UAH Hockey 2011-12: Will Someone Break the Conference Logjam? Thanks.

[gfmorris]

Re: UAH Hockey 2011-12: Will Someone Break the Conference Logjam? Thanks.

Sorry, Douglas, I'm just now seeing this. I was out of town last weekend and haven't looked at USCHO in a while. I'm very much out of the habit.

GFM

[gfmorris]

Re: UAH Hockey 2011-12: Will Someone Break the Conference Logjam? Thanks.

Coach Saban has signed some memorabilia and provided it to us to auction for the fundraising campaign. http://saveuahhockey.com/2012/02/20/...ve-uah-hockey/ Saban doesn't sign many footballs.

GFM

[gfmorris]

Re: UAH Hockey 2011-12: Will Someone Break the Conference Logjam? Thanks.

I bet Clarkie wants that third one back. That second one was a real goal scorer's goal.

I wonder what would happen if our guys hadn't been focused on trying to hit bigger kids and instead trying to play the puck. I'm all for physical contact to close out a check, but stuff behind the play that has no effect on play took us out of situations too many times tonight. Our guys could and I'd argue should have won this game.

Just so everyone knows: UAH loses Durnie and Easton to graduation after tomorrow, and Roy (RoMo), Saunders (NoDak), and Gatt (MSU) will transfer for next season, honoring commitments made between Portera's demotion of the program and Altenkirch's revitalization of it.

On the recruiting trail: D Steve Koshey, who was an 11-12 commit, has re-committed for 12-13. He's had a nice year in the BCHL and should be an even better player for us next season than he would have been this season. It's good to get a commit now, as one will beget more. Koshey and Vanderlugt played together in Surrey last year, and I think Koshey and Strukoff were in Trail at the same time.

I would expect the coaches to go after a goalie, three defensemen, and four forwards. We've been playing with very thin depth this season at just 23 on the roster. We need to replace five, and bringing in two more F and a D would help guard against injuries while having players compete more for playing time. Gavin Morgan has been out on the road for most of the last six weeks, meeting the team at games before going back.

For any potential recruits reading this: I believe this program, and I think you'd be proud to be a Charger. [As a booster, that's about all that I can say, heh.]

GFM

[gfmorris]

Re: UAH Hockey 2011-12: Will Someone Break the Conference Logjam? Thanks.

The other thing that I noticed: rather than getting mauled in neutral ice and having to play dump and chase, the boys were routinely getting 3-on-3s into the zone, often breaking down into a brief 2-on-1 while the backcheckers were breathing down their necks. It was heartening to see the guys be able to work through center with short passes.

GFM

[gfmorris]

Re: UAH Hockey 2011-12: Will Someone Break the Conference Logjam? Thanks.

The boys just didn't finish that one. Another day of all the positives we saw last night with some better finishes on goals today. A couple more bounces and Durns and Eastie go out winners.

GFM

[davyd83]

Re: UAH Hockey 2011-12: Will Someone Break the Conference Logjam? Thanks.

This could be good news in Huntsville

http://www.msumdragons.com/news/2012/2/27/h.aspx

[UAHStatman]

Re: UAH Hockey 2011-12: Will Someone Break the Conference Logjam? Thanks.

This could be good news in Huntsville

http://www.msumdragons.com/news/2012/2/27/h.aspx

It certainly doesn't hurt, but we've still got work to do. Still have to campaign, even though that candidate is out of the race.

[UAHStatman]

Re: UAH Hockey 2011-12: Will Someone Break the Conference Logjam? Thanks.

For any potential recruits reading this: I believe this program, and I think you'd be proud to be a Charger. [As a booster, that's about all that I can say, heh.]

GFM

To use the words of Ben Crenshaw from the night before the Americans' comeback victory in the 1999 Ryder Cup: "I have a good feeling about this. That's all I'm gonna tell ya."

[gfmorris]

Re: UAH Hockey 2011-12: Will Someone Break the Conference Logjam? Thanks.

This could be good news in Huntsville

http://www.msumdragons.com/news/2012/2/27/h.aspx

It certainly is. I passed that around today to good effect.

