Latest / The PodKaz: USCHO Women's Hockey / Episode 7: The second half begins and the Under-18 World Championship is ahead

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Episode 7: The second half begins and the Under-18 World Championship is ahead · The PodKaz: USCHO Women's Hockey

0:03
Happy New Year. From the podcast on Todd Moleski, joined as always by
0:07
Nicole Hasey. We are here to talk about the women's hockey return from break
0:14
in college hockey, it hasn't been a lot of games so far, but
0:19
it's about to pick up again into this coming week. We'll get into that.
0:22
We will get into a little bit about the UA teen a HF tournament
0:28
that Nicole will be at soon in Switzerland. We'll talk about that on this
0:33
week's episode, but we want to do and also we'll be talked about the
0:37
debut of the PWHL happening this week. First games, first regular season games,
0:43
are upon us. We'll talk a little about a little bit about what
0:46
we've learned there, but let's start in what we've seen out of NCAA hockey
0:52
in the very short return from break. First games back after Christmas. We're
0:59
on the number twenty ninth and we've had just really a couple about a dozen
1:04
games since then, and no real surprise in the cole. I don't know
1:10
if anything has stood out to you from what we've seen. There was one
1:12
tournament in Pittsburgh where Colgate, you know, not really surprisingly kind of ran
1:19
through a couple of games there and won that tournament. What do you take
1:25
away from what we've seen so far and coming back from the Christmas break,
1:29
No, I think for the most part it was exactly the results we were
1:33
expecting I'd see. Probably the biggest surprise was Dartmouth taking down New Hampshire five
1:37
zero. Not only that, but New Hampshire puts seven shots I'm sorry,
1:41
fifteen shots total on net and that was with seven in the final frame,
1:45
so just with outshot them thirty four to fifteen. Just really a completely dominant
1:49
game from them. Was really impressed with that, showing you know, two
1:53
goals in the first, one in the second, two and the third kind
1:57
of just a really complete game from Dartmouth. And they're a team that I
2:01
don't know about you, but have sort of been on my raidar for the
2:04
past couple of years. With the change in coaching and just what we've seen
2:07
from them, they've really sort of picked it up. And I think,
2:09
you know, it's always it's a slow climb right from wherever you were,
2:13
and but ec ac is obviously you've talked about difficult to make those huge gains.
2:17
But I think little by little where we're really seeing them as a team,
2:22
you know them in Brown, particularly as teams you can't you can't overlook,
2:25
and this was a pretty complete game for them, and I think particularly
2:29
because as you said, there hasn't been a lot exciting in the past two
2:32
weeks or so, kind of the same results we expected, so this one
2:37
really stood out to me as particularly with those those shot stats good for them.
2:42
That tournament I was referencing was the Battle at the Burg in Pittsburgh,
2:46
Number four Colgate beat Maine eight to two, and the first day and then
2:49
the Midgie State six nothing on the championship side of things. That sixth nothing
2:54
game was one of six shutouts we've seen so far. I was kund Of,
3:00
I believe it's ten games as we're recording this on Monday night. Ten
3:05
games played so far since the break, six of them have ended in shutouts.
3:08
And that's you know a little bit of a telling sign of of that,
3:13
you know, the matchups may not have have been all that competitive.
3:20
I don't know if that's the right word or not, but we're seeing some
3:24
some you know, results like except for the one you referenced with New Hampshire,
3:29
you know, getting shut out there, you know, we're we're kind
3:31
of seeing what we thought we'd see and and it's it's probably we're gonna as
3:36
we get into the first weekend of the new year, we're going to get
3:39
to see some some more competitive games, more really telling games in terms of
3:46
what we're going to see in the second half when especially we'll talk about these
3:51
later, but we're gonna get into some big, big time ec A C
3:53
matchups coming up soon, and so everything's coming back, folks. We'll get
3:59
there again and we'll we'll have some real kind of media matchups for you in
4:04
a little while. But this first weekend has been a little bit of a
4:09
yeah, we kind of expected hall has to happen this way. Yeah,
4:12
I thought, you know, one of the things I had looked at was
4:15
that LU and Saint Anselm we're playing you know, ranked opponents, and so
4:18
those are the top two teams in New Ha and we you know, we've
4:21
talked about the growth you know of like the ch A and New HA and
4:26
how those teams can continue to be competitive, and I thought this would be
4:30
a really good measure for them to see sort of how they you know,
4:34
LU is cruising through New haw right now, is undefeated, and then you
4:38
know, place Quinnipiac and loses seven nothing. And I don't not to pick
4:42
on any of these teams, but I think it's important to look at like
4:45
that. It can be a learning moment for them in terms of like where
4:47
do we need to be, Like the new hat champion is going to get
4:50
an autobid and Quinnipiac is a team at eight. If we ended right now,
4:55
that would be you know, receive an at large bid to the tournament
5:00
most likely as not a touch like if we sended this season right now,
5:03
no offense to exact, they may well win their own but not necessarily in
5:08
a very comfortable position right now at that eight, not right, what's gonna
5:12
happen in those last three spots? Right, So what I'm saying is like
5:15
at this moment, Wuinnipeec not you know, a super positive like strong,
5:20
No, we're going to be a tournament team. And so la you can
5:23
look at that and be like this is when we're not even to that yet,
5:26
you know what I'm saying. And so I think just if you you've
5:29
got to look for positives and games like this and same thing. You know,
5:32
some lost to number thirteen Boston College they lost five to one. Good
5:38
for them for, you know, breaking that shutout. And I think it's
5:40
just a good way to really see I mean, parody is great and it
5:45
is happening a lot more in the sport, but I think there is still
5:46
obviously a little bit of a gulf. But I applaud the New Hot teams
5:50
for going out and playing these games. I know that people will say like
5:55
that the you know, the ranked teams or the other conferences maybe didn't play
6:00
them, but like that is how they're going to get better. That's how
6:02
they're going to see what they need to be doing. If LU were to
6:06
just cruise through New Hot and never lose a game and be really high on
6:11
themselves, Like first of all, it's that's gonna do the new no favors
6:15
of the first round of the tournament, But it just it does them no
6:16
favors overall in terms of like how they continue to grow and be better and
6:20
become a competitive team. Like you have to face that adversity. You have
6:24
to see what everyone else is doing. So like what is working really well
6:28
in conference doesn't necessarily work really well against other opponents. And so that's what
6:31
you need to work on it. You can't know you need to work on
6:33
it without playing games like this. So I think, you know, maybe
6:38
that's just me trying to find a positive in some of these outcomes, but
6:41
I do think, you know, there's there's stuff to be taken from this,
6:44
and like obviously there's room to grow for those post programs. Yeah,
6:47
and I think everyone recognizes that a lot of it is about recruiting and getting
6:53
you know, you know that the high level players that come to your program,
6:57
and that's really how how teams are built, how you know, you
7:01
make the climb from you know being just a you know, an average team
7:08
or you know a team that can uh you know, be competitive in New
7:13
ha to a team that can be competitive nationally. And I think those are
7:15
the things we're gonna have to be on the lookout for in the coming seasons
7:18
of whether those steps are being made by l I uh you know, by
7:24
you know, uh, you know teams that that really want to make a
7:28
push, and you know, I hope it does. I hope that's the
7:31
uh, you know, that's what we're seeing in in the coming seasons,
7:34
is that you know, that first round game isn't a four conic conclusion like
7:40
it it kind of has been. I mean, we're in a different format
7:43
right now where instead of the the the bottom bottom seed, yeah, you're
7:48
you're playing the sixth seed essentially as the eleven in that first round game,
7:54
and so it's it's a little bit different, but it really does feel like
7:59
that gap is still pretty big between you know, the I guess what it
8:03
would be the the six team is probably a pretty pretty good team. We
8:07
saw last year that was Wisconsin. Yeah. I kind of laughed to myself,
8:11
like, Lu, finally, you know, the conference got their first
8:13
auto bid, LU wins it and they run into a six seed like Wisconsin
8:18
for the eventual national champions Like, that's just that's rude for LU. That
8:22
was a that was an unfortunate pull for them. Yeah, that didn't work
8:26
out great for him, but yeah, I think, uh, well,
8:30
we'll be watching that over the next few seasons to see where where that ends
8:33
up going well. And I think too, we've seen I feel like this
8:39
gets me in trouble or like people don't want to hear this, but like
8:41
we saw this from Northeaster in the past couple of years, right where they
8:43
dominated a conference that did not prepare them to go play the caliber of teams
8:50
they were going to play in the tournament. And so I do think that
8:52
they were incredibly talented teams, but I don't think that they were pushed enough.
