In response to glenn auerbach who wrote:
 
 
>      Anyway, my question relates to Vermont's rankings in all the
>      major rating systems.  Even in the all-important PWR, they are
>      ranked 5th and stand to gain the #2 seed in the East.  Yet, on
>      the ice, this team finished 3rd in their conference and has now
>      lost at home in the 1st round of the ECAC tournament.  Is it
>      possible that their schedule been that difficult that they still
>      merit such a high ranking?  I have not seen them play this year,
>      so it is difficult for me to judge them.  It seems like they
>      certainly are one of the top 12 teams in the country and should
>      be in the tournament but they seem to be rated higher than logic
>      would indicate.  This is not intended as a put-down of Vermont;
>      just a question based on observation and curiosity. ----
 
I have seen UVM at the RPI Fieldhouse and they were thoroughly outplayed
and outcoached for 56 minutes...and in four minutes, they showed who
they really are in a 3-3 tie. Jekyl and Hyde, perhaps? Beat Clarkson in
Potsdam when NOBODY (except Yale!) could in the midst of Clarkson's
great season finish, but loses to Princeton at home THREE times (and I'm
not knocking Princeton, they're a very fine hockey team) and can't beat
a non-playoff team in Dartmouth. sure, they played some pretty tough
teams EARLY (UNH, BU, Miami, Lake Superior) but the other non-ECAC teams
have been somewhat disappointments (Colorado College, Wisconsin). So
does strength of schedule offset its lack of domination of its own
league? Why not be an independent then if league championships and
tournament championships mean nothing when compared to a numerical
index? Oh sure, in order to get games you got to be in a league but
UVM's non-league performance and THAT schedule has more impact than its
own league. Somehow, this is pretty shaky. As far as I'm concerned IF
(and they will) Vermont gets a bid, they should go WEST due to its
inability to perform well against its own league and be rewarded with an
at-large bid AWAY from its local environs as a reward for not doing so
well in its league. Now, UVM fans, don't start flaming me on that
remark...UVM is a fine team with some wonderful hockey players that I
would love to see for the last couple of times in Worcester but somehow
they should be penalized for its league failure. My $.02.
 
Larry Alber...Still crazy in section 17 --- Go RPI, Go Red, Go TEAM! GO
'Screech'
 
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