Our administration is dancing all around the issue, but we all know that we're pushing for the WCHA. Our President is calling their Presidents, our AD is calling their ADs, and our coach is calling their coaches. The coaches are an easy sell. The ADs are tougher because they worry about budgets and the like. As with anything NCAA, the Presidents drive the bus, and ours is doing everything he can to secure a spot for us. As Dr. Altenkirch noted at the Hockey Heroes event before Friday night's game, UAH is a Research 1 university, so we have the academic credentials to go with the hockey credentials.

It certainly doesn't hurt, but we've still got work to do. Still have to campaign, even though that candidate is out of the race.

Exactly.

GFM

[davyd83]

Re: UAH Hockey 2011-12: Will Someone Break the Conference Logjam? Thanks.

It certainly is. I passed that around today to good effect.

Our administration is dancing all around the issue, but we all know that we're pushing for the WCHA. Our President is calling their Presidents, our AD is calling their ADs, and our coach is calling their coaches. The coaches are an easy sell. The ADs are tougher because they worry about budgets and the like. As with anything NCAA, the Presidents drive the bus, and ours is doing everything he can to secure a spot for us. As Dr. Altenkirch noted at the Hockey Heroes event before Friday night's game, UAH is a Research 1 university, so we have the academic credentials to go with the hockey credentials.



Exactly.

GFM

There were plenty of coaches that didn't support the attempt to get into the CCHA, due to the travel. IMO, it's going to take travel subsidies to get UAH into the new WCHA. These are all D-II schools with D-II budgets and there aren't too many coaches who will give up a dime of their recruiting budget, or slide down from Fairfields or Hampton Inns to Motel 6 to free up money for a flight to Huntsville. And as the new conference will stand, only Ferris State and Bowling Green are within reasonable bus rides of Huntsville, and the NCAA's 48 hour rule makes this even more difficult. I am hoping for the best for Huntsville. I would love to see this program find a way to survive!

[4four4]

Re: UAH Hockey 2011-12: Will Someone Break the Conference Logjam? Thanks.

This could be good news in Huntsville

http://www.msumdragons.com/news/2012/2/27/h.aspx

One school down and two to go.

[gfmorris]

Re: UAH Hockey 2011-12: Will Someone Break the Conference Logjam? Thanks.

There were plenty of coaches that didn't support the attempt to get into the CCHA, due to the travel. IMO, it's going to take travel subsidies to get UAH into the new WCHA. These are all D-II schools with D-II budgets and there aren't too many coaches who will give up a dime of their recruiting budget, or slide down from Fairfields or Hampton Inns to Motel 6 to free up money for a flight to Huntsville. And as the new conference will stand, only Ferris State and Bowling Green are within reasonable bus rides of Huntsville, and the NCAA's 48 hour rule makes this even more difficult. I am hoping for the best for Huntsville. I would love to see this program find a way to survive!

Then why have Northern, Lake, and Ferris all made the trip down here inside the given constraints, and why did Bemidji make it last year without any conference mandate to do so? They made the trip inside of 48 hours. [Bemidji flew.] I believe that some game guarantees were involved in those games, but nothing on the order of what was involved with the CCHA. That was $70k payable to the league office to be disbursed as they saw fit, which equated to $10k a trip if you gave all schools an equal share for traveling to Huntsville, which might not have been done for B1G schools.

Will there be a travel subsidy? I expect that there will be one offered. [This is pure speculation on my part. Unlike other parts of our push to be in the WCHA, I have no idea on this one; if I did, I wouldn't say anything about it.] But I would be surprised for it to be on the order of $10,000/gm. I could be wrong, though.

GFM

[davyd83]

Re: UAH Hockey 2011-12: Will Someone Break the Conference Logjam? Thanks.

Then why have Northern, Lake, and Ferris all made the trip down here inside the given constraints, and why did Bemidji make it last year without any conference mandate to do so? They made the trip inside of 48 hours. [Bemidji flew.] I believe that some game guarantees were involved in those games, but nothing on the order of what was involved with the CCHA. That was $70k payable to the league office to be disbursed as they saw fit, which equated to $10k a trip if you gave all schools an equal share for traveling to Huntsville, which might not have been done for B1G schools.

Will there be a travel subsidy? I expect that there will be one offered. [This is pure speculation on my part. Unlike other parts of our push to be in the WCHA, I have no idea on this one; if I did, I wouldn't say anything about it.] But I would be surprised for it to be on the order of $10,000/gm. I could be wrong, though.

