UAH Hockey 2012-13: Still breathing

[Bill]

Re: UAH Hockey 2012-13: Still breathing

I listened to the Laker Hockey Show this evening and Jim Roque mentioned that he talked to Bob Daniels this past weekend about the UAH situation and both are very supportive of UAH getting into the nWCHA. Roque also said a big plus to that would be having two 5 team divisions which would allow the nWCHA to cut down on Alaska travel somewhat for the lower 48 schools. I thought I heard him say they were hoping UAH might be submitting an application to the nWCHA in January, but am unsure about that (distractions in the house).

[gfmorris]

Re: UAH Hockey 2012-13: Still breathing

I listened to the Laker Hockey Show this evening and Jim Roque mentioned that he talked to Bob Daniels this past weekend about the UAH situation and both are very supportive of UAH getting into the nWCHA. Roque also said a big plus to that would be having two 5 team divisions which would allow the nWCHA to cut down on Alaska travel somewhat for the lower 48 schools. I thought I heard him say they were hoping UAH might be submitting an application to the nWCHA in January, but am unsure about that (distractions in the house).

Our approach on the five-team stuff is what we're banging on pretty hard.

So from here on out Griggs will go one game and than alternating between Gruehl or Groh? Groh hasn't started yet, so this would be different.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Gregg get the Friday start in the Soo. He's earned it. I'm not sure who he'll carry with him on the bus—I think there's room to carry all three if they don't mind being less a skater. I would expect that it will be just Gruehl and Griggs, though.

GFM <-- just going to start call them JG31, CJG32, and GG35 and be done with it.

[LSSULaker889294]

Re: UAH Hockey 2012-13: Still breathing

Our approach on the five-team stuff is what we're banging on pretty hard.

What happens if Bowling Green jumps to Atlantic Hockey? Could it derail plans for UAH to get to the nWCHA?

[ChargerPowerPlay]

Re: UAH Hockey 2012-13: Still breathing

What happens if Bowling Green jumps to Atlantic Hockey? Could it derail plans for UAH to get to the nWCHA?

Nothing good for UAH and yes.

From the UAH perspective the two are intertwined. UAH benefits from BG being in the nWCHA to create the 'odd number of teams' problem which UAH can solve. If the problem does not exist, since BG goes to the AHA, then the solution may not be needed. That being said, the nWCHA did create this problem (odd number of teams) once by inviting BG into the fold to start, with no direct plan to get UAH on board also, so maybe things will work anyway.

It is reassuring to hear about Bemidji, Mankato, LSSU and Ferris State all saying good things about UAH joining. The *real* trick is how each school votes when/if that time comes. As an aside, how would that vote work? It would be the planned nWCHA schools voting not the current set, correct?

UAH seems focused on trying to get into the nWCHA. Presumably some discussion or analysis has gone on with trying to join the AHA but from all appearances that I have seen UAH does not have a backup-date for the prom at this time.

Skate on.
cpp

[UAHStatman]

Re: UAH Hockey 2012-13: Still breathing

Nothing good for UAH and yes.

From the UAH perspective the two are intertwined. UAH benefits from BG being in the nWCHA to create the 'odd number of teams' problem which UAH can solve. If the problem does not exist, since BG goes to the AHA, then the solution may not be needed. That being said, the nWCHA did create this problem (odd number of teams) once by inviting BG into the fold to start, with no direct plan to get UAH on board also, so maybe things will work anyway.

It is reassuring to hear about Bemidji, Mankato, LSSU and Ferris State all saying good things about UAH joining. The *real* trick is how each school votes when/if that time comes. As an aside, how would that vote work? It would be the planned nWCHA schools voting not the current set, correct?

UAH seems focused on trying to get into the nWCHA. Presumably some discussion or analysis has gone on with trying to join the AHA but from all appearances that I have seen UAH does not have a backup-date for the prom at this time.

Skate on.
cpp

I don't see Bowling Green going to the AHA. Maybe that's just me. I think they'd much rather the WCHA accept UAH than leave. Or, if the WCHA says no to us, I think the chance BGSU leaves the WCHA increases. That's my guess.

The vote would be among the nine nWCHA schools. Three-fourths vote in the affirmative would be needed (that's what it took for Bemidji and Omaha to get in), so seven of nine.

WCHA is the No. 1 priority. I'd think if the WCHA did say no we'd still talk to Atlantic Hockey, as we've done too much in the past 11 months since the program was resurrected to not at least explore that avenue. But right now, it's all in on the WCHA. First thing's first.

[JohnsonsJerseys]

Re: UAH Hockey 2012-13: Still breathing

It is reassuring to hear about Bemidji, Mankato, LSSU and Ferris State all saying good things about UAH joining.
cpp

Well if it were up to those who post on message boards, UAH has a "Yes" vote from Tech as well. Unfortuantely we don't get to vote so you'll have to convince Suzanne and Mel.

