L V C Hockey Program Is Over

[cooperalls]

Re: L V C Hockey Program Is Over

LVC will play whomever they want I am sure that they will be able to get games with both NCAA teams since it is fairly obvious that they are going to be doing the same thing Scranton is doing and will still be an ACHA Div. 1 entity as well as an NCAA Div. III Independent. I am sure they can even get a game with Penn State on perhaps a Tuesday or Wednesday night. The funny thing is the administration uses the excuse that transportation will be less but I tend to think it will be around the same maybe able to get away with a few day trips but unless they plan on letting the kids drive themselves to Philadelphia or Pittsburgh for away games.

Something to consider is - who will LVC play next season? I know it won't be Penn State -- their schedule is already set. Most of the other top D-1 teams probably have their slates full.

 

[NUProf]

Re: L V C Hockey Program Is Over

LVC will play whomever they want I am sure that they will be able to get games with both NCAA teams since it is fairly obvious that they are going to be doing the same thing Scranton is doing and will still be an ACHA Div. 1 entity as well as an NCAA Div. III Independent. I am sure they can even get a game with Penn State on perhaps a Tuesday or Wednesday night. The funny thing is the administration uses the excuse that transportation will be less but I tend to think it will be around the same maybe able to get away with a few day trips but unless they plan on letting the kids drive themselves to Philadelphia or Pittsburgh for away games.

Scranton hasn't played any NCAA games for a few years now. I think that LVC would need to play half their games against NCAA DIII teams for a game against them to be anything other than an exhibition game.

 

[cooperalls]

Re: L V C Hockey Program Is Over

I think there will be a mass exodus of players that could probably be an impact player on an Northeast 10 or ECAC NE team and pay a lot less money to go to school. Because it's not like when you go for that job on Wall Street they are saying "oh wow you graduated from Lebanon Valley that is impressive" and everyone knows that Lebanon County PA is one of the ****tiest areas in PA. But I agree with you the administration is looking for the program to hang itself. Because all they have is the guys they recruited to come in if they decide to come in and probably about half the guys will stay from this years team or at least guys that are upperclassman in order to graduate. So you are correct in thinking that they may not even be able to field a team unless it is a men's league team.

While this maybe a blow for NCAA DIII hockey, this is good for the ACHA DI and also LVC. LVC hasn’t been competitive at hockey in many seasons. ACHA DI will also the team to at least have a better chance at a winning record, or at least a respectable record.

For those on here who are "sad", "angry", "upset" or whatever, and even the headline of this thread- "LVC Hockey Progam is Over" is a little bit of over-reaction.
At least the school isn’t disbanding the team and there won't be ANY college hockey. In fact if you're a fan of LVC hockey you wont see much of a difference between NCAA DIII and ACHA DI besides the team having a better chance of winning and competing. It also allows a small school such as LVC to play against major schools along with regional opponents. The press release statement indicated there are over 40 ACHA schools in PA, LVC shouldn’t play against most of them (most of the ACHA DII and all ACHA DIII schools). But there's plenty of ACHA DI teams from Big schools within a few hours drive, going ACHA DI doesn't stop LVC from playing games against any rival NCAA schools they've developed either.

Penn State, Penn State-Berks, West Chester, Duquesne, Pittsburgh, Washington and Jefferson College, Indiana University of PA, Slippery Rock, Lehigh University, Villanova, University of Scranton, Robert Morris.
There are also many other ACHA DI teams in neighboring states.

The ACHA DI is not the NCAA DIII some ACHA supporters think so, but the level is still high and ACHA (esp. at DI and some DII teams/leagues) has drastically improved starts of play, with the growth of USA Hockey American Development Model and the relatively low amount of NCAA DI and DIII schools compared to a growing talent pool the level of ACHA hockey will continue to improve and probably close the gap between NCAA DIII schools over the next decade.

As for the players, it might be a disappointment about not playing NCAA DIII hockey, ACHA DI hockey has a good reputation as well, As a hockey player myself- there always should be an elements of hard work, fun, and the love of sport- but we're not 5 and 6 year old kids anymore where coaches say "go out and have fun, and don't worry about losing every game", winning is fun too!! I'm sure the players would rather win than continue playing DIII and get destroyed every game.[/QUOTE


Oh Please!!! You either never competed at this level or you drank the Kool -Aid the LVC Admin has served up. Dont you get it? No one's comingback!!!!
This is what MacDonald hoped for.!!!.there will be NO Hockey next year..period!!
What players would they field?.. the local rec players??

