Brice Alaska Goal Rush (Oct 14 & 15): UAF, UAA, UNO, Mercyhurst

[Rms123]

Re: Brice Alaska Goal Rush (Oct 14 & 15): UAF, UAA, UNO, Mercyhurst

Ummm, okay. After all the grief that certain UA_ fans give us about attendance at the Sully, I would like to once again point out your attendance for your own tourney. There were only 2,108 fans there and the arena holds 4,324. It probably looked fuller on TV than it was (although it did look sparse), because those visible seats actually have backs on them and that is where fans try to sit.

Ummm, it's been said that the attendance has been down the last couple years. Last year folks discussed, I believe on this forum, the possible reasons for it (economy etc). It's also been said that the attendance has fluctuated, the last couple years, depending on which team UA is playing. Mercyhurst isn't going to draw a crowd like UMich now-a-days. UAA attendance has been crap for a long time (but seems to be improving). With a solid team this year, hopefully it will be a strong attendance year for you guys. After a great weekend, and solid play by both Alaska squads, this is your big observation?

 

[Suze]

Re: Brice Alaska Goal Rush (Oct 14 & 15): UAF, UAA, UNO, Mercyhurst

Ummm, it's been said that the attendance has been down the last couple years. Last year folks discussed, I believe on this forum, the possible reasons for it (economy etc). It's also been said that the attendance has fluctuated, the last couple years, depending on which team UA is playing. Mercyhurst isn't going to draw a crowd like UMich now-a-days. UAA attendance has been crap for a long time (but seems to be improving). With a solid team this year, hopefully it will be a strong attendance year for you guys. After a great weekend, and solid play by both Alaska squads, this is your big observation?

Just one of them. Remember, what goes around comes around. And oh yeah, congrats to the Seawolves for winning BOTH their own and the _airbanks tournaments. Way to go boys!!

 

[Squarebanks]

Re: Brice Alaska Goal Rush (Oct 14 & 15): UAF, UAA, UNO, Mercyhurst

Ummm, it's been said that the attendance has been down the last couple years. Last year folks discussed, I believe on this forum, the possible reasons for it (economy etc). It's also been said that the attendance has fluctuated, the last couple years, depending on which team UA is playing. Mercyhurst isn't going to draw a crowd like UMich now-a-days. UAA attendance has been crap for a long time (but seems to be improving). With a solid team this year, hopefully it will be a strong attendance year for you guys. After a great weekend, and solid play by both Alaska squads, this is your big observation?

UAF and UAA have both, unfortunately, lost most of the casual fans that they used to have. Go back and look at the Gadowsky and MacMillan eras for UAF and we were routinely pulling in 4,000, even for "ordinary" CCHA games. UAA has been hurt by the Aces in particular. As far as UAF, I think ticket prices have risen to the point that most families don't want to go to more than one or two games a year. It's $80 four a family of four to get reserved seats now, and that's not counting food and beverages. When you consider that Dallas Ferguson has coached two of the three best Nanook teams in the last decade just since 2008, that should be a wake-up call for the UAF administration. We only cleared 4,000 twice last year, for Michigan and UAA (and the UAA game was barely over 4,000, I think it was 4,080 or something like that).

I can't speak for UAA since I'm not familiar with their promotions, but I think UAF needs to start doing alumni and military discounts and maybe some ticket giveaways on radio stations just to get the community re-involved. There's always going to be the diehards and the students that show up no matter what, but it's time to get the casual fans back in the building for more than the Governor's Cup. The quality of play is definitely there, and has been ever since Dallas took over. This is especially critical since after 2013 we won't have the Big 10 schools rolling into town two or three times over the winter to help draw in bandwagon fans for those schools.

 

[mmf]

Re: Brice Alaska Goal Rush (Oct 14 & 15): UAF, UAA, UNO, Mercyhurst

Excellent game Nooks. That was just an all around outstanding team effort. Everybody skated hard the entire game. The Nooks looked both quicker and faster but more importantly are starting to create opportunities off that speed. We had a few defensive mis-cues, but were quick to react and cover. Greenham was more than sharp. He looked in total control of whatever was happening in front of him. I can usually find something about our game to nit-pick, but not tonight. Good job Nooks.

Congrats to UAA, and thanks to Mercyhurst and UNO for a good tourney.
So next year the Brice has UND and Merrimack. That must mean the Kendall has Mercyhurst and what other team?

Conference play starts next week when another elite team comes to town. If possible, it's time to step our game up another notch.

Go Nooks!