8:56
And so they you know, like when we were a you're e for
9:01
that tournament, the no fans twenty twenty one National Tournament, you know,
9:05
they they thought that they were they were like, we're not worried about speed,
9:09
and then you know, in the first intermission, their coach was like,
9:11
oh my god, that's so much faster than we were prepared for.
9:13
And it's like because they don't play like that normally, and so yeah,
9:18
I think it's just like I said, I know that like some people don't
9:20
want to hear it or it sounds mean or however you want to put it,
9:22
but I think it's important that the teams need to be put in those
9:26
positions and play against that higher caliber so they understand what it's going to look
9:31
like when they played in those one and done games, and so that they're
9:33
prepared because I just unfortunately, dominating one conference that isn't as strong just doesn't
9:41
put you in that same position. And I think like maybe gives a false
9:43
sense of like how you will match up. Yep, well it's turned our
9:46
attention real quickly. Before we we turn to the UA teen tournament, to
9:52
the start of the p WHL season, which happened on New Year's Day.
9:56
That was Toronto hosting New York. And you know, and if you if
10:01
you follow college hockey, when's college hockey? You you've you've seen all these
10:05
names in the last few years or recently. Watching that game was you know
10:11
it it for me, it's like I I forget who played where all,
10:16
but I know the names that so I'm trying to like like whiz myself into
10:20
Okay, who play which, which school was displayed from? That would be
10:24
a good bingo game, I think, if you want to get into those
10:28
kind of things. But it was ended up being a four nothing victory for
10:33
New York. Ella Shelton is your your uh, I guess your trivia question
10:39
answer to who scored the first goal in p w h L history. What
10:45
were your what were your thoughts on on that first game? And you know,
10:50
knowing it's just the start, yeah, I mean it was impossible not
10:54
to be emotional watching. You know, well, first of all, I
10:56
just maybe taking it to the production Dell was just so amazing. It was
11:01
there were video packages and you know, they had a desk in stadium and
11:07
had four different women at it. You know, the production value of it
11:11
was just so huge, And so I was just going to start talking about
11:13
the videos, but wanted to say that, like, it's just so huge
11:18
people. I mean, it's one of my biggest soap boxes, which is
11:20
that if you want to say women's sports on TV are boring, it's because
11:24
it gets boring production value. Men's sports aren't inherently more interesting. They just
11:30
have people telling you about it that know how to make it sound interesting,
11:33
and they put music and graphics and information and it becomes a production that makes
11:37
it more interesting. And women's sports don't often don't get the privilege of that.
11:41
So to see women talking get this production value, where even at the
11:45
international stage often we get commentators that aren't people that regularly follow the game,
11:50
right, Like I think back to listening to like Pierre talk about you know,
11:54
very obviously repeat the same four facts that were given about each player,
11:58
and things like that didn't happen that long ago. So to have people in
12:01
the room who are former players who have spent time around the game, who
12:07
can talk, who have intimate knowledge of both the game and the players and
12:11
their styles and can talk about that. It was just so huge. It
12:15
made it so much such a better watching experience. And then, like I
12:18
said, I just I got got emotional. I mean, I know how
12:22
long people have worked towards this, and I don't you know, there's a
12:28
lot of online us versus them, different leagues and stuff like that, but
12:31
I think this was bigger than that, and it's that the players are happy.
12:35
The players are where they want to be, They got a collective bargaining
12:39
agreement, they have you know, you have players from across all previous leagues.
12:43
We have national team players and non national team players, and this is
12:48
a long time coming. And I think anyone that's been around women's sports and
12:50
women's hockey and specific just it would be emotional. It would be impossible to
12:56
look at that and not get emotional to see it all come together in front
13:00
of a sold out crowd, and just, yeah, it was the It
13:03
was It was really cool to be able to just sit at home, put
13:07
on YouTube and watch a really amazing hockey game. Yeah, and I'm glad
13:11
they the league. You know, they have a national arrangement in Canada through
13:18
I believe CBC and UH uh T s N and some other uh sports that
13:24
I can't remember exactly which ones are which Canada, but and there are some
13:30
regional networks that are involved in the US. But to have it available on
13:33
YouTube, I thought it was was really important that it's you know, accessibility
13:39
is such a big deal here and I think you have to uh you know,
13:45
meet your audience where they are. And I think anyone who follows women's
13:50
hockey now is used to that. You know, here's how you follow,
13:54
here's what you have to do to try and follow women's hockey games online.
13:58
So yes, being on YouTube not a problem for most people, I don't
14:01
think. But no, I didn't have to cast anything. I was able
14:07
like it was yeah, as someone who jumps through a lot of hoops to
14:09
watch a lot of fatty which just like that amazing, I could just natively
14:13
put it on my smart TV. Yeah. I do hope however, though,
14:16
and I've got to imagine they're working on on this a little bit more,
14:20
that there is a you know, some kind of of arrangement that you
14:26
know, because if it's if it's on TV, if it's on a linear
14:28
channel, people can just kind of flip through that and see that it's on
14:33
and click on it. Whereat you have to know what you're looking for a
14:37
lot of times when it's just on YouTube or or just on a streaming service.
