Atlantic Hockey Summer News

[kingdobbs]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

The pride of the league...I am not so sure. No one is denying that UConn can rise and become better, IF they get the same funding, support, etc as football and basketball. But I am not holding my breath for that to happen.

Well, his estimation is basically correct, assuming the IF ever happens. UConn's got more resources than anyone else in the league by far, and it's not inconceivable that they could direct more resources towards hockey than anyone else in the league, even if they consider it only a third or fourth priority, in comparison to anyone else making it their top priority. They could very easily put themselves in the same kind of relative position in the AHA that the other BCS schools in college hockey enjoy in their respective conferences. If UConn puts all their available energy into hockey, nobody can really compete with that in the long-term.

That would, of course, require an infinitesimally larger input than they are currently putting into hockey, the amount of which can be charitably described as "**** all".

 

[BeloBrasil]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

OK, let's not get carried away. The AHA is improving and the ECAC is at best stagnant. But to say the AHA is poised to surpass the ECAC is a stretch, at best. The ECAC still has a considerably high winning percentage in NC games vs. the AHA (not as good as the other big-4's but still good). It will be a while before these two conferences would even be considered close to equal let alone the way you suggest.

Hmmmmm. Well I never bothered to verify the population of Rochester, N.Y. for I guess I was never all that interested. Irrepective of this purported fact that the city's population exceeds that of Providence and Worcester your precious Rochester will never be looked upon as anything more than a city on the fringe of the "rust belt" whose greatest claim to fame is its proximity to Buffalo.

As for the matter at hand I have to ask if you and your ilk ever get out of Rochester and watch hockey that does not involve your treasured Tigers. Here in lowly little North Andover, MA (pop. 28,000) our "cup runneth over" with a veritable potpourri of Divison I college hockey from which to choose. Within thirty minutes of here we have the ECAC, the AHA, and, of course, Hockey East (not to mention that lil ole North Andover is home to Hockey East's own Merrimack College - and before you start slagging Merrimack just remember that this past season the Warriors scored victories over 2009 National Champion B.U. and this year's National Champion B.C. Can any team in the AHA make that claim? Didn't think so.) ...but I digress.

If you put down your Swanson frozen dinners and got out of the trailer park on occasion you might see that the talent chasm between the ECAC and the AHA is not as expansive as you espouse. I suggest that the out-of-conference record of AHA teams in 2009-2010 was an aberration. AHA teams have won when it counted. In 2009 Air Force dope-slapped Michigan in the NCAA regionals and in 2010 your Tigers went to the Frozen Four. It was 2003 the last time an ECAC team made it to the Frozen Four, 1990 the last time an ECAC team played in the championship game, and 1989 the last time an ECAC team won the championship.

The ECAC is overrated - and that includes my lumbering, stumbling beloved Big Red of Cornell - and if you actually watched teams other than RIT and took in games from other conferences you would have a much better perspective on this issue. In the meantime just take my word for it for I actually watch games from all three eastern conferences on a regular basis. Being here in North Andover (pop. 28,000) affords me this luxury. A luxury about which you flatlanders in desolate western New York can only dream.

 

[komey1]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

If 2009-10 was an aberration, then what about the other years? The AHA has never really done well in non-conference play as a whole. I don't think the AHA has ever had a winning percentage of .250 yet for a season, and if so, certainly not against the Big 4. The only thing that the recent post season success shows is that the best of the conference is competitive with the rest of the NCAA.

I don't know what your point is about dispareging Rochester. It's the setting where the AHA can make the most money for their tournament.

 

[RITProf]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

Rochester will never be looked upon as anything more than a city on the fringe of the "rust belt" whose greatest claim to fame is its proximity to Buffalo.

