Atlantic Hockey Adds to Scholarship Limit, Mulls Expansion

[electpuck]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Adds to Scholarship Limit, Mulls Expansion

[QUOTE=Ballroomblitz;5731951]Adding a few additional scholarships over the next couple of years should make for some stronger hockey so that is a positive. What other steps do you think will make this conference more competitive.

I think facilities are the biggest impediment for AHA teams. Of course, RIT is building a new rink. But I bet if you spoke to coaches in the league they would say facilities.

[4four4]

[QUOTE=electpuck;5731957]

Adding a few additional scholarships over the next couple of years should make for some stronger hockey so that is a positive. What other steps do you think will make this conference more competitive.

I think facilities are the biggest impediment for AHA teams. Of course, RIT is building a new rink. But I bet if you spoke to coaches in the league they would say facilities.

I would agree. In the state of Minnesota we have high school hockey arenas bigger than many rinks in the AHA.

[Ballroomblitz]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Adds to Scholarship Limit, Mulls Expansion

If reading the press release properly, sounds like they are replacing one team (Conn) while expanding by one additional team. Hopefully i read it wrong and twelve is the cap number, don't like gong beyond twelve for competitiveness reasons.

What are some thoughts on the best programs in Atlantic Hockey top to bottom? Who consistently fields a better line-up and show they wish to take things up a notch versus the status quoi.
Air Force, Niagara, Holy Cross, Mercyhurst, RIT, Bentley, Robert Morris, Connecticut, Canisius, American International, Army, Sacred Heart.

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Adds to Scholarship Limit, Mulls Expansion

I think facilities are the biggest impediment for AHA teams. Of course, RIT is building a new rink. But I bet if you spoke to coaches in the league they would say facilities.

That would also go a long way towards explaining either why Atlantic teams typically don't get home games. I think the 11-12 season was the first time in a long time that RPI had traveled to an Atlantic rink (Niagara was still CHA in 09-10 and we did visit them), and although we're going to Mercyhurst this year, the "away game" with Sacred Heart is going to be at a neutral site (mind you in Bridgeport, but still technically neutral). A team like Air Force can get away with it since Denver and CC are nearby with the next closest college hockey team over 500 miles away. Atlantic teams are starting to get some more clout with agreements to have 1 or 2 games in a NHL or AHL rink (RMU with Consol, SHU with Bridgeport, RIT with BCA, UAH although they're nWCHA has a couple games in Nashville, etc.), and are starting to be able to bring in the higher caliber teams, albeit at return trips that are very IMBA.

EDIT: Forgot about RPI traveling to Army a couple times. Granted, they were our former travel partner during the short time they were in the ECAC, so it makes sense.

[blackswampboy]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Adds to Scholarship Limit, Mulls Expansion

Atlantic teams are starting to get some more clout with agreements to have 1 or 2 games in a NHL or AHL rink (RMU with Consol, SHU with Bridgeport, RIT with BCA, UAH although they're nWCHA has a couple games in Nashville, etc.), and are starting to be able to bring in the higher caliber teams, albeit at return trips that are very IMBA.

EDIT: Forgot about RPI traveling to Army a couple times. Granted, they were our former travel partner during the short time they were in the ECAC, so it makes sense.

The Three Rivers Classic at Consol gives RMU a bit of clout. built-in rivalry with Penn St., with a couple of outside opponents happy to travel to Pittsburgh every year...

[mar7967]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Adds to Scholarship Limit, Mulls Expansion

If reading the press release properly, sounds like they are replacing one team (Conn) while expanding by one additional team. Hopefully i read it wrong and twelve is the cap number, don't like gong beyond twelve for competitiveness reasons.

What are some thoughts on the best programs in Atlantic Hockey top to bottom? Who consistently fields a better line-up and show they wish to take things up a notch versus the status quoi.
Air Force, Niagara, Holy Cross, Mercyhurst, RIT, Bentley, Robert Morris, Connecticut, Canisius, American International, Army, Sacred Heart.

I would argue:
Top: Air Force, Niagara, RIT, Holy Cross, Mercyhurst
Middle: Bentley, Canisius, Robert Morris, UConn
Bottom:AIC, Saced Heart, Army

This past year was kind of weird, with RIT, Army, Bentley not doing so well, and UConn doing better than expected.

I am sure there will be a lot of disagreement.

