Niagara head coach Dave Burkholder has been named to the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee, it was announced Friday.
Burkholder, who is in his fifth year at the helm of the Purple Eagle program and his 10th season overall at Niagara, will help select the field for the NCAA Tournament and be involved with any rule discrepancies, sportsmanship questions and conduct concerns among other issues.
“Dave’s selection to the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee is a tribute to the respect he has garnered in the college hockey community,” Niagara athletics director Mike Hermann said. “I know he will represent Niagara well, and he will continue to be a great ambassador for the sport of college hockey.”
Entering this weekend’s home series against Air Force, Burkholder claims an 81-80-2 career coaching record and is 49-33-9 in College Hockey America play. One more conference victory and he will become only the third coach to record at least 50 victories in the CHA.
Burkholder helped guide the 2004-05 squad to the NCAA tournament and was an assistant when the Purple Eagles advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals in 1999-2000.
Burkholder and the Purple Eagles currently hold a 13-12-1 record in 2005-06 and are in third place in the CHA with a 7-4-1 mark. They take on the Falcons Friday and Saturday with both games getting under way at 7 p.m.