 

[Rms123]

Re: Brice Alaska Goal Rush (Oct 14 & 15): UAF, UAA, UNO, Mercyhurst

UAF and UAA have both, unfortunately, lost most of the casual fans that they used to have. Go back and look at the Gadowsky and MacMillan eras for UAF and we were routinely pulling in 4,000, even for "ordinary" CCHA games. UAA has been hurt by the Aces in particular. As far as UAF, I think ticket prices have risen to the point that most families don't want to go to more than one or two games a year. It's $80 four a family of four to get reserved seats now, and that's not counting food and beverages. When you consider that Dallas Ferguson has coached two of the three best Nanook teams in the last decade just since 2008, that should be a wake-up call for the UAF administration. We only cleared 4,000 twice last year, for Michigan and UAA (and the UAA game was barely over 4,000, I think it was 4,080 or something like that).

I can't speak for UAA since I'm not familiar with their promotions, but I think UAF needs to start doing alumni and military discounts and maybe some ticket giveaways on radio stations just to get the community re-involved. There's always going to be the diehards and the students that show up no matter what, but it's time to get the casual fans back in the building for more than the Governor's Cup. The quality of play is definitely there, and has been ever since Dallas took over. This is especially critical since after 2013 we won't have the Big 10 schools rolling into town two or three times over the winter to help draw in bandwagon fans for those schools.

I agree. I don't think deployments have helped either. I'm sure that has probably hurt UAA as well. The Aces are probably their biggest problem, but having large portions of our brave warriors overseas can't be helping. I said last year the prices are getting ridiculous....its college hockey, not the NHL. As stated previously, my wife and I make real good money (plus we have no kids) so we are not the average family. However, with the cost of energy, and the uptick in hockey entertainment related expenses, something has to give. It cost the two of us around$70-$100 just for a weekend of hockey (tickets, food, beverages), and that is no difference on what team we go to watch. So if we went to all the games per month for both the Nooks and Dogs, that’s anywhere from $280-$400. I can see how that would hurt a family with kids. She and I used to go to every single Nanooks, and Ice Dogs game (they have also increased ticket prices). Last year, we cut back dramatically (went to three games) from the Ice Dogs. We also missed, for the first time in years, three Nanooks games. General admission tickets for the Nooks should be no more than $8.00. What are UAA’s prices?

 

[Rms123]

Re: Brice Alaska Goal Rush (Oct 14 & 15): UAF, UAA, UNO, Mercyhurst

Just one of them. Remember, what goes around comes around. And oh yeah, congrats to the Seawolves for winning BOTH their own and the _airbanks tournaments. Way to go boys!!

Hahahah wanna meet after school in the playground to settle this? lol UAA played well this weekend.

 

[Suze]

Re: Brice Alaska Goal Rush (Oct 14 & 15): UAF, UAA, UNO, Mercyhurst

I agree. I don't think deployments have helped either. I'm sure that has probably hurt UAA as well. The Aces are probably their biggest problem, but having large portions of our brave warriors overseas can't be helping. I said last year the prices are getting ridiculous....its college hockey, not the NHL. As stated previously, my wife and I make real good money (plus we have no kids) so we are not the average family. However, with the cost of energy, and the uptick in hockey entertainment related expenses, something has to give. It cost the two of us around$70-$100 just for a weekend of hockey (tickets, food, beverages), and that is no difference on what team we go to watch. So if we went to all the games per month for both the Nooks and Dogs, that’s anywhere from $280-$400. I can see how that would hurt a family with kids. She and I used to go to every single Nanooks, and Ice Dogs game (they have also increased ticket prices). Last year, we cut back dramatically (went to three games) from the Ice Dogs. We also missed, for the first time in years, three Nanooks games. General admission tickets for the Nooks should be no more than $8.00. What are UAA’s prices?

We've had season tickets for over 20 years so I really don't know what their prices are, but I think it's more than $8.00. Aces are much higher yet they get more fans in the door. UAA does have promotions every Fri and Sat that get two kids in with one adult admission, which should really help families afford to attend, and it is more of a family atmosphere than an Aces game.

 

[Rms123]

Re: Brice Alaska Goal Rush (Oct 14 & 15): UAF, UAA, UNO, Mercyhurst

We've had season tickets for over 20 years so I really don't know what their prices are, but I think it's more than $8.00. Aces are much higher yet they get more fans in the door. UAA does have promotions every Fri and Sat that get two kids in with one adult admission, which should really help families afford to attend, and it is more of a family atmosphere than an Aces game.

UA needs to do more promotions. I think we pay $13 for general admission. Toyed with season tickets for years. The Aces fight, and have won championships. UAA starts winning championships, the fans will come. The Ice Dogs don't have near the effect on the Nooks as I suspect the Aces do on the Wolves.

