June 19, 2013
Hockey East Strength of Schedule Standings for Feb. 13, 2013
Posted on February 13, 2013 | in Analysis | by Mike McMahon
- With Providence beating UNH on Wednesday, the Merrimack-Boston College game on Friday will see the winner be alone in first place, with no ties. The Warriors still have the toughest remaining schedule of any team in the top-5, with Lowell sitting in sixth and owning the toughest schedule to finish the regular season.
- It’s close, but I’d almost be willing to say that there are five teams battling for four home ice spots. Lowell needs to do some serious work, making up five points, and doing so with remaining opponents packing a .560 winning percentage. By contrast, Lowell is .500 on the season against teams whose winning percentage combines to .463, and the River Hawks are just +1 in scoring differential against those teams.
- The pair of games with Boston College have taken on a new important for the Warriors, but also the single remaining games with both Providence and Boston University could be determining factors in who earns the final home-ice berth.
I know this is early but are the dates for the HE quarter finals set yet? Trying to make travel plans
.
Hockey East quarterfinals will be played at campuses (seeds 1, 2, 3, 4)
March 15
March 16
March 17 (if necessary)
Hockey East semi-final round Friday March 22, one game at 5 pm, the next one (tentative start) 8.
Hockey East championship game – 7 pm, Saturday March 23.
NCAA regionals the next weekend – Manchester 29th/30th, Providence 30th/31st.
All we know for sure about placement of teams – if UNH gets in to the top 16 (and they will), they will play at Manchester.
I had no idea where to put this, but what are your thoughts on UMass-Lowell going D1 in everything? Was it a surprise (I read the linked IceIsLife Blog and was surprised the hockey team almost went belly-up twice in the 00′s)?
Does this make Merrimack move quicker to DI? I think that they’re the only team in HE with one DI sport.
My idea – I think it’s impossible.
Football? Where will they play? Cawley Stadium? Lawrence, as a third-tier tenant? – it’s a public school facility. Haverhill? Hmmm…. maybe, if they help pay for the ongoing rehab of the stadium there.
Does Merrimack have the money to run a D1 program in football? Or, are they willing to spend it?
They’ll absolutely keep football. About 100 kids on the roster, and only a handful on scholarship. Football, if you include the tuition the student-athletes pay, makes them a fortunate. It’s one of their most profitable sports.
I have no idea where they’re going to play football, that is a very good question. But Merrimack is exploring moving to DI and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if they did so within 12-18 months.
I hadn’t heard anything about UML and was wondering if their move forces MC’s hand at all.
Lawrence Stadium would be a good bet for football. They knew Lowell was making this move, and I don’t think it forces their hand at all. This Lowell move had been rumored as long as Merrimack’s.