|
|
Post by longsuffering on May 12, 2022 20:05:02 GMT -5
I thought AIC should have decent attendance, but then I checked a few box scores from this past season. Dreadful for a team on a two or three year championship run. Once past Covid and if challenging for a title, HC should fill the Hart again. UMass draws well in Amherst. Their fans didn't drive a few exits on I-91 to attend the Minutemen vs Yellow Jackets game in Springfield. I went to a game up there at MassMutual Center in February of 2020 -- my daughters first HC sporting event at 4 months old at the time. Great venue, solid concessions -- with a winning team and it being the school's only DI sport you'd expect a little bit more in terms of fans showing up to the games. It's also Springfield's only D-1 team. That city and that arena have an AHL hockey tradition with the Thunderbirds and the Springfield Indians (Indian Motorcycles) before them. AIC has to keep skating and hope they eventually build a community following. It's not easy. |
|
|
|
Post by bfoley82 on May 12, 2022 21:35:08 GMT -5
I went to a game up there at MassMutual Center in February of 2020 -- my daughters first HC sporting event at 4 months old at the time. Great venue, solid concessions -- with a winning team and it being the school's only DI sport you'd expect a little bit more in terms of fans showing up to the games. It's also Springfield's only D-1 team. That city and that arena have an AHL hockey tradition with the Thunderbirds and the Springfield Indians (Indian Motorcycles) before them. AIC has to keep skating and hope they eventually build a community following. It's not easy. I think season tickets for AIC are about 60 bucks which is an absolute steal. |
|
|
|
Post by bfoley82 on May 12, 2022 21:39:18 GMT -5
great job 'Hoops et al: blame Foley for reporting a fact. But keep making excuses for 50 years of documented HC incompetence. Responding as part of " et al" 1. No one "blamed" Foley for "reporting a fact." I, for one, am tired of the "fact" that he seems to go out of his way to find anything he can use against HC on a site dedicated to HC sports. (Did ice hockey attendance really deserve a thread of its own?) 2. As to "50 years of documented incompetence" well that is in the eye of the beholder. No need for what you call excuses. (BTW there is a difference between an excuse and an explanation, but I imagine you know that already.) Well the North Dakota hockey beat writer posted an article about some of the attendance issues this week that were going on with the ND program. |
|
|
|
Post by A Clock Tower Purple on May 12, 2022 22:40:33 GMT -5
Who gives a rat's ass what attendance is in hockey, or any sport for that matter, at North Dakota.
|
|
|
|
Post by Tom on May 13, 2022 8:02:53 GMT -5
I went to a game up there at MassMutual Center in February of 2020 -- my daughters first HC sporting event at 4 months old at the time. Great venue, solid concessions -- with a winning team and it being the school's only DI sport you'd expect a little bit more in terms of fans showing up to the games. It's also Springfield's only D-1 team. That city and that arena have an AHL hockey tradition with the Thunderbirds and the Springfield Indians (Indian Motorcycles) before them. AIC has to keep skating and hope they eventually build a community following. It's not easy. I would think it would be difficult for a school like AIC. Casual sports fans who know they are a D-II school could easily assume that is across the board. Merrimack and Lowell handled that issue for years, but easier to do in the prestigious Hockey East |
|
|
|
Post by HC92 on May 13, 2022 9:48:06 GMT -5
AIC has 1345 undergraduates. Some of them are commuters. It’s a D2 school with no sports culture. They play off campus in a cavernous old arena with no atmosphere given the crowds they draw. Other than being good in the AHA, lots working against them for attendance. I’m surprised that Lang hasn’t turned his success into a different job maybe as a Hockey East assistant with the ultimate goal of a head job in HE.
|
|
|
|
Post by crusader12 on May 13, 2022 10:02:12 GMT -5
Not exactly numbers that will impress Hockey East. That ship has sailed. |
|
|
|
Post by HC92 on May 13, 2022 10:48:08 GMT -5
Not exactly numbers that will impress Hockey East. That ship has sailed. Not to nitpick, but I’m pretty sure it sunk. |
|
|
|
Post by longsuffering on May 13, 2022 10:53:59 GMT -5
AIC has 1345 undergraduates. Some of them are commuters. It’s a D2 school with no sports culture. They play off campus in a cavernous old arena with no atmosphere given the crowds they draw. Other than being good in the AHA, lots working against them for attendance. I’m surprised that Lang hasn’t turned his success into a different job maybe as a Hockey East assistant with the ultimate goal of a head job in HE. The Chesney Principal indicates he would be a better choice for HE head coach than a career HE Assistant. But HE strikes me as a league with a high opinion of themselves so maybe they would discount building a championship era, not just one team, in the AHA. |
|
|
|
Post by HC92 on May 13, 2022 11:01:11 GMT -5
I agree that any D1 school would be wise to give Lang a chance but there are only 40-50 head jobs in the country that would be a step up for him and those jobs don’t come up very often. And they hire their own. Lang played at AIC and has only coached at 3 schools: AIC, Army and Manhattanville. He probably needs to be an assistant in a higher conference if he ultimately wants a head job in a higher conference.
|
|
|
|
Post by longsuffering on May 13, 2022 11:17:38 GMT -5
That's the route Paul Pearl took. All the way to Cushing Academy. There is a lot of luck and timing involved in navigating a coaching (or any) career but with the right outlook any position in sports can be a great position.
|
|
|
|
Post by bfoley82 on May 14, 2022 0:05:45 GMT -5
AIC has 1345 undergraduates. Some of them are commuters. It’s a D2 school with no sports culture. They play off campus in a cavernous old arena with no atmosphere given the crowds they draw. Other than being good in the AHA, lots working against them for attendance. I’m surprised that Lang hasn’t turned his success into a different job maybe as a Hockey East assistant with the ultimate goal of a head job in HE. That arena isn't old at all. It is nicer than the DCU. |
|
|
|
Post by bfoley82 on May 14, 2022 0:06:55 GMT -5
I agree that any D1 school would be wise to give Lang a chance but there are only 40-50 head jobs in the country that would be a step up for him and those jobs don’t come up very often. And they hire their own. Lang played at AIC and has only coached at 3 schools: AIC, Army and Manhattanville. He probably needs to be an assistant in a higher conference if he ultimately wants a head job in a higher conference. Lang has turned down offers from ECAC schools in recent years... |
|
|
|
Post by trimster on May 14, 2022 8:29:25 GMT -5
Who gives a rat's ass what attendance is in hockey, or any sport for that matter, at North Dakota. Good one. |
|
|
|
Post by trimster on May 14, 2022 8:31:39 GMT -5
Thanks, Foley. We can always count on you for negative information about HC. The Germans call it “schadenfreude”. Unfortunately in my eyes, HC athletics gives Foley plenty of material with which to work. |
|
aaa8316
Crusader Century Club
Posts: 147
|
Post by aaa8316 on May 15, 2022 15:09:00 GMT -5
Not exactly numbers that will impress Hockey East. True. But we have a more manageable goal: win in the AHA. How's that going the last 10 years? ** Foley: I have zero issues with you or anything you put on this forum. Truth and honesty are like unicorns these days... |
|
