At 01:00 PM 11/20/95 -0500, Scott Monaghan wrote:
 
>3. Small town.  The small market at LSSU works to our advantage.  We are the
>number-one game in town.  We are not competing with pro sports, etc.  for
>attention.  That makes it much easier to market the program.
 
>4.  University.  The U must be committed to the program, and LSSU is
>committed.  Hockey is the "front porch", so to speak, for this school, just
>as football is at Michigan.  The University, and Dr. Robert Arbuckle, our
>President, were integral in helping with the public campaign to expand our
>arena.  They address the needs of the program in keeping up with the big
>schools, within reason, consistently, too.
 
Scott, you're right on the money here.  At UAF, hockey enjoys a captive
audience of 70,000 potential fans in the greater (?) Fairbanks area.  No
other sport even comes close to attracting the kind of fan support enjoyed
by hockey, from the little Mosquito leaguers all the way to Old Timers.  Why
else would 4,300 fans leave a perfectly warm house at -40 to watch a hockey
game?  Despite this fan base, UAF admin types have had a persistently myopic
view of hockey's potential in the community.
 
Fortunately for UAF, Coaches Shafer, Lucia and Laurion have carried the puck
in the absence of administrative support over the years.  This is getting
better, as attributed to former AD Lynn Lashbrook and current AD Kelly
Higgins.  Too bad the chancellor and statewide president haven't jumped
wholeheartedly on the hockey bandwagon, IMO.
 
As for the players, mainly western Canadians and local boys, the local
climate certainly doesn't add to the appeal of playing at UAF.  CCHA
membership (and to a degree the chance to become paragons of the community)
has undoubtedly helped UAF's recruiting appeal in the last few years.  The
caliber of player attracted to UAF may be reflected by the fact that a large
portion of the players graduate and remain in the locale.  While this may
limit the number of UAF players heading to the NHL in the near term, I
sincerely hope the program will continue to grow.
 
One final note:  As for CCHA/WCHA/as-yet-formed-conference membership, both
Alaska schools obviously benefit from affiliation with hockey's premier
schools (no East Coast slam intended, please don't start another "who's
best" thread...).  I can't help but think that the other member schools get
something out of the deal, too.  The chance to visit Alaska, even in the
winter, is without a doubt a singular opportunity in the college experiences
of these young men.  I for one am proud to show off the place to anyone who
would care to come North, albeit with the notion of swiping a series :)
 
Here's to a happy Thanksgiving, complete with roast falcon... er, turkey.
 
Mark
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Mark J. Sonnier, C.P.M.                                 Voice (907)786-6505
Purchasing Agent                                          Fax (907)786-6515
University of Alaska Anchorage           e-mail: [log in to unmask]
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UAF Hockey fans say:  "Look out CCHA - 'Nooks in 95 are badder than Binky!"
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