Are you kidding? Garbage plates are a much bigger claim to fame than "proximity to Buffalo". Your posts simply continue to show that you know absolutely nothing about western New York (strange for a Cornell fan) and maybe even less about college hockey. The AHA is not close to the ECAC (sadly). Maybe the top few AHA teams could compete in the ECAC, but the rest would be in sad shape. Will that change over time? Probably. Will moving the AHA championship to a vacant barn before there is real support in the east help? Not a chance. UConn is not going to start throwing their vast resources at hockey just because the AHA championship is nearby (and I am not so sure their resources are all that vast???). I have no problem with moving the championship around, but until a majority of the final four come from east of Rochester consistently, then your argument is ridiculous.

BTW: If I counted correctly, there are 5 AHA teams west of Roch., and 7 east of Roch. If you through RIT in there, it's 6 and 7. That's a pretty good balance on top of putting the championship in a place with a reasonable shot at having fans. And more to the point ... ALL of the eastern teams are an easy drive from Rochester if the fans cared to make the trip.

 

[nanotiger]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

Hmmmmm. Well I never bothered to verify the population of Rochester, N.Y. for I guess I was never all that interested. Irrepective of this purported fact that the city's population exceeds that of Providence and Worcester your precious Rochester will never be looked upon as anything more than a city on the fringe of the "rust belt" whose greatest claim to fame is its proximity to Buffalo.

As for the matter at hand I have to ask if you and your ilk ever get out of Rochester and watch hockey that does not involve your treasured Tigers. Here in lowly little North Andover, MA (pop. 28,000) our "cup runneth over" with a veritable potpourri of Divison I college hockey from which to choose. Within thirty minutes of here we have the ECAC, the AHA, and, of course, Hockey East (not to mention that lil ole North Andover is home to Hockey East's own Merrimack College - and before you start slagging Merrimack just remember that this past season the Warriors scored victories over 2009 National Champion B.U. and this year's National Champion B.C. Can any team in the AHA make that claim? Didn't think so.) ...but I digress.

If you put down your Swanson frozen dinners and got out of the trailer park on occasion you might see that the talent chasm between the ECAC and the AHA is not as expansive as you espouse. I suggest that the out-of-conference record of AHA teams in 2009-2010 was an aberration. AHA teams have won when it counted. In 2009 Air Force dope-slapped Michigan in the NCAA regionals and in 2010 your Tigers went to the Frozen Four. It was 2003 the last time an ECAC team made it to the Frozen Four, 1990 the last time an ECAC team played in the championship game, and 1989 the last time an ECAC team won the championship.

The ECAC is overrated - and that includes my lumbering, stumbling beloved Big Red of Cornell - and if you actually watched teams other than RIT and took in games from other conferences you would have a much better perspective on this issue. In the meantime just take my word for it for I actually watch games from all three eastern conferences on a regular basis. Being here in North Andover (pop. 28,000) affords me this luxury. A luxury about which you flatlanders in desolate western New York can only dream.

You know, I love my team and my fellow RIT fans, though sometimes I do think they get a little carried away on the boards. Perhaps not unexpected, given our recent success; I occasionally see RIT posters in threads such as the pre-season rankings thread, often with little more to say than "why not me too?"; and these posts are generally ignored by the other posters, and I think rightfully so. But I think, for a while, people should be big enough to let these pass. What team doesn't have fans who like to boast a little bit about their team after something great happens for them?

I think one thing should be clear, here. People like to have the hockey closest to them. RIT people like having the game in Rochester! Shock! There are a lot of good reasons for having it here; I think there are a lot of more emotional/personal reasons RIT people want to keep it here. For someone who tries to come off as high and mighty as you, I'd think this would be obvious.

Do I want the tourney to leave Rochester? For my own selfish reasons, no. But I do believe that it's only fair that it gets spread around somewhat - within the bounds of what is possible, financially and logistically.


I guess what it comes down to is that I think you, who obviously thinks yourself to be intelligent and superior, should:

• Be big enough to let some other fans have their time in the sun without giving them (too much) hassle, within a reasonable time;
• Should realize that when you're discussing something to which there is more than a logical, reasoned motive on all sides, you should avoid making it even more personal and not start personally attacking people or regions;
• And that if you're really so high and mighty, once the discussion does degrade as such, you should gracefully remove yourself from it.