I really don't see BGSU jumping to Atlantic Hockey for one simple reason - Scholarships. The only big D-I school in the nWCHA going from 18 down to 12 just doesn't make sense. I could see BGSU creating their own league before they would downgrade their program to fit into the AH template.

I also don't see the odd number of nWCHA teams being a problem. No one jumped off bridges in the 1990s when we had an odd number for half of the decade. I think it is much better for the future health of D-I hockey to have a few open slots rather than the gridlock we had prior to this Western mess and will likely have again shortly.

For example, does Mankato get into the WCHA if there was a even number of teams in the late 1990s? I don't think so. They used the odd number of teams to offer themselves as a solution to the league. Clearly the WCHA didn't want Bemidji without a partner even though they were an obvious fit from a school type and geography stand point. If you keep playing this "even numbers or death" game, you make it tough for new program to get into a league because they not only have to field a team, but they have to find a partner to join with them, or you end up like UAH with a great program but no one wants them simply because they create an odd number of teams in a conference. I think travel cost is just an excuse to cover for "we don't want an odd number".

Just for this reason, I would have been happy to see the WCHA and CCHA stay on their own and leave room for new teams and encourage more teams to be formed or play up from lower divisions. When you have conference gridlock and no open spots, teams are going to look at what UAH has battled and say "If we don't have a conference slot waiting, it isn't worth trying..." Independent is a slow death in college D-I hockey.

Ryan J

WCHA league members 1971 to Date
1971-81 Even number (10)
1981-84 Even number (6) Delete MTU, MSU, Michigan, Notre Dame
1984-90 Even number (8) Add MTU, MNU
1990-93 Odd number (9) Add SCSU
1993-97 Even number (10) Add UAA
1997-99 Odd number (9) Delete NMU
1999-10 Even number (10) Add Mankato
2010-13 Even number (12) Add BSU, UNO
2013-?? Odd number (9) Too much to list, you know what happened...

[beaverhockeyfan]

Our approach on the five-team stuff is what we're banging on pretty hard.

I love the two, five team divisions set up.

-Play everyone in your division four times for 16 games.
-Play everyone in the other division twice for 10 games.
-One Alaska school in each division for 2 extra games, which leaves room for 10 nonconference games, 12 if you happen to have to go to both Alaska schools in one year.

Divisions? Hmmm.... I would think Tech, Northern and Lake State would want to be in the same divisions. BSU has a history with Mankato and UAH. I don't know enough about the histories of Ferris, Bowling Green, Anchorage and Fairbanks to make a good decision. Bowling Green with UAH for "proximity" which would put Ferris with the UP schools? Do any of the teams have a "rivalry" with either of the Alaska schools that would make division placement interesting?

[LSSULaker889294]

Re: UAH Hockey 2012-13: Still breathing

I think a ten team/ two division nWCHA would be a east/west division setup with the two Alaska schools in different divisions.

[beaverhockeyfan]

Re: UAH Hockey 2012-13: Still breathing

I think a ten team/ two division nWCHA would be a east/west division setup with the two Alaska schools in different divisions.

Probably makes the most sense, but I was trying to set things up from a rivalry standpoint, maybe a little more interesting. Granted, the two Alaska schools would only have the two games against each other per year with them being in different divisions, but they could use two non-conference games.....

But I am not the one that gets to make the decisions.

[tnlong]

Re: UAH Hockey 2012-13: Still breathing

I've never been able to comprehend how UAH could survive financially in the WCHA. However, I've been told that money is no object now. I hope that's true. The revivedCCHA/exCHA/westAHA model with a Bowling Green, Ferris, Niagara, Robert Morris, UAH, LSSU core still makes the most sense to me. Not even exploring that alliance is what causes me to curse Portera and Brophy the most. Bowling Green has made it clear that the WCHA is their choice of last resort, and the schools that are being forced to play D-I hockey with D-II teams would undoubtedly like to find an avenue to field legitimate DI teams.

[UAHStatman]

Re: UAH Hockey 2012-13: Still breathing

While the WCHA is still the prime target, we're officially revealed as one of the four the AHA has been talking to:
http://www.uscho.com/2012/11/15/atla...issioner-says/

[UAHStatman]

Re: UAH Hockey 2012-13: Still breathing

While the WCHA is still the prime target, we're officially revealed as one of the four the AHA has been talking to:
http://www.uscho.com/2012/11/15/atla...issioner-says/

And yet...

Our information remains the same - Alabama-Huntsville, right or wrong, will never be accepted to Atlantic Hockey - must keep targeting WCHA

https://twitter.com/chnews/status/269149049620406272

[MikeAnderson]

Re: UAH Hockey 2012-13: Still breathing

A win! A win! A real win!

[PerkyforPrez]

A win! A win! A real win!

Congratulations

[Red Cows]

Re: UAH Hockey 2012-13: Still breathing

A win! A win! A real win!

Great googly moogly.

Get it out of your system, this weekend, please.