Most Highly Anticipated Games of 2011-2012?

[Ozz]

So what are some of the most highly anticipated games of the upcoming season? Here are a few I'll throw out there...


Oct. 21st - Oswego @ Elmira
Right out of the gate we get to see two top ten teams on the ice. On one hand I hate seeing two top tier teams this early because we really don't get to see them at their best, on the other hand, I love seeing two teams testing themselves early to see where they stand.

Feb. 17th - Utica @ Elmira
The second to last game of the regular season for Elmira and the last game of the regular season for Utica could be a big game to determine the ECAC-W.

Oct. 22nd - Adrian @ Geneseo
East meets West. Will Arian Reload or Rebuild? Can Geneseo make their move to the next level?

Jan. 14th - Utica @ Oswego
A true road test for Utica. It is the only game of the weekend for Utica so their entire focus will be at attention in arguably their toughest road test of the season.

Feb. 10th - UW-Stout @ SNC
The last NCHA conference game for these two teams. Can Stout push SNC this year? Can anyone in the NCHA push them?

Dec. 9th - Plattsburgh @ Norwich
After facing off in the Primelink, one of these teams will be looking for revenge.

Jan. 7th - Elmira @ Norwich
I'm hoping this game will happen.

Dec. 30th-31st - Adrian @ UWSP
An NCHA team steps up and hosts Adrian for a two game set. Although I would love to see an NCHA team visit Adrian, this will have to do.

Nov. 26th -27th - Cape Cod Classic (Hobart, Amherst, Salem St, Babson
A good solid field with teams that have something to prove.

Jan. 22nd - Adrian @ Marian
Can this be the year Marian overtakes Adrian?

Dec. 2nd - Morrisville @ Geneseo
I think Morrisville is on the cusp of joining Geneseo and/or Fredonia as the next level of the SUNYAC. I think Geneso is on the cusp of joing Oswego and Plattsburgh at the top level of the SUNYAC.

Feb. 17th - Plattsburgh @ Oswego
Last weekend of SUNYAC play, this game could have huge SUNYAC and/or National ramifications.

[AVFC]

Re: Most Highly Anticipated Games of 2011-2012?

A couple more I am interested in:

November 11th: MSOE v. Adrian - MSOE brings back a lot, including solid goaltending. Always strong Adrian could still be working through chemistry issues when they meet for the first time.

January 2nd: Lake Forest v. Trinity - Two schools with similar demographics located in different parts of the country. How much progress has the MCHA made? Lake could be a good school to measure progress with.

[PSUChamps2001]

Re: Most Highly Anticipated Games of 2011-2012?

A couple more I am interested in:

November 11th: MSOE v. Adrian - MSOE brings back a lot, including solid goaltending. Always strong Adrian could still be working through chemistry issues when they meet for the first time.

January 2nd: Lake Forest v. Trinity - Two schools with similar demographics located in different parts of the country. How much progress has the MCHA made? Lake could be a good school to measure progress with.

Trinity was a 7 seed in a pretty weak NESCAC....not so sure its a good measuring stick.....

[AVFC]

Re: Most Highly Anticipated Games of 2011-2012?

Trinity was a 7 seed in a pretty weak NESCAC....not so sure its a good measuring stick.....

Yeah, but Lake was sixth in the MCHA so it should be somewhat of an apples-to-apples comparison. Besides, East vs. West is always interesting.

[bakdraft21]

Re: Most Highly Anticipated Games of 2011-2012?

So what are some of the most highly anticipated games of the upcoming season? Here are a few I'll throw out there...


Oct. 21st - Oswego @ Elmira
Right out of the gate we get to see two top ten teams on the ice. On one hand I hate seeing two top tier teams this early because we really don't get to see them at their best, on the other hand, I love seeing two teams testing themselves early to see where they stand.

Feb. 17th - Utica @ Elmira
The second to last game of the regular season for Elmira and the last game of the regular season for Utica could be a big game to determine the ECAC-W.

Oct. 22nd - Adrian @ Geneseo
East meets West. Will Arian Reload or Rebuild? Can Geneseo make their move to the next level?

Jan. 14th - Utica @ Oswego
A true road test for Utica. It is the only game of the weekend for Utica so their entire focus will be at attention in arguably their toughest road test of the season.

Feb. 10th - UW-Stout @ SNC
The last NCHA conference game for these two teams. Can Stout push SNC this year? Can anyone in the NCHA push them?

Dec. 9th - Plattsburgh @ Norwich
After facing off in the Primelink, one of these teams will be looking for revenge.

Jan. 7th - Elmira @ Norwich
I'm hoping this game will happen.

Dec. 30th-31st - Adrian @ UWSP
An NCHA team steps up and hosts Adrian for a two game set. Although I would love to see an NCHA team visit Adrian, this will have to do.

Nov. 26th -27th - Cape Cod Classic (Hobart, Amherst, Salem St, Babson
A good solid field with teams that have something to prove.

Jan. 22nd - Adrian @ Marian
Can this be the year Marian overtakes Adrian?

Dec. 2nd - Morrisville @ Geneseo
I think Morrisville is on the cusp of joining Geneseo and/or Fredonia as the next level of the SUNYAC. I think Geneso is on the cusp of joing Oswego and Plattsburgh at the top level of the SUNYAC.

