Bentley Falcons 2013-2014: No offseason. No excuses.

[schiegs]

Re: Bentley Falcons 2013-2014: No offseason. No excuses.

In a unique funding arrangement, Mercyhurst students agreed to pay for the ice center through a $56 increase in their annual building assessment fee. The money generates $80,000 each year and will retire the school-backed bond in 2021.

Not unusual at all, as I've seen it done many places. I love the concept and wonder if it would be accepted by the student body at Bentley. Keep in mind $56 likely won't cut it with today's costs. But as a part of a combined alumni, corporate, and student venture, it makes great sense. You still would need some sizeable original "seed money" to start any campaign, and that has not happened to date.

[The Top Shelf]

Re: Bentley Falcons 2013-2014: No offseason. No excuses.

Not unusual at all, as I've seen it done many places. I love the concept and wonder if it would be accepted by the student body at Bentley. Keep in mind $56 likely won't cut it with today's costs. But as a part of a combined alumni, corporate, and student venture, it makes great sense. You still would need some sizeable original "seed money" to start any campaign, and that has not happened to date.

So I just did some math. When we pestered President Gloria Larson and Dean of students Andrew Shepardson, the number that they threw around for the multi-purpose "Convocation Center" (as Gloria called it) was $20 million. I know Gloria's vision (a venue for the 2017 centennial graduation ceremony) is a much grander project but that number still seems high compared to the $1.4 million for the Mercyhurst Ice Center (even with inflation that's only $3 million by today's standards). Regardless if that's the number they're using, and we were to implement a strategy similar to Mercyhurst's in 1991, it would cost each student $167 dollars per year for the same 30 year plan 'Hurst used. And that would fully fund the entire $20 million project. Throw in paying off the interest on the potential loan and say that number doubles to around $300 per student. Now, if the university made this a unified effort that included alumni, some corporate sponsors and maybe the local community I think we'd see the student's payment drop to a number that wouldn't receive much opposition here on campus.

As the program continues to roll this year, more and more people on campus are talking about the team, and EVERYONE who I've talked to wonders why we don't have a rink and many go further by asking how or when we might get one. If Bentley were to announce this proposition to the students I really believe that the students would not only support it, but gladly welcome it. A fee of $300 (hopefully less with the combined venture) on a $56,000 bill won't break backs. I am obviously biased in my haste to view a $300 fee as completely do-able, but I really believe that if presented with the opportunity the Bentley community would jump at the chance for a rink to call their own. Even non-hockey fans; when made aware that the new venue would allow for more "big-name" concerts and provide a respectable setting for graduation, convocation and essentially every other event; will hopefully support the proposal.

While looking into the costs of the rink, we're trying to find out how much it costs the school to put up the massive 2000 seat pavilion they currently use several times throughout the year for those events like graduation and convocation. We've heard a number around $50,000. So say putting up that tent 10 times a year costs the school $500,000. Over the 30 years we'd have the "Convocation Center" the school would save $15,000,000! That's just another point we'll raise next time we see Dean Shepardson at the JAR. It can't hurt to keep a pro-rink voice in the ears of administration. I'm going to do some research and try and find the people who made the MIC project happen in 1991 to ask them how they went about it. We're just going to keep gathering more and more information in support of a new rink. Our ultimate goal for this year is to have a sit down meeting with President Larson about a rink and it's looking like that might happen. The more we have to talk about with her, the better. And I think we've got quite a bit to talk about.

Everything I just said aside, the biggest benefit to a potential on campus rink is for the team to continue to succeed on the ice. Eventually the impressive play of this team can't be ignored and change will happen. Until then , we'll be happy to cheer on the boys wherever they play.

[schiegs]

Sad to read on college hockey news that expansion won't happen anytime soon. The two most talked about universities said no!

If the decision came down to cost, keep this in mind the next time someone bemoans lower scholarship limits in AHA.

[Snively65]

Re: Bentley Falcons 2013-2014: No offseason. No excuses.

Sad to read on college hockey news that expansion won't happen anytime soon. The two most talked about universities said no!

This expansion is separate from a new AHA team coming in 2014 to replace UConn, right? Or, will the AHA be only 11 teams moving forward?

[The Top Shelf]

Re: Bentley Falcons 2013-2014: No offseason. No excuses.

This expansion is separate from a new AHA team coming in 2014 to replace UConn, right? Or, will the AHA be only 11 teams moving forward?

Unfortunately, no.

http://www.collegehockeynews.com/new...out_of_aha.php

[eXcSports]

Re: Bentley Falcons 2013-2014: No offseason. No excuses.

Unfortunately, no.

http://www.collegehockeynews.com/new...out_of_aha.php

I can confirm a couple of things from league higher sources that St. A's was out in terms of the administration change. I know some details up there, but I'm not sure if I can share them. Also, I know that the league really wanted Navy to get the 3 military academies, but Navy didn't want to add it.

