Brad writes:
>I always thought polls were based on the overall performance and record
>of a team not upcoming expectations.
 
Polls are based on whatever the voters want to base them on.  You would hope
that they reflect some relative measure of the teams' true strength and/or
performance, but it's often painfully obvious that this is not the case.
Actually, I think that the college hockey polls you see in the media are
generally not too bad -- certainly nowhere near as convoluted as the various
football or basketball polls floating around.  If you saw the goings-on in
the Div. I-AA football poll the last two weeks, you would NEVER take another
poll seriously again.
 
I generally try to exclude totally-off-the-wall votes from the HOCKEY-L
poll.  Admittedly, I've been a little lenient in the early going this
season, but if somebody submits a vote with some 1-10 team in the top 15,
that vote isn't going to be counted.
 
Tyler writes:
>However, I do have a problem with their place in the polls, at least in
>relation to Clarkson.  Now from what I understand, most people have been
>picking Clarkson to finish ahead of Harvard in the ECAC.
 
I don't know about "most people".  The ECAC previews/polls/whatever that
I've come across have been pretty well split among Harvard, Clarkson, and
Vermont as this year's top team.  Harvard seems to have had the edge, al-
though the coaches' poll put Clarkson first.  Certainly the Golden Knights
are a legitimate threat, especially with the addition of Claude Morin -- but
aren't they still looking for a goaltender?
 
As for Vermont being underrated, they have scads of talent, probably even
more than perennial contender Harvard.  However, they've been loaded in the
past (certainly not to the extent that this year's team is) and have come up
short.  They may have to show a bit more on the ice before they gain the
status in the polls that a team like Harvard seems to have as a birthright.
(OK, beating three Hockey East teams should probably be enough -- but while
I'll give you the one over New Hampshire, I'm not sure that wins over Provi-
dence and Boston College will impress the average voter)
 
I just *know* I'm going to be very sorry I wrote the above paragraph in ten
days when the Catamounts drop by Lynah Rink.  Oh, well, it'll almost be
worth it to see netminder Tim-bleeping-Thomas get into it with the crowd
again...
--
Disclaimer -- Unless otherwise noted, all opinions expressed above are
              strictly those of:
 
Bill Fenwick                        |  Send your HOCKEY-L poll responses to:
Cornell '86 and '94.5               |  [log in to unmask]
LET'S GO RED!!                                                  DJF  5/27/94
"I had a terrible time in college, until I finally figured out what my
 problem was.  I had been highlighting with a black magic marker."
-- Jeff Altman