[lmg6841]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Adds to Scholarship Limit, Mulls Expansion

but Canisius won the title! rabble rabble

I would argue:
Top: Air Force, Niagara, RIT, Holy Cross, Mercyhurst
Middle: Bentley, Canisius, Robert Morris, UConn
Bottom:AIC, Saced Heart, Army

This past year was kind of weird, with RIT, Army, Bentley not doing so well, and UConn doing better than expected.

I am sure there will be a lot of disagreement.

[RITProf]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Adds to Scholarship Limit, Mulls Expansion

I would argue:
Top: Air Force, Niagara, RIT, Holy Cross, Mercyhurst
Middle: Bentley, Canisius, Robert Morris, UConn
Bottom:AIC, Saced Heart, Army

This past year was kind of weird, with RIT, Army, Bentley not doing so well, and UConn doing better than expected.

I am sure there will be a lot of disagreement.

I started to answer this question and then realized it is more difficult than it appears. But I'll try again anyway. Any team could arguably be moved up or down one category.

A: Air Force, Niagara, RIT
B: Holy Cross, Mercyhurst, Robert Morris, Bentley
C: Canisius, Army, (UConn)
D: AIC, Sacred Heart

I also do think that everyone is trying to move up from the status quo. The tide is rising.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Adds to Scholarship Limit, Mulls Expansion

Have there been formal applications yet? Or even statements about suitors moving to D-I?

[mar7967]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Adds to Scholarship Limit, Mulls Expansion

Have there been formal applications yet? Or even statements about suitors moving to D-I?

There have been no applications yet. AHA said that St. Anselm and Univ of Rhode Island were interested, but URI is now saying they are not. http://ripr.org/post/uri-no-interest-varsity-hockey

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Adds to Scholarship Limit, Mulls Expansion

What I find curious about the whole thing is that if St. Anselm is finally waking up and bringing their program from D-II to D-I, when are the rest of the D-II programs going to wake up and realize that there probably wouldn't be much of a difference for them if they just went D-I? Assuming that they can schedule non-conference games with other small New England schools, how much different could the costs actually be to do what they're doing right now in D-I?

I suppose I've just never understood the incentive to play for nothing at the D-II level with a bunch of D-III schools added to the schedule when you could do almost the exact same thing at the D-I level without adding any extra scholarships.

[SNHUPenman]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Adds to Scholarship Limit, Mulls Expansion

What I find curious about the whole thing is that if St. Anselm is finally waking up and bringing their program from D-II to D-I, when are the rest of the D-II programs going to wake up and realize that there probably wouldn't be much of a difference for them if they just went D-I? Assuming that they can schedule non-conference games with other small New England schools, how much different could the costs actually be to do what they're doing right now in D-I?

I suppose I've just never understood the incentive to play for nothing at the D-II level with a bunch of D-III schools added to the schedule when you could do almost the exact same thing at the D-I level without adding any extra scholarships.

Amen. That is what I have been saying for a decade.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Adds to Scholarship Limit, Mulls Expansion

Amen. That is what I have been saying for a decade.

I know, right? I mean, in that case we can forget talking about the AHA, the D-IIs can basically just create their own conference.

(I say this, knowing full well that the experience of the MAAC hockey conference probably acts as a scarecrow to prevent stuff like that from happening)

[joecct]

What I find curious about the whole thing is that if St. Anselm is finally waking up and bringing their program from D-II to D-I, when are the rest of the D-II programs going to wake up and realize that there probably wouldn't be much of a difference for them if they just went D-I? Assuming that they can schedule non-conference games with other small New England schools, how much different could the costs actually be to do what they're doing right now in D-I?

I suppose I've just never understood the incentive to play for nothing at the D-II level with a bunch of D-III schools added to the schedule when you could do almost the exact same thing at the D-I level without adding any extra scholarships.

Is the all sports NE-10 better organized than the MAAC?

[bigmrg74]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Adds to Scholarship Limit, Mulls Expansion

Is the all sports NE-10 better organized than the MAAC?

Well, they've been around for at least two decades that I can think of, and not a whole lot in changes of membership that I know off the top of my head. Bryant University went D1, New Haven joined them and restarted their football program, and CW Post, who's a football only member, left for a couple of years to get pounded in the PSAC and opted to go back.

How long did the MAAC last??