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  • #91
    Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

    Originally posted by Jim View Post
    Quinnipiac, moved to the ECAC,
    A perfect example of an istitution that walked-the-walk with regards to "increasing committment." They left for a league that better fitted them, quite amenably (sp?) and with respect. I have yet to hear a single AHA fan speak of their decision desparigingly, or vice versa (except for the whole mascot change thing.)

    BTW, when AFA joined AHA, I specifically remember a comment by Seratone (sp?) in the press that one of the driving reasons was that it gave them the opportunity to immediately compete for a NCAA berth. (Translation: the competition is weaker.) Why would that same instition support efforts to make other league members more competive (via increased scholarship limits)? That's why they left (along with other reasons no doubt) their last conference home.
    Last edited by schiegs; 07-12-2010, 12:25 PM.
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    • #92
      Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

      Originally posted by 5hole View Post
      When Bemidji finally gained WCHA admittance, we had two options: AHA or indy. And there was a strong level of support among fans AND from some involved with the program to try the indy route, as UAH is doing this season.
      Actually 5-hole, Niagara was admitted into the AHA before Bemidji was approved for the WCHA.

      schiegs also has hit the nail on the head with Air Force. The Falcons were almost always a bottom two team in the CHA, but as soon as they come over to the AHA, there they are near the top of the standings.
      Millsy

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      • #93
        Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

        Originally posted by Jim View Post
        That said though, you'd think all these programs were coming from the Big Ten or something to read the "demands" of some of their fans.
        Boy, you guys are very sensitive and read way too much into things. No one was making any "demands". And even if we were, who gives a rats a** what any of us thinks. We don't make any decisions and those that do don't care what we think. I personnally would just prefer that the programs in D-I hockey actually give a crap about themselves, not that they all try to be Michigan or BC. There are plenty of "small schools", or non-D-I power schools, who have been competing in D-I hockey quite well for a long time, which is part of the charm of the sport we all love. The fact that a school like Ferris State can compete on an even footing with a school like Michigan is fantastic and doesn't happen in too many big time college sports. It's just disappointing when other such programs don't seem to even attempt to become competitive.
        Can't we all just get along?
        Always remember... This is just a game we're talking about here. Let's not take it all too seriously.

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        • #94
          Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

          Originally posted by TigerFan86-87 View Post
          Let the flailing, unsupported Eastern programs figure out what they want to do with themselves on their own.
          So we can add this to the list of comments that don't amount to a rat's *****. Good to know.
          Bentley University Hockey
          On-campus arena: Build it, and they will come...

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          • #95
            Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

            Originally posted by beaverhockeyfan View Post
            Actually 5-hole, Niagara was admitted into the AHA before Bemidji was approved for the WCHA.

            schiegs also has hit the nail on the head with Air Force. The Falcons were almost always a bottom two team in the CHA, but as soon as they come over to the AHA, there they are near the top of the standings.
            Oh, thanks for making me look bad, Millsy. OK, yes, you are right on that.

            However,without doing any research, I'll take an (educated? - or wild-arsed?) guess then that it was sometime after Bemidji announced that they would drop D1 hockey if not admitted to WCHA. In other words, the demise of the CHA was already set in motion by BSU leaving one way or another, right?
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            • #96
              Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

              Originally posted by 5hole View Post
              Oh, thanks for making me look bad, Millsy. OK, yes, you are right on that.

              However,without doing any research, I'll take an (educated? - or wild-arsed?) guess then that it was sometime after Bemidji announced that they would drop D1 hockey if not admitted to WCHA. In other words, the demise of the CHA was already set in motion by BSU leaving one way or another, right?
              Alright I will give you that one. Heck, I think even Wayne State was even still around with President Quistgaard made that ultimatum.
              Millsy

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              BEMIDJI STATE BEAVERS!
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              NCAA D-III National Champs: 1986
              NCAA D-II National Champs: 1984, '93, '94, '95, '97
              NCAA D-I National Champs: 20??
              Perfect 31-0 in 1983-84
              Holders of an NCAA Mens Record 43 straight wins (Nov. 8, 1983-Jan. 1, 1985)

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              • #97
                Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

                Originally posted by 21st Century Schizoid Man View Post
                Does anyone know if the first round for seeds 5-12 will be single games or best of three?

