A few thoughts regarding the demise of the Golden Flashes:
      I don't believe that Kent will be able to save their program the way
that Ferris did for a number of reasons.  First of all there is past record.
Ferris, while hardly a league powerhouse, has had some success against some of
the top teams in the league.  They regularly beat MSU and finish in 5th or 6th
place, year in and year out.  If you're a Bulldog fan, you can easily conceive
of them jumping up and winning a title someday.  Kent, OTOH, is a program in
bad shape, even for being new to Div. I.  Many bad years in a row + controversy
with their coach + need to save money + need to comply with Title IX = Toast O'
hockey program.
     A second reason that I doubt that they can be saved is that they don't
have the grass-roots support for their program the way that Ferris did.  If you
live near Kent and the team sucks you can always go to Cleveland for something
better to do.  If you live near Big Rapids, you're more likely to go see the
'Dogs because, well frankly, there isn't a whole lot to do in Big Rapids.
      In terms of what the CCHA will do next year, it's hard to say.  There is
no good way to run an 11 team playoff and you can't drop a team or 3 if UAF is
an affiliate member, as they have no place.  The only way that would work is to
have the commissioner or someone decide how good the Nanooks are and whether
and where they belong in the playoffs.  The choice seems to be either dump UAF,
give them full membership, or find a 12th team.  They may have a contract for
the next season or two that would negate the first option, I'm not sure.  I
don't know who, in the area, they could talk up to Div. 1, so they may accept
them in.  If they aren't obligated to keep them as an affiliate, though, I
believe that they will cut them loose and let them try the WCHA.  The league
doesn't seem too keen on the idea of letting them be full members.  I get the
impression that they were only let in because 12 was a better number than 11.
     Whatever happens it is too bad that we have to lose a program.  Kent is a
good school and, if they had ever gotten good, would have provided the league
with a strong representative in the Cleveland area.  Oh well. C'est la vie, eh.
                                                   --Steve Moerland
                                                     MSU '92, UK '95