Mike M wrote:
>It does look to me as if the WCHA learned from the interlocking schedule
>with HE that more conference games is better.  I don't necessarily disagree
>with this.  It is always nice to have the big in-season matchups like
>Maine-Michigan and BU-Minnesota.  But there aren't that many of these
>matchups.  The lesser teams suffer because they rarely get to play the big
>names in NC action; it's a case of the haves playing the haves.
 
Yes.  I suspect Minnesota and Wisconsin would love to see the WCHA
conference schedule reduced*, as they would have no trouble finding
top-notch NC opponents.  But I'm not sure how many schools will be lining
up to get some of the other teams on their schedules.  Like a couple years
back when St. Cloud played NO non-conference games.  How would a St.
Cloud-Northeastern game go over out there?  (No offense meant to St. Cloud,
with the freshman class they've got this year, I think they'll be a very
exciting team in the next couple years, but when people say they want to
see more interconference play by WCHA teams, they're thinking about seeing
Minnesota, Wisconsin, or CC come to town. )
 
*Here:  I'll bolster that with a quote from today's St Paul Pioneer Press
article about the WCHA/CCHA scheduling talks at the meetings:
 
"Woog plans to offer a proposal to cut back on the number of conference
games, which he thinks would help a school such as Northern Michigan and
all of college hockey."
 
Woog mentions that this would allow NMU to schedule games against Michigan
teams to increase visibility, and allow the big schools to schedule some
big-time opponents and get possible TV coverage...
 
 
Pam Sweeney
Go Gophers!!!
Ski-U-Mah!!!
 
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