bale31

Nope, I'm saying that when those schools were unable to show even a modest profit from their hockey program, it makes those programs even more expendable. Now, the state is considering budget cuts and a very easy place to rationalize taking it from is from athletic programs, especially hockey in this instance. Those hockey programs are now unable to absorb as many expenses because their expenses have risen while the lir revenues have shrunk. I probably haven't made this point on this site, but my point has always been that the re-alignment made it more likely that larger schools would add hockey, but smaller schools are either going to be forced to reduce or eliminate their programs. Net-net there won't be much expansion, rather their will just be shuffling of schools that sponsor it. This instance, while not directly tied to hockey, makes it less and less likely for those schools to be able to afford it. Part of the reason it's less likely is their expenses have risen so much under the new structure and revenues have shrunk. So, no, Alaska is not proposing this because of conference re-alignment (and frankly, give me some credit for not being THAT stupid), but the economics of the new world have made it so there is less wiggle room for the schools.

Wow....things are looking bleak in Alaska. Obviously, there are many more factors in play, but I've been expecting something like this since any re-alignment was announced. Taking all the money and pulling it to just a few schools has repurcussions. http://www.newsminer.com/sports/uaf_nanooks/nanooks-react-to-legislature-s-proposed-cuts-to-ua-system/article_423337ca-dad0-11e5-b10c-67fb2ba04dac.html

That's not what he said though. He said that he's told the big ten they should go after und and umd. That's far from them considering it in any way.

Right, doesn't make it less dirty. Also happened with 15 seconds left in a 5-1 game. Kids get frustrated when losing 13-1 on the weekend. None of that condones aiming at a guy's head with your elbow. If leagues are serious about eliminating the cheap, dirty crap, suspensions need to be longer than 2 games.

Oops, I was wrong. I finally found it. Not the best replay, but in my opinion this was just as bad/worse due to him leading with the elbow. https://vine.co/u/957088437943635968

It happens against everyone, it's just that not every fan base holds on to it as long. A worse hit happened against kato this weekend, but I can't find a video or a comment about it anywhere.

I'd have to go back and look again for aure, but I think only a handful of those were 2-0 or 3-0.

So, I did a bit of digging in 5 minutes to look at wcha scores this year. I did include non-conference games as well, so it's not a direct comparison. For the 10 teams there have been 27 gamed with 3 or less goals (admittedly, that does include some 3-0 games). Of those 27 there have been: 11- 1-1 ties 1- 0-0 tie 1- 1-0 ot win I think some of it has to do with good goalies, some is weaker top end offensive players and a lot to do with the way it's called

It definitely depends on the year with that fourth team. It could have been Alaska last year, but for their ridiculous penalty from the ncaa. Ferris is often an option. Bemidji has been a disappointment so far within the league. Lssu is definitely having a tough time. I have hope for them under their new coach. He has.pretty much come.out and said it's a 5-year turnaround project for them. They do have some pretty decent games now and then and they are becoming more fundamentally sound, but their talent is sorely lacking.

On the top 3-4 teams it would be good. The bottom of the wcha is really, really bad. Hockey wouldn't necessarily be good in the bottom half, but potentially good for the leagues through cross promotion. Right now it probably would benefit the wcha more. In the long run, who knows.

So...as a mankato fan, I don't get to see much of the NCHC other than the series against UNO earlier this season. I'm just curious about the style of play that is being used right now in the WCHA, and I suspect college hockey in general. It's been bothering me all year, but the clutching, grabbing and interference was painful to watch this last weekend. The league has something like 15 1-1 ties this year. I know a few years ago that it was a "poin of emphasis" to try to eliminate the obstruction/interference penalties, but it seems as bad if not worse than its ever been. Is this a league by league thing or is it happening everywhere?