14:41
So I think that would be a big step for the PWHL. And
14:45
I think that's, uh, it's it's it's got to be a matter of
14:48
time where you'll still not every game probably, but you'll start to see more
14:54
and more of that popping up on your channel guides if you're a still a
14:58
cable subscriber or satellite subscriber, like like like our family is. But that
15:03
that is is something that I hope I should have mentioned before Ella Shelton Clarkson
15:09
when we mentioned I'm sorry, Yeah, we probably shouldn't. I was my
15:13
bad. I should have. I was talking about, you know, trying
15:15
to pick out where players were, and I should have mentioned that in the
15:18
first place. But yeah, I thought was it was a good start,
15:20
and we know there's more coming, and we know there's more development coming,
15:24
and it was a you know, a good first step and obviously a much
15:28
needed first step. Yeah, if I can remember my own map. I
15:33
believe it's ten players in the entire league that did not play in CA hockey,
15:37
so a small handful of few sports players in Canada and then a couple
15:43
international players, but nearly every woman playing in the PWHL comes from the NCAA.
15:46
So I know a lot of people have said that, like, how
15:50
do I choose who I'm going to be a fan of with the national teams
15:52
all mixed up and together. So I definitely suggested maybe finding the team that
15:56
has the highest number of your favorite collegians on that squad. But yeah,
16:02
it's was a big game. I you know, Toronto. I think there's
16:04
been some thought that Toronto was gonna really lead the push here. They have
16:07
a bunch of Canadian national team players and you know, in Toronto and New
16:12
York definitely and in Toronto definitely dominated the second period and came out without a
16:18
goal, and New York made him pay for it, and Alex Carpenter scored
16:22
a goal that will probably be in contention for goal of the year. Is
16:26
the second goal of the entirety of the league. Just an amazing rister that
16:30
looks completely effortless but goes you know, bar down and is filthy and is
16:36
what exactly what Alex Carpenter does and has been doing for many years. Uh.
16:40
But if you haven't seen that, I would definitely go try and look
16:42
for that highlight for sure. Yeah, it was a good one and it's
16:45
probably gonna be on some some TV shows you follow, if you still follow
16:49
those. Oh and we should mention crnch Schroeder with the Shutoutkrinn is the goalie
16:57
that was with Quinnipeac two years ago when she recorded seventy three saves against Ohio
17:03
State in the national quarterfinals the first year we expanded the tournament and that was
17:07
the Ohio State one and Crane was pretty much the reason that Quinnipiac almost knocked
17:14
them out of the tournament. So'st she holds their I think it's the second
17:17
highest ever saved total, So it definitely wasn't surprising to see her play well,
17:21
but huge game from her today. Yeah. Well, when we come
17:25
back, we're going to have an interview that Nicole did a few a few
17:30
weeks ago about the U eighteen tournament and it moving to Zooks, Switzerland this
17:36
coming week with Laura Stalder, the former Minnesota with player and now a kind
17:42
of an ambassador, I guess you would say for that tournament. So stick
17:47
around for that. We'll be back soon. The double I eh CHEF Under
17:57
eighteen Women's World Champion is starting on Saturday in Switzerland. Nicole will be there
18:03
covering it, and I know we're all excited to see all the reports from
18:08
that coming up. But she had an interview not too long ago with Lara
18:12
Salder, the former Minnesota luth player who is playing in back in her home
18:17
country of Switzerland and is very involved with the running of the tournament there,
18:22
in the plans for the tournament back in her home country, and so Nicole
18:27
caught up with her about all things involving the tournament. So check this out.
18:30
I thought it was a good time to try and talk a little bit
18:34
about hockey in Switzerland, and you know, knowing that you went back,
18:38
you know to try and promote, you know, the girls game, in
18:41
the women's game, it's probably a pretty big deal that this tournament gets to
18:45
be there. So I was hoping you could just talk a little bit about
18:48
being back, since it was the mood that you made and wanted to do
18:51
and then and how important it is to have that tournament there. Yeah,
18:53
of course, I mean it's it happened a lot since that decision that to
19:00
is going to have a women's team and everything, and yeah, I feel
19:02
like it all goes hand in hand that the tournament is here in less than
19:07
a month. As you said, it's crazy how time flies. I mean
19:11
a year ago, I wouldn't even have thought that there's going to be a
19:15
women's team in Tugaan at this amazing facility. I mean every day I can
19:21
practice there now. But it's a privilege to be at this arena and I'm
19:26
really excited that it's going to be the home of the next under eighteen World
19:30
Championship. When you announced that you you know, you were going to play
19:37
back home, and that was kind of in among a lot of other stuff
19:40
and asking questions during you know, Senior Worlds and things like that. So
19:44
now that you are a few months passed out, you can really focus on
19:47
this is what you're doing. How do you feel about the decision, How
19:49
has it been, what have you learned, what are you working towards?
19:53
Can you kind of update, Yeah, it's it's been a crazy journey already,
19:59
but we already have or we still have so much to go, and
20:03
I mean even looking back, it's it's amazing how far we've come, like
20:07
from building a team from scratch with an organization that's one hundred percent behind investing
20:14
in women's hockey and setting a new standard and being a pioneer in Switzerland.
20:18
I think it's something very special that outside of Switzerland, I think it's kind
20:25
of common, like in Sweden or in the US or Canada, I think
20:30
that's the standard that is already in place. But for Switzerland, I think
20:33
it's it's something new that to put women's hockey on the radar. And yeah,
20:38
ever since, I don't regret the decision that I did it because I
20:44
know how much I can move with this project or be of some be part
20:49
of something bigger. And yeah, sometimes in those interviews, it's it's special
20:53
to look back where we started and how far we've come, and how many
20:57
little girls come to our games and the hockey school that has already forty four
21:06
sign ups and little girls that want to skate every every week. And that's
21:10
exactly why I made this decision to create a movement, to lead a movement,
21:15
and that's what we're doing every day. It will be So it's cool
21:21
that they get to watch you all play professionally, but to see teenagers,
21:25
to see sort of what the next step is for little girls, I think
21:29
is a very cool and important part of the process. Yeah, exactly.
21:33
And even I mean some teammates now that are in this semi professional structure,
21:40
they're going to be at the World Championship, and so it's crazy how you
21:45
get to know them, how you follow them and even little girls and then
21:49
see them have the Swiss jersey on or see the best of the best in
21:53
this age and just have a perspective, have a dream, have a big
21:59
dream. And I think that's what it's all about, to have little girls
22:03
that can dream of a career. For so long, it is felt like
22:08
with the Swiss national team it has been you know, a handful of you
22:11
there are you know, sort of standouts and join as teenagers. And I
22:15
would think that your point here is that like to be able to grow like
22:19
a fully full team that starts young, that it's not just you or just
22:23
Allino or Florence when it was Florence like that, it's it's several women capable
22:29
of like growing and building this program in the future. Well, that's what
22:33
we need. We need more depth. And if you look at the big
22:36
nations US Canada that gets out of so many women they can pick and they
22:44
pick, yeah, twenty of them that are outstanding. And we're not at
22:48
that level yet. I mean, Sweden is doing an amazing job, like
22:52
starting from from the like girls and from the youth kind of section, and
22:57
and I think that's where we have to go. Like if you want to
23:00
have a better top and you want to have a better national team, you
23:04
have to have that depth and you have to have the basis of it,
23:08
like more girls that play hockey and then the yeah, the top will get
23:14
better too. So just because my podcast it's about women's college hockey, I
23:19
just wanted to ask you about coming to the US and playing here and how
23:22
important that was to your journey as a professional player and as an international player.
