PSU Hockey releases non-conference schedule

[Lion8286]

Notre Dame, Arizona State (which just started a D1 program), and Princeton at Wells Fargo Center are some notable opponents.


http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-hockey/spec-rel/060816aac.html

 

[Roar More]

Isn't ND somehow affiliated with Big 10 hockey?

 

[Colorado Man]

Missed ND joining the B1G in Hockey. Not against it, just another example of ND being able to pick and choose which conference they join for individual sports.

 

[Lion8286]

Isn't ND somehow affiliated with Big 10 hockey?

They will be in the Big 10 hockey conference beginning in 2017-18. This coming season these will be non-conference games.

 

[Colorado Man]

I am not sure who initiated it, but there was discussion of ASU joining the B1G, in Hockey. Ironic, ASU was about to drop Wrestling, but picks up Hockey where there are no opponents in their area.

 

[Woodpecker]

Hey, they'll be playing in Erie!

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

Missed ND joining the B1G in Hockey. Not against it, just another example of ND being able to pick and choose which conference they join for individual sports.

Pic of B1G officials negotiating with ND....

 

[VaNtyLion]

St. Lawrence, Notre Dame and Mercyhurst are all decent competition but front loaded into October, which makes coming out of the gate having to plug key holes very difficult.

The rest of the non-conference slate is, quite frankly, garbage. Canisius, Niagara, Alaska-Anchorage, ASU and Princeton comprise 5 of the worst 10 teams in the country last year based on PairWise.

One other thing I'm not a fan of - only 2 games in 6 weeks from Thanksgiving through New Year's. That's a huge layover with no holiday tournament this year.

First glance - this is not a great schedule if the program wants to take the next step....especially considering the B1G conference depth is still going to be on the weaker side too. If the team has any hope of making a run, need to start strong and have no margin for error in that soft underbelly of mid-October through November. I still wish Gadowsky would get some NCHC competition on this slate. It's been the best conference top to bottom lately and would do more favors for the program than beating up on the bottom of the Atlantic conference.

 

[michnittlion]

St. Lawrence, Notre Dame and Mercyhurst are all decent competition but front loaded into October, which makes coming out of the gate having to plug key holes very difficult.

The rest of the non-conference slate is, quite frankly, garbage. Canisius, Niagara, Alaska-Anchorage, ASU and Princeton comprise 5 of the worst 10 teams in the country last year based on PairWise.

One other thing I'm not a fan of - only 2 games in 6 weeks from Thanksgiving through New Year's. That's a huge layover with no holiday tournament this year.

First glance - this is not a great schedule if the program wants to take the next step....especially considering the B1G conference depth is still going to be on the weaker side too. If the team has any hope of making a run, need to start strong and have no margin for error in that soft underbelly of mid-October through November. I still wish Gadowsky would get some NCHC competition on this slate. It's been the best conference top to bottom lately and would do more favors for the program than beating up on the bottom of the Atlantic conference.

Good post --- on the whole, this OOC schedule is disappointing. Our aggregate OOC schedule is likely to be more of a negative than a positive if we find ourselves "on the bubble" in March 2017.

We play Denver regularly in lacrosse ---- so there's some sort of relationship between somebody in our athletic department and somebody at DU. Perhaps get a hockey series going as well? Would be perfect in terms of "some NCHC competition on the slate."

 

[VaNtyLion]

Good post --- on the whole, this OOC schedule is disappointing. Our aggregate OOC schedule is likely to be more of a negative than a positive if we find ourselves "on the bubble" in March 2017.

We play Denver regularly in lacrosse ---- so there's some sort of relationship between somebody in our athletic department and somebody at DU. Perhaps get a hockey series going as well? Would be perfect in terms of "some NCHC competition on the slate."

Denver, St. Cloud, Miami....even Nebraska-Omaha would be huge additions to a non-conference schedule for PSU. I get the need to have some layups but also need to consider the strength of the conference when making the schedule. Until the B1G improves there's a need to add better quality OOC games and not just pad the W column.

Another thing I just noticed - only 1 weekend away from home in the first 3 months of the season. Not good for a team that has struggled on the road in conference and needs to get that experience in.

