"Yale's in Tempe"

Wait, what?

Sun Devil hockey will host the Desert Hockey Classic, an NCAA Division I hockey tournament, the weekend of Jan. 8, 2016, the school announced today. Yale, Michigan Tech, and Connecticut will travel to Arizona to compete in the four-team tournament.

*YAWN* I don't see Arizona State Hockey going anywhere soon in their first year of playing Division 1 Hockey - they have played club hockey in the past and the jump to Division 1 is going to be HARD initially. I believe they will also struggle with recruiting in their first few years of Division 1 play.

With regards to this tournament they're hosting, if the four-team tournament is structured properly I predict the final to be between Yale and Michigan Tech with Michigan Tech ultimately taking home the championship.

On a side note, not to down-play this tournament, but there's no way this is on the same tier as the Florida College Hockey Classic that Cornell hosts in Estero, Florida every year. (I'm clearly not biased at all...)

The thread title should read Glendale instead of Tempe because 1) That rhymes. 2) The tournament is being played in Glendale, not Tempe. And if you follow chanting rules, "YALE'S IN AR-I-ZOOOOOOONA" has a better cadence anyway. I chuckle at how easily the word "Classic" gets used to name tournaments. As if we're going way back in history. What the hell is "classic" about this?


Also, from [www.courant.com]

The Huskies could wind up playing Arizona State three times this season. The Sun Devils, making their Division I debut this season, are scheduled to be UConn's opponent for the home opener at the XL Center (in Hartford).

The extra ASU game played between the tournaments came about because UConn had a non-conference road game against RPI unexpectedly canceled.

How's this for a roadtrip: UConn is playing in the Mariucci Classic (ahem) on Jan 1-2 in Minneapolis, then a road game in Tempe on Jan.5, then the Desert Hockey Classic in Glendale Jan. 8-9. The next weekend is on the road at Maine.

How this tournament came about is kind of mind-spinning. For whatever reason, the UConn weekend series at Nebraska-0maha fell through. UConn coach Mike Cavanaugh called up ASU about playing a game in Arizona. ASU seems to have taken the opportunity to transform a previously-scheduled weekend series vs. Yale into this Desert Hockey Classic (and found a 4th in MTU). Subsequently, the game with RPI was canceled, and UConn added yet another game in Arizona.

Also: UConn is encroaching on Cornell turf and moved one of their home games vs. Notre Dame to Barclay's Center on Nov. 1.

Sources:
[www.theuconnblog.com]
[www.courant.com]

LynahFaithful
*YAWN* I don't see Arizona State Hockey going anywhere soon in their first year of playing Division 1 Hockey - they have played club hockey in the past and the jump to Division 1 is going to be HARD initially. I believe they will also struggle with recruiting in their first few years of Division 1 play.

I don't think you're wrong. This seems pretty similar to Penn State's entry into D1, and they've progressed about as expected.

RichH

LynahFaithful
*YAWN* I don't see Arizona State Hockey going anywhere soon in their first year of playing Division 1 Hockey - they have played club hockey in the past and the jump to Division 1 is going to be HARD initially. I believe they will also struggle with recruiting in their first few years of Division 1 play.

I don't think you're wrong. This seems pretty similar to Penn State's entry into D1, and they've progressed about as expected.

ASU doesn't have the possibility of telling recruits that they'll be playing Big Ten games against Michigan and Wisconsin either.

KeithK

RichH

LynahFaithful
*YAWN* I don't see Arizona State Hockey going anywhere soon in their first year of playing Division 1 Hockey - they have played club hockey in the past and the jump to Division 1 is going to be HARD initially. I believe they will also struggle with recruiting in their first few years of Division 1 play.

I don't think you're wrong. This seems pretty similar to Penn State's entry into D1, and they've progressed about as expected.

ASU doesn't have the possibility of telling recruits that they'll be playing Big Ten games against Michigan and Wisconsin either.

no, but recruits from Texas and California won't have to travel to the east coast or midwest to play D1 hockey now, so they have that.

KeithK

RichH

LynahFaithful
*YAWN* I don't see Arizona State Hockey going anywhere soon in their first year of playing Division 1 Hockey - they have played club hockey in the past and the jump to Division 1 is going to be HARD initially. I believe they will also struggle with recruiting in their first few years of Division 1 play.

I don't think you're wrong. This seems pretty similar to Penn State's entry into D1, and they've progressed about as expected.

ASU doesn't have the possibility of telling recruits that they'll be playing Big Ten games against Michigan and Wisconsin either.

There must be some hockey players out there who hate winter. "I love hockey but I hate the cold. IF ONLY THERE WERE A BETTER WAY!"

I guess that answers my question of why there are two teams from Connecticut playing in this tournament and none from Minnesota. (Although I guess a lot of Yoopers must also retire to AZ rather than FL so there might be some MTU alumni audience there.)

jtwcornell91
I guess that answers my question of why there are two teams from Connecticut playing in this tournament and none from Minnesota. (Although I guess a lot of Yoopers must also retire to AZ rather than FL so there might be some MTU alumni audience there.)

Midwesterners mostly retire to the Redneck Riviera.

Trotsky

jtwcornell91
I guess that answers my question of why there are two teams from Connecticut playing in this tournament and none from Minnesota. (Although I guess a lot of Yoopers must also retire to AZ rather than FL so there might be some MTU alumni audience there.)

Midwesterners mostly retire to the Redneck Riviera.

Gulfport?

I got the impression from Garrison Keillor that Arizona was to Minnesota as Florida is to New York.

jtwcornell91

Trotsky

jtwcornell91
I guess that answers my question of why there are two teams from Connecticut playing in this tournament and none from Minnesota. (Although I guess a lot of Yoopers must also retire to AZ rather than FL so there might be some MTU alumni audience there.)

Midwesterners mostly retire to the Redneck Riviera.

Gulfport?

I got the impression from Garrison Keillor that Arizona was to Minnesota as Florida is to New York.

He'd know.

Trotsky

jtwcornell91

Trotsky

jtwcornell91
I guess that answers my question of why there are two teams from Connecticut playing in this tournament and none from Minnesota. (Although I guess a lot of Yoopers must also retire to AZ rather than FL so there might be some MTU alumni audience there.)

Midwesterners mostly retire to the Redneck Riviera.

Gulfport?

I got the impression from Garrison Keillor that Arizona was to Minnesota as Florida is to New York.

He'd know.

Depends on which side of the Midwest you're from, gentlemen. (I been lived there: it's big!)

The west side of Florida is a straight shot down US-23/I-75 from eastern Michigan, but one could understand how a Minnesotan might veer west from heading to Texas and end up in Arizona.

Scersk '97

Trotsky

jtwcornell91

Trotsky

jtwcornell91
I guess that answers my question of why there are two teams from Connecticut playing in this tournament and none from Minnesota. (Although I guess a lot of Yoopers must also retire to AZ rather than FL so there might be some MTU alumni audience there.)

Midwesterners mostly retire to the Redneck Riviera.

Gulfport?

I got the impression from Garrison Keillor that Arizona was to Minnesota as Florida is to New York.

He'd know.

Depends on which side of the Midwest you're from, gentlemen. (I been lived there: it's big!)

The west side of Florida is a straight shot down US-23/I-75 from eastern Michigan, but one could understand how a Minnesotan might veer west from heading to Texas and end up in Arizona.

Even Arizona is preferable to Texas.