--- John T Whelan <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> On Tue, 25 Mar 2003, David Parter wrote:
>
> > Minnesota and Michigan truely have home ice, but shouldn't BU, BC and
> > Harvard get some bonus for playing in their back yards? (I don't know
> > where UNH is in comparison).
>

John Whelan replied:

> In the calculations of the KASA ratings themselves, games are
> designated as home, away, or neutral ice, which can sometimes be gray
> areas.  I decided that even though BU is the official host of the
> Northeast Regional, the only NCAA games I would consider as home games
> would be those played at a school's home rink.  . . .

I think this is the only reasonable way to do it.  A lot of the home court advantage is whether
you have to take a trip at all, not just the length of the trip.  In fact, the trips for Harvard,
BU, and BC are nuisance trips -- long enough that it's a pain, but close enough that it may not be
worth it to go before and stay overnight.  Another piece of the advantage is the crowd, and my
guess from past experience is that UNH will have a bigger contingent of fans there than will the
Boston schools.  And another piece of the advantage is familiarity with the surroundings, and
that's pretty much a wash.

If I remember correctly, there is some attempt to negate some aspects of the home court advantage.
 I believe that host schools don't necessarily get to use their normal locker rooms.

Clay



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