Big Ten Hockey

[paul253]

We are about two weeks away from the first year of Big Ten hockey. I'm pretty excited about this. It'll be nice to see teams like Michigan and Ohio St coming to Madison every year. Hopefully within the next decade or so we'll see some more expansion. I know Indiana and Illinois have club teams. Maybe a successful Big Ten conference will get them to consider building bigger arenas and moving up to D1. A strong hockey conference could help make up for their weak baseball programs.

 

Also, Wisconsin is probably the pre-season conference favorite as. They've got almost everyone back and bring in a high scoring freshman from Minnesota (Minnesota's Mr. Hockey). Minnesota is always loaded but they lost a ton of guys. I don't know much about the other schools but Wisconsin is the preseason #3 in the College Hockey News top 10 poll. It should be a fun year.

[trwi7]

Think Nebraska is fairly likely to start a program. Badgers also applied to host two Frozen Fours from 2015-2018, one in Milwaukee and the other in Tampa.

[logan82]

Looking forward to hockey. Still do not like gutting the WCHA. I felt it was a strong traditional conference. We barely have enough teams to make a hockey conference.

[paul253]

http://btn.com/about/olympic-sports-on-tv/#hockey

 

Just in case anyone is interested here is a link to hockey on the Big Ten Network. Looks like starting in January we're going to be seeing a lot of hockey. Wisconsin has 6 games on BTN. Hopefully Fox Sports Wisconsin picks up some games as well.

[Funketown]

Woah...that sounds weird.

[packfan79]

Sad to see the badgers leave the wcha but I'm glad will get to see more games on the big ten network. Excited for the season to start.

[JackNicholson1974]

I know Iowa also has a club team, but club team to DI Hockey is a pretty big leap. Still, if the Big 10 can get 8-10 teams that would be phenomenal. I love hockey, cant want to make it down to a game, my son will be skating the between-periods Mite game on December 28, so we will be down there for that one. Cant wait!

[paul253]

Good start for Wisconsin with two wins over Northern Michigan. Nice to see freshman Grant Besse getting into the action with two goals already. Wisconsin's team look like it is set up just like their last to Frozen Four teams. Heavy on the upper classmen, deep, and solid goaltending. I worry a bit about the defensemen but Jack McCabe looks like one of the best in the game. I think this is going to be a good year for Wisconsin.

 

In a side note, Michigan is looking pretty good too. They took care of Boston College and RIT.

[owbc]

16 goals allowed in 2 games this weekend??? The Frozen Four talk can go away for awhile now.

[trwi7]

Glad those games weren't on TV. Yikes.

[paul253]

Things looking even worse now that Joe Rumpel is out a few weeks with an ankle injury.

[paul253]

Just wanted to bump this thread now that the season is near the end. Wisconsin is up to #3 (tied with Union) in the all important pair wise rankings which more or less means a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Of course they still have to play two games at Michigan St and Wisconsin hasn't exactly been a juggernaut on the road. They need to win both games and at least make it to the finals of the Big 10 tournament to get that #1 seed I think (unless they lose one to MSU then win to B10 tournament). I've been following USCHO's tournament projections which tend to be pretty accurate and even when Wisconsin was a #2 seed the usually always ended up in the St. Paul bracket with #1 Minnesota, probably because of attendance reasons. It'd suck to have to play Minnesota in St. Paul in the NCAA tournament so Wisconsin needs that #1 seed.

[trwi7]

It doesn't guarantee a 1 seed. They still have Wisconsin as the first #2 seed and the worst bracket possible. Playing the toughest #3 seed North Dakota and if they make it past them, likely Minnesota, the #1 overall seed.

 

I really hate the way they do brackets. I understand wanting to put teams close so the places aren't empty but Minnesota doesn't need help. Put us in Cincy. We shouldn't have to face the toughest #3 seed and then the likely #1 overall seed for a trip to the Frozen Four.

 

And I know that's just a projection and it probably won't shake out like that but that fact that it's even being printed by a reputable website angers me.

[paul253]

http://www.uscho.com/bracketology/2014/03/12/one-week-out-and-the-no-3-seeds-pose-some-challenges/

 

In US College Hockey online's latest predictions they give Wisconsin the #1 seed in the Midwest region in Cincinnati, playing Cornell and then the winner of Ferris St and Providence. You might be looking at the bracket at the very bottom, which was last week's prediction when UW was sitting at #5.

 

But I do agree with you. Wisconsin shouldn't automatically be shipped off to St. Paul if they don't get a #1 seed. UW shouldn't be forced to take a more difficult path to the Frozen Four so the NCAA can sell more tickets.

And I know that's just a projection and it probably won't shake out like that but that fact that it's even being printed by a reputable website angers me.

