It is quite ironic that Lake Superior has come up in this conversation so
much.  From the Merrimack standpoint, I remember vividly how MC people
tried to draw much of a comparison between themselves and LSSU back in 1988
when the teams met in the Soo for the NCAA quarterfinal series.  A lot of
MC folks went out for that series, and they returned saying, "They're a
small school like us, and they're where we want to be in a few years."
Both in terms of quality of play and the way they approach the marketing of
their program.
 
Merrimack people have a lot of respect for the other small schools that
have enjoyed recent success.  Colorado College was sort of the adopted
school of some MC followers last season - another small school that proved
it could beat the big boys.  And I remember a number of Merrimack alums I
know going to Harvard in 1989 and rooting on the Lakers in the NCAA
tourney.  It had more to do with their respect for LSSU and the kinship
they felt with them than anything else.
 
The big question is, can Merrimack do what these other schools are doing?
I still believe the answer is yes.  As I have said in email to some other
people, what it will take is a commitment to market the hockey program as
well as other sports programs in the way that other schools market their
programs.  I'm hoping that soon, that commitment will be there.  I know
that I'm willing to do whatever I can.
 
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                   [log in to unmask]            *HMM* 11/13/93
>> Co-owner of the College Hockey Lists at University of Maine System  <<
*****       Unofficial Merrimack Hockey home page located at:       *****
*****   http://www.tiac.net/users/machnik/MChockey/MChockey.html    *****
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.