 

[ICEKING]

Re: L V C Hockey Program Is Over

A MAN IS AS GOOD AS HIS WORD!! READ PRESIDENT MACDONALD'S LETTER FROM 3 YRS AGO!!!!


... See More
The recipients of this e-mail know that at the conclusion of the current ice hockey season I commissioned a task force consisting of Vice President for Administration, Bob Hamilton, Vice President for Enrollment, Bill Brown, and Director of Athletics, Kathy Tierney, to conduct a thoroughgoing analysis of the sustainability and prospects for success of our ice hockey program. I received the report of the task force yesterday and discussed it in detail with the task force members.




Informed by this report, I have concluded that Lebanon Valley College should continue to play intercollegiate hockey. Ice hockey is here to stay.




In its brief history at the College, it is clear that ice hockey has become n important part of our intercollegiate sports program. It has drawn good students to the College, and these young men have enjoyed valuable academic and athletic experiences here. Our alumni who played varsity hockey for the Valley exhibit a fierce loyalty to the team and to the College.




So we will continue to offer student athletes the opportunity to play hockey here, and we will honor the traditions established by the program's past accomplishments. We will place at the disposal of the hockey program the material and human resources it needs to play successfully in the highly competitive ECAC West.




I have just met with the members of the current hockey team and have given them this good news. They were relieved. I told them that I am committing myself personally to the hockey program. I asked them to stay with us and to commit themselves as well.

I want to thank all of you who wrote for taking the time to express your views. A number of you indicated your readiness to assist the hockey program in various ways. I appreciate your offer: we will be in touch to consider how this might be done.




Stephen MacDonald



President



Lebanon Val

 

[ballgame]

Re: L V C Hockey Program Is Over

Well they were forced out of the ECAC Northeast remember.

why? This was during my no hockey phase after I grad

 

[ballgame]

Re: L V C Hockey Program Is Over

I have personally seen PSU, and have played them at PSU. All I will say is they have a strong program and it would be so much fun playing for them. Besides going to PSU they pack their rink and the hockey is way better than people think.

NCAA keeps losing teams but aren’t adding any.

 

[NUProf]

Re: L V C Hockey Program Is Over

why? This was during my no hockey phase after I grad

They were pushed out because the ECAC NE teams didn't like the travel. In fact, in their last year in the league they made a rule that LVC couldn't host any playoff games. Shortly after that they pushed St. Mike's out because Burlington was too far from Boston. That's how St. Mike's landed in the ECAC East

 

[Matthew Webb]

Re: L V C Hockey Program Is Over

NCAA keeps losing teams but aren’t adding any.

I'm probably missing a few, but since I've been around (97/98) the DII/DIII side has...

Lost: MCLA, Scranton, Crookston, Lebanon Valley, Bemidji and RIT (to DI)

Gained: Morrisville, Neumann, Manhattanville, Adrian, Concordia-WI, Finlandia, Castleton, UNE, Westfield, Becker, MSOE and Northland

I'm sure I'm not perfect with those as I went off the top of my head, but at least we're running in the black...for now.

 

[Russell Jaslow]

Re: L V C Hockey Program Is Over

I'm probably missing a few, but since I've been around (97/98) the DII/DIII side has...

Lost: MCLA, Scranton, Crookston, Lebanon Valley, Bemidji and RIT (to DI)

Gained: Neumann, Manhattanville, Adrian, Concordia-WI, Finlandia, Castleton, UNE, Westfield, Becker, MSOE and Northland

I'm sure I'm not perfect with those as I went off the top of my head, but at least we're running in the black...for now.

Morrisville is new since you've been around.

 

[GreatLakerMohawk]

Re: L V C Hockey Program Is Over

Case-in-point: MCLA. When they pulled out of NCAA Division III, it was clearly stated that they would play ACHA D1 and return to NCAA DIII if they succeeded on the club level. MCLA (Mass. College of Liberal Arts) is now completely absent from the ACHA website, having NO club hockey team. A google search for the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts ACHA Hockey results in no relevant search results. It would seem that the team was unable to compete in the ACHA, presumably because players fled. LVC will likely not realistically compete on the ACHA D1 level.

Club sports at MCLA, at least while I was there, were not well funded and existed solely as a drinking fraternity. Rugby and lacrosse in particular. When MCLAs program was blown up, I don't recall any stressing about keeping a competitive club team in tact and any of the players that were worth having when it folded up the tents went to better programs instantly. There were probably no relevant items on your search because a club program was never created or sustained in the wake of the team being blown up.

MCLA's team folding up was a financial move as it was stated then that it cost the college over $100,000 a year to keep the team going in spite of the college owning the rink they played at. Hockey was replaced with cross country running in athletics. The cost of buying shorts and shirts obviously being cheaper than sticks, skates, uniforms, pads, etc.

