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01-28-2009, 11:30 AM
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#1
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News Feed Robot
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 9,477
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Atlantic Hockey Approves Expansion: Niagara and Robert Morris To Join
Sources within Atlantic Hockey have confirmed to USCHO.com that Niagara and Robert Morris will join the league as full members beginning with the 2010-2011 season. The schools will be affiliate members of Atlantic Hockey next season, using league officiating crews. An official announcement from the league detailing the decision will be released within the next few days. This development will ...
Read more at uscho.com ... |
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01-28-2009, 11:55 AM
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: The Hill
Posts: 473
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Re: Atlantic Hockey Approves Expansion: Niagara and Robert Morris To Join
It makes sense. With Bemidji likely to bolt to the WCHA and the autobid going away, these programs had to make this move. It strengthens the western part of the league (maybe it should be renamed the I-90HL) but the real question now is what does Huntsville do? Fold or try to jump to the WCHA with Bemidji?
Last edited by AFHockeyFan : 01-28-2009 at 01:45 PM.
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01-28-2009, 01:03 PM
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#3
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Victim of Buffalo Sports since 1988
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 2,924
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Re: Atlantic Hockey Approves Expansion: Niagara and Robert Morris To Join
What does Affiliate Members mean? Are they playing a league schedule. Can they play in the conference tourament?
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Thomas M. Naeger
The Mule
Rochester Institute of Technology '03
"Good Judgment comes from experience, experience comes from Bad Judgment"
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01-28-2009, 01:11 PM
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#4
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Denizen
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 1,904
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Re: Atlantic Hockey Approves Expansion: Niagara and Robert Morris To Join
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Naeger
What does Affiliate Members mean? Are they playing a league schedule. Can they play in the conference tourament?
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The league hasn't released details yet. |
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01-28-2009, 01:11 PM
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 11
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Re: Atlantic Hockey Approves Expansion: Niagara and Robert Morris To Join
One rumor I heard was Bemidji State and Nebraska-Omaha going to the WCHA and Alabama-Huntsville replacing UNO in the CCHA. UNO would make a good fit in the WCHA.
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01-28-2009, 01:28 PM
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#6
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Victim of Buffalo Sports since 1988
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Buffalo, NY
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Re: Atlantic Hockey Approves Expansion: Niagara and Robert Morris To Join
It would such a waste to have a team like Niagara not be able to play a year in conference. They are going to be a team with will be in the thick of things every year...
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Course, That's Just my Opinion, I Could Be Wrong.
Thomas M. Naeger
The Mule
Rochester Institute of Technology '03
"Good Judgment comes from experience, experience comes from Bad Judgment"
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01-28-2009, 02:32 PM
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#7
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AFA is the new Elmira.
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 290
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Re: Atlantic Hockey Approves Expansion: Niagara and Robert Morris To Join
The real question I have is what the playoff format will be next year. Obviously with two more teams in '10-'11, there will be a change. Will AHA keep what they have this year, or will they keep the streak alive and change it up again?
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01-28-2009, 08:19 PM
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#8
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No One In Particular
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 145
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Re: Atlantic Hockey Approves Expansion: Niagara and Robert Morris To Join
This may be dumb to say but.... I think they should let Niagara keep all its scholarships... stronger competition only serves to strengthen the league overall. It's wussing out to say "we can't beat you as long as you have the scholarship advantage."
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01-28-2009, 08:30 PM
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#9
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Insert title here
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Pomona, NY
Posts: 685
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Re: Atlantic Hockey Approves Expansion: Niagara and Robert Morris To Join
Quote:
Originally Posted by RITTechie
The real question I have is what the playoff format will be next year. Obviously with two more teams in '10-'11, there will be a change. Will AHA keep what they have this year, or will they keep the streak alive and change it up again?
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They will probably keep the same format for next year. The only other logical option for a 10-team league is to go back to the Final 5 format or only take the Top-8 teams like Hockey East does.
