Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

[Douglas]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

UAH 3 - Mercyhurst 8 ...Ouch!!!

C.J. gave up 3 goals and Clarke gave up 5 in relief...
I have no idea where the rest of the team was...

[gfmorris]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

I don't know if there are words.

GFM

[UAHStatman]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

Any word on an audio or visual feed for this week's games up at MC?

Apparently it will be on AmericaOne/B2: http://www.b2tv.com/partner_members....ckey%20Men%27s

And audio on WMCE: http://wmce.mercyhurst.edu/

Got the info from the Erie Times-News web site, in an article about Mercyhurst's facility issues: http://goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...9850/-1/SPORTS

[jyoung]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

Any word on an audio or visual feed for this week's games up at MC?

[MikeAnderson]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

I just don't know what to say...

Honestly, I would not be where I am today, educationally or professionally, without Jim's help. This is a guy who, when I was looking for a sports information internship following graduation, created a new position in the department to allow me to stay on and get that full-time, near-zero-pay experience necessary to actually work in this business.

Then, with a new baby, when I was looking for full-time employment in this field ($1,000 a month only goes so far), extended me every courtesy and offered to make any phone call he could to help me land where I wanted to go.

He was always quick with a warm smile every time I came back to visit.

I still remember sitting in the office after the Tampa bid was announced. Jim and Antoine both joked that they set that up for someone else to handle, given how far out the announcement was. Never thought this would be the way it happened.

I'm still in shock, and I'm scared that everything I'm typing will come off stupid and contrived.

Thoughts and prayers for the family, the department and the student-athletes affected.

[Douglas]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

What terrible and shocking news...I have known Jim since the beginning of the CHA and feel priviledged to have been a colleague of his. As a young coach and then as a new AD I was amazed to see the passion he had for UAH, college hockey and the CHA. When the CHA was first created, we all had our thoughts and challenges about the direction, future and growth of the league. Then years later, when the future of the CHA really started to go downhill, I met Jim in a restaurant in Indianapolis and we talked about how far the league has come. Jim was so passionate and determined to try and save the league that he actually teared up and cried...it hit me like a ton of bricks. He was so emotionally attached to UAH and the league that I will never forget that conversation...God Bless him and his family, and my thoughts are with the great hockey fans of Alabama!

Respectfully,

Craig Barnett

Thanks Craig. It's always nice to know he was highly thought of outside of our local area. We'll miss him for sure...

[gfmorris]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

Waaaaacky.

For those wondering, SID Antoine Bell will serve as interim AD. I expect The Dave will announce a nationwide search after the new year begins. Ideally, someone needs to be in by mid-April. Bill Bryant's article did a great job, but it didn't go into how Jim had to hire coaches for a majority of the department this summer. I don't expect that kind of turnover this summer, but you'd want to have someone in place to handle anything.

GFM

[jyoung]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

Someone didn't do their research. In wandering around the random stuff on Yahoo (I know, not the most trustworthy source of Hockey News) I found this gem:

Fan reaction: Best moments in Detroit sports 2010 By Christopher Dixon

What does this have to do with the Chargers? Seems someone thinks that Detroit is holding the rights to one Cameron Talbot, former CHA MVP. To quote the brief (but painful) article:

The Detroit Red Wings drafted a winner among hockey goalies. They drafted Cameron Talbot who has a superb reputation among goalies at the college level. As a distinguished athlete, he will add to the austerity of the Red Wings. This is a great choice to refresh the blood on the team as veterans retire.

That's odd, I follow the Wings pretty closely and I don't recall them drafting Cam. In fact I distinctly remember Cam getting a free agent contract with the Rangers Organization and is currently playing for the Connecticut Whale (formerly the Hartford Wolf Pack) as the back-up behind Chad Johnson of Alaska-Fairbanks.

This is why fan produced content should be vetted more carefully... If I had a yahoo account I'd correct him, but it's probably not worth it. Any Charger Fan will know he's wrong. Most of the Wing Nuts will too.

[gfmorris]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

What terrible and shocking news...I have known Jim since the beginning of the CHA and feel priviledged to have been a colleague of his. As a young coach and then as a new AD I was amazed to see the passion he had for UAH, college hockey and the CHA. When the CHA was first created, we all had our thoughts and challenges about the direction, future and growth of the league. Then years later, when the future of the CHA really started to go downhill, I met Jim in a restaurant in Indianapolis and we talked about how far the league has come. Jim was so passionate and determined to try and save the league that he actually teared up and cried...it hit me like a ton of bricks. He was so emotionally attached to UAH and the league that I will never forget that conversation...God Bless him and his family, and my thoughts are with the great hockey fans of Alabama!

