As the subject line says, I want to offer my congratulations to Coach
Schafer and all involved with the Notre Dame hockey program who have made
this a reality.  I'm sure most of us, myself included, cannot begin to
comprehend how much Ric and his people, the players included, have fought
long and hard for this over the past few years since that dark day when the
Irish were relegated to being a club team by an athletic administration
that didn't have its priorities straight.
 
As Ric said a little while ago, Notre Dame needs hockey and Division I
hockey needs Notre Dame.  Besides the re-creation of old rivalries that
is going to take place with the Irish's re-entry into the CCHA, the very
fact that a high-visibility, well-respected institution like ND will again
be competing day in and out with the top teams in the country can only
serve to benefit both ND and US college hockey.
 
It's amazing how many people didn't even know ND played hockey.  I found
this out at the ND-BC game in January when I heard the surprised comments
of fans around me.  Hopefully this will change.
 
When Ric took the ND job in 1987, his goal was clearly to re-establish
ND as a force in college hockey like it once was.  I've got a lot of respect
for the way he has hung in there against adversity and brought the program
to this point.  I'm sure there will be even brighter days ahead.
 
I'm looking forward to ND's trip to New England in late November, including
the game when we at Merrimack will get to host the Irish in what should be
a good old-fashioned Catholic school battle. :-)  With the heavy CCHA
schedule that will lie ahead and Hockey East's move to a 28-game schedule
next year, there won't be much room for nonleague games.  But I hope we'll
still get to see the Irish every so often here in the Northeast.
 
Good luck, Coach, and thanks for letting us know of this momentous news.
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Mike Machnik        [log in to unmask]       [log in to unmask]