23:30
Yeah, I think it was a huge step, like going away from
23:33
home and kind of yeah, being more independent, but also growing as a
23:40
person and as a player. I mean it's so professional over there, and
23:45
I mean it all started with an under eighteen World championship. It's very special.
23:49
You get on that international stage and that's the first time colleges will see
23:55
you. That's the first time they're going to reach out to you if it's
23:57
allowed, if you're in the age group that you're allowed. And then that's
24:02
where it all starts. You start to dream of going over there and being
24:07
able to play at a college, and then you go there and everything is
24:11
so new, like a whole new culture, a whole new life that you
24:17
get thrown in a new language that you're learning, but you grow so much
24:22
individually but also as a group. I mean the freshman group all the way
24:26
to the seniors, Like it's a little family that you go through four years,
24:30
and I would every time decide again to go over there if I have
24:34
the chance, and or also tell everyone like if you have this opportunity,
24:41
do it and don't take it for granted, like enjoy every moment because it's
24:45
a special place in my life. Awesome. When we're talking about the tournament,
24:52
like what maybe what should people know about zoog or the location or like
24:56
if people you know, I'm assuming if we're talking, but that's like maybe
25:00
some parents of film is that are coming, Like what makes such a cool
25:03
place to be holding this tournament? Yeah, I think it's in the middle
25:07
of Switzerland. It's the heart of Switzerland. It's obviously I'm a little biased
25:12
because I'm from the region, but I think it's connected well, Like you're
25:17
thirty minutes from Turich, you're thirty minutes from Luteenne, where I grew up,
25:21
and the arena is amazing. It's it's very innovative, like you're going
25:26
to see for the first time the led boards that are in place, and
25:33
I think for the first time at an IHF tournament, and also Switzerland in
25:37
general, Like you're going to see a beautiful scenery. Hopefully there's going to
25:41
be some snow right now we have snow, but we don't know then,
25:45
and that you can just travel around and see so many beautiful places and you
25:49
don't have to travel hours. You can travel within one hour and you see
25:55
so many amazing things. Besides yeah, hockey at a beautiful arena. That's
26:02
cool because we're not that many years from the like ceiling mounted doorbell camera at
26:08
a really bad stadium. So to hear that it's this like state of the
26:11
art, that the teenagers, that the girls, the teams are going to
26:15
get such a great experience hockey wise, is very cool to hear, Yeah,
26:18
exactly. I mean I'm still amazed every time we walk in there,
26:22
and i mean the organization puts on a show before every game, and it's
26:27
sometimes you just have to come for the show. And then on top of
26:32
that you get hockey the passion we all love. And yeah, I think
26:37
some people would say it's a smaller NHL arena, which is very unique for
26:41
women's hockey. It's it has a perfect size, even like obviously the guys
26:47
they sell out to like seven thousand people, but we're not there yet in
26:51
women's hockey, and even with four or five hundred people, you have an
26:53
amazing atmosphere in there. What do you think having this tournament there can mean
27:00
in the future, not just like individually like little girls being inspired, but
27:04
like to leave the region and to the country and the federation and support all
27:10
around that you guys need to have to keep growing well in general, like
27:15
obviously the little girls that can watch the best women under eighteen internationally and see
27:23
what's out there, or that disguise the limit that even though you play in
27:27
Switzerland, which is the smaller bubble, there's so much out there in this
27:33
sport. But yeah, also for the girls that play in the tournament that
27:37
they can perform at the best level and give themselves a chance to, yeah,
27:41
show on an international stage, to maybe take the next step and perform
27:47
well. But there's so much going on behind the scenes too. Now that
27:51
I am able to be part of the organizing committee, it's so many volunteers
27:55
involved. I think you touch so many people's lives that will always have those
28:00
memories from this tournament. Do you expect like the city and people to support
28:06
and like, as with the organizing committee, are you guys seeing that like
28:08
the area is excited to be having the tournament. Yeah, I think we
28:12
started a movement with the regional team here, but in the end it's probably
28:18
a similar spectator or similar fan base, and I hope it's going to be
28:25
crowded, and I think the organizing committee is doing really well to invite schools,
28:30
to invite the whole region to come to games, and put a lot
28:33
of effort in that area. That it's going to be a great atmosphere for
28:37
the players because they deserve it. You mentioned, you know, starting the
28:41
team from scratch, but there seems to be buying there. Seems like like
28:45
Switzerland and the federation, everybody is understanding that like this is something to be
28:51
serious about, something to put time and energy in, and that like this
28:53
can continue to grow for you. Yeah exactly, And I mean the next
28:57
step in Swiss hockey has to be regional on the federation level. It's we
29:03
always talk about the national team, but if the region doesn't develop, you're
29:07
never gonna catch that train that other natures nations are riding already. And I
29:14
think that's very important. And I'm really happy that a big club decided to
29:18
invest and start something like one hundred percent and not just marked or yeah check
29:25
the box, to actually do something out of passion and have a long term
29:30
vision instead of just investing short term. I think the goals are long term
29:36
and I really believe in this project. Anything else you would want people to
29:40
know that we haven't covered, No, I think Switzerland's gonna amaze you.
29:45
And I'm always a tourist coming home now after ten years, I think it's
29:48
something special to have everything at home now and in this beautiful scenery with beautiful
29:55
mountains. But I guess Canada knows a little bit how it looks, is
29:59
it? I would say small Canada or a lot of Canadians would say that.
30:03
But yeah, I'm excited for the tournament to be in too. Awesome.
30:07
I am too, I'm thrilled it will be fun to come come see
30:11
so well. Thank you so much, Laura, I really appreciate it.
30:14
Yeah, of course, no worries. Well, as we mentioned earlier,
30:26
Nicole will be soon on her way to Switzerland for the Under eighteen Women's World
30:30
Championship, and I know you're looking forward to that, Nicole. This tournament
30:37
starts Saturday, Canada. That is a two time defending champion. But last
30:41
year they didn't have to beat the US in the in the gold medal game.