Respectfully,

Craig Barnett

Hey Craig. Thanks for the memory and the support. You've been an AD in this expansionist hockey fun, so you have a good perspective on things.

Bill Bryant's column is a good read on Jim's career. Jim telling the ICU folks that he had to get to the game ... man.

Past all the shock and sadness of his passing, what really gets me is that Jim won't get to be a part of the Frozen Four in Tampa.

GFM

[101hockey101]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

What terrible and shocking news...I have known Jim since the beginning of the CHA and feel priviledged to have been a colleague of his. As a young coach and then as a new AD I was amazed to see the passion he had for UAH, college hockey and the CHA. When the CHA was first created, we all had our thoughts and challenges about the direction, future and growth of the league. Then years later, when the future of the CHA really started to go downhill, I met Jim in a restaurant in Indianapolis and we talked about how far the league has come. Jim was so passionate and determined to try and save the league that he actually teared up and cried...it hit me like a ton of bricks. He was so emotionally attached to UAH and the league that I will never forget that conversation...God Bless him and his family, and my thoughts are with the great hockey fans of Alabama!

Respectfully,

Craig Barnett

[BigBlue2Ba]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

You are correct about that being the reason for no three stars the second game. We were a little bit distracted down in the catacombs of the VBC

[gfmorris]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

I still don't want to believe this. I was in bed and about asleep when I got an email from a parent. I called our hockey SID, Jamie Gilliam, to confirm. Like a lot of Chargers who heard the news, I didn't rest easy last night.

Jim did a lot for UAH Athletics in general, not just the hockey program. His wife, April, has done her share as well; I worked with her often when I was a student. I haven't seen Jim as excited about hockey as I have the last few years, even though the program is in turbulent times. Talking to Jim, I always believed that the program would make it through. Because of Jim, I still do.

I will miss shaking his hand every time I see him.

Vaya con Dios.

[jyoung]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

Jim Harris, UAH athletis director, died last night of a heart attack at age 63:
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2...ahs_harri.html

This stunned me, and it is a truly sad day. I was fortunate enough to work with him when I worked in the sports information department as a student when he arrived in 1995. His positive outlook and determination made him a driving force in the growth of Charger athletics. The entire UAH family will miss him greatly. My thoughts are with the Harris family.

We were actually commenting at the game about how empty the admin seats were, and the fact we hadn't seen Jim. I'm sorry to hear of his passing. Our condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and associates.

[UAHStatman]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

Jim Harris, UAH athletis director, died last night of a heart attack at age 63:
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2...ahs_harri.html

This stunned me, and it is a truly sad day. I was fortunate enough to work with him when I worked in the sports information department as a student when he arrived in 1995. His positive outlook and determination made him a driving force in the growth of Charger athletics. The entire UAH family will miss him greatly. My thoughts are with the Harris family.

[jyoung]

Re: Declaring Our Independence: UAH 2010-11, Part the First

Last night's game seemed to be a much better effort. The problem was we ended up with a shortened bench due to injury (Bruni) and a questionable game misconduct penalty (deBruyn). I swear we spent a third of the game on the penalty kill. Saunders did well, I was kind of bothered that we didn't do three stars, since I thought he deserved one even in the loss.

Bruni got leveled by a hit in the second which was actually caused by one of our own. He took a bit to get up off the ice and head down the tunnel, and while he came back to the bench later in the game he didn't return to the game that I noted. I hope he's alright, he's a good guy and brings some grit to the team.

Yes, we most certainly committed the too many men on the ice penalty that wasn't called, but RMU took that and ran their mouths to the refs and all of a sudden a "let 'em play" atmosphere dissolved into a "call anything UAH does". The game misconduct may be legit, but from the angle we sat at it didn't look like a five and gone. Lots of stuff not called on RMU that we were getting called for, and both teams were guilty of a number of infractions. My objection is that the game didn't seem to be called fairly; either call it both ways, or don't call it. I hate it when the Ref's trying and "make up" for their error and end up getting biased. From our viewpoint it was heading down that path pretty fast. I know it's par for the course to head coach work the refs, but that was getting ridiculous.