Ala.-Huntsville seeks more than Frozen 4 berth
March 26, 2010
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP)—Alabama-Huntsville is looking for more than just thebiggest win in school history when it plays top-seeded Miami (Ohio) in the firstround of the NCAA men’s hockey tournament on Saturday.
The Chargers, the lone Division I hockey team in the South, are looking toprove they belong on the ice with the northern powers. They enter the MidwestRegional in Fort Wayne with a 12-17-3 record, but earned an automatic NCAAtournament berth by winning the College Hockey America tournament.
They are hoping a strong performance in the NCAA tournament might help themland a new conference affiliation after the CHA disbands following the season.The conference’s other three members have found leagues to play in, leavingAlabama-Huntsville as the only school without a conference.
“Hopefully it keeps us in the national conversation and if nothing elsereminds people that we are an independent team and we’re looking for a home,”coach Danton Cole said.
The Chargers tried to join the Central Collegiate Hockey Association lastsummer, but were rejected. Team captain Ryan Burkholder said playing the CCHAchampion RedHawks (27-7-7) on Saturday doesn’t provide any extra motivation forthe Chargers.
“We’re playing Miami, not the entire CCHA, so we’re focusing on Miami andhow we can do our best and beat them,” he said. “They could be in any otherconference and we’d treat them the same way.”
But players say they do feel as if they are trying to show that they are ateam worth pursuing for conference affiliation.
“Obviously getting rejected by the CCHA and not having a certain future andbeing independent for next year it’s definitely huge for us to get in thetournament and maybe prove that we belong with these teams and we’re notoutmatched by them,” goalie Cameron Talbot said.
The Chargers are the only team left playing with a losing record, but it’sthe second NCAA tournament trip in three years for the school with about 7,400students in northern Alabama. Three years ago, they earned a tournament berth,again with a losing record, and lost in double overtime to Notre Dame in thefirst round.
The school drew national attention last month when three professors werekilled and two professors and a staff member were wounded in a shooting during abiology faculty meeting. Former professor Amy Bishop was charged with capitalmurder.
Spencer Harrison, a freshman aerospace major from Red Bud, Ill., and a fanof the hockey team, said it’s exciting to see the team do so well. He said theshootings have helped bring the community together.
“Students are putting a little bit more effort into everything to make ourschool better,” he said.
The Chargers also hope to emulate what fellow CHA member Bemidji State didlast year when it became the first 16 seed to advance to the semifinals bybeating top-seeded Notre Dame and Cornell. Bemidji State is headed to thepowerful Western Collegiate Hockey Association next season.
Cole said he’s telling his team to just keep working and things will workout.
“Situations can always change,” the coach said. “At some point we’ll be agood fit for somebody. We want to make sure when that opportunity comes we’reready to jump in and be a valuable member.”