 

[UAA Seawolves Fan]

Re: Brice Alaska Goal Rush (Oct 14 & 15): UAF, UAA, UNO, Mercyhurst

As always, what a fun weekend in Fairbanks! Its all the better when your team can bring home some hardware from the Banks too (particularly without it being the type to come out of the dumpster either). Great job by Wolves! I can't wait to see how this team builds and grows over the course of the season. This weekend should be an interesting test, with UNO coming to Alaska as a ranked opponent and then losing both games. I was expecting a different Maverick's team to come out playing for the Saturday game and was a bit surprised when they didn't really step up so it will be interesting to see if being at home will turn their game around. Besides looking a bit sloppy and not connecting, UNO's biggest weakness by far is just weak goaltending. Goalies that played this weekend were a freshman and a sophomore. Not much experience there. With the talent that UNO has, they have to be able to block pucks before they even get on net, at least until the goalies are able to build up some more experience at this level.

Mercyhurst is a good team but I'd have to say goaltending again. More so on Friday than on Saturday, Mercyhurst's goalie was more than too far out of position and it cost at least a goal each night (that I can recall now). Theres a time and place to come out of the net like that, but it when it prevents you from getting back around than you probably picked the wrong moment to try that.

Regardless, great hockey this weekend! Some surprises, some delightful outcomes, and some great times. I look forward to my next trip North, hopefully to collect some more hardware.

 

[UAA Seawolves Fan]

Re: Brice Alaska Goal Rush (Oct 14 & 15): UAF, UAA, UNO, Mercyhurst

UA needs to do more promotions. I think we pay $13 for general admission. Toyed with season tickets for years. The Aces fight, and have won championships. UAA starts winning championships, the fans will come. The Ice Dogs don't have near the effect on the Nooks as I suspect the Aces do on the Wolves.

UAA has gotten quite a bit better with promotions over the past few years. Though my family has had season tickets since the beginning of the program, I can say that the AD's promotions have gotten a few more butts in the seats over the past couple seasons. It can be expensive for a family to go to a hockey game, but UAA (as compared to the Aces) is certainly more family-friendly. UAA and the Aces have to compete for some fans, but at the same time, there is a sizable number of fans that are solely college hockey fans or solely Aces fans. Personally, I have no interest in the Aces, regardless of how many former Seawolves fans play(ed) for them. But the University, moreso in Anchorage than Fairbanks, needs to get more students to games! Its entirely disheartening to see the few students who attend UAA games. I think the lack of an on-campus arena is only part of the equation. Its expensive to be a student and it can be expensive to go to games even though their tickets are free. Its been said time and time again but the AD significantly needs to address this problem.

 

[Suze]

Re: Brice Alaska Goal Rush (Oct 14 & 15): UAF, UAA, UNO, Mercyhurst

UAA has gotten quite a bit better with promotions over the past few years. Though my family has had season tickets since the beginning of the program, I can say that the AD's promotions have gotten a few more butts in the seats over the past couple seasons. It can be expensive for a family to go to a hockey game, but UAA (as compared to the Aces) is certainly more family-friendly. UAA and the Aces have to compete for some fans, but at the same time, there is a sizable number of fans that are solely college hockey fans or solely Aces fans. Personally, I have no interest in the Aces, regardless of how many former Seawolves fans play(ed) for them. But the University, moreso in Anchorage than Fairbanks, needs to get more students to games! Its entirely disheartening to see the few students who attend UAA games. I think the lack of an on-campus arena is only part of the equation. Its expensive to be a student and it can be expensive to go to games even though their tickets are free. Its been said time and time again but the AD significantly needs to address this problem.

The promos are great, but I am amazed every year by how few people actually know about them. If folks would print out the flyers for the Fri & Sat night promotions and put them up in the work lunch room, on bulletin boards, etc. that may help. I've been doing that for the past few seasons. Some friends of mine own businesses and they have been great in putting these in their store front windows.

 

[seawolffan]

Re: Brice Alaska Goal Rush (Oct 14 & 15): UAF, UAA, UNO, Mercyhurst

Mercyhurst is a good team but I'd have to say goaltending again. More so on Friday than on Saturday, Mercyhurst's goalie was more than too far out of position and it cost at least a goal each night (that I can recall now). Theres a time and place to come out of the net like that, but it when it prevents you from getting back around than you probably picked the wrong moment to try that.

Agreed. Spang isn't actually that bad, but I have a feeling the game would have been a lot closer if Spang didn't come so far out of his net. The one that comes to mind is Naslund's goal (don't get me wrong, it was a nice move, but Spang would have had a chance to make the save had he not been so far out. Naslund just danced around him.)