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Charge!! - UAH Needs You!

September 6, 2011, 10:49 AM ET [ Comments]
Paul McCann
Nashville Predators Blogger •Predators Radio Network • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Hockey in the south, to a lot of folks that still sounds a little strange even after 13 years of NHL hockey in Nashville, however, Nashville has been a little late to the party... as the true “Hockey Capital of the South” may be located about 100 miles south of Music City.

Huntsville, Alabama is more known for Space Camp and NASA installations instead of bluelines and slap shots, but NCAA hockey has been alive and well in Northern Alabama for almost 25 years. The University of Alabama in Huntsville Chargers are alive and successful… four NCAA Division II Frozen Four appearances, two resulting in National Championships. Two College Hockey America regular season championships and two CHA tournament championships, two NCAA Division I Tournament appearances, the last one in 2010… a little strange maybe, successful? Definitely!

Why am I going through all this? Well… UAH Hockey is going through a bit of a struggle, the very life of the organization is in jeopardy due to a perfect storm of elements that have come together, beyond the terrible economic conditions that persist. The primary hit was the disbanding of College Hockey America, the Chargers conference. When the CHA was raided, by two other conferences, there was no where for the southernmost NCAA D1 program to land. The following year, UAH applied for membership in the CCHA, bidding to replace Nebraska-Omaha as the conference’s twelfth member, however their application was denied, pushing the team to compete as the only NCAA D1 independent, a costly move both in travel and in recruiting. Now comes the news that the interim president of UAH, Dr. Malcolm Portera, is seriously considering dropping the program back to the club level… but alumni and Charger supporters aren’t giving up without a fight, and they seem to be willing to put their money where their mouth is.

Keith Rowe, an alumni of the program and one of the leaders of the TPH Hockey program that plenty of middle Tennessee hockey parents are familiar with, is driving a fund raising effort that is off to a flying start, gathering pledges of over $200,000 a year to support the program! That number was raised in just a few short weeks. The pledge drive is designed to bridge the UAH hockey program and allow the athletic department to put together a long term business and marketing plan to ensure the long-term success of Charger Hockey.

Dr. Portera has a difficult job ahead of him. He has a university that needs to get its financial house in order. That’s what makes this whole situation a little puzzling. This interim president seems to have an activated and wealthy base of contributors to this hockey program that can save it and frankly, help it get to the next level to build on its’ record of success. His reticence to use this group is perplexing.

In an email exchange between Mr. Rowe and the interim president, Dr. Portera refers to the UAH hockey team as a “non-competitive program.” I’d like to understand where the good doctor gets that perception… making the NCAA tournament two of the last five seasons is not competitive? UAH is the host of this upcoming season’s NCAA Frozen Four to be held at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, FL. There also seems to be another opportunity for the Chargers to gain admission to a conference, which will resolve the recruiting issue. I really struggle with this concept of this program being “non-competitive,” it seems ill-informed and Dr. Portera undermines his own credibility on this issue by making such a statement. Not profitable? Yes... but I don't think I can point to a profitable sport at this level... Badly marketed? Absolutely, but that falls to the university to market their programs, something desperately needed in this case.

Predator fans came out in droves to see UAH take on national power (and Frozen Four participant) Merrimack at Bridgestone Arena on a Friday night last January, they saw UAH take the Warriors to the wall in a heartbreaking 5-4 loss. Last season saw UAH defeat Bemidji State, tie Michigan State, beat UConn, tie Cornell and defeated Nebraska-Omaha (another NCAA Tournament participant) on the road. Pred Nation also recognizes a few of their own on this plucky Charger team… a couple of Tennesseans with the last name of Geoffrion are on the roster, Blake’s younger brothers junior, Sebastian and sophomore Brice. As you scan the roster you’ll see hometowns from Ohio, and Alberta, Michigan and Ontario, Colorado and Finland, continuing the worldwide influence on this beautiful Alabama city. UAH’s success on the ice has driven incredible growth of youth hockey in Huntsville, which has impacted growth across the southeast with their annual Silver Stick tournaments and regional USA Hockey championship tournaments. Hockey is important to Huntsville and the the entire southeastern USA… and Charger hockey is at its’ core.

So… how can you help? A couple of different ways… Check out these websites…

A Save the Chargers Facebook page
SaveUAHHockey.com has methods of making a pledge if you like.
The team’s main website
Sign their petition here. Send a message to the Interim President that the only NCAA Division I hockey program below the Mason-Dixon line needs to be saved…

I wish Keith Rowe and his group all the luck and success I can in this endeavor, the odds are long but this group is dedicated to maintaining Huntsville as the Hockey Capital of the South.

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Random Notes

- It is time to turn the page on this awful off-season and look toward the future… rookies report next week.

- Big doings this week as the preseason activities ramp up in Nashville. Thursday night at Bridgestone Arena is Petey's Preds Party. It is part of the Peterson For Parkinsons Foundation and Predators Foundation fund raising activities. While Friday's golf tournament is sold out, the party and silent auction still has some tickets left. Should be a good time for a great cause.

- So, now the Vancouver riots are the NHL’s fault??? So say the Vancouver City Council... Really Vancouver? That’s the best you have? What happened to the “small band of anarchists” defense? I am sorry, but given the fact that this happened in your city before, YOU, the city council should have been prepared… sheesh, blame shifting at its’ finest.

- Please, if you haven’t had the chance… drop a check for whatever you can to the Andie and Alex Belak Scholarship Fund. Checks should may be made payable to Woodmont Christian Church/Belak and sent to 3601 Hillsboro Pike, Nashville, TN 37215.

- 9 days till training camp opens.

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