 

[Matthew Webb]

Re: L V C Hockey Program Is Over

Morrisville is new since you've been around.

Woops, thought I had included them.

 

[PrezdeJohnson09]

Re: L V C Hockey Program Is Over

I'm probably missing a few, but since I've been around (97/98) the DII/DIII side has...

Lost: MCLA, Scranton, Crookston, Lebanon Valley, Bemidji and RIT (to DI)

Gained: Neumann, Manhattanville, Adrian, Concordia-WI, Finlandia, Castleton, UNE, Westfield, Becker, MSOE and Northland

I'm sure I'm not perfect with those as I went off the top of my head, but at least we're running in the black...for now.

Lost: Canisius, Mercyhurst, Niagara right around that 1997-1998 time as well.

Gained: Utica

 

[NUProf]

Re: L V C Hockey Program Is Over

When MCLAs program was blown up, I don't recall any stressing about keeping a competitive club team in tact and any of the players that were worth having when it folded up the tents went to better programs instantly. There were probably no relevant items on your search because a club program was never created or sustained in the wake of the team being blown up.

MCLA's best player, Nick Cote worked out a deal with the school so that he could take courses at Norwich for a year, transfer his credits back and still graduate from MCLA.

 

[GreatLakerMohawk]

Re: L V C Hockey Program Is Over

Lost: Canisius, Mercyhurst, Niagara right around that 1997-1998 time as well.

Gained: Utica

Also lost in that 1998 D-I callup: UConn, Sacred Heart, Quinnipiac, AIC, Iona, Fairfield, Holy Cross. Iona and Fairfield I'm not sure about if they were playing D-III or not, but the others I know were there.

MCLA's best player, Nick Cote worked out a deal with the school so that he could take courses at Norwich for a year, transfer his credits back and still graduate from MCLA.

That's who it was. I couldn't remember his name but I did recall one player going to Norwich.

 

[NUProf]

Re: L V C Hockey Program Is Over

Also lost in that 1998 D-I callup: UConn, Sacred Heart, Quinnipiac, AIC, Iona, Fairfield, Holy Cross. Iona and Fairfield I'm not sure about, but the others I know were in D-III.

They were playing DIII, but were/are in fact DI schools. They went DI because the NCAA told them to. That's what led to the formation of the MAAC hockey league - currently known as Atlantic Hockey - which is odd since the last I looked, the Air Force Academy isn't on the Atlantic Seaboard.

 

[joeyc3402]

Re: L V C Hockey Program Is Over

Findlay as well... they were D-II and inaugural members of the MCHA (the pre-Adrian Adrian, if you will), but they moved on after only one season to play D-I.

 

[NUProf]

Re: L V C Hockey Program Is Over

Findlay as well... they were D-II and inaugural members of the MCHA (the pre-Adrian Adrian, if you will), but they moved on after only one season to play D-I.

It seems like the MCHA had another member who got beaten something like 20-0 by Findlay, and dropped hockey at the end of the season.

 

[GreatLakerMohawk]

Re: L V C Hockey Program Is Over

They were playing DIII, but were/are in fact DI schools. They went DI because the NCAA told them to. That's what led to the formation of the MAAC hockey league - currently known as Atlantic Hockey - which is odd since the last I looked, the Air Force Academy isn't on the Atlantic Seaboard.

Were Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart and AIC D-I's that were playing down? Obviously UConn and Holy Cross were but those three were too? That's a lot of beer ago for me.

 

[HockeyFanAttic]

Re: L V C Hockey Program Is Over

I'm probably missing a few, but since I've been around (97/98) the DII/DIII side has...

Lost: MCLA, Scranton, Crookston, Lebanon Valley, Bemidji and RIT (to DI)

Gained: Morrisville, Neumann, Manhattanville, Adrian, Concordia-WI, Finlandia, Castleton, UNE, Westfield, Becker, MSOE and Northland

I'm sure I'm not perfect with those as I went off the top of my head, but at least we're running in the black...for now.

Also, Mankato State used to be D-III. They left shortly after 1991.

 

[Russell Jaslow]

Re: L V C Hockey Program Is Over

Lost: Canisius, Mercyhurst, Niagara right around that 1997-1998 time as well.

Gained: Utica

I don't count Niagara. When they started their program, it was announced they had every intent to go straight to D1. They simply used their formative years playing in the ECAC West as they built their program up.

Canisius and Mercyhurst I would count, even though they were never technically DIII, because their leaving did hurt the ECAC West.