>All the negative talk about the UNO team from UNO fans really surprises me, and
>I wonder if you have realistic expectations of the team, coaches, etc.  Aren't
>you in just the second year of the hockey program?  When >>established<< D-III
>teams move up to playing D-I hockey, they usually don't do well at all.  Just
>look at the teams making that move this year.  Should a program that has only
>been around for a few years be expected to field a very competative team?
>Looking at the UNO record, you've lost to some Top 10 teams (Maine, Michigan
>State), Niagara (who has beaten Michigan, Ohio State, and RPI), and had a few
>close games.
 
We may not have realistic expectations, but we didn't hit a 10 game losing
skid last year til we started facing really established DI teams like
Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Michigan Tech, etc., not Army, RIT, Niagara, etc.
Maybe we were spoiled by last season's record, especially their late season
rally where they went unbeaten for 9 of their last 10 against Huntsville,
Mankato, Air Force etc.
 
>When RIT has an "off" year, I am naturally
>disappointed, but I am comparing their performance that year to other winning
>years.
 
And we're comparing this year's team to last year, and so far they're doing
worse, not better, despite a year's worth of experience. Of course they
don't have the surprise factor anymore, and most of the marquee games have
been on the road (Michigan State, Denver, and later Wisconsin and St Cloud)
whereas last year most of them were at home. I'm hoping next year's team
will have the same fire that last year's did, being that it's like a "first"
season all over again, and maybe we'll get lucky and UNO'll have the
surprise factor back again.
 
>It just
>sounds to me like you are comparing yourself to the "haves" when, right now,
>UNO might legitimately be a "have-not".
 
I suppose this could be true on both accounts, but I think its reasonable to
expect them to play as well as they did last year. The big difference is
last year no one expected them to do anything and they did, and this year we
expected them to do something and they aren't.
 
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