riverchief1
Well-known member
Re: Atlantic Hockey Championship Tournament
When Lowell moved from Skate 3 to the renamed Tully Forum (now the Chelmsford Forum in Billerica) in 1980 after they acquired it, they proceeded to undertake significant upgrades including a locker room addition, lighting, new scoreboard, and other items. It actually served the team well from 1980 until 1998 when they moved into the Tsongas but the JAR is definitely several rungs below Tully. Looking forward to another "throwback" night tonight at the JAR to cheer on SHU, absent that pizza though which was the equivalent of day-old, luke-warm reheated. Ick.
In terms of SHU, I wonder if the Milford Ice Palace had a better atmosphere due to smaller seating size. Not having ever been there, I don't know but if SHU's average attendance of this season of last in DI at 373 average is any indication, they're not creating much atmosphere in Webster Bank with a capacity of 8,525 as they're getting swallowed up in it. My guess is the number on average was the same. Too bad as the product on the ice looks to be improving but no one is really paying any attention. Without knowing the effort SHU puts into promotion and marketing, having the AHL team in Bridgeport is a drain too when you look similarly at Lowell. When Lowell had to compete with the AHL team, AHL team took in all the revenue, ad space, pouring rights, etc. since Lowell didn't own the building. Plus Lowell's product was up and down, a lot of down, and that hurt too. Bridgeport AHL team is averaging 3632 this season and one option to look at in the future could be SHU/Sound Tiger double-headers on some dates. SHU plays a 3 and Sound Tigers at 7, something like that. Create a partnership that helps generate some buzz and vibe.
Until SHU can get that appropriately-sized rink on campus (maybe in range of 2,500 seats), they'll be behind the 8-ball on generating attendance, vibe, atmosphere, and also revenue that can in turn be reinvested in the program for team amenities and recruiting. Part of Lowell's success the past several years has been owning and controlling their building which translates into a host of positive aspects for program operations. I saw what SHU could be last night with that small, dedicated group of fans/parents/family/band and the quicker they can move on an on-campus facility, the better for the growth of their program.
When Lowell moved from Skate 3 to the renamed Tully Forum (now the Chelmsford Forum in Billerica) in 1980 after they acquired it, they proceeded to undertake significant upgrades including a locker room addition, lighting, new scoreboard, and other items. It actually served the team well from 1980 until 1998 when they moved into the Tsongas but the JAR is definitely several rungs below Tully. Looking forward to another "throwback" night tonight at the JAR to cheer on SHU, absent that pizza though which was the equivalent of day-old, luke-warm reheated. Ick.
In terms of SHU, I wonder if the Milford Ice Palace had a better atmosphere due to smaller seating size. Not having ever been there, I don't know but if SHU's average attendance of this season of last in DI at 373 average is any indication, they're not creating much atmosphere in Webster Bank with a capacity of 8,525 as they're getting swallowed up in it. My guess is the number on average was the same. Too bad as the product on the ice looks to be improving but no one is really paying any attention. Without knowing the effort SHU puts into promotion and marketing, having the AHL team in Bridgeport is a drain too when you look similarly at Lowell. When Lowell had to compete with the AHL team, AHL team took in all the revenue, ad space, pouring rights, etc. since Lowell didn't own the building. Plus Lowell's product was up and down, a lot of down, and that hurt too. Bridgeport AHL team is averaging 3632 this season and one option to look at in the future could be SHU/Sound Tiger double-headers on some dates. SHU plays a 3 and Sound Tigers at 7, something like that. Create a partnership that helps generate some buzz and vibe.
Until SHU can get that appropriately-sized rink on campus (maybe in range of 2,500 seats), they'll be behind the 8-ball on generating attendance, vibe, atmosphere, and also revenue that can in turn be reinvested in the program for team amenities and recruiting. Part of Lowell's success the past several years has been owning and controlling their building which translates into a host of positive aspects for program operations. I saw what SHU could be last night with that small, dedicated group of fans/parents/family/band and the quicker they can move on an on-campus facility, the better for the growth of their program.
