorly run programs in the country. Its amazing they still have a program. Q would be a good example of what UConn could be....IF IT WERE KEPT ON CAMPUS! Of course Q is having a dream season (though they're inflated at #1, they're not the best team in the nation - look who they've lost to! Harvard!) but they've always had a decent following, and its proving that people in the state will follow a competitive hockey program. Put UConn on campus in a brand new 5k arena, playing the big time HE schools and if they can start winning a few games and people see how exciting Hockey East is, they'll start coming much more consistently.

Bridgeport is on a regular rotation for the NCAA regional along with Worcester, Manchester, NH, and seemingly now Providence. Nice to see them get the bye, while they'd need to auto bid and winning in Rochester against RIT and their 10,000 fans at Blue Cross is near impossible, it'd be a huge step for the program.

We cant be asking for a new million dollar ice rink when nobody shows up to the games at the ice forum. As much as i love hockey and am excited about starting in the hockey east im skeptical of the fact that people will show up to the games. But winning will defiantly bring more fans to watch the games and thats what we need

 

[Adios]

We cant be asking for a new million dollar ice rink when nobody shows up to the games at the ice forum. As much as i love hockey and am excited about starting in the hockey east im skeptical of the fact that people will show up to the games. But winning will defiantly bring more fans to watch the games and thats what we need

We had 1400 for the last game of the season. With a stronger conference affiliation ahead, I would assume attendance figures will get even better.

 

[HuskyDogArt]

How times have changed!!! I remembered when the Huskies play 'outdoors' and only the hard core fans (me!!) showed up to see them play. When the ice arena was built people thought that no one would pay to see them, but now we might have another sport to get behind.

 

[freescooter]

I remember going to games at the old outdoor rink. going into the warming hut between periods just to try and get a little circulation going again. And now it is considered a big deal to play games outdoors! UConn fans were more than thrilled to finally play them indoors!

 

[Vowelguy]

, if you had nationally competitive teams at Yale, Quinnipiac and UConn, with a rebuilt Sacred Heart

They should try to set up a CT version of the Beanpot. No, it wouldn't compare to the original, but it would attract attention/publicity within the state and should get some good attendance. Could alternate between XL and B-port.

 

[freescooter]

They should try to set up a CT version of the Beanpot. No, it wouldn't compare to the original, but it would attract attention/publicity within the state and should get some good attendance. Could alternate between XL and B-port.

I think there is some talk about doing something like that. The Yankee Cup or something. though i think they've talked about UMass rather than Sacred Heart. or maybe some rotation among UMass, Yale, Quinnipiac and Sacred Heart. One or the issues with Yale is that the Ivy League limits its teams to 29 games compared to 32(I think) for everyone else. It is kind of a silly rule,but one with a limited number of non-league games, Yale might not want to "waste" one playing league member Quinnipiac an extra time. It is less of a problem for Quinny since they can play 10 non-conference games. So the thinking is that maybe you sub in Sacred Heart every other year so Yale can play 7 non-league games. Other possibilities might be making Yale-QU always a 1st round game, and call it a league game, but then you have issues over one giving up home ice and so forth as well as the possibility that some teams may not play each other for several years. And you want to avoid always having the same 1st round and the same final. The Beanpot does htis really well by rotating the 1st round so that some years BC or BU will NOT be a finalist even if they are the 2 best teams. It keeps things fresh. While BC-BU is a classic matchup, the Tournament would lose something if they were always in the finals I think. This issue doesn't come up in the Beanpot because Harvard is guaranteed 2 non-league games with at least one usually against a highly ranked team. All that said, I really think that a Connecticut based Tournament without Yale would be like playing the Beanpot with UMass-Lowell instead of Harvard. Even though Quinny is #1, Yale has been playing hockey since before there was a Qunnipiac.

 

[kingdobbs]

One could always use the "Showcase" format, such that Yale-UConn/Quinny-SHU play one night, then Yale-SHU/Quinny-UConn, and if a winner needs to be declared, use total goals or something.

Although I think I would like the idea of Army being the fourth a little better.

 

[freescooter]

One could always use the "Showcase" format, such that Yale-UConn/Quinny-SHU play one night, then Yale-SHU/Quinny-UConn, and if a winner needs to be declared, use total goals or something.

Although I think I would like the idea of Army being the fourth a little better.

I've heard UMass as the 4th with SHU as an alternate for Yale to avoid those QU-Yale matchups, at least in round 1. they might be willing to take their chances that UConn/Umass would be their 2nd round opponent. And in the off chance it isn't they'd live with it. I'm not sure how much of this is actually in the works and how much is wishful thinking on someone's part in the Athletic Department.