URI is going to be a struggle. The economic situation in RI is too bad for them to addh ockey without dropping football, and if they drop football, the money will most likely be appropriated into academics and their remaining sports. Basketball is their big sport

There are several coaches in the league who would like for this to play out before making a rash decision on adding another team.

[Snively65]

Re: Bentley Falcons 2013-2014: No offseason. No excuses.

Well, that is a shame on the admin changes at St Anselm's, as I think that they would have been a good fit.

Moving forward with only 11 teams probably will lead to the AHA changing the 3-2 game structure between eastern and western pod teams, which would not be a bad thing. But, if we play all other 10 teams three times per year, that will limit AHA teams to only four OOC games. Or, we could go back to three meetings one year and two the next, or some other less than ideal scheduling.

Hockey East played for a decade with an uneven number of teams, but with nine teams, that allowed them to play one another three times and still leave 10 OOC games every year.

[schiegs]

Well, that is a shame on the admin changes at St Anselm's, as I think that they would have been a good fit.

Moving forward with only 11 teams probably will lead to the AHA changing the 3-2 game structure between eastern and western pod teams, which would not be a bad thing. But, if we play all other 10 teams three times per year, that will limit AHA teams to only four OOC games. Or, we could go back to three meetings one year and two the next, or some other less than ideal scheduling.

Hockey East played for a decade with an uneven number of teams, but with nine teams, that allowed them to play one another three times and still leave 10 OOC games every year.

The math is sticky. But let's remember that even with the departure of UConn, AHA will remain the most stable conference in the country.

[eXcSports]

Re: Bentley Falcons 2013-2014: No offseason. No excuses.

Let's look at what's at stake this weekend.

http://jarpride.com/2014/01/29/winni...winning-later/

[Snively65]

Let's look at what's at stake this weekend.

http://jarpride.com/2014/01/29/winni...winning-later/

Wow, I hope that the Falcons are not looking as far beyond this weekend as it sounds from those quotes. I think that every bit of focus should be on this weekend, and especially on the first game. Anything other than that will be a major distraction. The Falcons need to continue their disciplined play, stay out of the penalty box, roll all four lines and three defense pairs, play team defense in front of Komm, and avoid screening him. The Falcons offense will take care of everything else, especially their power play. Defense is key. The Falcons must win the first game of this series.

[eXcSports]

Re: Bentley Falcons 2013-2014: No offseason. No excuses.

Wow, I hope that the Falcons are not looking as far beyond this weekend as it sounds from those quotes. I think that every bit of focus should be on this weekend, and especially on the first game. Anything other than that will be a major distraction. The Falcons need to continue their disciplined play, stay out of the penalty box, roll all four lines and three defense pairs, play team defense in front of Komm, and avoid screening him. The Falcons offense will take care of everything else, especially their power play. Defense is key. The Falcons must win the first game of this series.

Judging from the way that it is, the Falcons are focused on this weekend as part of the larger goal. They are not focused on the playoffs, but they are focused, as Coach has said, on the larger picture and this game's presence in it. The fact that this is 1-vs-2 is secondary to it being a league game with two big points up for grabs.

[Snively65]

Judging from the way that it is, the Falcons are focused on this weekend as part of the larger goal. They are not focused on the playoffs, but they are focused, as Coach has said, on the larger picture and this game's presence in it. The fact that this is 1-vs-2 is secondary to it being a league game with two big points up for grabs.

Agreed, but 4 points up for grabs each of the five weekends. I say take each game, and maybe each series if they win the first game, one at a time, and the rest will fall into place. Cannot take their eye off the ball (puck?), which is the next game.

[beenthere77]

Re: Bentley Falcons 2013-2014: No offseason. No excuses.

Let's look at what's at stake this weekend.

http://jarpride.com/2014/01/29/winni...winning-later/

What happen to the blog????? humm.....

[beenthere77]

Re: Bentley Falcons 2013-2014: No offseason. No excuses.

Wow, I hope that the Falcons are not looking as far beyond this weekend as it sounds from those quotes. I think that every bit of focus should be on this weekend, and especially on the first game. Anything other than that will be a major distraction. The Falcons need to continue their disciplined play, stay out of the penalty box, roll all four lines and three defense pairs, play team defense in front of Komm, and avoid screening him. The Falcons offense will take care of everything else, especially their power play. Defense is key. The Falcons must win the first game of this series.

Curious as to "who quoted". Link is gone, mind sharing what was said?

[eXcSports]

Curious as to "who quoted". Link is gone, mind sharing what was said?

I'm having some web issues and the site went totally down for a bit overnight. Working on getting it back but can't post anything.