Feb. 17th - Plattsburgh @ Oswego
Last weekend of SUNYAC play, this game could have huge SUNYAC and/or National ramifications.

ill be at the last game you listed, already have my nephew who is a senior at Oz on the line waiting for tickets, should be a barn burner.........no Selleck joke intended

[PrezdeJohnson09]

ill be at the last game you listed, already have my nephew who is a senior at Oz on the line waiting for tickets, should be a barn burner.........no Selleck joke intended

Jan 24th the boys in blue invade northfield again. Always a can't miss.

Middlebury @ norwich.

[LoudHorns31]

Re: Most Highly Anticipated Games of 2011-2012?

ill be at the last game you listed, already have my nephew who is a senior at Oz on the line waiting for tickets, should be a barn burner.........no Selleck joke intended

well at least we know that the fire alarm works at the CC!!!!

[bakdraft21]

Re: Most Highly Anticipated Games of 2011-2012?

well at least we know that the fire alarm works at the CC!!!!

thats for sure.....would love to see the game at the stafford but still cannot bring myself to enter that place again..ask prez he knows what its like

[altazo]

Re: Most Highly Anticipated Games of 2011-2012?

A couple more I am interested in:

November 11th: MSOE v. Adrian - MSOE brings back a lot, including solid goaltending. Always strong Adrian could still be working through chemistry issues when they meet for the first time.

January 2nd: Lake Forest v. Trinity - Two schools with similar demographics located in different parts of the country. How much progress has the MCHA made? Lake could be a good school to measure progress with.

Trinity was a 7 seed in a pretty weak NESCAC....not so sure its a good measuring stick.....

Yeah, but Lake was sixth in the MCHA so it should be somewhat of an apples-to-apples comparison. Besides, East vs. West is always interesting.

I agree this matchup will be a good measuring stick for the MCHA. Lake Forest is a mid pack team in the MCHA, and Trinity is a mid pack (sometimes upper tier) NESCAC team with recent NCAA experience. The demographics of the schools are similar too, just look at LFC's recruits in the commitments thread...

[Hammer]

Re: Most Highly Anticipated Games of 2011-2012?

Although I do wonder how the prep school recruits are going to fare in a year or two at Lake Forest, with Adrian, Marian, Lawrence and MSOE continuing to pull talent out of juniors, and with Northland rapidly improving as well.

[hockeyfan77]

Re: Most Highly Anticipated Games of 2011-2012?

USM @ CSC Sat Nov 5...Should be fun!!!!

[MW49]

Re: Most Highly Anticipated Games of 2011-2012?

LFC will be hard pressed this year to finish 7th in the MCHA. They lost their Captain and leader on defense, they lost their leading scorer, and they lost their most experienced goaltender. Only 4 or 5 of the 16 players from the 2009 recruiting class are listed on the current LFC roster. The Foresters are back to rebuilding mode under Coach McKelvie.

Their midseason games with Trinity, Amherst, and Salve Regina will not be representative of the progress that most of the MCHA has made over the past few seasons.

[AVFC]

Re: Most Highly Anticipated Games of 2011-2012?

Although I do wonder how the prep school recruits are going to fare in a year or two at Lake Forest, with Adrian, Marian, Lawrence and MSOE continuing to pull talent out of juniors, and with Northland rapidly improving as well.

I know where you are coming from, but I don't think it is always clear cut. Prep kids frequently repeat grades and benefit from PG years. They might not contribute as much right away, but they can certainly develop into solid DIII contributors. I think the more important question is do prep schools provide enough talent to stock both NESCAC and midwestern liberal arts schools? St Olaf and Lawrence seem to take a more diversified approach to recruiting. Until recent years, Lake recruited mostly junior kids from the GTA and western Ontario. As a former D1 assistant, I am sure that McKelvie is well connected with the junior hockey community. So I don't know how heavily he will lean on the prep school ranks going forward. Most everyone in the MCHA seems to be working hard to improve. I am sure Lake will be no exception.

[vcxc3200]

Re: Most Highly Anticipated Games of 2011-2012?

The Utica-Oswego series. I mean, it's nice, chippy, nonconference ice hockey. They had a competitive 60 minutes at the aud, and went down to the wire at the CC last year. Utica likely has a much better team this year than last, barring any ridiculous setbacks. Add Cody Adams to the mix, along with Mike Baird, and the defense certainly looks better. Evan Smith is going to need a good outing, similar to the performance he had last year at Oswego, if the Pioneers are going to win this one. The upper hand that the Lakers now have is that Beckwith will likely be available for that game, unlike last season where Dan Jones was given the nod for the first time while a forward sweated in pads on the bench. I don't see either team having a clear advantage at this point, so it'll be a back and forth series and hopefully the fans go home happy.

[altazo]

Re: Most Highly Anticipated Games of 2011-2012?

I agree that it will be interesting to see how the Prep School kids pan out at LFC. It is true that this seems to be a new avenue for them, as I think the OJ has supplied the highest percentage of players to them over the last decade or so.

But, as stated above, the question may turn out to be do the prep schools have enough talent around to stock basically the entire NESCAC, a good chunk of ECAC D1, and a MCHA team?

I still see LFC in the middle of their conference. In most situations I think top level Prep hockey is better than low level Juniors (NAHL3, SIJHL, WSHL, NORPAC, maybe the AtJHL?)