I guess what it comes down to, is this: I see your point, I think you have a fair argument, and I think I could like you - if you ever stop being such a pompous, condescending jack*****. I hope that's possible; but seeing as you only list Cornell as your team, I can only assume that you went to Cornell for undergrad, and unfortunately, that means your arrogant self-righteous demeanor has probably been beaten into you from birth.


Oh, also - I fear UConn's sophomore (?) goaltender, the one we put like 50 shots up against and still had a pretty close game. Not a lot of our shots were great, but he alone kept UConn in that game. The rest of the team is mediocre at best, and don't kid yourself - with the economy as shaky as it is, and with more and more schools having funding and bond problems, UConn is not going to be making the investment it has to to make the hockey program great.

 

[CornwallAce]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

I was gonna say that Rochester's claim to fame was an excess of christian radio, Bob Lonsberry and the 4 churches in Palmyra, each of which are at the same intersection, different corners.

 

[TigerFan86-87]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

I was gonna say that Rochester's claim to fame was an excess of christian radio, Bob Lonsberry and the 4 churches in Palmyra, each of which are at the same intersection, different corners.

While not quite as obnoxious as BeloBrasil, you're quite the piece of work, too.
1) Lonsberry is only "famous" (if that's what you want to call him) here. I don't know that anyone outside of Rochester would have any idea who he is.
2) Christian radio?? I only know of one Christian radio station in this area and I don't even think it is that strong of a station (at least it didn't receive well in my car the one time I tried to listen to it)
3) Palmyra?? That's a stretch. I would venture to say many folks in Palmyra (a very nice town, btw) wouldn't consider themselves from Rochester. It's easily a 45 minute drive away from the city and not even in Monroe County.

Try harder next time.

Did any of you New Englanders notice that not one of us Rochesterians has even utterred a peep of a deragatory nature regarding any of your precious cities? I guess we just don't feel like lowering ourselves to your level.

 

[kingdobbs]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

Did any of you New Englanders notice that not one of us Rochesterians has even utterred a peep of a deragatory nature regarding any of your precious cities? I guess we just don't feel like lowering ourselves to your level.

Go into a Hockey East thread sometime, and you'll see that New Englanders crack on pretty much any city in the region that isn't Boston (and a lot of us still do it to Boston anyway). You really can't say any worse about Worcester or Bridgeport or Hartford that hasn't already been said.

 

[BC/HE]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

Approximate Populations:
Rochester 220k (over 1 million in metro area)
Worcester 183k
Providence 171k
Bridgeport 138k
Manchester 109k
North Andover 28k

There is not much of a difference between Rochester, Buffalo, Hartford or even Bridgeport if you take in the entire Metro areas. Worcester, Springfield and Syracuse are a little smaller but Providence is actually much larger than any of these.

Metropolitan statistical area Population estimate Ranking July 1, 2009
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 857,592 58
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ 816,012 62
Binghamton, NY 244,694 183
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH 4,588,680 10
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 901,208 56
Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY 1,123,804 50
Burlington-South Burlington, VT 208,055 200
Erie, PA 280,291 163
Glens Falls, NY 128,774 295
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 1,195,998 45
Huntsville, AL 406,316 125
Ithaca, NY 101,779 340
Manchester-Nashua, NH 405,906 127
New Haven-Milford, CT 848,006 60
Portland-South Portland-Biddeford, ME 516,826 99
Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY 677,094 77
Providence-New Bedford-Fall River, RI-MA 1,600,642 37
Rochester, NY 1,035,566 51
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA 549,454 92
Springfield, MA 698,903 74
Syracuse, NY 646,084 81
Utica-Rome, NY 293,280 158
Worcester, MA 803,701 64

 

[CornwallAce]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

Try harder next time.

