>>> RIT Tigers 2018/2019 - Time For The Tigers to Roar <<<

[Scott Biggar]

Re: >>> RIT Tigers 2018/2019 - Time For The Tigers to Roar <<<

Just goes to show how close the top 8 teams, as well as the semifinalists, were to each other. Have we ever had 3 OT games on championship weekend before?
Powers &8^]

That was a first for Atlantic Hockey.

[Scott Biggar]

Re: >>> RIT Tigers 2018/2019 - Time For The Tigers to Roar <<<

A big thank you to Ed and Scott and the support staff for taking us to the games each weekend for those of us scattered around the country and sometimes the world. Really appreciate the effort you guys put into making the games enjoyable regardless of the outcome!

We appreciate everyone who listens. We are just the voices but it takes a lot of folks to make the magic happen, including the board ops, engineers, network partners, staff from Student Affairs, Athletics and Sports Information. For me, it is the conversations with the listeners that make it all worth while.

[Tom Naeger]

Re: >>> RIT Tigers 2018/2019 - Time For The Tigers to Roar <<<

We appreciate everyone who listens. We are just the voices but it takes a lot of folks to make the magic happen, including the board ops, engineers, network partners, staff from Student Affairs, Athletics and Sports Information. For me, it is the conversations with the listeners that make it all worth while.

Even me when I make OT Predictions???

As I told Ed I don't know how you guys do it. You gave me to honor of being on twice and I'd love to do it again, but I have to admit I have no idea how you guys find the energy and time. Took the wife on the trip this year to Northeastern and when we got back I was dead tired. And I didn't broadcast anything, and was thinking how the heck does Ed and Scott do this all the time. I mean I'm not looking at your birth certificate but fairly certain you have a few years on me.

The program owes you guys a debt I don't think they can repay...

[Rochester]

Re: >>> RIT Tigers 2018/2019 - Time For The Tigers to Roar <<<

RIT belongs in the final four year in and year out. If we do not make it then the season is an absolute failure. We are the big fish is a small pond. You don't build a $38m beautiful arena to mediocre. If RIT had scholarships like Clarkson, we would be a fierce competitor in the NCAA tournament annually.

[mar7967]

Re: >>> RIT Tigers 2018/2019 - Time For The Tigers to Roar <<<

RIT belongs in the final four year in and year out. If we do not make it then the season is an absolute failure. We are the big fish is a small pond. You don't build a $38m beautiful arena to mediocre. If RIT had scholarships like Clarkson, we would be a fierce competitor in the NCAA tournament annually.

That is a bit optimistic, don't you think?

Certainly I want to see RIT do well, and I *WANT* RIT to make it to the final four each year, I just don't think it's realistic based on how much parity there is in college hockey in general. "If RIT has scholarships..." a lot would be different - we would likely have higher quality recruits. BUT, RIT does not have scholarships and will likely never have scholarships. Nothing any of us can do about it except hope that our coaching staff continues to do a good job and find solid recruits.

[Rochester]

Re: >>> RIT Tigers 2018/2019 - Time For The Tigers to Roar <<<

That is a bit optimistic, don't you think?

Certainly I want to see RIT do well, and I *WANT* RIT to make it to the final four each year, I just don't think it's realistic based on how much parity there is in college hockey in general. "If RIT has scholarships..." a lot would be different - we would likely have higher quality recruits. BUT, RIT does not have scholarships and will likely never have scholarships. Nothing any of us can do about it except hope that our coaching staff continues to do a good job and find solid recruits.

Final Four of the AHA.* Not Frozen Four.

[mar7967]

Re: >>> RIT Tigers 2018/2019 - Time For The Tigers to Roar <<<

I knew what you meant. Perhaps I should have said it's not realistic based on how much parity there is in the AHA.

But regardless, there's 11 good teams in this conference. 7 don't make it to the final four every year. It's ridiculous to expect to be there every year.

Out of curiousity, I went back to the 2006-2007 season (when RIT joined) and counted AHA Final Four appearances by team. This covers 13 seasons total (but only 8 for UConn and 9 for RMU/Niagara)

9 - Air Force
8 - RIT
7 - Mercyhurst
6 - Canisius, Robert Morris
4 - Army, Niagara
3 - UConn
2 - Sacred Heart
1 - AIC, Bentley, Holy Cross

RIT missed it in 2007, 2013, 2014, 2017, and 2018.

[komey1]

Re: >>> RIT Tigers 2018/2019 - Time For The Tigers to Roar <<<

Allow me to add to the thank yous to the radio staff, coaches, and players of this year's edition of RIT hockey. It was a wild ride, and though it didn't end the way we hoped, I believe that RIT is closer to being a contender than team having problems getting out of the first round.

As for location of the Atlantic Hockey final four location, given that only a few teams have decent travellng fan bases, it almost makes sense to have them at the top seed's home rink. However, as we saw in the RIT-Sacred Heart series, we can't guarantee that it would be available. Also, I don't think that Atlantic Hockey would really want to fly 3 teams out to Air Force should they be the top seed. I don't know how you can market this brand of hockey to get general public interest.

[Downstate_RIT_Fan]

Allow me to add to the thank yous to the radio staff, coaches, and players of this year's edition of RIT hockey. It was a wild ride, and though it didn't end the way we hoped, I believe that RIT is closer to being a contender than team having problems getting out of the first round.

As for location of the Atlantic Hockey final four location, given that only a few teams have decent travellng fan bases, it almost makes sense to have them at the top seed's home rink. However, as we saw in the RIT-Sacred Heart series, we can't guarantee that it would be available. Also, I don't think that Atlantic Hockey would really want to fly 3 teams out to Air Force should they be the top seed. I don't know how you can market this brand of hockey to get general public interest.

Maybe rotate the finals between schools that can host a final four AHA championship and pre announce the locations before the season begins. Kind of like hosting the super bowl or the olympics.

[Russell Jaslow]

Re: >>> RIT Tigers 2018/2019 - Time For The Tigers to Roar <<<

Maybe rotate the finals between schools that can host a final four AHA championship and pre announce the locations before the season begins. Kind of like hosting the super bowl or the olympics.

But I think komey's point is, if the host team isn't in it, there is no advantage to your proposal. It could just as easily be at a preannounced neutral site in a AHA city (like it was at Blue Cross and HarborCenter), and it wouldn't make any difference.

Ir RIT was not in it, would more RIT fans show up if the tournament was in Polisseni then if in the Blue Cross? I doubt it. And would it make any difference for the fans of the teams that were in it? I doubt it.

[Ed Trefzger]

Re: >>> RIT Tigers 2018/2019 - Time For The Tigers to Roar <<<

If Atlantic Hockey were to go to home sites, my suggestion would be to follow the WCHA model. Top eight teams make the playoffs. Then you have a best-of-three quarterfinal and a best-of-three semifinal at the highest seeds in each round. Championship game, single elimination, at top remaining seed.