 

[doctornick]

I too echo the idea of playing NCHC teams -- I don't think we've ever played anyone from that conference to date -- but it's probably worth noting that "it takes two to tango". The NCHC teams have plenty of other options for playing non conference games (especially from WCHA and Big Ten teams that they have long standing rivalries with) that playing PSU might not be all that appealing.

We play far too many Atlantic Hockey teams. Understandable at first, but we should try to at least get more Hockey East opponents if we are scheduling predominantly "local" (i.e. eastern) teams.

 

[Kiber]

I am a big believer that scheduling helps recruiting... recruiting helps get players .... players win games .... winning games helps recruiting .... recruiting gets players .... and around and around it goes ....

For example, my belief is that playing games AT Duke, AT Kansas, AT UCLA, AT Kentucky ... would help the Men's BB program. Yeah, at first we'd get our butts kicked and probably lose by some embarrassing scores. But imagine the selling pitch Chambers can make by telling kids that if they sign with PSU they'll get to play in places like Rupp Arena, Cameron Indoor, Pauly Pavilion, Fogg-Allen Fieldhouse..... then once we start getting better players... (see above).

Same thing I noticed with this schedule. You want to entice hockey players, you should not only schedule the premier programs like Denver and North Dakota State. But how about flipping that Alaska Anchorage game up to Alaska. Imagine the selling point of telling a kid that if they sign with PSU they'll get a free trip to Alaska. If AA can afford to travel to PSU, then why can't PSU afford to travel to AA, and make it a 2game series so the players have an entire weekend in Alaska?

 

[jerseylion109]

they want to Alaska last year?

 

[michnittlion]

I am a big believer that scheduling helps recruiting... recruiting helps get players .... players win games .... winning games helps recruiting .... recruiting gets players .... and around and around it goes ....

For example, my belief is that playing games AT Duke, AT Kansas, AT UCLA, AT Kentucky ... would help the Men's BB program. Yeah, at first we'd get our butts kicked and probably lose by some embarrassing scores. But imagine the selling pitch Chambers can make by telling kids that if they sign with PSU they'll get to play in places like Rupp Arena, Cameron Indoor, Pauly Pavilion, Fogg-Allen Fieldhouse..... then once we start getting better players... (see above).

Same thing I noticed with this schedule. You want to entice hockey players, you should not only schedule the premier programs like Denver and North Dakota State. But how about flipping that Alaska Anchorage game up to Alaska. Imagine the selling point of telling a kid that if they sign with PSU they'll get a free trip to Alaska. If AA can afford to travel to PSU, then why can't PSU afford to travel to AA, and make it a 2game series so the players have an entire weekend in Alaska?

We played at Alaska-Anchorage last year. It was likely a home-and-home, this is the return trip.

I like the Alaska games --- it's a unique trip for the players and you also get an NCAA exemption in years when you play at Alaska (to play 2 more games).

The Canisius/Niagara/Arizona State games are the more bothersome.

 

[stf110]

I just hope that once ND is in the conference, and thus raising the conference profile some (they really need an 8th team too, and not just a filler team ideally) they don't decide to fill that OOC slot with a "meh" program.

 

[Bob78]

We played at Alaska-Anchorage last year. It was likely a home-and-home, this is the return trip.

I like the Alaska games --- it's a unique trip for the players and you also get an NCAA exemption in years when you play at Alaska (to play 2 more games).

The Canisius/Niagara/Arizona State games are the more bothersome.

My guess is that Guy, with past hockey affiliations to both Alaska and Princeton, will keep them on the schedule for the near-term seasons at least.
I agree we do need some lay-ups, so I get the idea behind the mix of high-quality and also rans. I wonder if the heavy-loaded home schedule is to take advantage of people being in town for football to ensure big attendance? Maybe not, since they are almost all sell-outs anyway, although attendance is not always at capacity. I have had no trouble getting tickets without the need for season tickets. That may change, and I may need to rethink getting season tickets if I'm in State College year-round again.
The talk here about the need to mix early success with a younger squad and wins for recruiting mixing with quality opponents for recruiting is good stuff.... as a new college hockey fan, it's informative. Thanks.