GFM

NCAA rules prohibit departure prior to 48 hrs prior to the start of the first game, which means by bus, NMU couldn't leave Marquette prior to 8:05 ET on Wednesday for a 7:05 CT Friday game. That present a number of logistical problems. To fly, currently a flight from Marquette to Huntsville for the 2nd week of October is 833 per person, over $23,000 for the traveling party of 27. Now add an extra hotel night at the hotel, $1200 and an extra day of meals, and you're talking over $25,000 for that trip above normal expense, excluding bus cost. Now back when NMU and UAH traded trips back around 03-04, the budget was better at NMU, the economy was better in Michigan and the school hadn't been hit with millions of dollars in cuts from the State of Michigan. AND the cost of the flight was less than half of what it is now. A normal road trip to Bemidji or Bowling Green costs around $6000 plus bus expense. Turn that into $8000 plus the $23K flight cost and show me how to justify that to the AD and President .

Having spent a great deal of time in the hockey biz in Alabama, I want nothing more than to see the program at UAH flourish. But I've talked to many coaches and administrators about this topic over the past few years, and the objections are pretty universal. With two Alaska schools in the league, you would ensure two extended trips per school per season. But the Alaska schools provide generous subsidies.

B

[gfmorris]

Re: UAH Hockey 2011-12: Will Someone Break the Conference Logjam? Thanks.

NCAA rules prohibit departure prior to 48 hrs prior to the start of the first game, which means by bus, NMU couldn't leave Marquette prior to 8:05 ET on Wednesday for a 7:05 CT Friday game. That present a number of logistical problems. To fly, currently a flight from Marquette to Huntsville for the 2nd week of October is 833 per person, over $23,000 for the traveling party of 27. Now add an extra hotel night at the hotel, $1200 and an extra day of meals, and you're talking over $25,000 for that trip above normal expense, excluding bus cost. Now back when NMU and UAH traded trips back around 03-04, the budget was better at NMU, the economy was better in Michigan and the school hadn't been hit with millions of dollars in cuts from the State of Michigan. AND the cost of the flight was less than half of what it is now. A normal road trip to Bemidji or Bowling Green costs around $6000 plus bus expense. Turn that into $8000 plus the $23K flight cost and show me how to justify that to the AD and President .

Having spent a great deal of time in the hockey biz in Alabama, I want nothing more than to see the program at UAH flourish. But I've talked to many coaches and administrators about this topic over the past few years, and the objections are pretty universal. With two Alaska schools in the league, you would ensure two extended trips per school per season. But the Alaska schools provide generous subsidies.

B

When UAH played Northern in 2002-3, they bused. When Northern came here in [I believe] 2004-5, I was told that they bused. Lake State bused here this year. I understand the economic considerations at hand here, but what I'm telling you is that the history does not fully bear out the concerns.

I feel confident in saying this: if UAH is the 10th WCHA team, they will fly to the two Alaska schools and the two Minnesota schools. The four Michigan schools and the Ohio school would be bus trips for us. Does that change if we have more money in our budget? Sure it does.

GFM

[davyd83]

Re: UAH Hockey 2011-12: Will Someone Break the Conference Logjam? Thanks.

When UAH played Northern in 2002-3, they bused. When Northern came here in [I believe] 2004-5, I was told that they bused. Lake State bused here this year. I understand the economic considerations at hand here, but what I'm telling you is that the history does not fully bear out the concerns.

I feel confident in saying this: if UAH is the 10th WCHA team, they will fly to the two Alaska schools and the two Minnesota schools. The four Michigan schools and the Ohio school would be bus trips for us. Does that change if we have more money in our budget? Sure it does.

GFM

Show me how to make that trip, which will take a minimum of 19 hours bus time, leaving Marquette at 8 pm Wednesday, having a skate somewhere along the way and getting into Huntsville inside that 48 hour window. Also consider that that bus trip in o4 cost half what it does now qnd 48 hour compliance was not a concern. If it was such a great thing for NMU or LSSU, why was it only a one time swap, and for LSSU a trip in a year in which they were having trouble filling their non conference schedule. Those were also one time deals, not the prospect of making that trip every other year at best and 3 our of 4 at worst, in addition to the Alaska trips. These are concerns that coaches and administrators have. Therefore they must have some merit. The best case scenario for cost is that it cost double the bus expense and about 2/3 more for meals and hotels than the average toad trip. Those ARE legitimate concerns.