Last week I reported on the UConn hockey situation and the fact that it
had suffered in recent years from delays in building the new ice arena in
Storrs.   It may well be that someone was listening,  and that a couple of
folks on HOCKEY-L who responded to me privately also let UConn know how
they felt.
 
        I happened to catch the half-time show on TV for the UConn Women vs. West
Virginia a few minutes ago.   With UConn up 58-34,  Meagan Pattyson [sp?]
was interviewing UConn AD Lew Perkins about construction of athletic
facilities at UConn.   I came in during the middle of the interview and
from the context of Perkins' remarks the early questions must have been on
the topic of the recent football stadium proposal which never made it to
the CT legislature.
 
        But then they got off onto the topic of other construction at UConn,
 particularly the rebuilt field house,  and the new track and field hockey
stadium which hosted the NCAA field hockey championships this year (and is
certainly state of the art and first class).   Then,  "speaking of hockey",
 they broached the topic of the new building to enclose the current rink.
  There was a LOT of background noise,  so I did not hear the Perkins' one
hundred percent clearly.   But,  I understood him to say a new $4MM
building (up from $2.4MM a couple of years ago) would be started this
spring,  and that the plans were to use the new building to create a new
revenue stream for the Department of Athletics.
 
        Needless to say,  I hope I didn't just hear what I wanted to hear.   But
if what I heard was accurate,  I must say I liked the part about the new
revenue stream,  Lew:-):-)   After all,  if UConn Women vs. Tennessee can
draw in excess of 24,000 to a single building,  then UConn hockey should be
able to make some money too  --  if done properly.   But it has to be done
properly,  not half way.   It's time that effort got started.
 
        -- Dick Tuthill
 
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