As for the following year, I imagine they will have a similar format to the ECAC and CCHA, where the Top 4 seeds receive byes to the Quarterfinals. |
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01-29-2009, 07:59 AM
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#10
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Doing the streak
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 7,639
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Re: Atlantic Hockey Approves Expansion: Niagara and Robert Morris To Join
Quote:
Originally Posted by chris625
This may be dumb to say but.... I think they should let Niagara keep all its scholarships... stronger competition only serves to strengthen the league overall. It's wussing out to say "we can't beat you as long as you have the scholarship advantage."
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In principal I agree - stronger competition is better. But Atlantic Hockey is primarily a developmental/cost containment league. It would not be fair to the current members of the league to let Niagara keep all their scholarships. RIT hasn't beaten Niagara yet since we went DI - best we did was a tie.
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01-29-2009, 12:09 PM
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#11
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Victim of Buffalo Sports since 1988
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Buffalo, NY
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Re: Atlantic Hockey Approves Expansion: Niagara and Robert Morris To Join
This just looks like its could hurt Niagara intially. Are they going to be handcuffed from giving scholarships so they can get under the limit. What will happen to recuriting, I still want to know what this "Affiliate Memberhip" means. This is a team that can step in and be one of the top teams in the league. However they have a lot of questions, which I think would work itself out...
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Course, That's Just my Opinion, I Could Be Wrong.
Thomas M. Naeger
The Mule
Rochester Institute of Technology '03
"Good Judgment comes from experience, experience comes from Bad Judgment"
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01-30-2009, 07:38 AM
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#12
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Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Maryland
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Re: Atlantic Hockey Approves Expansion: Niagara and Robert Morris To Join
What does this do to Navy, the oft rumored "next team to jump to Division 1"?
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01-30-2009, 09:28 AM
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#13
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Bleeds Green and White!
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Garfield and Bemidji State, MN
Posts: 1,678
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Re: Atlantic Hockey Approves Expansion: Niagara and Robert Morris To Join
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Naeger
This just looks like its could hurt Niagara intially. Are they going to be handcuffed from giving scholarships so they can get under the limit. What will happen to recuriting, I still want to know what this "Affiliate Memberhip" means. This is a team that can step in and be one of the top teams in the league. However they have a lot of questions, which I think would work itself out...
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My understanding is that affiliate membership means they use Atlantic Hockey officials next year and can vote on any measures that would effect the 2010-11 season, when they will be members.
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01-30-2009, 01:54 PM
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#14
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Michigan Tech Fan
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Central Wisconsin
Posts: 30
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Re: Where are the Chargers and Beavers Headed?
Quote:
Originally Posted by AFHockeyFan
It makes sense. With Bemidji likely to bolt to the WCHA... but the real question now is what does Huntsville do? Fold or try to jump to the WCHA with Bemidji?
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Alabama can apply to the WCHA now that they are considering expansion, but I see zero chance of them getting in. I don't think they would last long as a D-I independant, but I don't want to see them drop down to D-III either. The Beavers at least have geography on their side. They are a natural fit for the WCHA with the other MN schools and I think they can play with the WCHA teams as well. They have good talent now, and membership in the WCHA could only help their recruiting efforts for future years.
The other poster who mentioned UNO going to the WCHA also seems way more likely than Alabama joining. UNO actually applied for the WCHA before they ended up settling for the CCHA so this wouldn't be the first time they made a run at getting in the league. Also from a talent stand point Huntsville would likely be a better match in the ECAC. I can't see AH taking any more teams since they already have 12 and the same goes for the CCHA unless someone such as UNO departs.
I know it will be a pain for these former CHA teams to find a new league, but it was long over due for the CHA to go away. An auto-bid to the NCAAs with only 4 or 5 teams? That was a joke and I'm suprised that it lasted as long as it did.
Ryan J
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02-03-2009, 07:18 AM
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 5
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Re: Atlantic Hockey Approves Expansion: Niagara and Robert Morris To Join
Quote:
Originally Posted by chris625
This may be dumb to say but.... I think they should let Niagara keep all its scholarships... stronger competition only serves to strengthen the league overall. It's wussing out to say "we can't beat you as long as you have the scholarship advantage."
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It's equally wussy for Niagara to say "we can't beat you without the scholarship advantage". How is that fair? |
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