2005-06 Schedule

[Big Red Colonel]

Disappointing OOC schedule for all of the reasons cited above.  I would hope that we are TRYING to schedule better OOC games - perhaps renew the BU series and try and get a WCHA opponent.  I imagine that this is the best we can do given our limitation on games played.  I think playing a better OOC schedule is even more important than ever given that we are replacing UVM with Quinny and the poor quality of the bottom third (or half) of our league.  

So, does anyone know if we are actually trying to do better than this?

[KenP]

[Q]nyc94 Wrote:

 [Q2]jeh25 Wrote:
hence tUMD in Florida?[/Q]
Well, that's one - assuming we actually get to play them.[/q]

Good point -- SCSU in Florida could have helped us this season had we played.

[Trotsky]

Among the amelioratives:

+ Raise the GP restriction.  If Cornell adds 4 games and plays Canisius 3 times and BC once, it's a net gain.

+ Push the CCHA home-and-home to later in the season.  Play the weaker NC games up front, then play the stronger teams when Cornell has played more games.

+ Win every night. :-)

[GaryP]

Message to Schafer: Scheduling RIT and Niagara is unacceptable for a team that has a prime shot at making the Frozen Four this year.  Add in the fact that QU is joining the ECAC, and this schedule is headed in the wrong direction.

I doubt BU wants to travel out to Lynah after what happened in 2002, but rekindling that home-and-home series from 01-02/02-03 would be a worthy goal.

[jeh25]

[Q]GaryP Wrote:
  Add in the fact that QU is joining the ECAC, and this schedule is headed in the wrong direction.
[/q]

Not so long ago we thought UVM was a doormat too.

With a new rink and 18 scholarships, the Fighting Deerticks may not be a cellar dweller for very long.

[KeithK]

Also remember that HE is losing non-conference games with the addition of Vermont to the league.  This makes it harder to schedule BU or BC.

[nyc94]

[Q]KeithK Wrote:

 Also remember that HE is losing non-conference games with the addition of Vermont to the league.  This makes it harder to schedule BU or BC.[/q]

True, but we pick up common opponents with Hockey East through other ECAC teams more than we do for the WCHA.  I believe our one common opponent with Colorado College was Union.  With Denver it was BC and for Minnesota it was Michigan State.  CC swept Union twice as did Cornell and Denver lost to BC as did Cornell.  If we can't get games with the WCHA then we should play more with the CCHA or at least play two different opponents instead of twice with the same team.

[KeithK]

My point was simply that it will be harder to schedule quality non-conference games because there will be fewer to go around.

Actually, the most cynical effective way to improve our schedule for PWR would be to schedule games with Michigan Tech (use the connection with former Cornell assistant Jamie Russell).  Even better, work with Don Vaughan get the Huskies to come to Central New York and play one against us and one against Colgate.  MTU is down right now so a win would be more likely than a win against a Denver or Minnesota.  A one win series against a WCHA team would make it likely that we'd win or at leats tie Common Opponents with any WCHA team.

Of course, Michigan Tech's non-conf schedule is pretty rigid.  They play in the GLI yearly and then play four games (!) with ancient rival Northern Michigan.  That leaves just one non-conf game (against Notre Dame).

BTW - notice that MTU has the same number of non-conf games as Cornell and the Ivies.  WCHA teams appear to have 7 or 8, probably dependant on exemptions (e.g. Alaska).  CCHA is the same.  HE has 10 but will drop to 7 next year.  The problem with Cornell's strength of schedule is NOT the games limit.  It's certainly possible to get a plenty tough schedule with 7 non-conf games.  In fact, iraising the games limit might actually hurt Cornell's schedule - it might be necessary to fill the extra games with low end teams. The problem I see is the start time restriction - Cornell can't schedule non-conference games in October like other schools can.

[Jim Hyla]

[Q]GaryP Wrote: Message to Schafer: Scheduling RIT and Niagara is unacceptable for a team that has a prime shot at making the Frozen Four this year.  Add in the fact that QU is joining the ECAC, and this schedule is headed in the wrong direction.

I doubt BU wants to travel out to Lynah after what happened in 2002, but rekindling that home-and-home series from 01-02/02-03 would be a worthy goal.[/q]Not that I think that he cares about what we think, but I sort of think he seems to know what he is doing. Until he shows otherwise, I'd cut him alot of slack. Those of you who are new to CU hockey the last 10 years need to understand that this is proably the second best time in CU hockey history and although it hasn't reached the height that Coach Harkness did (and I doubt that anyone ever will), it is still the best that we could ever expect.

Sit back and enjoy this time and this coach; for if he stays with us we are fortunate and if he leaves we will be the loser.

[jtwcornell91]

[Q]KeithK Wrote:

Actually, the most cynical effective way to improve our schedule for PWR would be to schedule games with Michigan Tech (use the connection with former Cornell assistant Jamie Russell).  Even better, work with Don Vaughan get the Huskies to come to Central New York and play one against us and one against Colgate.  MTU is down right now so a win would be more likely than a win against a Denver or Minnesota.  A one win series against a WCHA team would make it likely that we'd win or at leats tie Common Opponents with any WCHA team.[/q]

Or it could add one win to our COp record and four wins to theirs.
 ::help::

[KeithK]

[q]Or it could add one win to our COp record and four wins to theirs. [/q]If ithere is no other connection to a WCHA team then that is a tie.  Having a tied COp would give us the comparison win with Minny this year.  That was my point.   Guarantee?  No.

[nyc94]

[Q]jtwcornell91 Wrote:
Or it could add one win to our COp record and four wins to theirs.[/q]

But if you have only one team in common then 1-0-0 is equal to 4-0-0 for PWR.  The point is that if you have only one team in common, you had better win that game(s).  With respect to Minnesota this year, we needed a sweep of MSU.

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

The other way to look at it is if we go 1-0, and they slip up and go 3-0-1, we win the comparison.  But it's still up to our guys to win the 1.

[Trotsky]

[Q]GaryP Wrote:

 Message to Schafer: Scheduling RIT and Niagara is unacceptable for a team that has a prime shot at making the Frozen Four this year.[/q]

Um, right.  How about you just deliver your demands about what's acceptable for the hockey program to Mike in person, eh son?

[Rosey]

[Q]Trotsky Wrote:
Um, right.  How about you just deliver your demands about what's acceptable for the hockey program to Mike in person, eh son?[/q]
I'm sure Mike would take it with good nature and aplomb.

Kyle