                I like the fact that the standings don't appear to be divided, the best four will be there in the end regardless of what schedule pod they came from. I dreaded the concept of having 2 mandatory conference final four spots for each pod.
                It's a one-off.
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                • #98
                  Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

                  Originally posted by 5hole View Post
                  Jim, you just forced me to jump into this fray ...

                  I'm not sure if you are referring to the ongoing discussion or perhaps recalling some of my posts from seasons past where I spoke rather unkindly (i.e., I dumped on the league pretty good) of the AHA's overall on-ice performance and attendance record, as well as many of its facilities, and their "cost containment" philosophy. And I would contend that whatever I said in the past was true and correct. Now I will say that the league has improved but has a long ways to go. It is the bottom feeders that need to get their collective acts together. I have talked with enough people to know that it is just depressing to send our team as a visitor into some of these shoddy community rinks to games with essentially no more than a handful of real fans at the games. Niagara and RoMo may not have the greatest facilities but they are a d*** site better than what several of the AHA teams have ... respectable, at the least. In sum, it is "the newcomers" that have raised this league to at least some level of respectability.

                  The problem with your whole line of thought here is that you "never quite got" that the mindset of Niagara's coach is to be able to take his team into the best venues, as they have historically done, to play against top-flight competition - with a realistic chance to win. That means playing with a full scholie team, thus hardly a perfect fit for AHA (not that we were a perfect fit in CHA either- no team was in that league). The unfortunate aspect of our situation was that there simply was no "better" league alternative available to us. At least CHA offered us a league where the core teams generally had similar objectives (Bemidji State and UAH - admittedly, RoMo always had a preference for AHA competition level though I think Schooley has scheduled some tough competition). When Bemidji finally gained WCHA admittance, we had two options: AHA or indy. And there was a strong level of support among fans AND from some involved with the program to try the indy route, as UAH is doing this season.

                  My mindset these days is that Niagara is now a full-fledged member of AHA. The league accepted us that way and we have every right to our input. It seems to me that it only makes sense that we should want this league to improve, to become more competitive both on-ice and in regard to attendance and facilities. And if more of the membership agrees with that approach and votes that way (e.g., increased scholies), then that is the way the league will evolve, regardless of how other schools may feel about it. Perhaps that is how this league will find a way to continue to gain some prestige- as it has through its recent performances, thanks mostly to the "new" members.
                  You beat me to the bunch 5-hole. I've been "lurking" for a while on here, not sure when to open my big mouth.

                  Ditto on pretty much everything.

                  I will add though, that the CHA would still be here, if the AHA would have let it:

                  With Wayne State losing money (And what in Detroit/Michigan isn't?), the league was on its last legs. We all know the rumors... Mercyhurst and Canisius were ready willing to come over to the CHA and give us back our six team league, which all of the sudden was Great Lakes based, with a couple outliers. AHA would've been 8 teams, and all would've been great with the world.

                  Except that 'Hurst and the Griffs wanted an insurance policy, so to speak, that if the CHA still blew up (we'll never know now) they would be welcomed back with open arms... a promise that would never be made.

                  I can't say what I would've preferred, because at this point, I don't know.
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                  • #99
                    Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

                    Originally posted by Spydey629 View Post
                    Except that 'Hurst and the Griffs wanted an insurance policy, so to speak, that if the CHA still blew up (we'll never know now) they would be welcomed back with open arms... a promise that would never be made.
                    Yeah, and I'm running off with a 22-year-old Swedish swimsuit model. My wife said it's fine and she'll welcome me back with open arms when I get dumped.
                    -M

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                    • Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

                      Originally posted by beaverhockeyfan View Post
                      Actually 5-hole, Niagara was admitted into the AHA before Bemidji was approved for the WCHA.

                      schiegs also has hit the nail on the head with Air Force. The Falcons were almost always a bottom two team in the CHA, but as soon as they come over to the AHA, there they are near the top of the standings.
                      In Air Force's first year in the AHA, they were 5th in the standings and the #4 seed in the AHA tournament. In fact, they have only won the regular season title just once - shared with RIT. I think part of it was a perfect storm for them - weaker league along with a great recruiting class that included Fairchild, Ehn, Flynn, and Volkening.
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                      • Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

                        Originally posted by Spydey629 View Post
                        You beat me to the bunch 5-hole. I've been "lurking" for a while on here, not sure when to open my big mouth.

                        Ditto on pretty much everything.

