Tickets for the Great Lakes Invitational prices are falling
In the past few days, tickets for the first day of the event have fallen to $ 4.98 from a little under 7 dollars and from just under $ 5 to three dollars. It would be nice if Michigan fans buy those up so we have 41,000 screaming maize and blue in the stands next week.
December 16th, 2013 at 7:34 PM ^
Link please?
StubHub?
Will only be at semis since 12/28 is going to be a busy day with basketball, hockey & football all playing on the same day.
December 16th, 2013 at 7:42 PM ^
Probably because people, like me, have realized in this recent snowstorm that being outside right now sucks. I was thinking of going this year but when I remembered it wasn't at the Joe, I began to second guess that decision
Doesnt help that Michigan is the odds-on favorite against 3 teams ranked #37, #39, and #47 in RPI (out of just 59 D-I teams)
December 16th, 2013 at 7:45 PM ^
I'm still very annoyed they booted Denver from the GLI who Michigan was supposed to play this year.
Also, 2012 was supposed to feature St. Cloud State.
December 16th, 2013 at 10:59 PM ^
We'll be missing Compher Copp Motte (all assuming they make the US Junior team, which in my personal opinion we'll only miss 2) and we're playing outdoors. On top of that, throw in the fact that State isn't as horrible as they were expected to be due to excellent goaltending and great freshmen and Western also isn't as bad as their rating. Remember that Tech battled us hard at Yost. This definitely isn't "in the bag" though I do understand what you're trying to say.
December 17th, 2013 at 12:44 AM ^
The Spartans are worse than we expected. 4 of their 5 wins have come against AIC and Princeton. BU is their best win and they're 7-8-2.
Hildebrand is an above average goalie; Haag and MacEachern have also been playing very well, but that doesn't win games if the rest of the team is below average.
Northern Michigan and Bowling Green have been putting teams built like that on the ice for years.
December 17th, 2013 at 2:52 AM ^
Worse than we expected? Get outta here. Did you watch the Minnesota series? This team will not be pushed around in Big Ten play. Will they win many games? No. If I had to guess, I think they'll finish 5th or 6th, most likely 5th unless Penn State gets hot. Any team with a goalie as good as Hildebrand has a shot, and you're underrating several of their other players. I'd argue they were worse last year.
December 16th, 2013 at 7:49 PM ^
I've been trying to post the link for awhile. My computer must be acting up. Yea, the cold is a deterrent, but we are also probably the only fanbase who will show up in force. Most Michigan Tech fans aren't going to take the 9 hour trip, most Sparty fans don't want to see their team go 0-2, and there aren't many Bronco fans to begin with.
December 16th, 2013 at 9:12 PM ^
The GLI is Michigan Tech's tournament*, and I believe it's their one big alumni event of the year. Until this year, the GLI has really been the only chance alums in the lower peninsula have had to see them play, and most of the students are home for break in the lower peninsula. They're not going to fill Comerica, but they represent well given the size of their fan/alumni base.
*Technically Michigan and Michigan Tech are co-hosts, but Tech started the tournament, and I'm pretty sure they still run everything.
December 16th, 2013 at 7:58 PM ^
A lot of negatives going into the GLI this year. Besides the weather, we're missing the second marquee team. Western Michigan was hit hard with attrition this year; Michigan Tech and Michigan State are two of the worst teams in the country.
There's not a lot of incentive for the other fans to sit in the cold and watch Michigan win.
December 16th, 2013 at 8:30 PM ^
When was the last time Michigan had a reasonably full roster for the GLI? The late 90s? Great tournament, great tradition, but almost not even worth getting excited for with the concurrent WJC leaving us what feels like a half roster down every year.
December 16th, 2013 at 10:23 PM ^
Michichgan has had players on either the US or Canadian WJ teams since sometime in the early 90's. i think that Botterill was on for t3/4 years he was here (coldn't play his senior year; he was too old). Tamer and Ward played also IIRC.
since the there may have been a year or two where at least one play was at the WJ's.
December 16th, 2013 at 9:51 PM ^
I'm hoping the GLI expands to what the the Minnesota schools are doing.
Have Michigan, NMU, western, tech, LSSU, FSU and state. Seed the teams by their records at the time of the tournament.
December 16th, 2013 at 11:01 PM ^
I can't imagine there are many people out there saying "I would much rather see Michigan play Northern Michigan than Denver or Boston College."
The invitation to be the fourth team in the GLI used to be the most prestigious in-season tournament invitation in the nation. Throughout the '80s and '90s, it was almost always a team with a recent national championship or frozen four appearance rounding out the field. Now Olympia Entertainment is bullying Michigan Tech into turning the GLI into an all-Michigan tournament, and they are quickly losing my interest.
December 17th, 2013 at 11:46 AM ^
It being an all-Michigan affair was just supposed to be a one year thing for the Winter Classic, though it ended up being a two year thing because of the lockout.
December 17th, 2013 at 1:10 PM ^
It's all Michigan for the next four years. Western is invited this year then it's Ferris State, Northern Michigan, and Western.
December 16th, 2013 at 11:56 PM ^
I'm kind of regretting my tickets, which were still fairly cheap ($25 for upper deck). But I'll still probably go, if only because I want to be part of this Winter Festival thing.