30:45
That was Sweden that took that spot in the championship game. What are
30:51
we looking for this year? What are you looking for to seeing when you
30:53
get the Switzerland? Yeah, I mean always the US Canada, right,
31:00
but as you mentioned, Sweden was really good and they are returning one of
31:03
the reasons given sort of for why they played so well last year not only
31:07
because they were home, but because they returned a number of the women that
31:11
ed played in the twenty twenty two version of the tournament, which was the
31:15
one that was in Madison just six months earlier, so they were able to
31:18
bring in all that experience. Will they return eleven players this time around as
31:22
well? However, they do sort of their their three best players aged out
31:27
right, so they have they no longer have Felicia frank in Net and you
31:33
know some of their biggest scores have moved on and aged out. So you
31:38
know, there'll be an interesting team. Like they should have nothing but confidence,
31:41
right Like they they did something no one else had done, which is
31:45
prevent the US for playing from a golden medal. They you know, they
31:48
took their first stever silver, So I think Sweden will definitely be a team
31:51
to watch. You know, Canada obviously two time returning gold medalists. I
31:56
think they're interesting because when they won in Madison in twenty twenty two, the
32:00
US had beat them like eight to oho in that opening round game and the
32:02
US was sort of cruising and the US really sort of hit a wall and
32:07
Canada just kept building. So that was one way to win. And then
32:10
you know, last year in Sweden, I think Canada sort of went start
32:14
to finish, was kind of rolling at all times. And what went wrong
32:16
for the US was that they seemed to they thought that they had chemistry.
32:21
They knew that they had chemistry off ice, you know, they were funds,
32:24
they were really happy they were working together, and it never really seemed
32:27
to click on ice, and Canada didn't have that problem. And now I
32:30
think Canada is bringing in just an absolutely loaded roster, a lot of returning
32:36
players. They're bringing in Chloe Proverano, who might be one of the most
32:40
hyped women's players teenagers in years, and so just they have a really loaded
32:46
roster. I think that comes with a lot of pressure. Right, two
32:50
time defending champions, a roster that looks like it can't lose. That will
32:53
certainly be interesting for how they handle it. I mean, one of the
32:57
things about this tournament that always fascinates me is how it's ten days long and
33:00
it still feels like both incredibly short and incredibly long. And by that I
33:04
mean I can't believe it all gets done so quickly, but like in the
33:07
process, you will watch a team grow from game one to game four or
33:10
five or however the any they play. And so it's really interesting to me
33:15
to see like a team on Saturday and then like the next Thursday and they're
33:19
like a whole new team and so that part is always really fun and interesting,
33:22
and I think that's something that I get to enjoy more so in person
33:28
than if I were watching on feeds. I mean, I'm just really privileged
33:30
I get to go do this. I'm super super thrilled. You know,
33:34
we covered it in Madison, and we were very lucky to have that at
33:37
a you know, at our back door, and it just really brought home
33:40
to me how important that coverage was and how it wasn't receiving that like we
33:45
were what to they We've been canceled the year before, two years before,
33:50
and twenty nineteen was the one that was broadcast by the doorbell camera basically from
33:54
the ceiling, and so like, we've just come a pretty long way,
33:58
right and even still I'm probably going to be one of the few North American
34:02
you know media there. Most of what people get out of this tournament is
34:07
either produced by the IHF or by the teams themselves. And so I just
34:13
for me, considering so many of these women, I mean, everybody on
34:15
Canada's already committed to a US to an NCAA school. Everybody on the US
34:21
that is of age is committed to an NCAA school, and then several women
34:24
who play for other countries are at prep schools in North America, in the
34:30
US and Canada, so the likelihood is that those players are going to go
34:36
NCAA as well. So there's just a very clear through line from these women
34:38
into the collegiate game. But also, I just we look at the production
34:44
of like the World Juniors and what happens on the men's side, and I
34:45
think, like, the only way people even know what's happening or like know
34:50
what's going on the game is only because I show up. And that's like,
34:52
that's not cool. That sucks, and it shouldn't just be me.
34:55
I don't. I'm very lucky that I'm in a position to, you know,
34:59
to be able to go these tournaments and that you know, people want
35:02
to keep reading it and help support it. But yeah, I just I
35:05
think it's super I feel like I've got to jump it all with a place.
35:07
We weren't talking about teams, but I just it's really important for me
35:10
to people know that, like we should be paying attention to this, and
35:14
these players deserve it, and they put in the time and effort as teenagers
35:17
to go do this, and then you know, they get things like the
35:20
doorbell cam and nobody paying any attention. And then when these players show up
35:23
on an international stage or at an NCAA and everybody's like, oh, they're
35:27
so good, where'd they come from? It's like, well, you could
35:28
have been paying attention, right, So yeah, I mean it's kind of
35:31
like with I know, I'm probably going to put her last name, but
35:35
Nella Lapustinova from Slovakia last year, who was fourteen and you know, scored
35:39
that Michigan goal and suddenly everybody was paying attention. That's you know, there's
35:45
there's a lot of players. I mean, you know, Nella is certainly
35:47
special and above and beyond, but there's a lot of really talented players here.
35:51
There are several players that will be at this tournament that also play on
35:54
their senior national teams, like played at the World Championships things like that.
35:58
So it's just a very clear through line from these women to the women we'll
36:02
be talking about in college and the pros in international you know, in the
36:07
Olympics, that sort of thing. So yeah, I it's just it's a
36:10
really cool situation and like you know, sort of circling back on that that
36:14
Doorville camera, like Nella and Slovakia, like they they made their first quarter
36:17
final when we were in Madison, right, and like they were just thrilled
36:22
to have advanced, you know, to knockout round, and nobody at home
36:27
gave them any thought, right, like their own federation didn't ensure that those
36:30
games were able to be watched by anybody. So to see her come out
36:35
of that program and become this international star, and see how very clearly that
36:38
couldn't have happened if like Sweden wasn't broadcasting those games, or you know,
36:44
Canada wasn't there, you know, broadcasting them back here to North America.
36:47
It's it's just it's really important. It's just like I just feel really strongly
36:51
that it's really important that somebody's paying attention to this and that people get to
36:54
watch and see because the players deserve it. Yeah, we do not get
37:01
a Canada US game in the No, it's a new format this year,
37:06
the first round or the group play. I guess it's Canada, Finland,
37:08
Chechia and Germany in one group, Sweden, US, Slovakia and Switserlin I
37:15
believe in the the other group. But that does mean we get a Sweden
37:21
US game which I is you? I mean for me is the if you're
37:27
there's a game to look forward to in this this opening round before it gets
37:30
into a knockout phase, that that's the one for me. Do you have
37:36
what do you what are your feelings on that? Yeah? I mean I
37:38
think the US really sort of froze against Sweden last year. They just they
37:44
definitely they were knocked off their game plan and it was like they had no
37:47
idea what else to do when what they were doing didn't work. There the
37:52
ability to adjust just wasn't there. And Sweden it was a very physical tournament.