I love the idea of the nscc. I just think the massive amount of patting themselves on the back that the gophers fans do is nausiating.

yes it is, but scsu is part of the nscc this year. Remember that for the rest of the schools the arrangement means that over a 3 year period, the Gophers get 4 home games while scsu gets 2. So one of the years mn gets a home series and the other two are home and homes. Ths is wh ive always thought it's ridiculous that people talk about how gracious the Gophers are for having the nscc. They get de facto 2 for 1 arrangements with 4 other schools AND they keep dollars from the tournament itself. It benefits mn just as much or more as it benefits the other schools.

the articleaning said 8t was all full D1 large schools. That narrows it down to: BC, Norte Dame, Providence, uconn?, and bu?

well, you also have to remember that there is no hotel, eliminate at least 3 meals and there is less cost for the bussing and countless other expenses that are incurred due to having to house kids overnight.

while mn is guilty of a lot of things, this isn't one of them. Those home and home series are agreed upon by the other schools. Instead of having a 2 game home series for one year, they have 2 home and home series for 2 years. I personally hate the home and home concept, it is better for the schools because there is a level of stability from a revenue standpoint and there is a reduction in expenses.

while mn is guilty of a lot of things, this isn't one of them. Those home and home series are agreed upon by the other schools. Instead of having a 2 game home series for one year, they have 2 home and home series for 2 years. I personally hate the home and home concept, it is better for the schools because there is a level of stability from a revenue standpoint and there is a reduction in expenses.

I know Blais has been talking them up a lot, but I'm really not shocked to see UNO falling off a bit. To be sure, they are a good team that can and will catch lightning in a bottle for stretches. However, they should never have.walked out of Kato with a sweep and I think that gave a few people a distorted view of their ceiling. I, personally, see them as a 3-5 seed when it comes to the conference tourney.

Self-entitled, bratty parents who think their kids can do no wrong and have never said no??

Resident MSU fan here. So, let me start out by saying, MSU didn't deserve to win either of these games. I don't buy that either of the UNO goalies are as good as they looked this weekend. They left a TON of open nets and MSU just missed over and over and over again. I told a buddy if they just hit the point blank open nets on Friday night, they would have had 6 goals and I'm pretty sure it would have been just as many on Saturday. On Friday, MSU had a 2 on 1 and a 2 on 0 in which they didn't get a single shot. They missed the net and missed it badly. On Saturday, they had 2 goals waved off. One for a suspect hand pass and one the ref lost sight of the puck and blew the whistle right as they put it in. They missed the net badly again. In the second period, MSU had 37 shot attempts, of that they had 9 blocked and 15 missed the net. They also had either 4 or 5 posts on the weekend. It was a frustrating weekend to watch. As an MSU fan it's a pairwise killer and could come back to haunt us. On the flip side, it was encouraging to see how good they can be if they can start finishing. I know there was some concern that this would be a really down year after losing 7 guys, but I think it should be OK. It just might take a bit. I don't know when it will happen, but when the floodgates open there will be a lot of goals.

Touche. And an ugly dancing green monster on the scoreboard.

I'm not saying he won't leave. I just think it's interesting that people just make the assumption that kato is a stepping stone. Nothing more than that.

It's still picking up your family and moving them. Its teenagers.leaving friends and going to another school. I'm not saying it won't happen, I'm just saying that the word I've heard is they really like living in kato. Also, remember Hastings was an assistant with the gophers and left after 1 year for the same job in omaha. Quality 9f life is more important to some people than the program they lead. Again, I'm not personally friends with the Hastings family, so I don't know anything specifically. I do know that if he does leave at some point, I'm going to be thankful for the level he's put our program on and I'll enjoy it for as long as it lasts.

The word I hear I'd that he wants to keep his family life more stable than moving again and again. He had a quote today that seemed to reinforce that. I wouldn't be so sure he's looking to move anywhere. Family is a powerful thing and can keep you from moving if it adversely affects them.

You're the one that brought up asu. I was just explaining why it was different than the rest of the schools mentioned. Fory part, I couldn't care less, but there is no comparison between them. As far as bhsu goes, they fall into the same category, new arena or not. It has nothing to do with that and everything to do with name recognition. As for bowling green, the only way it makes sense for the to leave is if they take Miami and the Michigan schools with them. That leads to both the nchc and wcha being in an untenable situation. Again, adding more small schools that offer nothing to the programs but another date on the calendar is hardly worth it. I know most people will fight tooth and nail against me, but the fates of the wcha and nchc conferences (note I didn't say the individual schools) are tied extremely tight together.