Did any of you New Englanders notice that not one of us Rochesterians has even utterred a peep of a deragatory nature regarding any of your precious cities? I guess we just don't feel like lowering ourselves to your level.

I'll let a New Englander reply to that last one.

And if I meant to be derogatory, I would have been. Thanks for showing you're insecure by replying.

http://www.examiner.com/x-12513-Roc...find-Christian-radio-stations-in-Rochester-NY
(12 on FM)
---
Rochester is a nice city, historically they get behind the Amerks. Nice library.
BTW - Rochester had something in common with New England at one time. they had a bowling alley that had candlepin lanes. Many old time bowlers will remember.

 

[BeloBrasil]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

Are you kidding? Garbage plates are a much bigger claim to fame than "proximity to Buffalo". Your posts simply continue to show that you know absolutely nothing about western New York (strange for a Cornell fan) and maybe even less about college hockey.

Indeed, during my time at Cornell I met a goodly number of people from the Greater Rochester area. I remember this one guy, from Pittsford (which I understand is semi-swanky), used to drone on about the fine qualities of Rochester, NY which included such things as the aforementioned "garbage plate" and the fact that one of the Solid Gold dancers was from Rochester. <=== 100% true story!

By the way, having spent four years in Ithaca, NY I feel qualified to state that it is a bit of a stretch to consider Ithaca "western New York". WENY Channel 36 (Elmira, NY) used to state that the station served "the southern tier" of New York State so I always thought of Ithaca as being part of that southern tier.

Anyway, I am nothing if not reasonable and I will concede that the AHA's pecuniary prospects are far better (at present) in Rochester than they are here in New England. Believe me I am not blind to the fact that on any given Saturday you will have 256 people at the John Ryan to watch Bentley while you have 6,000 people at the Agganis for B.U. I just find it tiresome the way that some in the ECAC and Hockey East "look down their noses" at the AHA. It wasn't all that long ago that some of the Hockey East teams, much like the AHA teams todays, were playing in undersized, antiquated facilities (e.g. B.U and UMass-Lowell) and now Hockey East is arguably the strongest conference in the country. I say "dream big" AHA for you never know what the future holds!

P.S. I'll just take my cause to move the tournament (on an every-other-year-basis) to Bob DeGregorio directly next time I see him at a Bentley game. The commish resides here in the Commonwealth and the league offices are right next door in Haverhill, MA (pronounced "HAYV-RILL for all you folks out there in New York <=== and I am not trying to be facetious for it is one of Masschusetts' most mispronounced cities).

 

[sunylong]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

The Atlantic Hockey East vs. West argument has offically started! Also know as have vs. have nots.

 

[RMUColonials]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

t (not to mention that lil ole North Andover is home to Hockey East's own Merrimack College - and before you start slagging Merrimack just remember that this past season the Warriors scored victories over 2009 National Champion B.U. and this year's National Champion B.C. Can any team in the AHA make that claim? Didn't think so.) ...but I digress.

Now it makes sense. Merrimack, the only school that has come to RMU that I hope we never invite back..........

 

[Snively65]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

Great direction in this thread; I love the trash talking. Let's hold an AHA post-season tourney at John A. Ryan Rink in Watertown (Mass., not N.Y.).

 

[Spydey629]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

Now it makes sense. Merrimack, the only school that has come to RMU that I hope we never invite back..........

Amen, Brother!! The team wasn't bad to deal with, their FANS on the other hand...

 

[BeloBrasil]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

Great direction in this thread; I love the trash talking. Let's hold an AHA post-season tourney at John A. Ryan Rink in Watertown (Mass., not N.Y.).

I'M ALL FOR THAT! Watertown is but five minutes from the City of Boston what with all its hotels, restaurants, clubs, museums, historic sites, etc. Sounds like a fine place to stage the tournament. I'd go!