37:58
It'll be very interesting to see this year how that goes. There were
38:00
so many penalties in last year's tournament, and both of Sweden's goals in that
38:06
game came on the power play, you know, they took advantage and the
38:08
Americans did not score in the power play in that game. So I just
38:12
the special teams is going to be huge, and how how the game is
38:15
called. I think we saw some effect of like a lot of the Swedish
38:20
players playing in that SDHL which now allows contact, and how that affected the
38:25
game. So it would be definitely interesting now to see both because some of
38:30
those officials were from within Sweden and that's a different game. But also just
38:35
having two years of that to compare will be interesting, I think. But
38:39
yeah, I think it's gonna be you know, they were really smothering and
38:43
they just they really shut the US down and and and the US froze,
38:46
and so that'll be interesting. It's a very different US team this year.
38:50
It's a fairly young team. I mean, they do have a couple a
38:52
handful of returning players, but for the most part, it's it's a very
38:57
new squad that we don't know a ton about. You know, we can
39:00
look at some stats from how they're playing, you know, in various leagues.
39:04
But yeah, it'll be interesting for me just to see them on the
39:06
ice and get a feel for who they are as a group. It's also
39:10
a new a brand new goaltending trio. I mean, the there is one
39:14
returner, but she didn't get time, so she's she's essentially a new quantity.
39:19
And you know, like I said, Canada I think has a scary
39:22
good roster. And so when you compare that and their returners and their experience
39:25
to the US roster, that's that's certainly a question mark and very interesting.
39:30
And then I just think, like further down, Sweden continues to get stronger,
39:34
Chechia continues to get stronger, Finland is struggling, and so that will
39:40
be interesting because you know, we have particularly thought of them, and Sweden
39:45
sort of is that next level of powerhouse. But they just did a four
39:49
Nations where it was Sweden, Finland, Czechia and Slovakia I think, and
39:58
Sweden came out on top, but like the Finland I think needed over time
40:00
to beat czech Ya. No I should know what I'm talking about, but
40:04
anyway, they're they're just those games are closer than you would think, and
40:07
czech is returning a lot of their players, and then I think Slovakia has
40:10
actually got the opportunity to surprise people. I mean, obviously Nella is going
40:15
to do what she does, but they were returning fourteen players, and so
40:20
they also have several players that are now, like I said, playing in
40:23
North America prep schools, and that just you know, players shouldn't have to
40:28
do that in order to develop and help build their federations back home. We
40:32
see it, you know, with them coming to play in the NCAA as
40:36
well from different countries and they're doing that because they can't get as good back
40:40
they don't get the support back home. If there were development programs in every
40:45
one of these countries, the players wouldn't feel the need to come to the
40:47
US or Canada to go to prep schools in college. But they're doing that
40:52
because they get an education, and they also just get pro level support across
40:58
the board in a way that like even the pro legues back in their home
41:00
countries don't don't have, you know. And that's sort of from their mouths,
41:06
right, Like that's from talking to to various players. So on the
41:09
one hand, I think it sucks that they all have to leave home at
41:12
such a young age in order to do it, and that their federations aren't
41:15
supporting them, you know better. But it says a lot about who these
41:19
players are and what they want out of out of their careers that they make
41:22
that choice. And so when you have several players from a country that's not
41:27
supporting their system as well, then you you really do see how that can
41:32
elevate the play. And I think we'll see that in teams like Spakia versus
41:37
say Switzerland, where most of the Swiss players are still playing domestically in Switzerland
41:43
and that's what you know, Lara Stelder really went home for right, Like
41:45
she talked a little bit about that that she wanted to help grow the women's
41:51
domestic league and development and put a focus on you don't have to leave Switzerland
41:57
to become a better hockey player. And so you know, she is currently
42:01
playing in Zoog which is the city where that's hosting. When she decided to
42:06
go home a few years ago and announced it, they didn't have a women's
42:08
team. That women's team came about in large part because of what Lara said
42:14
and did, and now they are playing at the you know, this really
42:16
nice sort of NHL style arena and have support and continue to grow and that's
42:22
just super important, right you know, like Lara said, she's from that
42:25
area and just seeing the way that you know, girls in the area are
42:31
coming to camps and things like that. When we were at Senior Nationals in
42:36
Brampton in April, like the Swiss coach was just clearly frustrated and fed up
42:40
that like, yes he's got Lara Stelda and Elena Miller, but like Meiler,
42:44
but they can't do everything, and like they didn't have the depth to
42:47
match up with anybody, and it's it's interesting to see a coach be so
42:52
vocally frustrated and just sort of fed up with the situation. And he was
42:57
there and I think Lara was as well, just like there's only so much
43:00
we can do and when players, when a national team has to bring in
43:04
fourteen year olds to fill out a top tier roster, then like there is
43:07
something not right within the growth and development of that federations prospects. So yeah,
43:14
I'm just really excited. I hope that for that sake that like the
43:17
the tournament goes really well in that way that you know, Switzerland embraces it
43:22
and people are paying attention to Zoo gets only a half hour outside of Zurich
43:25
with trains every ten minutes, so I'm hoping that helps. And it means
43:30
that we will see lots, you know, lots of spectators and fans and
43:34
there's always Swiss parents with cow bells when we are other international places, so
43:37
I imagine it will be very loud and full of cow bells when we're in
43:39
Soog, but yeah, it should be. It should be a good time
43:44
and it continues to the point of this tournament beyond the games and the outcomes
43:50
is about growth and bringing the sport to new people. So I'm hoping that
43:53
that's accomplished. Are you bringing home a cow bell? Let's just get that
43:57
out there right now. Maybe I see. My question was always with the
44:00
parents, Like it's not so much the cowbal, it's how do you transport?
44:05
Like do you carry that on? Is that a carry online? Or
44:07
do you like give up your suitcase? But like that's a lot of suitcase
44:13
space and also very heavy. Do you pay us? See, I'm very
44:15
interested in the logistics of this. I think it's fascinating. Yeah, there
44:22
was. There was definitely a dad. The person that I last saw one
44:25
got the dad that was in was it twenty seventeen for the Senior Worlds in
44:30
Plymouth, Michigan, And he did His English wasn't great, So I tried
44:34
asking and we tried to figure someone out. But maybe I will find someone
44:37
who's my limited German in their English we can figure out because I do.
