Or "The five other thoughts that went through my head after seeing UNO's schedule for 2013-14"
The 2013-14 schedule for the Mavericks was released today and remains a sight to behold. With all the conversation taking place around conference realignment within the NCAA, it actually sunk in today what belonging in NCHC will bring. Couple the home/home matchups in "The National" with some very notable non-conference additions, 2013-14 will undoubtedly one of the toughest schedules in D1.
Things I thought right when seeing the damage:
1. Seriously thought, November appears to be absolutely brutal for the boys. It would make sense to me that offseason workouts should potentially focus on surviving that month. For the uninitiated, November looks like the following:
Nov 1/2 @ Denver
Nov 9/10 North Dakota
Nov 15/16 Michigan
Nov 22/23 Miami (OH)
Considering the difficulty the Mavs have had in recent years with consequential series taking place at The Link, those last three weekends don't even give me partial warm fuzzies because of location. This month will have the Mavs squaring up against four of the most talented and historically successful teams in hockey. Three of these teams will be playing this weekend in various NCAA regionals. And if Jake Trouba comes back to Michigan next year then Mavs fans will also see one of the better blueliners in the game.
Christmas can't come fast enough (especially if it brings 8 to 10 points)...
2. A notable non-conference lineup that includes Cornell, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Northern Michigan. Granted we didn't know Qunnipiac was eventually going to only lose two ECAC games when we played them earlier last season but 13-14 will bring some quality teams matching up against Omaha. A side by side non-con look between last season and this looks like:
Consider Hunstville and Bentley a wash with Northern Michigan being equal. You're effectively trading Quinnipiac and the season opening Ice Breaker tournament for Cornell, Michigan, and New Hampshire. Quantity over quality... with the latter not even being that far off.
3. How about a little something for the fans?? Season ticket holders should be a little happier with the move to the NCHC. All things considered, the quality of competition has gone up with look at this schedule. While November might suck for the players, it is going to be an awesome month for hockey in the city.
But with that said, Mavs fans should be looking for a mulligan against the Sioux on the November 9th/10th weekend.
4. What is a Bentley?
5. It just got serious for Maverick players. The alarms should be going off for Blais after seeing this schedule. He and his staff should be doing their best to keep those difference makers receiving professional overtures (ie Ryan Walters, Matt White, Michael Young) in the fold. It will be critical for sophomores like Brian Cooper and Tanner Lane to make noticeable leaps in production. This is basically a call for all hands on deck.
The move to the NCHC was certainly understood to bring with it a more grinding, almost SEC-like opponent set. However, with the added non-conference teams, that challenge really didn't sink in until today.
No but seriously... What is a Bentley?
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