 

[kingdobbs]

I've heard UMass as the 4th with SHU as an alternate for Yale to avoid those QU-Yale matchups, at least in round 1. they might be willing to take their chances that UConn/Umass would be their 2nd round opponent. And in the off chance it isn't they'd live with it. I'm not sure how much of this is actually in the works and how much is wishful thinking on someone's part in the Athletic Department.

I'm certain it's mostly cloud talk. A "wouldn't it be nice if..." thing to promote college hockey in the state, but one that quickly evaporated in the wake of only one team being able to fit enough non-cons in their schedule.

 

[Adios]

"NEXT YEAR

Yale, Brown, Dartmouth and Princeton will take part in a soon-to-be named event at the Prudential Center in Trenton, N.J., home of the New Jersey Devils. The four Ivy schools will drop the puck on their regular seasons (like with the Ivy Shootout) at this two-day event."

If the ECAC and Hockey East allow the Beanpot, I think they can allow a similar tournament in Connecticut. I'd be all for a UConn/Quinnipiac/Yale/SHU tournament. It would also help SHU's program. They need help.

 

[kingdobbs]

If the ECAC and Hockey East allow the Beanpot, I think they can allow a similar tournament in Connecticut. I'd be all for a UConn/Quinnipiac/Yale/SHU tournament. It would also help SHU's program. They need help.

Just a note here, though: ECAC and Hockey East don't "allow" the Beanpot in any meaningful sense, because the Beanpot functions as a scheduling agreement between the four teams; the leagues aren't involved in the decision-making. The only games the leagues control are the ones scheduled as league contests, and even then, the teams have input based on available dates (and thus could say, "since we know NU-BU will be playing the first round of the Beanpot this year, we'd like to schedule one of our required contests as that game"; although with the move to two-game sets, and 12 or more non-cons a year, this is unlikely to occur in the future).

Hell, one of the things I've learned is that in the ECACHL, games between designated travel partners are scheduled with each other, and not by any league guidelines. You'll just as frequently see those two games split into different weekends as you will see them split home-and-home on the same weekend.

 

[Adios]

However it works, let's do the same thing! It would work wonders for UConn and SHU.

 

[freescooter]

In the much nearer future we shouldn't forget that UConn has a playoff series starting this Friday at home against Robert Morris. Best 2 out of 3 fo rthe right to go to the AHA finals in Rochester. The winner there gets an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Doesn't seem that anyone is really giving UConn much of a look, but if they win this weekend, anything can happen in a 1 and done format. Niagara is clearly th eclass of the league and are currently tied for 13 in PWR so they have a shot at an at large bid, but the Huskies, who finished 4th in the AHA have played really good hockey since the holidays. It would be pretty cool if htey could put together a nice streak.

 

[businesslawyer]

"NEXT YEAR

Yale, Brown, Dartmouth and Princeton will take part in a soon-to-be named event at the Prudential Center in Trenton, N.J., home of the New Jersey Devils. The four Ivy schools will drop the puck on their regular seasons (like with the Ivy Shootout) at this two-day event."

If the ECAC and Hockey East allow the Beanpot, I think they can allow a similar tournament in Connecticut. I'd be all for a UConn/Quinnipiac/Yale/SHU tournament. It would also help SHU's program. They need help.

Newark, not Trenton.

 

[freescooter]

Newark, not Trenton.

Aren't they both in New Jersey? So does it make a difference?

 

[Adios]

Newark, not Trenton.

Oh, I know. I was just copying and pasting from some write-up. Believe it or not, that came from Yale's site.

http://www.yalebulldogs.com/sports/m-hockey/2012-13/releases/201302139f1jo3

Will be going to St Lawrence vs Yale on Friday, then Cornell vs Quinnipiac on Saturday. Tickets for seats are sold out for the Quinnipiac games.

 

[freescooter]

I'm heading up to Storrs for the Friday night game. After that I'm less certain.

 

[freescooter]

Big series starts tonight at Freitas. UConn is home for the quarter finals of the AHA playoffs against 5th place Robert Morris. Best 2 of 3. I really like this UConn team but I don't love this matchup. they split the 2 games this season at RMU. But if UConn gets through this one, I give them a pretty good chance next weekend in Rochester.

 

[huskymedic]

Daily Campus Sports (@DCSportsDept)
3/15/13, 9:04 PM
FINAL SCORE: UConn beats Robert Morris 4-1, and is now one win away from the Atlantic Hockey Semifinals.

Very nice... How was the crowd?


Cornell whacked QU 3-2