44:43
These are the logistical questions I want to know about. But I'm already planning
44:45
to visit a cheese place. I already have plans to go get Raclett and
44:50
fondue and never fear. I plan to embrace my Wisconsin roots and have all
44:55
of the cheese and so's. It'll be amazing. That's important. Yeah,
45:00
we know we can follow you on social at Nicole Hasey for for a lot
45:05
of the highlights there about Dell. Where else can we see your coverage from
45:08
U eighteens. Pretty much everything will be at Victory Press, so it's the
45:13
Victory Press dot org. I'll also do a lot more videos and things than
45:16
I normally do, and those will be on my Instagram, which is at
45:20
Nicole Hasey fourteen. So definitely follow along there. But the readers of Victory
45:24
Press, I was gonna not go to Switzerland because it is more expensive than
45:29
Sweden was, and the brewers of Victory Press very highly donated to a fundraiser
45:35
in less than twenty four hours to fund me to go, So that is
45:37
where my coverage will be. I'll do instead of doing like regular game by
45:42
game recaps, I do a day by day recap, so things that you
45:45
might not have seen by watching a stream I will do. I'll have videos
45:50
from postgame interviews, talking to players and coaches and just try to bring people
45:54
along with me as much as possible. So yeah, as you said,
45:58
follow post on Twitter slash x. I never remember to go onto Blue Sky,
46:05
so I would say Twitter and Instagram are the way to go, and
46:08
then the things will be posted on the Victory Press. But you can also
46:13
become a member because it's independent press, and then you can get everything email
46:17
directly to you. And I'm not sure exactly what Zoe's doing, but a
46:23
certain level, I believe you get a postcard from Switzerland from me. So
46:28
if that is something you are, you know, inclined to do, we
46:30
appreciate it so much. But yeah, follow along because it's it's gonna be
46:35
fun. It's an amazing tournament. It's really high level and it was very
46:38
cool to go see it in another country last year, to see how much
46:42
Sweden embraced it, and to see a full stadium cheering for Sweden in that
46:45
gold medal game, even though it did not go well for them, just
46:51
the fact that they got to be there and those players got to experience it
46:53
was was really cool. Where is it in twenty twenty five Finland? But
46:59
we don't have a city. Well, speaking of Europe, let's make this
47:06
like seamless transition to what's coming in college hockey, which actually is can be
47:12
seamless because there is uh college hockey coming in Europe. This coming week,
47:17
Providence and Princeton are playing in the Friendship for in Belfast, Northern Ireland,
47:22
and that's a third year for the Friendship for women's games happening uh there at
47:30
the s S Arena. It's I mean, it sounds like there's an amazing
47:35
opportunity for for those players to to get to play there but also kind of
47:39
carry some of the uh you know, the college hockey flag a little bit
47:45
uh over to Europe and and and show what women's hockey can be about uh
47:52
in college Uh that what what do you what are your thoughts on that and
47:57
how how maybe this could can can Maybe I'd like to see if you replicated
48:01
some other places too and have some other chances to do this in other parts
48:06
of the of the world. Yeah. Absolutely, I think you know,
48:10
one of the reasons it was done there is because I think the there's a
48:14
pretty like robust men's league and so you know, I think people definitely don't
48:20
think about it that way, and it's probably you know, there can be
48:22
arguments about like the level of the hockey it is, but there is definitely
48:25
like a robust home for men's hockey in Ireland and Northern Ireland. And so
48:31
I saw, like you know, Providence on their socials today were already I
48:34
had landed in Dublin and we're doing some sight seeing and so like, that's
48:37
such an amazing opportunity for the players. And this is that the only tournament
48:40
outside of North America, right, like, this is the only way that
48:43
collegiate players, yeah, play outside North of America. Yeah, as you
48:46
said, I would love to see it in more places. We know that
48:50
there are like camps and showcases for players in Europe, and so I just
48:53
it would be pretty awesome to we know that, like volleyball and a few
48:58
basketball particular, we both go play off season tournaments in Europe, and I
49:04
don't know obviously off season is different for hockey, but it would be cool
49:07
to see that sort of bleed over and see these opportunities. I mean,
49:13
as we were just talking with U teens and it's like we've talked about with
49:15
so many of the players in the PVHL, there's there's just so many women
49:21
internationally that come and play in the n c A and so It's so cool
49:25
to me that it's in a country that people don't necessarily normally think about with
49:29
hockey. So that's the coolest part about this for me. On our last
49:32
episode, I thought maybe the p w h L could have some kind of
49:37
spot in the Frozen four. Maybe there could be a college hockey spot in
49:42
the UA teen tournament. You know, maybe bring that along too as a
49:47
as a uh, you know, part of the the you know, expansion
49:52
of opportunities and yeah, seeing where you know, where that next step can
49:57
be for a lot of these players is having you know, a couple of
50:00
teams they're playing, playing a couple of games. And you know, the
50:05
more I think about it too, you know, why haven't we seen more
50:07
games in Canada? Uh? For US women's college hockey, it seems like,
50:15
you know, a natural opportunity is such a big recruiting space for the
50:19
NCAA schools, but we haven't really seen that explored very much or as much
50:24
as I maybe thought it would have. You know, it'll be interesting,
50:29
I know, you know, college hockey in broad is bringing on a women's
50:32
director and I think, you know, a lot of what they've done on
50:36
the men's side is helped people not familiar with the NCAA system understand it.
50:42
And so I think having someone to do that on the women's side, and
50:45
I could see that person going to you eighteens in some of these places and
50:49
being able to run some education. So if you could pair that with a
50:52
game, that would be where a couple of games, that would be a
50:54
really and what they do is obviously very tied to the NCAA and support it
51:00
by So, yeah, it feels like there's an opportunity there because you know,
51:04
I think we've talked about this before, but like even recent collegiate players
51:07
have talked from Canada talked about like they had no idea about the process how
51:12
to play in the NCAA, like what was available, Just like within the
51:16
last five to ten years, players have been saying that. And so obviously
51:20
depends on like where you grew up and how connected you are, but I
51:22
think it's it's definitely at least a room for opportunity and growth. Yes,
51:30
So that the correct way to say that, Yeah, I think. So
51:32
before we go, I want to mention a couple other both non conference and
51:38
conference games that are happening this week. Non conference wise, Yukon at Minnesota
51:45
and Minnesota at Quinnipiac. I'm I'm really interested in seeing Yukon and Minnesota.
51:54
I don't know where that's going to go. I have I feel like so
52:00
dos you know, being at home especially, has has a better chance there
52:02
but in two games. But then you know, with Duluth and Quinnipiac,
52:08
I have, I do not know. It feels like a does I do
52:12
not know anything to expect that. I would imagine that's gonna be a really
52:15
tight series. Any uh, I guess let's stick with d Luth and Quinnipiac.
52:22
That's you know, as an important one as we're talking pairwise and as
52:27
we're talking you know, positioning for the NCAA tournament down the stretch here.
52:30
Yes, they would both very much like those quality wind bows. But thank
52:34
you very much. I think that's going to be a very interesting defensive matchup.
