2020-2021 Plans

[AZIce]

CHN has part of their 2020-21 WCHA Preview: 5 Things to watch. Online today..

https://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/ ... 020-21.php

[jpfalcon09]

ECHL announced today the Walleye won't begin their season until mid-January. Winterfest this year has been rescheduled for 2021, which of course impacts BG's scheduled game.

[mbenecke]

ECHL announced today the Walleye won't begin their season until mid-January. Winterfest this year has been rescheduled for 2021, which of course impacts BG's scheduled game.

I'm assuming we're going to be doing a reshuffled conference-only schedule anyway, but if these games stick, I would assume they will both be at home in our barn now.

[BG84]

The second-to-last paragraph of a CHN article about the CCHA says

Eigner noted that the WCHA finalized its 2020-21 schedule with conference play beginning Jan. 1 or 2. Additionally, each team is planning on 10 nonconference games, which are still being finalized. The schedule will be released Oct. 23.

https://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/ ... espite.php" target="_blank

[mbenecke]

The second-to-last paragraph of a CHN article about the CCHA says

Eigner noted that the WCHA finalized its 2020-21 schedule with conference play beginning Jan. 1 or 2. Additionally, each team is planning on 10 nonconference games, which are still being finalized. The schedule will be released Oct. 23.

https://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/ ... espite.php" target="_blank

With this being the case, my guess would be that we'll either see non-conference games before January 1 (my preferred option) or we'll get those exclusively on weeknights during January and February. If my math is correct, and we start January 1 while going ahead with a normal conference tournament, we could play 18 conference games (1 series against each other WCHA opponent) between 1/1 and 2/27, then play the tournament. Without a week off, that's tough - both for players' bodies and for flexibility/rescheduling purposes if there are some COVID issues.

I could also see them doing 4 teams instead of 8 for the tournament, with the semifinals being a series and the final being a single game (or perhaps a series, too). Or maybe even adding 2 off weeks and making the tournament a single weekend at a neutral site with the top 4 seeds, single elimination.

We know the NCAA isn't moving the tournament, so we need to have a champion determined the end of the night on March 20.

The only other real thing I could see them doing (again, my speculation) is getting rid of the conference tournament altogether and saying the regular season champion earns the automatic bid. If that was the case, we could play up to 24 conference games without an off week.

[mbenecke]

The schedule is being released tomorrow, per the WCHA's Twitter.

We already know we'll be seeing the boys take on the USNDTP U-18 team on November 7, and we have a split November-December home/home with Robert Morris. Beyond that, all should hopefully be revealed tomorrow.

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

WCHA composite is out. Pretty decent non-conference schedule considering the pandemic.

Sat 11/7 - at USNTDP U-18
Tue 11/24 - at Robert Morris
Fri 11/27 - at Mercyhurst
Sun 11/29 - HOME Mercyhurst
Fri/Sat 12/18-19 - at Quinnipiac
Tue 12/29 - HOME Robert Morris

The remaining two games are home-and-home with Ferris on Dec 11/12

EDIT: Aside from Huntsville who has two games against Robert Morris, we are the only WCHA team who has any OOC games with teams that are actually OOC (and we have 6). The Nacho bubble really popped the chance for the Minnesota and Yooper teams to find non-league OOC opponents. Geography has its privileges.

[mbenecke]

What are our thoughts on Adrian being on the schedule for a home and home? I assumed they were an exhibition, but seeing it on the schedule twice makes me wonder how that will work.

[mbenecke]

The full slate:

Sat 11/7 @ USNTDP U-18 7:00pm
Fri 11/13 vs. Adrian 7:07pm
Tue 11/24 @ Robert Morris
Fri 11/27 @ Mercyhurst
Sun 11/29 vs. Mercyhurst 5:07pm
Sat 12/5 @ Adrian
Fri 12/11 vs. Ferris State 7:07pm
Sat 12/12 @ Ferris State
Fri 12/18 @ Quinnipiac
Sat 12/19 @ Quinnipiac
Tue 12/29 vs. Robert Morris 3:07pm
Fri 1/1 @ Ferris State
Sat 1/2 @ Ferris State
Thu 1/7 vs. Bemidji State 7:07pm
Fri 1/8 vs. Bemidji State 7:07pm
Fri 1/15 vs. Alaska 7:07pm
Sat 1/16 vs. Alaska 7:07pm
Fri 1/22 @ Anchorage
Sat 1/23 @ Anchorage
Fri 1/29 vs. Michigan Tech 7:07pm
Sat 1/30 vs. Michigan Tech 7:07pm
Fri 2/5 @ Minnesota State
Sat 2/6 @ Minnesota State
Fri 2/12 vs. Lake Superior State 7:07pm
Sat 2/13 vs. Lake Superior State 7:07pm
Fri 2/19 @ Northern Michigan
Sat 2/20 @ Northern Michigan
Wed 2/24 vs. Alabama Huntsville 7:07pm
Sat 2/27 @ Alabama Huntsville 4:07pm

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

The positive is Atlantic Hockey uses Flo for their streaming platform so if you have the yearly package you get a bit of a bonus with RMU/MU away games.

Adrian is a DIII power, very interested to see how we stack up to them. Also like having two pre-season games (edit: to start the season), especially with how crazy the offseason has been.

[rood]

Adrian is a frigging goon squad. There are a lot of D3 teams that refuse to schedule them for non-conference games.

[unfalconbelievable]

Season starts Friday, still don't know if we can go to games or when we can go.

Why would the schedule be released without these questions being answered? Leaving fans and season ticket holders waiting for answers. Sloppy on the athletic department's part. Optics of this for whatever reason isn't good.

[mbenecke]

Season starts Friday, still don't know if we can go to games or when we can go.

Why would the schedule be released without these questions being answered? Leaving fans and season ticket holders waiting for answers. Sloppy on the athletic department's part. Optics of this for whatever reason isn't good.

They're waiting on word from the WCHA. Blame the conference - at least we only have to deal with them for one more season.

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

Season starts Friday, still don't know if we can go to games or when we can go.

Why would the schedule be released without these questions being answered? Leaving fans and season ticket holders waiting for answers. Sloppy on the athletic department's part. Optics of this for whatever reason isn't good.

They're waiting on word from the WCHA. Blame the conference - at least we only have to deal with them for one more season.

Isn't it more the State of Ohio setting the rules than the WCHA?

Edit: Or in Saturday's case, the State of Michigan.

[mbenecke]

Season starts Friday, still don't know if we can go to games or when we can go.

Why would the schedule be released without these questions being answered? Leaving fans and season ticket holders waiting for answers. Sloppy on the athletic department's part. Optics of this for whatever reason isn't good.

They're waiting on word from the WCHA. Blame the conference - at least we only have to deal with them for one more season.

Isn't it more the State of Ohio setting the rules than the WCHA?

Edit: Or in Friday's case, the State of Michigan.

It could be - I know you can buy tickets to the first game at the USNTDP.

I just know I saw them reply to someone's comment on a Facebook post that they were waiting to hear from the conference.