greenie <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > A few comments on the new BU schedule... > > Glad to see BU opening the season up against Minnesota. Well, BU has played Minnesota three times in the last three years, so I would prefer to see BU play Michigan or Colorado College. The game is also in October, "when most teams still don't have their act together," which makes the game much less important than the NCAA semifinals, or the championship of the Mariucci Classic, which were the last three times the two teams met. > Of course, after Minnesota, the strength-of-schedule rating plummets > down through the bedrock. I seem to remember Vermont winning the ECAC regular season and being an NCAA semifinalist last year, hardly "down through the bedrock". Then in November they play Providence twice, Harvard, St. Lawrence and Clarkson, which I see as all abow the bedrock. > When the heck are we going to see more Western teams going to the > east to play? And I mean the "big" teams -- CC, Michigan, Minnesota, > Lake State, et al. You people want to see college hockey grow in > popularity? Give more schools the chance to put together more > non-conference games. Why does BU have to play North Dakota EVERY > YEAR (I know, they've got a little agreement, just like the BU > basketball team had with Duke)? If you're going to make a swing out > west, why not pick up some competition while you're out there? Blame the WCHA and CCHA for scheduling so many league games. Also, some of those schools may *not* wish to play BU during the season, unlike Minnesota. As for North Dakota, BU did not play them in 1994-95. They hosted UND in 1993-94 and again last year, 1995-96. This year's two games in Grand Forks are UND's games to host. Before the 1993-94 season, BU and UND last played in the regular season in 1988-89, the last year of the WCHA-HEA interlocking schedule. The two teams last met in 1990 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Since those three games were played at BU, this will be the first time UND fans will be able to see the Terriers in Grand Forks since the 1988-89 season. Hardly *every year*, and I was happy to be able to see UND at BU in 1993-94 and last year. > Speaking of scheduling, what a BIG surprise to see BU's second and > third games against RPI and Vermont. I'm getting real tired of > playing these two teams in October, when most teams still don't have > their act together. Last season, BU had no problem with Vermont... > in October. Had BU played the Catamounts in January or February, I'm > sure it would have been a closer game. Sorry, but the BU-UVM game last year was as close as a game can get and still have a winner: BU 5, UVM 4. The Cats also gave BU almost more than they could handle, as they took a lead just 32 seconds into the game and a 2-0 lead less than four minutes into the game. They also played a great third period and BU was just barely able to hold on for the win. It was also the first time that the BU and UVM have ever played in October. The earliest they had played in a season previously was 1 Dec. In the last eleven seasons the teams have met 7 times, 6 times in December, four early in the month (4th, 7th, 9th, 12th) and twice late in the month ( 28th, 29th). UVM won two, 2-1 and 3-1, while BU won five, 4-3 (ot), 3-2 (3ot), 5-2, 11-1 and 5-4. As for RPI, yes, they have played each other in October since reviving the series in 1990-91. While I would like to see them play later in the season, I don't mind them playing in October. > STILL speaking of scheduling, why am I not too excited by the St > Lawrence & Clarkson road trip weekend? GOD would I love to see the > Terriers play someone different for a change. How about Union? > Cornell? BU has played someone different for several years. Before playing SLU and Clarkson last year and this year, BU last played them in 1989-90 and 1990-91. That means BU did *not* play them four four straight seasons. As for Cornell, BU played them in 1993-94 and again last year and will likely play them next year. Regarding Union, I would not mind if they did, but what about "the strength-of-schedule rating plummeting down through the bedrock"? > Novermber 26 -- December 6. Four games in 11 days. All against ECAC > opponents. I just can't stand the excitement. I *can* stand the excitement, however I will also be at and enjoying the games. By the way, Yale is "someone different" as they last played each other during the 1988-89 season. Furthermore, it will be only the third time since the ECAC-HEA split in 1984 that the teams will play each other (the other time was in 1987-88) > Is it just me, or is BU not playing in *any* tournaments besides the > Beanpot next year? BU is not playing in any in season tournaments other than the Beanpot for the first time since the 1990-91 season. Part of that may be do to scheduling conflicts for the BU-UND series. It may also be that BU was not invited to any in-season tournaments, or declined any invitations. > February 14 -- February 22. Two games against Lowell followed by two > games against Maine. 4 days after the beanpot championship (I hope). > Ouch. Good way to warm up for the playoffs, I guess. Plus, three of the games are on the road. > OK, I'm done being a cynical bastard. And I'm done answering the points you raised (cynical or not). Sean Pickett E-mail: [log in to unmask] Go Terriers 1996 Beanpot Champions BU Hockey: http://www.tiac.net/users/spickett/hockey.html HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.