11/1 vs North Dakota

[chimpfood]

A little early to be looking ahead but I'm overeager for this series. Coming into the series 3-2, North Dakota seems like your typical NCHC powerhouse, a great offense that they use to cover up what honestly seems like a pretty poor defense. Their powerplay has been unbelievable so far, above 45% on the season, the highest in the nation. Their penalty kill has been very weak though at just 75%. Still I would not want to see us get into a scrappy game with tons of penalties against them because I don't trust our powerplay enough yet. They are going to be a very skilled team so I'd love to see us lean into our reputation of a big, physical, defensively strong team (but it might be hard to do that while staying away from penalties).

Their goalie situation is up in the air with their newest rental goalie TJ semptimphelter having been disappointing so far. Semptimphelter should be a familiar name because we faced him 3 times last year when he was on ASU and we did progressively better against him each game. The backup Hobie Hedquist has only played one game this year and didn't get many reps last year but he had a good game against Mankato but came away with the loss. I would guess that they split the series between the goalies, Semp on Friday and Hedquist on Saturday. Hopefully we can solve Semp like we did in our last game against him when we chased him in the second period after 3 goals and just 10 saves.

It has already been an up and down season for Nodak as they started with a 4-1 exhibition loss to Augusta. They then turned around to beat providence 5-2. The next weekend they split with Mankato before a 7-2 win over BU but they lost on Saturday. As you can tell by their schedule and their NCHC membership they are going to be much more comfortable big games and close games than us. As for expectations for the series I would say that I would be disappointed with a sweep, fine as long as we get a tie, happy with a split, and ecstatic with a sweep. My prediction is a 6-3 win on Friday as our guys hopefully know how to solve semptimphelter by now, and a 5-3 loss on Saturday. Let's go red!

[BearLover]

Great preview, thank you. I'm happy to read that their goaltending has been shaky. The seems like one of the most likely ways for us to win. Between having zero games under our belt, us having significantly less talent, and us already having major injuries, I think we are going to need to be lucky or steal it with better goaltending. Like you, I would be disappointed with a ND sweep, satisfied with a split, and ecstatic with a Cornell sweep.

[arugula]

I can't believe there's still a few hundred seats left for Friday and Saturday both.

[fastforward]

I can't believe there's still a few hundred seats left for Friday and Saturday both.

Hotel prices are ridiculous and could be a factor

[arugula]

Yes.  I reserved way early and was high.  We're coming anyway to visit the daughter so its a cost of doing business for us.

[upprdeck]

For most games how many people do we think come it from out of town vs just being locals?


I think its mostly because its still warm outside and people dont know hockey has started around here.

its not like the school promotes it in any way.

[fastforward]

For most games how many people do we think come it from out of town vs just being locals?


I think its mostly because its still warm outside and people dont know hockey has started around here.

its not like the school promotes it in any way.

I would think that many players families on both teams travel
At least that's the impression I have
We do have a large local draw as well

[arugula]

Last year after Harvard -Dartmouth, we were in the next booth from Castagna and parents having breakfast.  So players families definitely come particularly if relatively close.

[chimpfood]

Nodak fans are supposed to travel really well too.

[upprdeck]

They travel to big events. Do they want to travel to upstate NY though?

Other than Clarkson and few playoff games, how many fans ever travel to Lynah?

if all the players families came to a game we are talking 20-30 people.

[ugarte]

They travel to big events. Do they want to travel to upstate NY though?

looking at orbitz, flying in thursday and leaving sunday, it's $1500 from Fargo to Ithaca RT, obviously not direct and with significant layovers. Flying to Syracuse is still around $1000 and you have to drive almost 50 miles. I don't know how popular a trip like that is.

If UND came to MSG I think people make a weekend out of it if they aren't scared of midtown when they can't open carry.

[scoop85]

Between having zero games under our belt, us having significantly less talent, and us already having major injuries, I think we are going to need to be lucky or steal it with better goaltending. Like you, I would be disappointed with a ND sweep, satisfied with a split, and ecstatic with a Cornell sweep.

While NoDak is more "talented" on paper, I don't believe that the difference is "significant".

[George64]

Nodak fans are supposed to travel really well too.

I'll be driving down from Rochester with a friend and his son who went to North Dakota, so the Fighting Hawks will have at least two fans.  I was in grad school in 1967, so I saw us beat the Fighting Sioux (1-0) at the Syracuse War Memorial Auditorium in our penultimate win in a very memorable season.
.

[billhoward]

They travel to big events. Do they want to travel to upstate NY though?

Other than Clarkson and few playoff games, how many fans ever travel to Lynah?

if all the players families came to a game we are talking 20-30 people.

We were in Rochester to see an RIT game last weekend, woke up at the something something Marriott in Victor, and half the car license plates read Ontario. There was a girls tournament and it looked like a lot of parents drove rather than put the kids on a bus. But I think we know a lot of American sports parents who buy Suburbans and put on 25,000-plus yearly miles.

[Trotsky]

They travel to big events. Do they want to travel to upstate NY though?

Other than Clarkson and few playoff games, how many fans ever travel to Lynah?

if all the players families came to a game we are talking 20-30 people.

I know a fan who travels 5 weekends a year from Boston to Lynah.  I used to as well; I'll be driving up this weekend from DC.  We know fans who have been coming from Elmira or Binghamton to every home game, even weekdays, for 40 years.  I think that's the general circle of out-of-town fans who come regularly.  Always a buncha PA plates in the parking lot, too, since it's an easy climb up 81 from Scranton.  A bunch of parents of players who have long graduated come down from Ontario as do former players and their families.  It starts to add up.