Atlantic Hockey Summer News

[kingdobbs]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

Connecticut's schedule is out and it appears Atlantic Hockey will play 27 league games. 6 of the other 11 twice and 5 teams 3 times splitting between East and West. The article conflicts with the posted schedule as a third game vs. AIC is not listed on November 20th but the article says they play. Also the 3rd Holy Cross game must be the opener of the Connecticut tournament which is unusual.

Unusual for others, but not for UConn. The first round opponent in the UConn Classic has been for the last several years a league opponent, as it allows UConn the latitude to schedule an extra non-conference game that's not part of the tournament (i.e. with only 6 AHA nc-dates available in previous years, and 7 this year, it doesn't lock UConn into two games' worth for the tourney).

Also, as I suspected with Niagara's entering the AHA, they were bounced from this year's Classic lineup (as announced in previous tourney programs) in favor of Bowling Green.

[mar7967]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

Incoming Sacred Heart defender RJ Boyd was the only AHA player picked in the 2010 NHL Entry draft. Boyd was picked in round 7, 183rd overall, by Florida.

http://www.uscho.com/agate/item,draf...#ixzz0sAhyZpft

[Tom Naeger]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

Incoming Sacred Heart defender RJ Boyd was the only AHA player picked in the 2010 NHL Entry draft. Boyd was picked in round 7, 183rd overall, by Florida.

http://www.uscho.com/agate/item,draf...#ixzz0sAhyZpft

That is good for the league, found this article on Boyd...

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2010/...t-myers-draft/

[AFHockeyFan]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

I hope that the divisions are not fixed geographically for eternity, but I assume they will be for a while.

Air Force's schedule is out, and that's what they went with. (3 vs. "West," 2 vs. "East") The "West" is STACKED!, with the last 4 conference champs and 6 of the last 8, as well as 4 of the top 5 in the final standings. Niagara and Bobby Mo are both solid and probably would have finished ahead of anyone in the "East" last year. Very unbalanced divisions.

Maybe this is Bob's way of keeping the eastern teams competitive?

[TigerFan86-87]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

Air Force's schedule is out, and that's what they went with. (3 vs. "West," 2 vs. "East") The "West" is STACKED!, with the last 4 conference champs and 6 of the last 8, as well as 4 of the top 5 in the final standings. Niagara and Bobby Mo are both solid and probably would have finished ahead of anyone in the "East" last year. Very unbalanced divisions.

Maybe this is Bob's way of keeping the eastern teams competitive?

I think the motivation is completely about cost containment (minimizing travel), or so they say But for AFA, it really doesn't make much difference, does it? Their travel costs are high whether they play all Western or all Eastern teams in this conference. Is that our taxes at work, or are the athletic teams at service academies funded by booster clubs and / or donors?

[AFHockeyFan]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

our taxes at work

Here's the return you're getting on your investment:
http://www.goairforcefalcons.com/spo...042210aac.html

And, Air Force uses scheduled military training flights by transport aircraft for a number of their trips, enabling units to train and cadets to see the military aviation world up close.

But for AFA, it really doesn't make much difference, does it? Their travel costs are high whether they play all Western or all Eastern teams in this conference.

True, but it does make a difference when you make that trip (and incur that expense) for ONE game. And all the "west" teams can agree that the current divisions make them less competitive as they beat each other up while the "east" teams feed on cupcakes. I would much rather see the "pod" system outlined above, where you still play two-game series on weekends.

Between the scheduling issues and scholarship concerns, it may not be long until the AHA splits into two auto-bid conferences. I know we tried that with the CHA, but a geographically-focused conference (like the AHA West, with RM, MH, Can, Nia., RIT and AF) with established and successful teams would be much more stable than the scattered CHA with several programs on life support.

[schiegs]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

Is that our taxes at work, or are the athletic teams at service academies funded by booster clubs and / or donors?

Its been awhile, but when I was a season ticket holder for Army football, they published that 80% of athletic funding came from foundation money. Also, I believe that coaches salaries were paid 100% by the foundation, keeping them from being govt. employees subject to compensation disclosure. But that has been awhile.