52:38
I just both teams I think can really grind down a team and really,
52:43
you know, sort of slow down the game and bend it a little
52:45
to their will. So it will be very interesting to see how the offenses
52:51
respond. I think Quinnipiac probably has a little more depth offensively, or at
52:55
least appears that way. I know, I always hate that it sounds like
53:00
if I say that that I'm picking on somebody else. But I just I
53:04
like I like the younger players Equidiphick. I think they're really picking it up,
53:08
and really they're their sophomores particularly are just really interesting players, and so
53:14
they have, you know, sort of the experience and the younger players,
53:15
and so I really am interested to see how they handle a defense like what
53:22
Minnesota Duluth can do. I do you think they see a little bit that
53:24
and teams like Colgate. But yeah, I think it's a really cool foreshadow
53:30
of some of the stuff I think we can see at the end of the
53:32
season, and then I just think it will be It's a different type of
53:37
physicality from Quinnipiac, in my opinion, than like maybe what we see in
53:39
the good E c h A. I think that they're they're a little bit
53:44
sort of like bigger and taller and do the shoulder to shoulder thing a little
53:46
better as opposed to the more like straight on physical and can really sort of
53:51
just like ride you off a puck. So yeah, to me, that's
53:55
well, it's as we I said to you, off there it's the the
53:59
Battle of up State New York in the other four games, So it's hard
54:01
to say which one is the most interesting. But in terms of like something
54:05
we don't normally see, I think this is probably the most interesting series since
54:09
Colgate in Minnesota. Just Colgate and Ohio State to start the year. So
54:15
yeah, we're going to see start to see the ec A C maybe shake
54:19
out a little bit, maybe question mark unless we get uh. Friday,
54:23
it's Clarkson at Cornell and Saint Lawrence at Colgate, and then on Saturday's Saint
54:28
Lawrence at Cornell and Clarkson at Colgate. So yeah, there's there's a lot
54:34
on the line there. And you know, as far as starting the second
54:37
half and moving towards that, you know, what you're building in the second
54:42
half, toward the the what the final stand is going to look like.
54:45
I think we're gonna look at this as you know, a potential spot where
54:50
some teams can can can make a statement or even you know, gain some
54:53
ground, gain some separation in the standings. It does feel like we're gonna
54:59
find out whether or not clark since for real this weekend. I know,
55:01
like some some clerks and fans and some people have been upset with like how
55:05
low they think that they are being ranked, and I'm like, well,
55:07
the strength of schedule just isn't there. You know, when you go look
55:10
at at RPI and paralyzed, that's that's where we're at. But you know,
55:14
they're they're really going to be tested this weekend. And they're currently an
55:16
undefeated team, right, they only have two ties, and so the difference
55:22
is Colgate is undefeated within conference. What that's not going to be the case.
55:25
One of them is going to have a conference loss by the end of
55:28
this weekend, right or I guess not. There could be a tie,
55:30
but I imagine we're going to have We're going to have some outcomes this weekend,
55:36
and so, you know, I think it's the biggest test for Clerks.
55:38
And it's not that I don't think that they are for real. I
55:40
just think that the stats haven't you know, the games they played haven't beared
55:45
it out, and the RPI says, we can't take you know, this
55:47
undefeated record at its face value at the moment, and so yeah, I
55:52
think it top four teams in the conference basically with the exception of Quinnipiac in
55:58
there. So four of the five top five teams are facing off, and
56:01
so that's it's it certainly should be fun. Ye have any thoughts on who's
56:07
gonna come out the winner there, you know, I am. I mean,
56:12
I feel like being at home is going to benefit both Cornell and Colgate,
56:15
and I that's that's where I would lean if if I'm I'm going anywhere
56:22
on those But toss up for me again, I I really don't like,
56:29
I don't feel like I've I've been able to separate in my mind any of
56:32
those teams, you know, from from a a full season what we've seen
56:38
so far perspective, and and like you said, you know, Clarkson has
56:44
a has the record to separate themselves, but not necessarily the strength of the
56:47
schedule. So uh, that'll get fixed here pretty soon with all the games
56:52
they're gonna be playing. So I mean, I think that Colgate is the
56:57
most complete team. I mean, they came out with Ohio State there that
57:00
first weekend, and that's partly because they brought back so many players. So
57:05
I just think that like they haven't had to do any of the sort of
57:08
growing pain stuff that comes with the new season. They sort of hit the
57:12
ground running a little further advance. And what that means is that instead of
57:16
you know, teaching people a whole new schematic, they're focusing on the details
57:21
and that those are the things that are going to win these close games,
57:23
right, so they can really focus in on winning pucks along the boards or
57:28
face offs or whatever it is. And so when you're working on that in
57:30
September, that that just makes a huge difference on where you can be,
57:35
you know, in February, in March, and so in our limited ability
57:38
to watch games on a stream. In my head, Colgate is the more
57:44
complete team of the five, but I mean certainly will wait to bear that
57:49
out to see how they play against everybody. And they gave like Colgate Clarkson
57:52
is a rivalry game too, right. It's like when Wisconsin Minnesota played like
57:58
it's not pretty hockey, right, Like it is is fight for every inch,
58:01
slap at sticks, puck bouncing around, and so I mean, I
58:06
think it's going to be fun and it's good in its own right, but
58:08
it's obviously not pretty hockey, right, And so it's sort of who comes
58:13
out of that and who controls the pace of play and those bounces and gets
58:17
the luck gets the puck luck that will come out of that. So,
58:21
like you said, I think being at home holds a lot of weight here,
58:24
just when it's when the margins are that thin. Right, Well,
58:28
here's some great hockey in twenty twenty four and starting this week and for you
58:32
and in Switzerland starting this weekend, and let's I hope you have a great
58:38
trip and it sounds amazing and make sure we get some pictures back. Yeah.
58:43
Absolutely, And as of right now, the same thing as most of
58:47
what comes out of USA hockey. I believe the games will come through NHL
58:52
Network, but I do believe some games will also end up on ESPN.
58:55
Plus the IHF website has not been great about updates some of this stuff.
59:00
But those early the opening round games for the Americans are scheduled to be on
59:05
NHL Network, and as my husband told me, he will be at work
59:08
for most of them. I think that's probably true for a lot of you,
59:10
but hopefully you can keep up with Twitter or you know, surreptitiously put
59:15
a feed up at work. Those games are morning and early afternoon US time
59:22
zone, So yeah, there's there's you know, we've seen this work in
59:25
soccer a lot where you know games are in the day and World Juniors games
59:30
everything, it's like games are unduring the day. Great, that's something to
59:32
watch while you're at work. Yes, he was debating whether he's going to
59:36
get up at five am on Sunday for one of the games. So yeah,
59:39
everybody, Yeah, I like the time zone. You're gonna be in
59:44
for those better from Yeah, sorry guys. Yeah, it'll be interesting.
59:46
There's only one day off of games, whereas in years past there's been two,
59:51
so it's a whole new format this year. We'll definitely see how that
59:53
works. It's again interesting because US is the number three team and so the
59:57
number two team and yeah, yeah, because it's all in one arena Corregt
1:00:00
instead of being in two different sites. It is. But I also I
1:00:04
think has to do with this round robin way that we're playing. The IHF
1:00:07
has a role that a team can't play three days in a row. So
1:00:10
that is when we had it. The way we had it, we were
1:00:13
playing four games a day, so there's only the only four game day is
1:00:16
quarter final day. It's time around we being everybody at the tournament, which,
1:00:22
as someone covering it makes it impossible you can't cover everything, so I
1:00:25
will miss my off day, but at least I get to watch all the
1:00:28
hockey. There you go, We'll have fun. Thank you. We will
1:00:31
talk to you all again next week on the podcast.