Some interesting data were produced on the weekend.   One team was
calibrated to the competition.  One team appears to fallen out of
recalibration  --  as initial conclusions may have produced a false
positive.   All opinions are my own and are given as a MAAC Hockey fan.
  Next week,  hopefully we can start rotating this discussion.   Until
then,  here goes.   Dissenting opinions on the specifics are welcomed.
 
1.  Who would have guessed that at this juncture in the season Canisius
would have but a single point?   Is there something wrong with Brian
Cavanaugh's team?   They only lost three players from last year (albeit
Josh Oort was one of them).   Someone from Canisius should speak up.   What
does it mean for Iona to go to Buffalo and pick up four points?   Are they
a team that much on the rise,  or is Canisius sinking fast?   Tough
questions.   But it doesn't look good when Iona stops by Hobart on the way
back from Buffalo for an NC game against a D-3 opponent and drops the
decision 4-6.   I don't care if it was their third game in three days.
  Hobart may be better than previous years,  but they are still not that
highly ranked.
 
2.   HC outscored Fairfield 14-2 this weekend,  which proved nothing for
them.   But the Iona/Canisius results call into question the measure of
their accomplishment in Worcester last week against Canisius.   They will
need to be recalibrated against UConn this next weekend.   I will let Gus
or Joe comment on what these results indicate for Fairfield.
 
3.   AIC proved again that it is not prepared to lose to a former ECAC
S/C/N team (with the possible exception of QC:-)   Sacred Heart wasn't able
to nick them for even a point,  which surprised me.   The next two weekends
against Canisius and Iona should be very interesting for AIC and intriguing
for us.   The immediate future does not look too promising for SH with QC,
 Army,  and Canisius looming.
 
4.   UConn proved that it could be very tough in its own building,  but QC
looks to have the superior team.   I happened to see the Friday night game
in Storrs which UConn won by playing disciplined hockey.   But QC looks
like a real D-1 team with their poise,  their size,  and the things they
do.   For example,  at the faintest whiff of possession their forwards are
into overdrive with rink-wide curls providing numerous targets for an
off-to-the races attack.   They spread and fill the vacated wide spaces
coming through neutral ice very well.   And their on-ice wristers from the
points rather than time-consuming and inaccurate booming slappers left this
observer with the impression of very good coaching.   (How many of us have
preached to the kids that a quick shot on the net is better than a hard
shot?)   A few of their players do have curious skating mechanics.   A
couple with railroad feet,  a defenseman who butt wags rather than doing
backward power starts.   But they get the job done without a lot of excess
effort.   If QC can stay focused,  my guess is that they will end up on top
of the league.   If they can't stay focused,  they have proved very well
that they can easily lose.   HC in two weeks time will tell us a lot about
QC.   For UConn,  HC next week will be the test.
 
Comments on the league as a whole:
 
A.   I am sure Monday's conference call will be dealing with a lot of
minutia.   For instance,  when to shake hands at the end of a game and when
not too.   And if not,  how to deal with the negative impression left on
Eastern fans by not doing so?   Getting the boxes and game recaps out  --
 QC,  Canisius,  and UConn are very good.   The rest of the schools not.
  Stuff like that.
 
B.   I managed to catch the last five minutes of the first MAAC game of the
week on Broadcast.Com.   Fairfield had just scored a PPG.   Very
professional.   Nice job,  Jason Patton.   Good idea whoever thought this
one up.   We need more ideas like that.
 
C.   Attendance.   A worry item here.   UConn had a nice crowd which made
some noise with no off-campus promotion this week.   A lot of students made
it to the rink,  which was nice to see.   But,  I am not aware of any other
decent crowds.   QC had only around 500 (if memory serves) for their grudge
match against UConn in E. Haven on Saturday.   Of course,  that building is
very small and it probably felt like twice that,  but just the same ....
  QC has to do its campus building soon or they will lose program momentum.
  The 250 or so that Canisius had,  and like numbers elsewhere,  are not
going to drive the league very far.   Just as the earth derives all energy
from the sun,  college hockey ultimately derives all energy from its fans.
  I think more promotion by the member schools is the answer.   Whether
budgets can be established for that next year is problematic at some
schools.
 
That's all for now,  folks.
 
-- Dick Tuthill
 
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