 

I'm a little surprised by this. USCHO actually goes step by step and explains every decision made. The rankings are based entirely on the pairwise rankings, which usually determines who get in and who doesn't. You can argue a bit with some decisions to move teams around but those moves are not really that frequent. It's not like predictions for NCAA basketball brackets, where it seems like teams are just kind of randomly thrown out there.

[trwi7]

Oops, yes I was. That's a much kinder bracket.

[paul253]

http://www.uscho.com/bracketology/2014/03/19/just-days-out-and-moving-around-the-third-band-could-solve-some-attendance-issues/

 

That loss to Michigan St cost the Badgers a #1 seed in the last projections. If this guy's predictions are true then Wisconsin had better hope they can get that #1 back because it doesn't matter if they are a 2 seed or a 4 seed they are going to end up in St. Paul with Minnesota. It's kind of BS that you give a team a harder road so you can sell more tickets but that's just the way it is I guess. It'd be one thing if you were putting Wisconsin in Milwaukee or something because that would really help them out. But making them play in, essentially, their rivals hometown? I don't know about that.

 

I think going to take them winning the Big 10 championship to get that #1 seed back.

[trwi7]

It's ridiculous that they put Wisconsin in St. Paul when you already have Minnesota there. Selling tickets in St. Paul when Minnesota and St. Cloud State are in the bracket is not going to be a problem.

[Mike2k33]

Welcome to College Hockey.

 

If you host, you get all the perks. If you don't host, you better pray you dominate from January on.

[stoutdude04]

Yea, it stinks. If Union would have lost to Darmouth, or Ferris State to Bemidji State its possible the Badgers would move up. Now it looks like they will have to beat Minnesota to even have a shot at a 1.

[trwi7]

Just did a quick and simple bracket of my own taking into account attendance, no teams from the same conference playing in the opening round and fairness.

 

St. Paul Regional

 

(1) Minnesota #1 overall seed

(4) Mercyhurst #16 overall seed

 

(2) Quinnipiac #8 overall seed

(10) St. Cloud St. #10 overall seed

 

Cincinnati Regional

 

(1) Ferris St. #4 overall seed

(4) North Dakota #13 overall seed

 

(2) Wisconsin #5 overall seed

(3) Minnesota St. #12 overall seed

 

Worcester Regional

 

(1) Boston College #2 overall seed

(4) Colgate #15 overall seed

 

(2) UMass-Lowell #7 overall seed

(3) Michigan #11 overall seed

 

Bridgeport Regional

 

(1) Union #3 overall seed

(4) Vermont # 14 overall seed

 

(2) Quinnipiac #6 overall seed

(3) Providence #9 overall seed

 

Simple. Overall the seeds are very fair. Minnesota and St. Cloud State will sell out the St. Paul Regional. Minnesota gets the weakest team in the tournament for their opening game and either the weakest 2 seed or second weakest 3 seed if they win.

 

Boston College gets basically a home regional that will sell out as will UMass-Lowell. They also get either the second weakest 2 or 3 seed if they win.

 

Union doesn't get the closest regional but they weren't taking the Worcester Regional from any halfway decent Massachusetts team anyways and since Boston College is stronger than Union, they actually deserve the "home" regional. Union gets the next best thing in the Bridgeport Regional taking on the second strongest 4 seed in Vermont. Quinnipiac is the second strongest 2 seed and is located in Connecticut which will help attendance. Providence is the strongest 3 seed but its proximity to Bridgeport as well as being in Hockey East, which is likely sending 5 teams to the tournament puts them here.

 

Ferris State is the weakest 1 seed and gets put in the regional closest to them in Cincinnati. They face the strongest 4 seed in North Dakota which has a great fan base that travels everywhere, so attendance shouldn't be a huge issue. Wisconsin as the strongest 2 seed potentially faces the weakest 1 seed and also faces the weakest 3 seed. Wisconsin's alumni base is all over the country which should be okay for attendance and Cincinnati isn't that far from Madison/Milwaukee/Wisconsin.

[PeaveyFury]

Down goes Minnesota! Wisconsin vs. OSU for the title tomorrow!

[paul253]

Hopefully Union and/or Ferris St loses tonight in their conference championship game to solidify a #1 seed for Wisconsin. I think Minnesota and BC are locks for #1 and it will hard to pass those other two if they don't lose.

[trwi7]

Big Ten Tournament champions and #1 seed in the Midwest Regional!

 

Face North Dakota Friday at 7 CT on ESPNU. Ferris State and Colgate the other matchup in the Midwest.

[berniebrewer4life]

North Dakota always scares me. I really hope the badgers can pull it out.

[DatHoser]

Ugh. Recorded the game to watch later. Was glad I missed most of the third due to the earlier game running late. Really disappointed as I had so much hope for this year.

 

Just ugh.