Mike writes:
>Would it be possible for the NCAA selection committee to use the games
>against the Czech team if several of the colleges will be playing them?
 
Only if the rules are changed, but this is very unlikely.  Currently only
games against NCAA DivI teams are supposed to be considered; no exhibitions,
Canadian schools, Team USA, DivIII, European, etc. games are included.
In 1987-88 Team USA played more than half of the DivI teams but those
games were strictly exhibitions.  The Czech team isn't playing that
many of the 45 DivI teams - and it looks as if at least some of those
will be games that the US teams cannot count towards the limit.
 
The Minn-Czech game is clearly an EXH because the Gophers have 32 WCHA +
2 Mariucci Classic = 34 games counted towards the limit.  I'm unclear on
the Clarkson game and the games this team will play in the Dexter Classic
against two of Maine/Lowell/Army.
 
>At least the Czech's don't have a 32 game limit. :-)  And yes, I like
>seeing Clarkson and SLU setting up co-ordinated non-league weekends with
>Northeastern/Lowell and BU/BC.  Too bad another team couldn't be matched
>with UNH.  I wonder what happened with the deal with BU for the up-coming
>season.  Is BU too good to play us?  Would we bring down their strength of
>schedule rating in TCHCR?
 
Actually, with all the players BU is losing to graduation/pros/Olympics,
Clarkson should be worried that BU would bring down CLARKSON's rating. :-)
But I do not know why the BU/BC weekend is gonzo for this season.  Perhaps
BU had scheduled other games after the home-and-home two year deal ran
out, and BC decided after this that it wanted to continue to play the
North Country teams.  Do not quote me.  Remember that schedules are going
to be crazy this year because of the January decision to cut the limit by
four games.  Most nonleague games for at least the upcoming season had
already been agreed upon by that time.
 
Unfortunately, I haven't seen Providence's schedule to know if they could
have fit in with UNH.  Maine and Merrimack would seem to be likely
candidates because of location, but Maine has not scheduled many ECAC
games under Shawn Walsh for unknown reasons.  Merrimack had a two year
stretch from 1987-89, when it was an Independent, that the Warriors
combined with Lowell to play home-and-home with Clarkson/SLU.  At the time
it made sense for Merrimack because they had a strong team and because
those games were what ultimately got them into the DivI tourney in 1988.
Now, with the 21-soon-to-be-28 game HE schedule, and Merrimack continuing
to build up its program, it makes more sense for them to schedule teams
they know they will be able to play with as nonleague games.  But with
the strong relationship that has existed between Merrimack and Clarkson/
SLU, I do not think it will be long before MC seeks to match up with
another HE team and play those teams.
 
 
- mike