I think our style and talent will improve as Matt Thomas figures out what works best in college hockey. As those levels come up, I believe attendance will improve also.
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UAA: Patiently Waiting For Next Season, Every Season...
- Thread starter Jimjamesak
- Start date
I think our style and talent will improve as Matt Thomas figures out what works best in college hockey. As those levels come up, I believe attendance will improve also.
I know it's Friday and you're lazy and all...
It would be interesting to see attendance figures from last season. We came out and played at a pretty poor level all year. Had we put together a .500 or better season attendance probably would have been better or decent. All speculation though. Coach will figure this out and get us going.
in Tucson on my phone. Ultimately lazy
Jimjamesak
Already insane, UAA making it worse
Re: UAA: Patiently Waiting For Next Season, Every Season...
Well, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be...
Well, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be...
Suze
New member
Re: UAA: Patiently Waiting For Next Season, Every Season...
Matt was pretty hard on the guys in his post game interview, but honestly I have seen them play a LOT worse. They were up against the #1 team, who looked like a #1 team in every aspect. Manny probably wants that first goal back, but he was solid otherwise. We just could not get any offense going. Mankato looked like they were on the power play most of the night. UAA played defense and it took them forever to clear their zone, and when they did they had no legs left and had to change 4 of the 5 players. Dump and change. One of our guys against their 5? Of course Mankato had no problems skating it right back down into our end. Rinse and repeat.
Matt was pretty hard on the guys in his post game interview, but honestly I have seen them play a LOT worse. They were up against the #1 team, who looked like a #1 team in every aspect. Manny probably wants that first goal back, but he was solid otherwise. We just could not get any offense going. Mankato looked like they were on the power play most of the night. UAA played defense and it took them forever to clear their zone, and when they did they had no legs left and had to change 4 of the 5 players. Dump and change. One of our guys against their 5? Of course Mankato had no problems skating it right back down into our end. Rinse and repeat.
Squarebanks
New member
You guys had a few decent seasons in the old WCHA, not to mention year one of the new WCHA but attendance continued to decline yearly since, what, the mid 2000's? That's why I think it's an atmosphere problem as much as anything. That cavernous barn is like a moratorium most nights.
Squarebanks
New member
I don't buy that argument. Anchorage is bigger now (more so when you count the massive population growth in Mat-Su, which is at 100,000 people by itself) than it was 20 years ago when you were bringing in 5k a night. And Sully seats 6k and change for hockey...it's not like we are talking about filling the Xcel Center here. For a metro area of 400,000 people there shouldn't be a problem filling up a small arena.
The problem is it's Anchorage, and many (if not most) people are from somewhere else and don't have the historical ties to the community like a similar-sized city in the lower 48.
Suze
New member
Re: UAA: Patiently Waiting For Next Season, Every Season...
The truth is that the Aces have won away many former UAA fans. It all started when the NHL had their lock out and Gomez came back home to play. The Aces have won several Kelly Cups and that didn't help either.
I trust Kurt Haider's opinion and regard him very highly. He felt putting the games on TV was a really dumb move that was gonna kill us even more, and that has held true. It would be very interesting to see the stats on how attendance has declined since UAA first put hockey on TV for free. I'd love to see that study.
The truth is that the Aces have won away many former UAA fans. It all started when the NHL had their lock out and Gomez came back home to play. The Aces have won several Kelly Cups and that didn't help either.
I trust Kurt Haider's opinion and regard him very highly. He felt putting the games on TV was a really dumb move that was gonna kill us even more, and that has held true. It would be very interesting to see the stats on how attendance has declined since UAA first put hockey on TV for free. I'd love to see that study.
Jimjamesak
Already insane, UAA making it worse
The Sullivan is huge part of it. It's a dark, cavernous, concrete tomb. The upgrades this last year were pretty much lipstick on a pig, heck the gray seats make it seem worse.
Atmosphere is getting better as UAA hired the morning show people from KGOT (and I like Casey and Mailie personally) and with big screen stuff like the Bongo Cam and Dance Cam (my daughter likes them).