                        I will add though, that the CHA would still be here, if the AHA would have let it:

                        With Wayne State losing money (And what in Detroit/Michigan isn't?), the league was on its last legs. We all know the rumors... Mercyhurst and Canisius were ready willing to come over to the CHA and give us back our six team league, which all of the sudden was Great Lakes based, with a couple outliers. AHA would've been 8 teams, and all would've been great with the world.

                        Except that 'Hurst and the Griffs wanted an insurance policy, so to speak, that if the CHA still blew up (we'll never know now) they would be welcomed back with open arms... a promise that would never be made.

                        I can't say what I would've preferred, because at this point, I don't know.
                        I'm not sure that the Mercyhurst, Canisius thing was really in the works. Seems pretty unlikely to me when you consider that Canisuius has very few scholarships and consistently supported a limit, and the Mercyhurst AD has on a couple of occassions supported leaving the limit where it is now. The coach has advocated adding scholarships, but hasn't been backed up by the administration. As far as the guarentee of a right to return, unless you could be certain that nothing else would change, how could you make such a deal? the CHA was just so unstable. The odds were that it would eventually blow up and it would have put the AHA in an impossible situation with respect to its own future development and growth. It is a little absurd though to blame the CHA's demise on the AHA, especially when the supposed reason was some unsubstantiated rumor.

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                        • Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

                          Originally posted by schiegs View Post
                          A perfect example of an istitution that walked-the-walk with regards to "increasing committment." They left for a league that better fitted them, quite amenably (sp?) and with respect.
                          Certainly RIT would be a good fit in ECAC Hockey, and it seems as if that might be the institute's long-term goal (given the impending move to Liberty League in all sports, where St. Lawrence, RPI, Union, and Clarkson already are). But we all know there's no room, even if RIT did want to make that jump. Quinnipiac took advantage of the Vermont move, and good for them, but no one can just make a conference opening appear by wishing for it.


                          Powers &8^]

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                          • Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

                            Originally posted by LtPowers View Post
                            Certainly RIT would be a good fit in ECAC Hockey, and it seems as if that might be the institute's long-term goal (given the impending move to Liberty League in all sports, where St. Lawrence, RPI, Union, and Clarkson already are). But we all know there's no room, even if RIT did want to make that jump. Quinnipiac took advantage of the Vermont move, and good for them, but no one can just make a conference opening appear by wishing for it.


                            Powers &8^]
                            *closes eyes, clicks my shiny orange shoes together three times*

                            Seriously, is there any schools in ECAC that isn't giving out scholarships like us? I don't want RIT to jump into the big boys without at least some ammunition so to speak-- I like seeing RIT at the top half of the standings every year rather than being perennial cellar-dwellers.

                            This is why I THINK AHA is the best fit for us at this moment, warts and all that.

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                            • Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

                              Originally posted by Frozen View Post
                              *closes eyes, clicks my shiny orange shoes together three times*

                              Seriously, is there any schools in ECAC that isn't giving out scholarships like us? I don't want RIT to jump into the big boys without at least some ammunition so to speak-- I like seeing RIT at the top half of the standings every year rather than being perennial cellar-dwellers.

                              This is why I THINK AHA is the best fit for us at this moment, warts and all that.
                              More than half the league, in fact, is non-scholarship.
                              UConn -- Clarkson

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                              • Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

                                Originally posted by Jim View Post
                                I'm not sure that the Mercyhurst, Canisius thing was really in the works. Seems pretty unlikely to me when you consider that Canisuius has very few scholarships and consistently supported a limit, and the Mercyhurst AD has on a couple of occassions supported leaving the limit where it is now. The coach has advocated adding scholarships, but hasn't been backed up by the administration. As far as the guarentee of a right to return, unless you could be certain that nothing else would change, how could you make such a deal? the CHA was just so unstable. The odds were that it would eventually blow up and it would have put the AHA in an impossible situation with respect to its own future development and growth. It is a little absurd though to blame the CHA's demise on the AHA, especially when the supposed reason was some unsubstantiated rumor.
                                I'm not really 'blaming' the AHA. I honestly don't think Wayne State could've survived, given the current economy in Michigan. Air Force started the ball rolling, and I am past the point on holding a grudge.

                                And I am not exactly sure about Meryhurst's commitment to "cost-containment", either. Particularly with the reports out there that they may be Huntsville's competition to be the 12th member of the CCHA.

                                http://board.uscho.com/showthread.php?t=86460
                                Last edited by Spydey629; 07-13-2010, 06:00 AM.
                                Friends don't let friends go to PITT.

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