I don't know about the last year or two, but according to the ACHA,
Syracuse University had a club team in the Eastern Collegiate Hockey
Association in 1991-92 that went 4-8-2.  Other teams in this
conference were Rochester (NY), Gannon, Ithaca, SUNY-Cortland,
Niagara, SUNY-Albany, and Lemoyne.
 
This information came from the file HOCKEY-L ACHA1992 which exists in
the archives.  Terry May at Northern Arizona provided me with a
season-end ACHA release two years ago which contained final league
standings, and this makes up much of the file.  An updated listing
would be great along with a list of the ACHA teams, if anyone has one.
 
Back to SU...
 
Heather says that there are a couple of rinks within 10-15 minutes of
the school that a club team could use.  One is Meacham Rink which, she
says, is used by Corcoran HS and the Salt City Peewee League.  It
seats about 50 - but she supposes a club team that no one knows about
could be using it.
 
The War Memorial is also only 10-15 minutes away in downtown Syracuse,
and it is about the only currently existing building that could house
an NC$$ DivI level team.  However, Heather says, they would have to
get up the money to rent it and also compete with the new Syracuse
Crunch of the AHL and other events (Ice Capades, etc.) for time during
the busy winter months.  One advantage would be that with the new
OnCenter across the street, conventions have moved into the OnCenter
and out of the War Memorial, freeing up dates for other events.
 
Syracuse is an area that is attractive to a league like Hockey East,
because it is a metropolitan area without a team, has close ties to
two HE members through the Big East, etc.  But my experience is that
Syracuse is a football, basketball and lacrosse town, but it is not a
hockey town.  Check that - it has the potential to be a minor pro
hockey town, but I just do not see it as a college hockey town.  And
especially with the advent of the Crunch, who will play about 35-40
games a year at home, the hockey market is suddenly filled and a
college team would not draw well.  In fact, I would be surprised if
the attendance for the Syracuse Invitational does not drop as a result
of the new pro team.  What hockey fans there are in the area are
putting their money into the Crunch - and if I remember correctly, the
Crunch have sold a decent number of tickets but not come close to
selling out yet.
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                                            [log in to unmask]
Cabletron Systems, Inc.                                    *HMM* 11/13/93
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