{"id":30271,"date":"2009-01-29T14:50:46","date_gmt":"2009-01-29T20:50:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uscho.com\/2009\/01\/29\/this-week-in-the-cha-jan-29-2009\/"},"modified":"2010-08-17T19:57:21","modified_gmt":"2010-08-18T00:57:21","slug":"this-week-in-the-cha-jan-29-2009","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uscho.com\/2009\/01\/29\/this-week-in-the-cha-jan-29-2009\/","title":{"rendered":"This Week in the CHA: Jan. 29, 2009"},"content":{"rendered":"
Now the NCAA just has to find new homes for Bemidji State and Alabama-Huntsville come 2010.<\/p>\n
With reports confirming that Atlantic Hockey voted this week to bring Niagara and Robert Morris aboard in two years when the CHA officially crumbles, and NU and RMU both accepting the invitations, the onus is now on the WCHA and CCHA to make room for BSU and UAH, respectively.<\/p>\n
And just today, it appears the wheels are in motion for the Chargers as a story in the Huntsville Times<\/i> states that the school will be applying to the CCHA in the near future.<\/p>\n
“We have the official application letter and fee ready to be sent to the CCHA,” Alabama-Huntsville athletic director Jim Harris said to the Times<\/i>. “Things are starting to move now. I feel good. Good things are going to happen.”<\/p>\n
CCHA commissioner Tom Anastos was also quoted in the article, saying the CCHA has “been answering some questions for them as they navigate through the process and begin to determine their level of interest.”<\/p>\n
Still, Anastos will not commit to say that the CCHA would allow UAH to be a member.<\/p>\n
“We have discussed expansion in the past,” he said. “Not so much because we wanted to expand, as much as to stay prepared for the event the CHA disbanded.”<\/p>\n
The article also said UAH is looking into applying to the WCHA, but economics may prevent that from ever getting off the ground.<\/p>\n
Back NU and RMU’s way, their admittance into the AHA obviously has its pros and cons with the top con being that each school’s 18 scholarships will be reduced to just 12.<\/p>\n
The biggest pro, naturally, is that the two schools can go on playing in a stable league against teams they have played well against over the years and in many cases, defeated in recent years.<\/p>\n
“Our goal when deciding on the future of our hockey program was to find a conference with other institutions like us, both athletically and academically,” Niagara director of athletics and CHA interim commissioner Ed McLaughlin said. “The other main component was to ensure that our student-athletes would be able to compete for an NCAA tournament berth every year. I firmly believe that we have accomplished that goal.”<\/p>\n
“We have worked hard at RMU to develop our hockey program to a high level in only five years,” said Robert Morris director of athletics Dr. Craig Coleman. “And we believe that our entry into Atlantic Hockey is the next big step in that development.”<\/p>\n
RIT and Air Force were the last to join the AHA back in 2006 with Air Force bolting from the CHA.<\/p>\n
“The structure of the league will not change,” said David Rourke, director of media relations for the AHA, in the Niagara Gazette<\/i>. “The directors voted them in, but nothing else will change. There wasn’t any handshake agreement. They had to formally apply. That was brought forth and we had to see if we wanted to continue. We looked at both schools and what they offer to Atlantic Hockey.”<\/p>\n
Bemidji State will seek membership in the WCHA, as stated ad nauseam last week, for 2010 and most signs point to them being accepted with another school that will switch leagues. <\/p>\n
The CHA, now in its 10th season as a Division I league, will finish out this season and then bid adieu following next year’s schedule.<\/p>\n
“There’s next year, first and foremost; we’re committed to playing next year,” McLaughlin said to the Gazette<\/i>. “From the commissioner’s side of things, I really want to try to spend a lot of effort finding a home for other two schools (Bemidji State and Alabama-Huntsville).”<\/p>\nNiagara And Bemidji State Split<\/h4>\n
Niagara and Bemidji State did battle in Bemidji last weekend and each team came away with a win as the two teams continue to battle for the top spot in the CHA.<\/p>\n
The Purple Eagles took a 4-3 victory Friday night, while BSU rebounded for a 3-1 win the next night.<\/p>\n