I think all they would need do is work out ice time schedules with the athletic director at Trinity Catholic High School in Newton, MA (the J.A.R. is their home ice as well) and be sure to post signs prohibiting parking in the parking lot of the Italian-American Club next door to the rink for they take dim view of patrons of the rink taking up spaces in their parking area.

 

[BeloBrasil]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

Now it makes sense. Merrimack, the only school that has come to RMU that I hope we never invite back..........

Not for anything, but I had to Wikipedia Robert Morris to determine where the school was located.

Perhaps the fans of a refugee program from the now-defunct C.H.A. should pay a little more deference to Merrimack given that the Warriors slug it out night after night against the likes of Maine, UNH, BU, and BC as opposed to Robert Morris who heretofor played something like 16 games a season against Alabama-Huntsville.

 

[jtwcornell91]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

I guess what it comes down to, is this: I see your point, I think you have a fair argument, and I think I could like you - if you ever stop being such a pompous, condescending jack*****. I hope that's possible; but seeing as you only list Cornell as your team, I can only assume that you went to Cornell for undergrad, and unfortunately, that means your arrogant self-righteous demeanor has probably been beaten into you from birth.

Hey now, no need to stereotype. It's also not a particularly accurate stereotype; Cornell is arguably the least aristocratic Ivy, and plenty of my fellow Cornellians have an appreciation for Central/Western NY, including, incidentally, Dinosaur BBQ. (Although many of us discovered the original Syracuse branch first.)

Obviously, I like having the tourney within walking distance of my house (although I'm often away at the ECACs at the time), but there are a few practical issues when thinking about where it "should" be:

First, what is the footprint of the teams that have made it to the semifinals the past few years? My recollection is that a typical AHA phinal phour is Air Force, RIT, Mercyhurst and Bentley. I'd expect Niagara to be a frequent participant going forward, so it seems likely that two or three teams in a typical year will be from the Western NY/PA area, plus one for which anywhere in the Northeast is a long trip.

Second, the current AHA (not counting Air Force) has two clusters, with a big gap between RIT and Army. Rochester is at the Eastern end of the Western cluster, so there's not much room to compromise by moving farther East. E.g., holding the tournament in Syracuse would save the NE schools an hour of driving, but take away the draw of a home team. (Also, the War Memorial in Syracuse is a horrible place for a hockey tournament, but that's another story.) It doesn't help much to aim for the geographic center--which might be Utica if you exclude AFA and somewhere in Ohio or Indiana if you include them--if no one is there.

 

[Capernicus]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

If the people running the league had any guts, the tournament would be in Buffalo AND someplace out East. That's right, split the league. Make it a part of the bylaws of each conference that if the other one is in danger of folding they would rejoin. There is enough teams in each conference for an autobid. The higher chance at an NCAA berth would make for better recruiting. Most of the teams that want to build programs are in the west, most that want to cost contain are in the east. It's a win for everyone except the slightly above .500 team from a Big 4 Conference that doesn't get an at large bid. Heck there could even be an interlock in schedules if anyone really felt the rivalry between any of those schools was that high.

But no, we're stuck with an unbalanced schedule and groups of schools with drastically different views of where they would like the league to be in the future. At least the conference tournament will make money (so long as RIT's involved), right?

 

[Spydey629]

Re: Atlantic Hockey Summer News

Not for anything, but I had to Wikipedia Robert Morris to determine where the school was located.

Perhaps the fans of a refugee program from the now-defunct C.H.A. should pay a little more deference to Merrimack given that the Warriors slug it out night after night against the likes of Maine, UNH, BU, and BC as opposed to Robert Morris who heretofor played something like 16 games a season against Alabama-Huntsville.

Blah, blah, blah. That the best ya got? Really? Did you find the right one, incidentally? There is another school with the same name in Illinois, too.

Go ahead and brag up your middle-of-nowhere getting beat by BC and BU every year. I'll keep talking about my major-city suburban school beating a #2 ranked school in their barn, and sweeping a #1 ranked school.