But yeah, the Sully is a soulless concrete hole. The Aces at least end around a bit by giving away a metric * ton of tickets (it's really not hard to get free Aces tickets) and laying it on thick. Although I think any Aces discussion is pointless as they likely won't be around in two years...
Suze
New member
Re: UAA: Patiently Waiting For Next Season, Every Season...
I really doubt that many people in the Mat Su make the trip to Anchorage for UAA hockey. We do because we are die hard fans. Like I said, our neighbor's supported UAA for YEARS, and since the games went on TV live, they have only attended one series ... one that we talked them into going with us.
The Aces are in trouble, IMO. They lost a couple big time sponsors this season.
I really doubt that many people in the Mat Su make the trip to Anchorage for UAA hockey. We do because we are die hard fans. Like I said, our neighbor's supported UAA for YEARS, and since the games went on TV live, they have only attended one series ... one that we talked them into going with us.
The Aces are in trouble, IMO. They lost a couple big time sponsors this season.
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Re: UAA: Patiently Waiting For Next Season, Every Season...
To build off of what Suze said, Anchorage is also not a sports town. We had a indoor football team that was pretty good near the end, did they ever draw more than 3k? Ever go to a ABL game at Mulcahy in the summer? Half full and souless. UAA hockey is self-explanatory. It doesn't help that these teams play(ed) in 20/30/40+ year old venues that scream depression, I don't think they've ever cleaned the Mulcahy bathrooms.
Anchorage is very much a commuter city, UAA has absorbed this mentality too. Nearly everyone does their thing and then goes home, very militaristic. There are few things that draw a huge and lively crowd in this town.
Of course you could argue that poor city planning, weather, lack of convenient public transport are causes for a "dead" city, but it comes down to the residents. There are smaller, and bigger cities that support sports and city events better.
To build off of what Suze said, Anchorage is also not a sports town. We had a indoor football team that was pretty good near the end, did they ever draw more than 3k? Ever go to a ABL game at Mulcahy in the summer? Half full and souless. UAA hockey is self-explanatory. It doesn't help that these teams play(ed) in 20/30/40+ year old venues that scream depression, I don't think they've ever cleaned the Mulcahy bathrooms.
Anchorage is very much a commuter city, UAA has absorbed this mentality too. Nearly everyone does their thing and then goes home, very militaristic. There are few things that draw a huge and lively crowd in this town.
Of course you could argue that poor city planning, weather, lack of convenient public transport are causes for a "dead" city, but it comes down to the residents. There are smaller, and bigger cities that support sports and city events better.
Re: UAA: Patiently Waiting For Next Season, Every Season...
Especially with these two winters of more ice than snow.
Especially with these two winters of more ice than snow.
Squarebanks
New member
Anchorage is a sports town. The problem is everybody pays attention to the teams from wherever they came from.
Suze
New member
I heard they were bringing back indoor football.
Seawolf Fan
New member
Re: UAA: Patiently Waiting For Next Season, Every Season...
That was a gutsy performance our boys put on last evening.
Work, work, work and then they worked some more.
Best performance of the season.
Do the same in _airbanks next weekend and the rewards will be sweet.
It's a great day to be a Seawolf!
That was a gutsy performance our boys put on last evening.
Work, work, work and then they worked some more.
Best performance of the season.
Do the same in _airbanks next weekend and the rewards will be sweet.
It's a great day to be a Seawolf!
Suze
New member
Re: UAA: Patiently Waiting For Next Season, Every Season...
Agreed, they never gave up against a very talented and fast team.
Getting back to the topic of live TV and attendance. I spoke with many boosters and former Booster presidents during the parents dinner on Saturday, and every one of them felt the live TV is detrimental to attendance at the Sully. Case in point ... one booster dropped off their food and headed back home to watch the game on TV!! Truth.
Agreed, they never gave up against a very talented and fast team.
Getting back to the topic of live TV and attendance. I spoke with many boosters and former Booster presidents during the parents dinner on Saturday, and every one of them felt the live TV is detrimental to attendance at the Sully. Case in point ... one booster dropped off their food and headed back home to watch the game on TV!! Truth.
The extra 100 fans is really going to have an impact. Why don't we concentrate on our power play eh?
Jimjamesak
Already insane, UAA making it worse
Because it's her talking point dammit!