[schiegs]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

True, but it does make a difference when you make that trip (and incur that expense) for ONE game. And all the "west" teams can agree that the current divisions make them less competitive as they beat each other up while the "east" teams feed on cupcakes. I would much rather see the "pod" system outlined above, where you still play two-game series on weekends.

While the one game trips should certainly be addressed, the disproportionate travel costs involved for Air Force were a known quantity when they asked to join the league a few years back.

[AFHockeyFan]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

While the one game trips should certainly be addressed, the disproportionate travel costs involved for Air Force were a known quantity when they asked to join the league a few years back.

Yep, and no one in the program has a problem with the travel costs. (The publicity from the three tournament appearances alone has more than covered that. And the players actually enjoy the trips back East (longer flights = more time away from the zoo, more sleep on the flights, etc.) But it's not fair to make Mercyhurst, Bobby Mo, Niagara, Canisius and RIT pony up for a long trip for one game, while the other six teams don't have too.

It's just a PITA for coaches, staff, etc., to go through all the hassle and only get one game. At least that's what Frank thinks:
http://www.gazette.com/sports/force-...ir-record.html
And, when Air Force joined the league, all the weekend series were two games.

[komey1]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

While I like the idea of getting an extra non-conference game in order to better test the better teams, the one game weekends are tough. It could be resolved better if whomever made the schedule set up travel partner type schedules, so that you could play Canisius and Niagara on the same weekends for 1 game each. This would open up more weekends to play the new non-conference game. As it is, RIT gets to play a game on 1/1/11 in order to get their Merrimack game.

[5hole]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

Although terms "were not disclosed", it sounds like Burkie gets at least another four years on The Ridge.

http://www.purpleeagles.com/sports/m...lease_id=12291

[d4rksabre]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

Although terms "were not disclosed", it sounds like Burkie gets at least another four years on The Ridge.

http://www.purpleeagles.com/sports/m...lease_id=12291

Good for Burke! He's done a good job with NU, no reason to fix what ain't broke.

[TigerFan86-87]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

Between the scheduling issues and scholarship concerns, it may not be long until the AHA splits into two auto-bid conferences. I know we tried that with the CHA, but a geographically-focused conference (like the AHA West, with RM, MH, Can, Nia., RIT and AF) with established and successful teams would be much more stable than the scattered CHA with several programs on life support.

In another thread, I jokingly suggested the West steal Army and SHU (or even pick up UAH), secede from the AHA, and take the auto-bid with them. It would be a decently competitive conference. Splitting into two, 6-team conferences for two bids may not happen any time soon. As we've seen in the doomed-from-the-start CHA (which really wasn't meant to be a permanent "conference" to begin with), the 6- (and 5- and 4-, for that matter) team model isn't sustainable long term.

[komey1]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

I don't know if an AHA "West"/CHA would be appealing to a Sacred Heart. They would have a much easier time making the NCAAs with the "East".

I would be concerned about adding UAH to the west only for travel considerations. The teams could be making trips to Colorado and Alabama. Travel is the big reason the Alaska schools are in seperate conferences.

[burgie12]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

I don't know if an AHA "West"/CHA would be appealing to a Sacred Heart. They would have a much easier time making the NCAAs with the "East".

I would be concerned about adding UAH to the west only for travel considerations. The teams could be making trips to Colorado and Alabama. Travel is the big reason the Alaska schools are in seperate conferences.

Without six members, there is no guarantee for an auto-bid. The CHA's existed only for continuity's sake. Pulling Army into the West (which makes sense from a competitive standpoint), reduces the East to five teams. Would Sacred Heart want to stay in that "conference"?

Yes, UAH would be a hassle, but when they submitted their bid for the CCHA, they did include a travel subsidy for visiting teams. I would be shocked if they didn't include travel money to be brought into the West. And, from a personal point of view, I'd rather see a team that cared about its hockey program continue, rather than descend into anonymity / disbandment. And, let's just ignore that that's exactly what this proposal is doing to AIC, Bentley, UConn, and Sacred Heart.